Waterloo, IA – The Northwoods League has announced the rosters for the 2019 Major League Dreams Showcase which includes outfielder Dylan Phillips and catcher Alonzo Rubalcaba of the Waterloo Bucks.  The event, which will be hosted by the Madison Mallards at Warner Park on Tuesday, August 6, will consist of a double-header featuring the top players from the NWL.  Both Phillips and Rubalcaba will play for the Home Team in the 4:05 pm game.

Phillips, a freshman from Kansas State University and originally from Omaha, Nebraska, is a two-way player, currently sporting a 1-1 record with a 2.30 ERA and one save for Waterloo this summer as a pitcher.  In 11 games, the southpaw has struck out 19 batters.  The 6’0”, 220-pounder owns a .315 batting average, with three home runs, 26 RBI, and nine stolen bases.

Rubalcaba, a freshman from Santa Barbara City College and originally from Vacaville, California, is currently hitting .289 with one home run, 21 RBI, and eight stolen bases.  The 5’11”, 190-pound catcher has thrown out an NWL leading 20 runners attempting to steal.  Rubalcaba leads all catchers in the league in games played and assists and leads the Great Plains Division in caught stealing percentage at 26%.

Both players were named NWL All-Stars earlier this month.

Players for the Showcase were selected by a panel of Major League Baseball Scouts.  The players will participate in a day of workouts in front of scouts which will be followed by the double-header.

The first game will start at 4:05 p.m. and will match two teams featuring a mix of Great Plains Division players. The players on the visiting team in this game will primarily come from Willmar, St. Cloud, Bismarck and Duluth. The home team will be made up of players mainly from Mankato, Rochester, La Crosse, Eau Claire and Waterloo.

The second game will start at 7:35 p.m. and will be played by two teams of Great Lakes Division players. The visiting team for this game will be made up of players mostly from Green Bay, Kalamazoo Battle Creek, Wisconsin Rapids and Traverse City. The home team will have players from Madison, Lakeshore, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac and Rockford.

Proceeds from the Major League Dreams Showcase will benefit the Northwoods League Foundation.  The Northwoods League Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that serves as a vehicle to transform a shared passion for baseball into positive change and support for communities. Of the many needs the foundation may address through grants, scholarships or donations, one ongoing focus will be to view its member communities and look upon the baseball programs they have in place with a harmonious goal of making them all finer places to live.

More information on the Foundation can be found at northwoodsleague.com/community/foundation/.

Tickets for the event can still be purchased and are available at mallardsbaseball.com.

The Bucks have qualified for the 2019 Northwoods League Playoffs and tickets are currently on sale.  Waterloo is guaranteed to host at least one home game, as many as four, at Cost Cutters Field at Riverfront Stadium in August.  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.