AppleSox Add Four Players From Grand Canyon

AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Thursday the addition of four players to the 2025 roster. Alec Ammerman, Ross Clark, Gunnar Penzkover and Jake Sanko will join this summer's team. All of them come from Grand Canyon University, whom the AppleSox had three players from last season in Garrett Ahern, Carson Ohland and Cannon Peery.

Ammerman will return to his home state to pitch this summer after his freshman year at Grand Canyon. He helped Richland High School earn the 2024 4A State Championship while also being part of a 28-0 season. The right-handed pitcher earned Mid-Columbia Conference Pitcher of the Year and all-conference first team honors as a senior while also garnering 4A state honors. 

The Richland native comes to the AppleSox with a connection to the Apple Capital of the World already as his father played baseball at Wenatchee Valley College from 1996-97 before going on to play at Central Washington. 

Clark is a freshman right-handed pitcher at Grand Canyon. He graduated from Orange Lutheran High School last spring after a decorated career. Clark earned All-California Interscholastic Federation honors, All-Orange County honors, First-Team Trinity League honors, Trinity League Pitcher of the Year and CIF State Champion. He went 9-0 with a 1.10 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 10 walks in 44.22 innings as a senior to conclude a three-year prep career with a 1.78 ERA in 86.2 innings. 

Penzkover is a freshman at Grand Canyon who is a right-handed pitcher and an outfielder. He hit over .400 in all four seasons at Northwest Christian High School and won back-to-back championships from 2022-23. The Phoenix native was also a back-to-back winner of his region’s Player of the Year from 2023-24 following earning First Team All-Region in 2021 and then Second Team All-Region in 2022. 

Sanko is a freshman infielder at Grand Canyon who will come to the AppleSox after his first taste of college baseball this spring. The Phoenix native hit .347 over three varsity baseball seasons at Sandra Day O’Connor High School, including batting .344 in 29 games in 2024 to earn First Team All-State honors and reached the 6A State Championship Game. Sanko also hit .316 with seven home runs as a junior the year before to garner Second Team All-State honors.

The AppleSox open up their 25th season May 30 when they face the Yakima Valley Pippins at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The 2025 season consists of 30 home games and concludes in mid-August. Ticket packages, including season tickets for as low as $150 and 10-game flex packs for $65, are available for purchase at applesox.com/season-tickets

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox Podcast as head coach Mitch Darlington previews this summer’s roster. Subscribe to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.