Two juniors and a sophomore bolster roster depth

Willmar, Minn. – The Willmar Stingers announced they have added three pitchers to the roster for the 2014 season. Franklin College sophomore Hayden Cleveland, University of North Alabama junior Brantley Claunch, and University of Portland junior Kurt Yinger are the newest additions to the 2014 Stingers pitching staff. The roster is now comprised of 29 players for the 2014 season, the Stingers fifth in the Northwoods League.

Cleveland is a 6-2 185 pound left-handed pitcher from Brownsburg, IN. During his freshman season with the Grizzlies, Cleveland had a 4-4 record with 4 complete games. Ranking second on his team with 54 strikeouts last season, Cleveland set a Heartland Conference record with 15 K’s in a game against Mount St. Joseph. Cleveland has a 5-3 record so far in 2014 and has amassed 57.1 innings on the mound. His 52 strikeouts are tied for the team lead and he has thrown 2 complete games.

Claunch is a 5-9 165 pound left-hander from Florence, AL. Claunch has been a mainstay out of the bullpen for the Lions over the last two seasons. In 2012, he posted a 7-1 record in 31 appearances as a freshman. During his sophomore season Claunch had 23 strikeouts in 26.2 innings. Over the course of his first two seasons with the Lions, Claunch has totaled 67 strikeouts and has a 2.91 ERA.

Yinger is a 6-1 190 pound right-hander from Camas, WA. Yinger has made 10 appearances (8 starts) for the Pilots during the 2014 season posting 42 innings pitched and 25 strikeouts. With a career ERA of 4.89, Yinger has 94 strikeouts and has 145.1 innings pitched during his time with Portland.

Field Manager Matt Hollod, along with the Stingers organization, will continue to build the roster for the fifth season of Stingers baseball. The Home Opener presented by Marcus Construction is scheduled for Thursday, May 29 at Bill Taunton Stadium. Season tickets for the upcoming season are currently on sale now.  For more information regarding this news release or season ticket pricing, please call 320-222-2010 or visit www.willmarstingers.com. The 2014 season is presented by Charter.

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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 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest summer collegiate 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel.  For more information, visit www.willmarstingers.com.