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Saints First Official 2013 Signing, Bring Back Right-Handed Pitcher Luke Anderson

January 14, 2013 - American Association (AA) - St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN (January 14, 2013) - Three weeks after making his first professional start in 2012, St. Paul Saints right-handed pitcher Luke Anderson was named the American Association Pitcher of the Week. A native of Savage, MN, Anderson had an impressive rookie season and will be a strong component to the 2013 rotation as manager George Tsamis re-signed the hurler.

The 24-year-old Anderson was 5-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 14 games (11 starts). In 71.1 innings pitched he walked 38 and struck out 46 while opponents hit a miniscule .230 against him, good for the ninth best single-season opponent's batting average against.

Anderson pitched at least 5.0 innings in 10 of his 11 starts and at least 6.0 innings in eight of his 11 starts. During the week he won the American Association Pitcher of the Week, the week ending July 29, he hurled 13.0 innings allowing two runs on six hits while walking five and striking out 10. He allowed just one hit in 6.0 innings while striking out a career high eight against Quebec les Capitales on July 28. His longest outing of the season came on August 7, in a ballpark very familiar to him, Newman Outdoor Field, home of the North Dakota State Bison where Anderson went to school, tossing 8.2 innings allowing just two solo homers in an 8-2 victory over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

In three seasons with the Bison Anderson was 8-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 15 games, all starts, including seven complete games and a shutout. In 98.0 innings he walked 29, struck out 69 while opponents hit .232 against him. He etched his name in the Bison record book finishing tied for first in a single season in starts (15), tied for second in victories (8), complete games (7) and innings pitched (98.0) and sixth in strikeouts (69). He also finished ninth all-time in innings pitched (183.1) and strikeouts (143).

Anderson was a two-time Summit League Pitcher of the Week last season for the Bison. The first came in February when he held the 2012 College World Series Champions, the Arizona Wildcats, to two runs on two hits in 7.0 innings of work in an 8-2 win. The second came when he pitched his first collegiate shutout in April at IPFW allowing five hits, striking out six and walking one in a 6-0 win. He struck out a career high 10 on April 14 at Western Illinois.

Prior to his time with the Bison he went to Dakota Technical College in Rosemount, MN where he went 7-0 with a 3.19 ERA. In 48.0 innings he fanned 50.

He is a graduate of Prior Lake High School where he was All-Conference and Team MVP during his senior season and played in the Twin Cities East-West Showdown in 2007. He also quarterbacked the varsity football team for two seasons.

The Saints also released outfielder Jim Rapoport who is going to graduate school.

This is the first official signing for the Saints in 2013. They currently have 12 players under contract, four position players and eight pitchers. The Saints 2013 season begins on Thursday, May 16 with a 7:05 p.m. home game against the New Jersey Jackals.


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