(Gary, IN) Two more returners will be coming back to Northwest Indiana for the 2025 RailCats season. Outfielder and soon-to-be 4th-year RailCat, LG Castillo has resigned and so has Right-handed pitcher Tai Tiedemann.
Castillo is 25-years-old and hails from Buffalo, New York. He was a standout athlete at Lancaster Central High School both on the diamond and the gridiron, even receiving an offer to play College Football at the University of Oklahoma with Lincoln Riley. Castillo elected to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers after they had selected him in the 2017 MLB Draft.
The speedster was in the Brewers system for a few years and in 2021 with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, he had a .280 batting average, nine home runs, and 13 doubles. Castillo would move to the Frontier League and play in 20 games with the Washington Wild Things before he found a longtime home with the RailCats.
The slugger was named to the 2023 All-Star game as the last man in, and last year he had a .249 average, with three triples, and drive in 40 runners. Since the RailCats became a member of the American Association in 2013, Castillo ranks 7th in hits(254), 8th in games(240), and 8th in RBIs(126).
Tai Tiedemann is 6-6 pitcher from Lakewood, California. Tiedemann, like Castillo, thrived playing football and baseball in high school. Tiedemann would continue to play two sports when he went to Long Beach Poly, he was the quarterback and played centerfield for the baseball team. It wouldn’t be until his sophomore year where he primarily pitched, that year he went 7-3, had a 2.59 ERA, and struck out 62 batters.
That lone season was enough for the Texas Rangers to pick the right-hander in the 8th round of the 2016 MLB draft. Tiedemann was primarily used as a starter for the first few seasons before the Rangers moved him into the bullpen. In his first full season as a relief pitcher, he had a 2.99 ERA in 27 games.
The 28-year-old signed with the RailCats last season and was a mainstay in the starting rotation, making 21 starts. Tiedemann pitched in more innings than any other RailCat(116.1), was 3rd in strikeouts(70), and paced the team in batters faced(541).
The Gary SouthShore RailCats are entering their 22nd season and opening day is scheduled for May 9th in Franklin against the Milwaukee Milkmen. The home opener at the US Steel Yard will take place on Tuesday, May 13th at 6:45 as the Cleburne Railroaders come into town. Tickets for all RailCats games can be purchased by clicking the link, or you can call the office at (219)-882-2255. https://railcatsbaseball.com/