Waterloo, Iowa— The Waterloo Bucks are thrilled to release their Opening Day Roster in advance of May 28th’s season opener against the La Crosse Loggers at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium.

 

FIELD MANAGER

Casey Harms- First season

Waterloo, IA – The Bucks announced the hiring of Casey Harms as the team’s new Field Manager this past fall. Harms comes to the Bucks from Santa Barbara City College where he is the Associate Head Coach.

“Throughout the meticulous process of interviewing a number of applicants for our managerial position, Casey rose to the top with his energetic attitude, successful coaching track record, and solid communication skills,” said Bucks general manager Dan Corbin.  “He comes highly recommended and we look forward to him guiding us back to the playoffs with a winning culture.”

A former assistant coach at UC Santa Barbara, Harms joined the Santa Barbara City College staff this past fall. Harms had been with the Gauchos coaching staff for the previous six years, helping them to three NCAA Regionals, one Super Regional, and the first College World Series appearance in school history. Harms also has summer-collegiate experience, coaching for the Kelowna Falcons of the West Coast League in 2014.

“I am very fortunate for the opportunity to lead the Bucks in 2019 and am excited to represent the Cedar Valley next summer,” said Harms.

Before entering the coaching profession, Harms was an outfielder and three-year captain at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Harms stole 23 bases in 75 collegiate games at Occidental, slashing .297/.422/.405 and .333/.370/.500 during his junior and senior campaigns, respectively.

Harms earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology from Occidental in 2012 and earned a master’s degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University Irvine in 2016. He and his wife Samantha currently reside in Santa Barbara, California.

 

COACHING STAFF

Ryan Dettman- First season

Ryan Dettman is no stranger to the Northwoods League, having played for the Willmar Stingers in 2011. The highly decorated outfielder spent three seasons at American River Community College to open his career. After redshirting in 2009, Dettman hit .413 in his first playing season while leading his team with 12 doubles and posting a spectacular 1.025 on-base plus slugging (OPS). After his sophomore season, the lefthanded hitter finished his collegiate career at Oregon State, serving as a critical pinch-runner and defensive outfielder before injuries robbed him of his senior campaign. Over 147 games, including a stint with the Humboldt Crabs of the Far West League, Dettman slashed .293/.380/.399 with 18 doubles, 8 triples and three home runs while driving in 65 and stealing 51 bases. He recently completed his third season as the Hitting Coach at Feather River Community College in Quincy, California. Dettman also handles outfielders, recruiting and scouting with the Feather River Golden Eagles.

Nolan Atkins- First season

Dettman won’t be the only Feather River coach in Waterloo, as Nolan Atkins joins Casey Harms’ inaugural 2019 staff. The former righthanded pitcher spent two seasons at West Valley Community College before completing his collegiate career at the University of Texas-Pan American (now Texas-Rio Grande Valley). Having spent the summer of 2013 with the South Bay Storm of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League, Atkins’ career spanned 47 appearances and 16 starts, tossing 113.2 frames to a 4.05 FIP while striking out 69 and walking just 39 (3.09 BB/9). Nolan trained at Driveline in Seattle following the completion of his playing career, and just finished his first season with Feather River.

Matt Perea- First season

A familiar name to Bucks fans takes on a new role in 2019. Matt Perea, formerly an integral piece of the Waterloo bullpen in 2017 and 2018, rejoins the organization as a member of the coaching staff. Originally from Socorro, Texas, the lefthander posted a 17-9 career record at Cathedral HS with 189 career strikeouts and a 3.70 ERA over four years as a varsity letterman. Perea began his collegiate career at Dodge City Community College in 2015, posting a 2.00 ERA in 20 appearances and 4 starts. He went 5-3 with 3 saves in 45.0 innings, striking out 46 and walking only 12 with a 1.267 WHIP. As a sophomore he was inserted into the starting rotation, going 9-3 across 14 starts with a 4.52 ERA and a 3.76 FIP. Perea struck out 55 in 63.2 innings, walking only 23 and threw four complete games. The southpaw continued his college ball at New Mexico State University, pitching in 17 games as a LOOGY, striking out 11 over 10.0 innings. During the summer of his junior year Perea made 27 relief appearances for the Bucks, going 5-0 and working at a 2.20 ERA over 28.2 innings while striking out 24. As a senior in 2018, Perea went 2-3 in 23 appearances and a pair of starts. He put up a 20.7% strikeout rate and a .690 opponent OPS in 31.2 frames, throwing at a dazzling 3.13 FIP. Perea tossed 31.0 innings to the tune of a 4.94 ERA for Waterloo last season, covering 12 appearances with three starts and notching one save. Now a member of the New Mexico State coaching staff, Perea will join the Bucks once the Aggies’ season comes to an end.

CATCHERS

Jr. Greg Anderberg (S/R, George Washington) A familiar face leads off our 2019 Bucks roster, as Ankeny product Greg Anderberg will suit up in the blue-and-white for a second straight season. Anderberg earned second team all-conference honors as an infielder in 2014 before moving behind the plate for Ankeny High School, then was named first team all-conference as a catcher in 2015 and first team all-conference as a utility player in 2016. Greg spent two seasons at Ellsworth Community College, hitting .313 with a .901 OPS as a sophomore while belting 11 doubles. Waterloo’s Opening Day catcher in 2018, the switch-hitter batted .217 and knocked in 12 over 46 games. In his first season at George Washington this spring, Anderberg hit .250 across 31 games and 25 starts. Over three collegiate seasons, the fine-fielding backstop has posted caught-stealing rates of 27.8%, 35.1%, and 31.3%.

Fr. Alonzo Rubalcaba (R/R, Santa Barbara Community College) Our first true freshman of the Opening Day Roster is Alonzo Rubalcaba, although this will be the Fairfield, California product’s second season playing in a summer collegiate league. The young catcher spent the summer of 2018 with the Lincoln Potters of the California Collegiate League, blasting one home run and driving in 10 over just 29 games. Rubalcaba had an impressive showing at Santa Barbara Community College this spring, starting all 31 games he played and slashing .283/.386/.368 for a .754 OPS with 6 doubles and a home run. He also flashed a cannon arm behind the plate, gunning down 40% of opponent base stealers.

So. Joe Fitzhugh (R/R, San Diego State) A promising talent from Las Vegas, Joe Fitzhugh will round out the Bucks’ catching corps to open 2019 once the Aztecs’ season comes to an end. A 2017 graduate of Arbor View HS in Las Vegas, Joe was ranked as the No. 1 catcher in the state of Nevada and No. 2 overall player in Nevada among 2017 high school graduates by Perfect Game. Fitzhugh was also a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, a Perfect Game All-Region First Team honoree, a 2015 Perfect Game Underclass High Honorable Mention and a 2016 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Third Team selection. He hit .429 in 26 games as a senior in 2017 with six home runs, a triple, 13 doubles, and 24 RBI, recorded a .977 fielding percentage behind the plate, walked 20 times against six strikeouts and recorded a .535 on-base percentage and .857 slugging percentage. Fitzhugh threw out 22.2% of opposing runners as a true freshman in 2018, and thus far has hit .250 with 7 doubles and a home run over 25 games at San Diego State in 2019.

INFIELDERS

RS-Jr. Matt Campos (R/R, Hawai’i) Matt Campos redshirted at Hawai’i this season due to NCAA transfer rules, as the Waikele product returned to his home state after two seasons at San Francisco University. A Two-time Honolulu Star-Advertiser First Team All-State honoree, he earned Honolulu Star-Advertiser First Team All-State recognition as a senior, hitting .370 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. Campos also secured Second Team All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu (ILH) recognition as a senior. Following his freshman year at San Francisco, Campos spent the 2017 summer with the Dodge City A’s of the Jayhawk League, hitting .253 with three doubles and a home run in 24 games. The righthanded bat played 30 games in 2018, hitting .274 with three doubles.

So. Jake Gitter (L/R, Northern Colorado) One of two Northern Colorado players on the Opening Day roster, Jake Gitter provides the Bucks with impressive power from the left side. The New Orleans native played just 5 games as a true-freshman at Northern Colorado, but exploded in a 38-game showing with the 2018 San Diego Waves of the Western Baseball Association. Gitter produced a .330/.492/.536 triple-slash for a 1.028 OPS, blasting 8 doubles and four long-balls with 17 RBI and 8 steals. The utility player backed up his impressive summer by hitting .310 with a .976 OPS with the Bears this spring, clobbering 15 doubles, a triple and five home runs over 44 games. Gitter has shown a keen eye at the plate over his collegiate career, drawing walks at a stellar 19.6% clip.

RS Bryce Wooldridge (R/R, Cal State-Fullerton) A promising talent from Glendora, California, Bryce Wooldridge redshirted this season at Cal-State Fullerton. Wooldridge played baseball, basketball and football at the varsity level for three years, being named team and league MVP his senior year along with All-CIF second team his final season. He was a first team all-league in his junior year, a team MVP his junior season, and first team all-area during his junior and senior year. Not just a baseball standout, Wooldridge was the Offensive MVP his junior and senior year in football. The righthanded hitter holds the record for most career hits at Glendora High School along with holding a few football records such as most passing yards in a game, most passing touchdowns in a season and most rushing touchdowns in a season.

Fr. Kyle Froemke (R/R, Oregon) Kyle Froemke lettered two years at Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks, California, before transferring to Round Rock High School in Round Rock, Texas, for his senior season. Named the Newcomer of the Year on the Austin American-Statesman’s All-Central Texas team as a senior, the big-bodied (6’4-190) shortstop was a first-team All-District 13-6A selection after hitting .389 with two home runs and 21 RBI. On the mound, Kyle had a 0.88 ERA in 32.0 innings pitched and struck out 34. This season at Oregon, Froemke produced 7 RBI in just 9 starts.

So. Sam Olson (R/R, Heartland Community College) A West Des Moines native and Dowling Catholic graduate, Sam Olson joins the Bucks in 2019 after a splendid two-year career with Heartland Community College in Illinois. Olson slashed .278/.402/.348 with 12 doubles and 26 stolen bases across 67 games. Known for a very sound approach, Olson has posted a career strikeout rate of just 14.1% while walking in 10% of his plate appearances. The shortstop will continue his college career at Xavier next season.

Jr. Patrick Ferguson (L/R, Kent State) Fan-favorite Patrick Ferguson and his prodigious power rejoins the Bucks for a second summer following a 2018 Northwoods campaign that saw “Ferg” slash .300/.385/.462 with 8 doubles, two triples and three home runs. A three-year letterman at Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School, Ferguson’s team won a conference championship in 2015. The lefty hitter was named First Team All-Section as a sophomore, and played for the Allegheny Pirates, Pittsburgh Spikes and Team All-American during his prep career. He also played in the South Atlantic Border Battle Showcase. Spanning 165 collegiate games, including time with the Bucks and the Butler BlueSox of the Prospect League, Ferguson has demolished 22 doubles and 26 home runs while accounting for 93 RBI. Although there is some swing-and-miss to Ferguson’s game, the hulking first baseman more than makes up for it with his pop and a splendid 13.5% walk rate.

RS-So. Alex Ronnebaum (L/R, Kent State) Following teammate Patrick Ferguson to Waterloo in 2019, Bucks fans can expect to see plenty of “Ronne-bombs” leaving Riverfront Stadium this summer. The newcomer of the Bucks’ two Kent State boppers, Ronnebaum was a graduate of Blue Valley West in Overland Park, Kansas. The powerful lefthanded bat was ranked as the No. 1 first baseman and No. 22 overall recruit in the state of Kansas and earned a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game Central All-Region honorable mention selection. After redshirting at Arkansas in 2017, Ronnebaum played 18 games with the Fond du lac Dock Spiders, rapping a pair of doubles. He then transferred to Howard Community College in Texas for his 2018 redshirt-freshman season, blasting two doubles and three home runs with 10 RBI in just 34 plate appearances. Following a summer with the Prospect League’s Champion City Kings that saw him post an .828 OPS with 6 doubles and four homers, Ronnebaum transferred to Kent State. Thus far in 2019 he’s produced a .265/.363/.470 slash line with 9 doubles and five home runs. Over his career, Ronnebaum has smacked 19 doubles, 12 home runs, driven in 53 and walked at a 13.5% clip.

Jr. Lorenzo Elion (R/R, Iowa) Hawkeye fans will be thrilled to see the slick-fielding Lorenzo Elion don the Bucks uniform in 2019. A three-time all-conference and all-district selection at Simeon Academy in Chicago, Elion hit .392 as a senior to lead the team to a conference title and a fourth-place state finish. He hit above .300 all four years as a prepster, hitting .325 as a freshman, .333 as a sophomore, and .357 as a junior. Elion spent one season at Kirkwood Community College in 2017, earning All-Region honors while slashing .341/.363/.530 with 11 doubles, three triples, 6 home runs and 47 RBI along with 14 stolen bases. He joined Iowa as a sophomore in 2018, starting 37 games and hitting .275 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. Elion had his first taste of wood-bat baseball last summer in the Prospect League with the Terre Haute Rex, hitting .331 with 6 doubles and a homer while knocking in 21 and stealing 12 bags.

OUTFIELDERS

Jr. Blake Berry (L/R, San Jose State) A pure hitter from Petaluma, California, Blake Berry peppering the outfield gaps of Riverfront Stadium should become a norm this summer. Berry hit .323 with 15 doubles and 30 RBI at San Jose State this spring following two seasons at Santa Rosa Community College. Across 141 career collegiate games, Berry slashes .314/.415/.414 for an .829 OPS with 100 runs scored, 41 doubles, four triples, two home runs, 75 RBI, 11 steals, an 11.3% strikeout rate and a 12.6% walk rate.

So. Mike Nyisztor (R/R, Rutgers) Out of Tom’s River, New Jersey, Mike Nyszitor jumped right into the starting lineup at Rutgers in 2018 as a true freshman and hit .249 with 11 steals and 6 doubles. He then spent last summer playing for the Shelter Island Bucks of the Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League, slashing .351/.419/.490 for a .909 OPS with 7 doubles, a triple and four home runs in 39 games. Nyisztor stole 16 bags and knocked in 26 with Shelter Island. This spring at Rutgers, the righty stick started 51 games and hit .281 with 10 doubles, a triple and a home run while stealing 15 bases. Regarded as a highly-intelligent baserunners, Nyisztor has gone 42-44 over his career on steals for a jaw-dropping 95.5% success rate.

So. Trey Leonard (L/R, Louisville) A 2018 full-season member of the Bucks, Trey Leonard brings his electrifying game back to Waterloo. Perfect Game’s #3 player in the state of Iowa in 2017, Leonard was a four-year letterwinner at Cedar Rapids Washington High School. He was a 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and was named to the All-District first team and All-Metro first team. Leonard finished his senior season with a .410 batting average, 2 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 22 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He set the school record for stolen bases in a season with 36 as a sophomore in 2015 while also hitting .385, and he hit .414 with 34 stolen bases as a prep freshman. Leonard also was a three-year letterwinner in track and field, earning Elite All-State honors twice. Last season with the Bucks, Leonard played in 68 games with 65 starts, slashing .306/.391/.388 with 12 doubles, a triple, two homers, 30 RBI, 21 steals, and a 10.2% walk rate while providing elite defense at all three outfield positions. This spring at Louisville, Trey has been one of the Nation’s most lethal threats off the bench, appearing in 42 games with 8 starts and producing a .756 OPS and 12 steals while scoring 22 runs.

Fr. Dylan Phillips (L/L, Kansas State) One of the most exciting youngsters in the Big-12 is headed to Waterloo this summer. Dylan Phillips attended Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska and was a three-year letterwinner, winning three straight state championships. He was named 2018 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year and Prep Baseball Report Nebraska Player of the Year while also earning All-Nebraska, Superstate First Team and All-PBR First Team honors. In his junior season, he was named to both the All-Nebraska Team and Superstate First Team. Dylan was an All-State Honorable Mention his sophomore season in 2016. The lefthanded thumper led the state of Nebraska in hitting in both his junior and senior seasons, hitting .557 as a senior and .500 as a junior. Phillips hit five home runs, 13 doubles and six triples with 38 RBI his senior year and drove in 26 runs while hitting nine doubles and four triples his junior year. On the mound, he went 9-1 with a 1.86 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings as a senior. This spring, Phillips helped lead Kansas State to their first Big-12 Tournament Appearance since 2016 and belted the most-ever single-season home runs by a Kansas State freshman. As of this release, Phillips is hitting .240 with 6 doubles, 9 home runs, a 15.2% strikeout rate and an 11.0% walk rate. The slugger may also see time on the mound for the Bucks this summer, having struck out four over 4.1 innings this spring at Kansas State.

So. Tony Jenkins (R/R, Miami) Tony Jenkins, the pride of Rockledge, Florida, joins the Bucks outfield in 2019. Jenkins set the county record in steals his junior year with 44 before heading to Miami, where he posted a .695 OPS over 25 starts as a true freshman with three doubles, a triple and two homers. Thus far in 2019, Jenkins has played in 43 games for the Hurricanes, hitting .256 with 9 stolen bases, four doubles and a triple. The righthanded bat works walks at a career 14.9% mark.

So. Blake Wagenseller (R/R, Cal Poly) Rounding out the Bucks’ position players, Blake Wagenseller produced a career .362 batting average in four varsity seasons as a third baseman and center fielder under head coach Bob Parry at Poway High School in San Diego County. He hit .408 as a senior with 11 doubles, four home runs, 22 RBI and 13 steals, leading the Titans to 23-12 overall mark, third-place Palomar League finish and a semifinal-round finish in CIF-San Diego Section Division I playoffs. Wagenseller earned first-team All-Palomar League honors three times, leading Poway to the CIF-San Diego Section Division I finals in 2016 and to the championship in 2015. Wagenseller belted one home run during his freshman season at Cal Poly, then spent the 2018 summer with the Victoria HarborCats of the West Coast League. Wagenseller has drawn walks at a 10.3% clip over his collegiate career.

PITCHERS

Jr. Jack Parkinson (RHP, Rutgers) Out of Haddonfield, New Jersey, Jack Parkinson prepped at St. Augustine. The righthander spent two seasons at Rowan Gloucester Community College, earning First Team All-Garden State Athletic Conference and Second Team NJCAA All-American recognition after going 8-2 with a 2.69 FIP and a 4.47 ERA over 46.1 innings in 2018, striking out 42 and walking just 11. Parkinson tossed three complete games and two shutouts. This spring at Rutgers, Parkinson went 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA over 8 appearances and 4 starts, striking out 10 across 12.1 innings.

 RS Jack Sterner (RHP, BYU) Jack Sterner, a 2017 First Team All-Sea View Conference honoree at Dana Hills High School in Laguna Niguel, California will join the Bucks after redshirting at BYU this spring.

RS-Jr. Connor Anderson (RHP, Northern Colorado) Connor Anderson brings an intriguing story to the Bucks, having not pitched for two seasons prior to his 2019 Northern Colorado season. As a freshman in 2016 at Shoreline Community College, Anderson started 9 games with a 2-5 record and a 4.35 ERA. After a two-year hiatus, Connor returned to collegiate action this spring and made 14 appearances with 11 starts for the Bears, covering 46.0 innings to the tune of a 4.95 FIP.

Fr. Jack Dolak (RHP, San Diego) A 2018 graduate of St. Augustine High School in San Diego, Jack Dolak was a two-time All-CIF selection, a three-time All-Western League selection, named to 2018 San Diego Petco Park All-Star Game, and was named to Southern California North-South All-Star Showcase team in 2017. As a freshman at San Diego this spring, Dolak made 19 appearances with two starts, going 4-3 with two saves and 14 strikeouts across 18.2 frames.

RS Will Christophersen (RHP, Michigan State) Coming to the Bucks from Bettendorf, Iowa, Will Christophersen was a four-year letterwinner for the Pleasant Valley High School Spartans for head coach Bill Sandry. A two-time all-district honoree, earning first-team accolades as a junior after earning second-team honors as a sophomore, the righthander also earned an honorable mention All-Metro selection as a junior, as well as a second-team all-conference honoree. Christophersen posted a 4-1 record in eight starts as a junior with a 1.86 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 46 IP, posting a .220 opponent batting average. Before redshirting at Michigan State this spring, Christophersen was rated as the No. 5 pitcher and No. 7 overall player in Iowa.

So. Peyton Fuller (RHP, Oregon) A three-year letterman at Ashland High School in Ashland, Oregon, Peyton Fuller was a second-team Oregon 5A all-state selection in 2017 and was selected to the first-team All-Midwestern League after he went 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. Fuller was named second-team Oregon 5A All-State as a pitcher in 2016, while earning first-team All-Midwestern League honors as well. This will be Fuller’s second stint in a summer collegiate league, as he pitched for the Medford Rogues of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League the summer after his senior year of high school. Fuller went 3-2 over 12 appearances and 7 starts with a 4.22 ERA, striking out 34 across 42.2 innings for the Rogues. As a true freshman at Oregon, Fuller made 16 relief appearances with a 3.68 ERA, striking out 11 over 14.2 innings. This past spring, the righty made 24 relief outings, punching out 16.

Jr. Jack Corkery (RHP, Swathmore) A two-time All-Centennial Conference honoree at Division III-Swarthmore, Jack Corkery set the program single-season saves record in 2018 with 8. This spring, the righthander went 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA over 9 appearances and five starts, striking out 43 and walking just 14 across 44.0 innings with a pair of saves. Over his three-year career, Corkery has a 9-2 record with a 2.44 ERA across 32 appearances, 6 starts and 81.0 innings, striking out 78 with just 31 walks and a .224/.324/.308 opponent slash line for a meager .631 OPS against.

Jr. Zach Jones (RHP, Spalding) A DIII righthander out of Louisville, Kentucky, Jones dominated in 2019 by going 7-1 with a 2.67 ERA over 13 appearances and 12 starts. Jones struck out 72 and walked a minuscule 16 over 70.2 innings, holding opponents to a .241 batting average.

So. Jack Parisi (RHP, Spalding) Another talented righthander from Spalding, Jack Parisi comes off a spring in which he held opponent hitters to a .204 average. Across 25 appearances and 23 starts during his brief collegiate career, Parisi has gone 11-4 with a 3.97 ERA. The righty has struck out 148 and walked just 65 over 122.1 innings and has kept his opponents’ OPS to a meager .655 mark.

RS-So. Austin VanDeWiele (RHP, North Iowa Area Community College) The Bucks tap into one of the premier player-development programs at the junior college level with the addition of NIACC righthander Austin VanDeWiele. After redshirting at William Jewell in 2017, VanDeWiele transferred to NIACC in 2018 and struck out 27 over 30.1 innings. This spring he became one of the Trojans’ best relievers, posting a 2.19 ERA and a 2.13 FIP over 8 appearances and 12.1 innings, striking out 15.

Jr. Alec Holcomb (RHP, North Dakota State) Another Waterloo pitcher that has made stops at the Iowa junior college level joins the Bucks, as former DMACC righthander and current NDSU reliever Alec Holcomb finds a home in the Cedar Valley. Holcomb started 9 games at DMACC in 2018, striking out 58 over 47.1 innings. This season with the Bison, Alec worked 14.1 innings to the tune of a 2.96 FIP over the course of 12 appearances. He has struck out 88 over 80.1 collegiate innings.

RS-Fr. Tyler Miller (RHP, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) A native of Houston, Tyler Miller makes his second appearance in a summer collegiate league after spending time with the Lima Locos of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League last season. Miller went 4-1 with Lima over 9 appearances and 8 starts, posting a 4.96 ERA over 45.1 innings with 40 strikeouts and 20 walks. This spring with Corpus Christi, Miller is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA across 25.0 innings. The righty has struck out 17 and held foes to a .186 batting average.

RS-Jr. David Worrell (RHP, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) The Bucks add an arm with plenty of summer ball experience with David Worrell joining the roster. Worrell played for the Rochester Honkers in 2016, starting 8 games and posting a 5.56 ERA over 45.1 innings, striking out 33 and walking 21. He spent the summer of 2017 with the Victoria Generals of the Texas Collegiate League, starting 5 games and tossing 34.2 innings to the tune of a 3.89 ERA, striking out 36. In a new role as the Islanders’ closer in 2019, Worrell has struck out 38 over 30.0 innings, holding a 5.70 ERA with 6 saves.

 

Jr. Adam Ketelsen (LHP, Iowa) A high-profile lefthander from Mount Vernon, Adam Ketelsen joins the Bucks this summer as another Iowan product on the pitching staff. At Mount Vernon, Ketelsen was a three-time all-state, four-time all-district, and three-time all-conference selection. He posted 25 victories as a high schooler, tying the school record for career wins. The southpaw also ranked in the top-five in career strikeouts. Adam went 8-2 with a 0.94 ERA as a senior, striking out 77 over 59 2/3 innings. He also played basketball and golf, earning all-conference honors as a senior guard. Ketelsen opened his collegiate career with two seasons at Kirkwood Community College after a semester at Winona State, exploding in 2018 to the tune of a 2.92 ERA and an 8-2 record over 15 appearances and 10 starts. He struck out 88 and walked 30 over 61.2 innings, holding batters to a .206 average. He then threw 30.0 innings for the Kokomo Jackrabbits, starting 6 games and striking out 24 before continuing his career at Iowa. This spring he’s filled a role as a key Hawkeyes lefthanded reliever, making 13 appearances and working at a 3.14 ERA with 16 punchouts in 14.1 innings. Over 134.0 collegiate innings, Ketelsen has struck out 157 and holds a 3.69 ERA.

Fr. Drew Irvine (RHP, Iowa) Waukee native Drew Irvine was ranked as a top-500 prospect nationally by Perfect Game as a prepster, earning two all-state, all-district, and all-conference nods. Irvine went 8-2 with a 1.27 ERA as a senior and 9-2 with a 1.13 ERA as a junior while helping his team to state semifinals as a junior and state quarterfinals as a senior. This spring for the Hawkeyes, Irvine has made 14 relief appearances.

Jr. Caleb LittleJim (RHP, Kansas State) One of Kansas State’s top starters, Caleb LittleJim has gone 5-3 this spring with a 4.89 ERA. The righthander has appeared in 16 games with 7 starts, covering 46.0 innings while holding hitters to a .234 average.

Fr. Daniel Colwell (LHP, UCLA) The pride of Berkeley, California, Daniel Colwell was a three-year varsity letterwinner at St. Mary’s College High School. Over the course of his prep career, Colwell earned 2018 TCAL All-League First Team, 2017 TCAL Pitcher of the Year and 2016 TCAL All-League Third Team honors. As a senior, Colwell was 8-1 with a 1.53 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 73.1 innings after a junior year where he went 7-4 with a 2.49 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 59.0 innings. Colwell has thrown a pair of scoreless innings this spring at UCLA.

Jr. Justin Beyer (RHP, Wagner) Justin Beyer attended Niagara Falls High School where he was a two-year member of the Wolverine baseball program. A two-time First Team All-League selection, the righthander followed it up with being named to the Second Team All-Western New York team in 2015 and 2016. Beyer spent two seasons at Niagara County Community College, winning a combined 9 games while striking out 83 over 71.1 innings. Justin has also spent a pair of seasons in summer collegiate leagues, pitching for the Onondaga Flames of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League and the Waynesboro Generals of the Valley Baseball League. This spring at Wagner, Beyer has gone 3-3 with a 4.08 ERA over 46.1 innings, striking out 41 and walking 21. Across 55 career appearances, he’s gone 15-10 with a 3.72 ERA, striking out 171 and walking 70 over 179.0 frames with a .236 opponent batting average and a .636 opponent OPS.

The Bucks open their 25th season of play on May 28 at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium which will host the 2019 Northwoods League All-Star Game.  The ballpark welcomed a new state of the art video board in 2016 thanks to a matching grant from the Black Hawk County Gaming Association.  Team ownership has invested more than $300,000 in improvements since the end of the 2014 season including painted bleachers, public Wi-Fi, sound system, group outing areas, kids zone inflatables, and concessions equipment.  Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com or utilizing the Northwoods League Mobile App.

 

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The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Bucks as your favorite team.