FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2019
CONTACT: Jared Shlensky
[email protected]
GARY, IND. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats announced the re-signing of left-handed pitcher Lars Liguori on Thursday. 2019 marks Liguori’s sixth season of professional baseball and third with Gary.
Liguori went 4-7 with one complete game and a 3.52 ERA in 20 games (13 starts) in his second season with Gary in 2018. The southpaw finished eighth among qualifying pitchers in the American Association with a 3.52 ERA and was 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA in seven relief appearances. In 94.2 innings, Liguori allowed 117 hits but walked only 16 and struck out 45 batters. Liguori made his first four appearances of the season out of the bullpen before becoming a regular in the RailCats 4-man starting rotation. A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Liguori recorded his first American Association complete game in a win against the Chicago Dogs in game one of a doubleheader on Aug. 21 (7 IP, 1 R/1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 5 K).
Liguori signed his first professional baseball contract with the Brownsville Charros of the United Baseball League in 2014 and went 0-2 with two complete games, a save and a 2.98 ERA in eight games (five starts) before having his contract purchased by the Sioux City Explorers. In 48.1 innings with Brownsville, Liguori allowed 39 hits and 17 walks and struck out 31 hitters. In nine games (eight starts) with Sioux City, Liguori 2-4 with a 6.36 ERA in his first season in the American Association. In 46.2 innings with Sioux City, Liguori allowed 61 hits but walked only 19 batters and struck out 26 hitters.
In 2015, Liguori signed his first PECOS League contract with the Roswell Invaders and went 4-1 with two complete games, two saves and a 3.99 ERA in seven games (five starts). In 38.1 innings, the southpaw yielded 32 hits and 14 walks, struck out 33, limited opposing batters to a career-best .229 batting average and posted a career-best 1.20 WHIP.
The southpaw returned to Roswell to begin the 2016 season and went 2-1 with a 6.48 ERA in four starts before having his contract purchased by the RailCats Sister Club, the Schaumburg Boomers. In 25 innings with Roswell, Liguori allowed 34 hits and 11 walks and struck out 22. In three starts with Schaumburg, Liguori finished 0-3 with a 6.19 ERA before having his contract purchased by Gary. In 16 innings with the Boomers, Liguori allowed 23 hits and six walks and struck out eight hitters. In 19 relief appearances with the ‘Cats, Liguori finished 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA. In 27.2 innings, the southpaw allowed 35 hits and seven walks, hit two batters and struck out 13.
Liguori returned to the Frontier League in 2017 with Schaumburg and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career after going 9-4 with a 3.44 ERA in 18 games (17 starts). Liguori finished with a career-high nine wins, 99.1 innings, three complete games and 17 starts.
Gary opens the 2019 regular season on Thursday, May 16 in Rosemont, Ill., against the Chicago Dogs at Impact Field. The RailCats home opener at U.S. Steel Yard is on Tuesday, May 21 vs. the Sioux City Explorers. Tuesday’s home opener features a free magnet schedule giveaway, presented by Northwest Indiana Orthopedic and Spine Center at Methodist Hospitals, and Post-Game Fireworks. Tuesday’s home opener is also Gary Community Night, presented by Fifth Third Bank, and is the first Taco Tuesday and Community HealthNet Health Centers Tuesday of the season.
Ticket packages for the 2019 Gary SouthShore RailCats season are available online at railcatsbaseball.com and can also be purchased by calling the RailCats ticket line at (219) 882-BALL. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
–RAILCATS–