Crushers Pick up Options, Re-Sign Gomez, Gonzalez, and Campbell
FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Pick up Options, Re-Sign Gomez, Gonzalez, and Campbell

Published on January 14, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - The Lake Erie Crushers have exercised player options and re-signed three returning players to the upcoming 2026 roster: CF Dario Gomez, C/1B Alfredo Gonzalez, and UTIL Zach Campbell. Crushers roster updates are presented by BCT Alarm Services, Inc.

Dario Gomez was the primary catalyst both offensively and defensively for the Crushers in 2025. He was signed in late May and immediately made a monumental impact. After a historic 2024 season with the Northern Colorado Owlz where he achieved the first 30 home run/30 stolen base season in Pioneer League history, Gomez hit .303 with 102 hits in 85 games with the Crushers, beginning his tenure in Lake Erie with a 12-game hitting streak. He also logged 61 runs scored, 47 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases out of the Crushers leadoff spot.

In the realm of Crushers history, Gomez vaulted himself into the top 10 in multiple single-season offensive categories in the franchise's history. Yet on top of that, perhaps Gomez' greatest impact was defensively. With his combination of speed, glove, and arm strength, Gomez had five outfield assists and was a frequent flyer in the Crushers' outfield, making countless web gem catches. Gomez is a bona fide baseballer, and Jared Lemieux completes the pipeline with getting him back in center field for 2026.

Alfredo Gonzalez returns for his third season with the Crushers and his 16th season in professional baseball. Beginning at age 16 in the Houston Astros organization, Gonzalez worked his way through the minor leagues before eventually working his way to the MLB with the Chicago White Sox in 2018. In three games he earned his first MLB hit and caught stealing, which came nabbing known base-stealer Jonathan Villar.

Gonzalez was voted to the 2024 Frontier League All-Star Game and slashed .288/.357/.511 in 38 games with the team. In a full season with Lake Erie in 2025, Gonzalez functioned as a player and the team's hitting coach, which saw vast year-over-year improvements from 2024. On the field, Gonzalez hit 10 home runs with 41 RBIs and a .280 batting average on his way to a second Frontier League All-Star Game appearance while helping the Crushers to their second straight playoff appearance. This year he is shedding his hitting coach title, giving him the opportunity to focus on his own game and producing at a high level in the middle of the Lake Erie lineup.

Zach Campbell had a segmented stint with the Crushers in 2025, and he returns as a viable utility player option in 2026. Campbell was signed to his first professional contract out of Tiffin University where he hit .315 in five collegiate seasons. He was traded by the Crushers to the Ottawa Titans in early June, and the Crushers re-acquired him in mid-June, bringing him back to sure up the positional depth. Campbell played five different positions in 44 games with Lake Erie, hitting .252 with 22 walks drawn and an adept eye at the plate.

Down the stretch, Campbell was a road warrior. In the longest road trip of Lake Erie's season, Campbell went 11-for-33 (.333) with seven runs scored in a nine-game stretch in Gateway, Mississippi, and Windy City. Campbell handles the bat well, is very capable of laying down bunts, and takes a patient approach at the plate. Campbell gives Jared Lemieux a steady security blanket that can play multiple positions, a needed Swiss Army Knife on a roster that continues to take shape.

The Lake Erie Crushers will open their 17th season at newly named ForeFront Field in Avon on Friday, May 8th, 2026 in a playoff rematch against the Schaumburg Boomers. For information on season ticket memberships visit lakeeriecrushers.com, and be sure to follow our socials @LECrushers on Instagram/Facebook/X.

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Frontier League Stories from January 14, 2026


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