The Green Bay Rockers are adding plenty of players ahead of their first season under their new moniker.
The Bullfrogs turned Booyah turned Rockers will open their season at the end of May. Below are the profiles of the players added to the roster as they appeared on the Rockers' website.
Justin Taylor has started 15 games as he begins his junior season at Texas A&M Corpus Christi this spring after appearing in 22 games and starting 21 of them as a sophomore. Last year he batted a team-high .333 with 20 hits, four doubles, two triples and one home run. He also drove in 10 runs.
Joining his Texas A&M Corpus Christi teammates is sophomore right-handed pitcher JT Moeller. Moeller has appeared in five games this spring covering 8.2 innings and has recorded 15 strikeouts versus only one walk. Last spring, he appeared in 15 games, making two starts, and posted a 3-0 record. In 24 innings he struck out 23 batters while walking only five. Moeller is no stranger to summer baseball as he played in the Texas Collegiate League last year and posted a miniscule 0.46 ERA in 14 games. Spanning 19.1 innings on the mound, he struck out 12 batters while only issuing one walk.
Lanky, left-handed reliever Eli Majick has also been added to the pitching staff this summer. The 6-7 sophomore has pitched 3.2 innings in the early going this spring while recording 6 strikeouts and posting a 2.45 ERA. Last summer, Majick was an All-Star in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League where he emerged as his team’s closer. He appeared in 18 games, spanning 23.1 innings, and struck out 24 batters while recording 8 saves and a 4.63 ERA.
Two-way threat Keaton Anthony is amid his redshirt freshman season at the University of Iowa and has gotten off to a blistering start early on this spring. The 6-4 outfielder currently leads the entire Iowa team in batting average (.421), hits (16), doubles (6), home runs (2), and RBIs (9) while carrying a .542 on-base percentage through his teams first 11 games. He has also pitched two innings while recording four strikeouts on the mound without allowing a hit. The Hoschton, Georgia native was named Freshman of the Week on Opening Weekend.
Having previously coached in the Northwoods League under Coppin State recruiting coordinator Sean Repay, Rockers field Manager Chris Krepline was able to parlay that relationship to sign three players from the University to bring to Green Bay for the summer. Outfielder Marcos Castillo tops the list. The 6-1, redshirt junior, currently leads Coppin State with a .378 batting average with a .463 on-base percentage through 12 games. His previous two seasons he posted .349 and .378 batting averages, respectively, while being named Conference Player of the Year two seasons ago.
Right-handed pitchers Rashad Ruff and Giovani Canales will join their teammate Castillo on the Rockers, both featuring mid 90 mph power fastballs in their arsenal. Ruff has appeared in four games and posted a 3.38 ERA this spring. In 5.1 innings he has struck out eight batters. Canales was Coppin State’s Opening Day starter and has tossed 13 innings on the season with 12 strikeouts.
After being a top draft prospect coming out of high school, Nainoa Cardinez is entering his sophomore campaign at the University of Hawaii at Manoa this spring. He has appeared in nine games on the young season, starting five at catcher. He is also versatile to be able to play the corner infield spots. He was the Opening Day designated hitter for Hawaii during his true freshman season.
Tristin Garcia returns to Green Bay after ranking third in the nation for Division I baseball in batting average (.445) a season ago while attending Alcorn State. During his summer in the Northwoods League, Garcia appeared in 48 games while batting .278 with eight home runs, 38 RBI, and posted a .355 on-base percentage while playing a steady second base. During the summer he made the decision to transfer to Western Kentucky where he is enjoying continued success on the diamond. The redshirt junior has started all eight games he has appeared in this spring and leads his team with a .407 batting average, and .484 on-base percentage.
Utility man Brendan Ryan will return after playing in 49 games last season, appearing at every position on the field but three. He ended the summer ranking fourth on the team with 50 hits, posted a .272 batting average, while driving in 21 and stealing 13 bases. He was also selected by professional scouts to attend the MLB Dreams Showcase that features the top prospects in the League. This spring he has settled into a role as the everyday center fielder for Texas A&M Corpus Christi and leads his team in hits (14) and batting average (.378) through the first nine games of the season. He has also been a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases.
Green Bay native Carl Cano will return to Capital Credit Union Park after signing a 2-year contract mid-way through the 2021 season, following his senior year of high school. He appeared in five games, starting three, and tossed 18.2 innings and registering 14 strikeouts last summer. He is currently a freshman at the University of St. Thomas where he has pitched one inning and registered a strikeout.
Brett Blair was another mid-season addition a year ago, inking a 2-year contract to play third base after ranking as one of the top prep players in Florida. He will return this summer following his freshman year at Stanford University.
