SHEBOYGAN — The Sheboygan A’s took their first step into building the 2013 roster, with the signings of two veteran pitchers, one returing infielder and two new players.
Brandon Magee and Lucas Wilsing, both Sheboygan North grads with impressive high school, collegiate, and in Magee’s case, professional backgrounds have signed on. Both are coming off arm and shoulder injuries.
“Both are excited about playing again and I’m excited to have them back, but we are going to move slowly with them and see how things go,” said general manager Denny Moyer. “There is no doubt they would be a tremendous boost to our pitching staff, plus, Wilsing can hit, too, but let’s wait and see how things go in the gym.”
In addition, infielder Sam Raff returns from last year’s squad and two first year players, Aaron Thorn, an outfielder, who played at South High School and with the Sheboygan American Legion team, and catcher-shortstop Brandon Glaeser, who played at Manitowoc Lutheran and is currently playing for Lakeland College, have come on board.
An All-Missouri Conference pick at Bradley University, Magee was a fourth round pick (120th overall), by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006. He posted a 20-15 record at Bradley with a 4.21 earned run average and 260 strikeouts in 370 innings. He was 8-4, 2.66 with 101 strikeouts in his senior seasons.
He played four years in the Toronto chain, getting to AA with the Eastern League’s New Hampshire Fisher Cats. He ran up 25 victories in the minor leagues and added three more with the Gary Railcats in the Independent Northern League. After rehabbing one arm injury, he got hurt again and threw in the towel on professional ball in 2010.
Magee was with the A’s from 2001 through 2004, posting a 17-8 record with a 3.04 earned run average. His best season was 2003 when he went 10-4, 2.84, with 120 strikeouts in 98 innings.
Wilsing, a left-hander, returned to the A’s last season, but hurt his shoulder in the only game he pitched. In that one, he fanned 11 in six innings in a 5-1 win over the Manistee Saints. In four seasons with the A’s, he was 14-6 with a 2.23 earned run average and 135 strikeouts in 121 innings. He hit .318 in 118 games.
As comfortable in the outfield and at first base as he is on the mound, Wilsing hit .315 in 182 games at Upper Iowa University and posted a 13-9 record on the mound.
Raff appeared in 51 games last year as a first-year player and finished with a .248 average. After finding his legs, he came on strong in the second half of the season and after hitting .348 in the Northeastern Wisconsin League and was named to the All-NEW second team.
