Pair from Morehead State added to 2015 roster also 

Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Stingers are excited to announce the addition of three new players to the 2015 roster. Eddie Estrada (Litchfield HS/Univ. of Minnesota), along with Morehead State teammates Craig Pearcy and David Calderon, bring the total number of committed players to twenty-two for the upcoming season of Stingers baseball, their sixth in the Northwoods League.

Estrada, a 6-foot-1 infielder, is currently a high school senior at nearby Litchfield High School. Eddie is headed to the University of Minnesota this fall to join the Gophers where he will be playing with Dan Motl and Tyler Hanson, both currently on the 2015 Stingers roster. Estrada had a .500 batting average and a .589 on-base percentage during his junior year. Eddie provided lots of power last season for the Dragons with 5 doubles, 3 triples and 5 home runs.

Estrada has been awarded multiple accolades for his performances on a baseball field, earning All-Wright County Conference and All-Area honors. Those praises didn’t go unnoticed as the scouting publication Prep Baseball Report rated Estrada as the No. 1 high school player in the state of Minnesota each of the last two seasons.

Golden Gophers Assistant Coach Rob Fornasiere said of Estrada, “Eduardo is a top prospect in our region because he has superior hitting ability, speed and overall athleticism. He is a multi-sport athlete with solid leadership qualities. Eduardo is a high energy player. We project him as an infielder with a high ceiling.”

Estrada spent last summer playing for Team Minnesota in showcase tournament games in Wisconsin and Illinois against some of the best high school junior and senior baseball players in the region.

Pearcy, a 6-foot-1 junior pitcher, is the closer for Morehead State. As a sophomore, Pearcy lead all Eagles relievers in ERA (3.88) and had 55 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. After finishing the 2014 season with 8 saves, which tied for third in the Ohio Valley Conference, Pearcy is off to a solid start this season with 5 saves in 9 appearances. In 15 innings this season, Pearcy has 17 strikeouts and a 4.80 ERA.

Calderon, a 6-foot freshman pitcher, has seen some time on the mound early on this season for Morehead State. Calderon has made 4 appearances this season for the Eagles, including 2 starts, amassing 15 2/3 innings with 17 strikeouts. Coming out of high school, Calderon was rated by one publication as the 27^th best prospect in the state of Illinois and was rated in the top 500 of the best prospects across the nation.

Field Manager Drew Saberhagen, as well as the Stingers organization will continue to build the roster for the 2015 season. Season tickets for the 2015 season are currently on sale. For more information regarding this press release please contact the Willmar Stingers front office at 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com.

The 2015 season is presented by Marcus Construction. From start to finish Marcus Construction will make your job easier and build a facility you will be proud of.

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The Willmar Stingers 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 (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com.