Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks have announced that right-handed pitcher Frank Rubio has signed to play with the team for the 2015 season. Rubio, a sophomore at the University of Florida, is the 14th player to be named to Waterloo’s roster for the squad’s 21st season.
Last season for the Gators, Rubio made three appearances, pitching in eight innings. The 6’0”, 190-pounder finished the year with a 2.25 EA and a 0-0 record, striking out five.
“Frank comes to us from a great program in Florida,” said Bucks general manager Dan Corbin. “He has a smooth motion to the plate and sits somewhere between 87 and 91 miles per hour. Frank knows how to pitch and we could get 40 to 50 innings out of him this summer.”
Last summer, Rubio played for the Olean Oilers of the New York Collegiate Baseball League where he went 5-1 with a 2.28 ERA in nine games. Rubio struck out 50 in 67 innings and tied for the league-lead with five complete games.
This season for the Gators, Rubio has appeared in two games, holding down a perfect 0.00 ERA in 2.2 innings. A native of Miami, Florida, Rubio has one strikeout and has yet to give up a hit this year.
Born April 23, 1995, Rubio attended St. Thomas Aquinas High School where he was named a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger after going 8-3 with a 1.72 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 61 innings as a senior. Rubio was a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.
The Bucks, the winningest team in all of summer-collegiate baseball over the past two years, will open the 2015 season on the road versus the Alexandria Blue Anchors on May 26, but return to Waterloo for their home opener versus the Mankato MoonDogs on May 28. Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks in the off-season by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com.
# # #
The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.