APPLESOX ADD FOURTH COUG, LOCAL BULLPEN CATCHER, TEMPORARY PLAYERS

The AppleSox roster now includes 29 full-time players and five temporary contract players. 

WENATCHEE, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox are adding another senior-to-be from Washington State to their pitching staff. The club is also announcing the addition of a 2016 Wenatchee High School graduate to catch the bullpen, and five temporary contract players, head coach Kyle Krustangel announced Thursday.

Collin Maier, who will be a redshirt-senior at WSU next fall, figures to be a high-impact arm for the AppleSox this summer, after sitting out this spring on the Palouse due to NCAA transfer rules. He formerly pitched at Puget Sound University, and is from Billings, Mont.

“Our full-time pitchers have been having successful springs at their respective schools, and with that comes restrictions on how much we can throw each guy this summer,” Krustangel said. “When we found out we could add another arm from WSU, we jumped at the opportunity. Collin is coming to us off of a redshirt season for coach Marty Lees and the Cougs, and should be able to throw a ton of innings this summer. We’re excited to have him join the staff.”

Another familiar face making his way back home to Wenatchee is bullpen catcher, Cody Simmons. The 2016 Wenatchee HS graduate helped the Panthers to four-consecutive Big 9 Championships, and served as the AppleSox bullpen catcher in 2014, when he also saw action in one of the team’s non-league games. He will be a sophomore for the Whitworth Pirates next fall.

Five players have also signed temporary contracts to play for the AppleSox until the team’s complete full-time roster arrives in Wenatchee in late June.

The temporary contract additions feature two more Whitworth Pirates, Matthew Young and Joel Condreay, along with one of Krustangel’s YVCC Yaks, Cole McKenzie. Walla Walla CC product, Jarrod Molnaa, will get to help the Sox open the season at the Walla Walla Sweets, and incoming University of Washington freshman and Wenatchee senior Keegan Romig will also spend a stint with the club.

Romig, from Leavenworth, graduates from Wenatchee next month and will head to UW next fall. Romig and the Panthers will face the winner of Eastmont vs. Moses Lake in the Big-9 Tournament, Saturday at West Valley HS in Yakima. The winner of that game will go on to meet tournament host West Valley in the Championship game for a berth in the WIAA 4A State Baseball Championships.

Molnaa, of Kennewick, is headed to Bellevue University (Nebraska) next fall, and will be a pitcher for the Bruins. He has pitched his past two collegiate seasons at Walla Walla CC, and should be available to work for the AppleSox against the Walla Walla Sweets in the season-opening series on the road at his former collegiate home, Borleske Stadium.

McKenzie, another Billings native, joins the AppleSox, temporarily, under the direction of his college coach. A sophomore-to-be at YVCC, he has hit a blistering .419 for Krustangel and the Yaks this season. McKenzie has also driven in 24 runs, collected 49 hits, and stolen 20 bases.

Condreay, from Renton, is currently at Whitworth. The senior-to-be hit .321 for the Pirates this spring, and collected 14 RBI. His 44 hits ranked third-best on the Pirate roster.

Young tossed nearly 80 innings for the Pirates this spring. The sophomore-to-be and Tigard, Ore. product, went 5-2 in 11 starts and posted a team-best 44 strikeouts.

The AppleSox roster is finalized at 34 players (29 full-time) and represents 19 different schools. Any additional player announcements and moves can be followed on the team’s official website at www.applesox.com/roster.

The Wenatchee AppleSox open their 18th season of play June 2, 2017 at Walla Walla, and play their home opener in Wenatchee Thursday, June 8, 2017. For more information, fans can visit www.applesox.com.