November 27, 2019

Official Thunder Bay Border Cats/Northwoods League Press Release

BORDER CATS ANNOUNCE PLAYER SIGNINGS FOR 2020 SEASON

Thunder Bay, Ont. – The Thunder Bay Border Cats are pleased to announce the first player signings for 2020 Northwoods League season, including a pair of Canadians.

The Border Cats have officially signed outfielder Jeffrey Elkins, catcher Parker Rowland, infielder Owen Jansen and pitcher Lukas Barry.

Elkins is entering his sophomore season at Louisiana’s Northwestern State University, where he batted .284 in 52 games last season with three home runs, 16 doubles and 32 runs batted in. The 5’10”, 190 pound right-handed hitter is a native of Lafayette, La.

Rowland is a freshman at Arkansas State University and hails from Owasso, Okla. The 6’3”, 185 pound backstop will also provide offensive flexibility behind the plate as he is a switch hitter.

Jansen, who is from Oakville, Ont., is a junior at Florida’s St. Leo University. The 5’10”, 190 pound second baseman previously played in the Big Ten at Purdue University and is a left-handed batter. Jansen is a graduate of the Ontario Blue Jays baseball program where he played under current Border Cats manager Mike Steed.

Barry is from Mississauga, Ont, and is a freshman at Saint Louis University. The 6’1”, 185 pound right-hander also played in the Ontario Blue Jays program.

The Border Cats open the 2020 regular season at Port Arthur Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, at 7:05 pm against the Eau Claire Express. Season ticket packages are now on sale at www.bordercatsbaseball.com.

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.