St. Cloud, MN – The St. Cloud Rox have announced the addition of two left-handed bats for their 2024 outfield. Armani Newton and Francesco Barbieri, both of whom are currently playing college baseball in the state of Florida, will head north to Joe Faber Field this summer.

A sophomore at Florida Gulf Coast University, Newton has played 22 games this spring, starting 12. He has clubbed two home runs while driving in 10 runs on the season. Within conference play, he owns a .308 batting average with five walks and just three strikeouts, contributing to a .500 on-base percentage.

Hailing from Fort Pierce, Florida, Newton will make his Rox debut this summer. In high school, he was a First-Team All-American outfielder and rated as a top-100 outfielder in the country.

Barbieri, a fifth-year outfielder, is currently in his third season at Ave Maria University after spending his first two at North Iowa Area Community College. In 33 games this spring, he is sporting a team-high .366 batting average with 12 home runs and 29 runs batted in. Barbieri also leads the Gyrenes with 38 runs scored, 30 walks and 18 stolen bases.

Set to make his Rox debut in 2024, Barbieri spent his last two summers with the Florence Flamingos of the Coastal Plain League. The Canadian native of Brampton, Ontario, drove in seven runs and stole nine bases in 21 games there a year ago.

The Rox front office and coaching staff continue to assemble the 2024 Rox Roster. For a current roster click here.

The Rox home opener is May 31st at 7:05 PM against the Duluth Huskies. There will be a huge post-game fireworks show presented by Coborn’s. For a complete game schedule and to download the schedule to your phone, visit the schedule page at stcloudrox.com. Season ticket packages, group tickets, and Kwik Trip 5-game and 7-game plans are available. Call 320-240-9798 or visit stcloudrox.com to reserve your seats today.

The 2024 season is presented by Morrie’s Auto Group.

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