Pippins Add Three More Former Yaks
April 22, 2014 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Wash. - The Yakima Valley Pippins expanded their inaugural roster to 25 players with the addition of Reid Martinez, Jacob Roberts and Shawn Wardian. With the signings, the roster is nearly complete for the 2014 season. Martinez is spending the 2014 season at Missouri Western College, but played the last two seasons at Yakima Valley Community College (YVCC) under Pippins' Head Coach Marcus McKimmy. He was a 2nd team all-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) member while with the Yaks after hitting .337 with one home run and 45 RBI last season.
"Reid is one of the few left-handed bats on our roster," McKimmy said, "but more importantly he is an impact hitter. We expect him to be a big time run producer for our offense. He will also bring a veteran presence to our roster. We will count on to be a leader in the locker room and on the field."
Wardian, another YVCC alumnus, attends the American Institute of Business (AIB) in Des Moines, Iowa. Wardian was named YVCC's male athlete of the year and 1st team all-NWAACC in 2013 after hitting .333 with a team-leading two home runs and 47 RBI last season.
"Shawn is a player who makes every team he is on better because of the intangibles he brings," McKimmy said. "He's very physical offensively, an instinctive base-runner, and an incredible teammate. We expect him to play primarily first base but he's played third and second at AIB."
Roberts is both a catcher and infielder at Cisco College, a junior college in Texas. The Plainfield, Ill. native is in the middle of his sophomore season with the Wranglers.
"Jake has come to the Pippins highly recommended by the coaches he's played for," said McKimmy. "His versatility to be our third catcher while also having the ability to play third base and the outfield is going to be very key over the summer. That being said we expect him to compete for a spot in the lineup every day because of his ability to hit for average and extra-bases. He will be an x-factor for the Pippins."
The Yakima Valley Pippins Inaugural Season will commence at Yakima County Stadium on June 6th, 2014 at 7:05 P.M. against the Wenatchee AppleSox. Tickets are now on sale for the 2014 season, including full-season and partial-season packages, as well as select team merchandise. Single game tickets will go on sale May 1st. You can reach the Pippins Front office by calling 509-575-HITS (4487) or emailing us at info@pippinsbaseball.com. Pippins gear is also available at the Pippins Front Office, the entire retail line can be seen atwww.pippinsbaseball.com/pippinsgear, while ordering and purchasing can be done in person on via phone at 509-575-HITS (4487).
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West Coast League Stories from April 22, 2014
- Knights Sign RCC's Austin Sodders - Corvallis Knights
- Pippins Add Three More Former Yaks - Yakima Valley Pippins
- HarbourCats Sign Four, Including Victoria Pitcher Hull - Victoria HabourCats
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