AppleSox Sign Three Players For 2022 Roster

There are less than three weeks to go until the start of the AppleSox’ 2022 season and the team is rounding out its roster additions.

Head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Wednesday the addition of three new players to the 2022 AppleSox roster. Reese Ligtenberg, Cole Miller and Hyatt Utzman will all suit up in the red, white and blue this summer.

Reese Ligtenberg comes to the AppleSox from North Dakota State and in his redshirt freshman season with the Bison. He has pitched in three games this year and has only allowed two runs over four innings.

Ligtenberg graduated from Eagan High School in Minnesota in 2020 and did not get to compete in his senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He tossed 34.1 innings and started seven-of-the-eight games that he pitched in his junior season in 2019 and struck out 24 hitters. His father, Kerry, spent eight seasons in MLB with four different teams.

“Reese Ligtenberg throws a heavy fastball that pairs nicely with a fading change up,” Darlington said.

Cole Miller will compete in the West Cost League for the second straight summer but with the AppleSox this time. The University of Washington outfielder picked up a pair of doubles and two steals in seven games with the Bellingham Bells.

Miller started 25-of-29 games last year with the Huskies and has started 10 so far in 2022. The Mercer Island, Wash. native batted .355 with 29 extra-base hits in three years of varsity baseball in high school. He was a part of Mercer Island’s third-place finishing team at state in 2017.

“Cole Miller is a phenomenal athlete that will roam our outfield and provide a spark in our lineup,” Darlington said.

Hyatt Utzman is looking to make his season debut for Xavier this spring. The freshman right-hander and Pullman, Wash. native graduated from Pullman High School in 2021 and recorded a 1.33 ERA in six games as a senior.

Utzman also posted an impressive senior season at the plate, batting .500 with 21 hits in 42 at-bats in 2021. He also played football at Pullman.

“Hyatt is a big-time competitor that has a good four-pitch arsenal at his disposal,” Darlington said. “Hyatt could step right in and solidify our rotation.”

The AppleSox play their first game of the 2022 season on June 3 at the Bend Elks. The free team Fan Fest is the day before on June 2. Fans can come watch the team practice and then meet them afterwards while enjoying free food.

The 2022 home opener is June 6 against the Port Angeles Lefties. Single-game tickets go on sale Friday, May 20 at saferseating.com.

Listen to this week’s AppleSox Podcast to hear more from Darlington about the newest members of the team.