EL1 New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Jesse Litsch to Make Rehab Start with Fisher Cats Thursday

June 21, 2011 - Eastern League (EL1)
New Hampshire Fisher Cats News Release


Manchester, N.H. - The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Double-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, today announce that former Fisher Cats pitcher Jesse Litsch has been assigned to New Hampshire and is scheduled to start Thursday night's game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium against the Altoona Curve at 7:05pm. Litsch will be opposed by North Conway, NH native Jeff Locke, who last pitched in the Granite State during the 2006 NHIAA Class I Baseball State Championships.

"This will be a great pitching match up and a real treat for Fisher Cats fans," said Fisher Cats President Rick Brenner.

Litsch, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Blue Jays on May 20 with an impingement in his right shoulder, is 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA in eight starts with Toronto this season with wins over the Oakland A's, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.

The right-hander was originally the Blue Jays' 24th round pick of the 2004 Major League Draft and has accumulated 25 Major League victories in four-plus seasons with Toronto. Litsch enjoyed his best big league season thus far in 2008 when he went 13-9 with a 3.58 ERA for the Blue Jays.

Litsch dominated the Eastern League with the Fisher Cats in 2007 with a 7-2 record and 2.35 ERA, propelling him directly to the Major Leagues that same year. Litsch was named the Fisher Cats 2007Alumni Award winner after posting a career record of 10-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 22 starts for New Hampshire between the '06 and '07 seasons.

Litsch is the second Blue Jays player to make a rehab appearance for the Fisher Cats, joining outfielder Rajai Davis, who played in four games with New Hampshire in April.

Opposing Litsch on the mound for Altoona will be North Conway, NH native Jeff Locke. Locke, who was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 2nd round (51st overall) of the 2006 Major League draft, helped the Curve to win the Eastern League Championship in 2010 going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in two playoff starts, including a win over the Trenton Thunder in the championship series. The left-hander finished his 2010 campaign at 12-5 with a 3.56 ERA in 27 starts between Single-A Bradenton and Double-A Altoona.

Locke was a key member of the Kennett High School Eagles 2006 Class I Championship team that won the state championship at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium. He is currently 5-4 with a 4.65 ERA in 14 starts with the Curve this season.

The Fisher Cats begin a six-game homestand at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium tonight at 7:05pm when they take on the defending Eastern League Champion Altoona Curve in game one of a three-game series. The future Red Sox, the Portland Sea Dogs, arrive in Manchester on Friday night for a three-game set over the weekend.

Individual game tickets, summer fun ticket packs and tickets to the 2011 Northeast Delta Dental Eastern League All-Star Game are available now at the Fisher Cats Ticket Office at 1 Line Drive, Manchester, NH 03101, online at www.nhfishercats.com or by calling the Fisher Cats at (603) 641-2005.

Check out the New Hampshire Fisher Cats Statistics



Eastern League Stories from June 21, 2011


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