AtL Lancaster Stormers

Barnstormers Bring Back Infield Duo: Hoover, Loehr Return from Championship Club

Published on February 10, 2023 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release


Infielders Jake Hoover and Trace Loehr will return from the 2022 Lancaster Barnstormers' Atlantic League Champions, it was announced today by manager Ross Peeples.

They are the fourth and fifth players to sign with the Barnstormers for the upcoming campaign, which begins at Southern Maryland on April 28. All five were members of the Barnstormers' third pennant winning squad.

Hoover, 25, etched his place in franchise history with his dramatic walkoff home run in the second game of the Northern Division Series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, capping a comeback 8-7 Lancaster win. During the regular season, the shortstop from Michigan hit .254 with 26 doubles, four homers and 39 RBI, stealing 17 bases in the process. He hit .407 in eight games of the playoffs.

The 2022 season was his second in Lancaster. The right-handed batter arrived during the second half of the season after parting ways with the Texas Rangers. Over his one month of action with the 'Stormers, Hoover hit .241 with 19 RBI. He sustained a season-ending injury to his shoulder on a sensational diving catch of a foul pop up in September.

Hoover signed with the Rangers out of Hillsdale College in Michigan in 2019 and re-signed with Texas in 2021.

"Hoover will anchor our shortstop position. He's an athletic player that plays a good shortstop and brings speed to our lineup," said Peeples. "He is fun to watch and can sometimes make those 'Wow' plays out there."

Loehr, 27, also spent the entire 2022 season with the Barnstormers, batting .238 while walking 58 times and scoring 58 runs. On July 16, Loehr set a franchise record by walking five times in a game against the Charleston Dirty Birds as part of a stretch in which he drew 13 bases on balls in six games. He reached base on 16 of 17 plate appearances from July 14 thru July 17.

The left-handed hitter from Oregon collected six hits and four RBI while playing in seven of the Barnstormers' eight playoff games.

Loehr signed with Oakland in 2014 and spent six seasons in the A's system, peaking at Class AAA Las Vegas in 2019 where he hit .333 in 15 games. Like Hoover, he spent 2021 in the Texas organization, splitting time between Class AA Frisco and Class AAA Round Rock.

He was the second baseman on the USA national 18U team that captured the world cup in Taiwan in 2013.

"Loehr did not have the year he wanted to have offensively last year and is working on some things with his swing this off season," said Peeples. "He will play some second and third and, with his ability to get on base, will set the table for our middle guys.

"I look forward to watch both of these guys continue to grow in the game of baseball."

Check out the Lancaster Stormers Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Atlantic League Stories from February 10, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central