(Eau Claire, WI) Three familiar faces will return to Carson Park to play for the Express this summer. Field Manager Dale Varsho today announced the return of Santa Clara outfielder Lucas Herbst along with Augustana teammates Nate Baumann and Drew Heithoff from the 2009 roster. With the Express opener just under three weeks away, the roster now includes 23 players.
Herbst, a sophomore outfielder and pitcher, is batting .286 with three home runs and 12 runs batted in covering 46 spring games. His five triples lead the team and his nine stolen bases rank second. Herbst had an injury-filled 2009 season with the Express, finishing with a .295 batting average in 22 games played. He did steal six bases without being caught in his limited action.
Baumann, a junior outfielder, has put up some gaudy statistics this spring for Augustana. In 55 games played, he is batting .441 with 14 home runs, 60 RBI’s and 40 stolen bases. The Marshall, Minn. native was recently named the NSIC player of the week after batting .630 with five home runs and 16 RBI’s during the week ending May 1. Baumann began last season with the Express on a ten-day contract before being signed for the remainder of the season. He finished fourth on the team with a .286 batting average while also hitting three home runs.
Heithoff is a junior infielder from Yankton, SD. In 55 games played with the Vikings, he is batting .328 with 11 doubles and 38 stolen bases. Like Baumann, Heithoff began his career in Eau Claire as a ten-day player that eventually signed a full contract. He tied for the team lead appearing in 60 games and compiled a .262 batting average and 11 doubles in 195 at-bats.
The Express will open their 2010 season in La Crosse on June 2. June 3 will mark the Express home opener, as the Loggers travel to Carson Park. Game time is 6:35 and the first 500 families in attendance will receive a 2010 magnetic schedule, compliments of Maverick Media and Bridge Stop
Morris, a 6-foot-3-inch freshman, is using 2010 as a redshirt season for the Razorbacks. He transferred to Arkansas after spending one semester at Arizona State University. Morris had an outstanding career at Coppell (Tex.) High School, which led to the Washington Nationals drafting him in the 35th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Enns is a 6-foot-1-inch pitcher at Central Michigan University. The left-hander has worked mostly out of the bullpen in his freshman season for the Chippewas, posting a 3-0 record and a 1.71 earned run average in nine appearances (one start). His 28 strikeouts rank third on the team and his opponents’ batting average of .174 is the lowest on the team for anyone that has pitched more than three innings thus far. 
Fadness, a 5-foot-8 inch junior, has been a versatile member of the Express the past two summers. The Eau Claire Memorial graduate has played all three outfield spots along with putting time in at second base. He was the only Express player to be named to both the mid-season and post-season Northwoods League All-Star teams in 2009. Fadness finished the season with a .317 batting average and team-leading totals in hits (73), at-bats (230), runs (50), walks (33), and stolen bases (28). 
Fadness is a graduate of Eau Claire Memorial High School and is the starting catcher at South Mountain. In 18 games this spring, he ranks second on the team with a .356 batting average, is tied for the team lead with six doubles and leads the Cougars with ten runs batted in. Will last year became the fourth Fadness to play for the Express, joining brothers Ty (2005), Mickey (2007) and Nolan (2008-2009).
Florez is a 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound freshman for the Lobos. The right-hander had an outstanding career at Las Cruces High School, ranking fourth in New Mexico state baseball history with 175 strikeouts. He was named to the All-State and All-District teams from 2008-2009. Florez has not yet pitched this spring for New Mexico and is likely to be red-shirted this season.
House, a 6-foot-4-inch pitcher, has been used mainly out of the bullpen this spring for New Mexico. In seven appearances, the freshman is 1-0 with one save and a 4.03 earned run average. House was drafted in the 25th round by the Boston Red Sox out of High School, but chose instead to attend college.
Mares, a 6-foot right-hander, has begun his freshman season mainly as a starting pitcher. In three appearances, including two starts, he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA. As a high school senior, Mares was the All-City and All-District Most Valuable Player and was the winning pitcher in the Texas State Championship game.
Silva is a 5-foot-10-inch, 175-pound sophomore. The right-hander is Yavapai’s closer, with 12 saves in 20 appearances thus far. His performance has been nothing short of dominant, as he has 48 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched to go along with a 0.93 ERA. Silva was equally impressive as a freshman, finishing with a 0.84 ERA, 17 saves and 41 strikeouts in 32 innings pitched.
Blank, a 6-foot-2-inch right-handed pitcher, appeared in ten games (seven starts) for the Express in 2009. He finished with a record of 3-1 and a 4.43 earned run average. The sophomore has logged 14.2 innings this spring for the Bears and has a 2-1 record and 4.30 ERA in four appearances (two starts). Blank appeared in 15 games with four starts as a freshman at Baylor.
Forney is a 5-foot-10-inch sophomore infielder at Yavapai. The Gilbert, Ariz. native played in 57 games as a freshman, batting .357 with 38 runs batted in. He has followed up his impressive freshman season with a strong start this spring, as he is batting .301 and leads the team with nine stolen bases through 22 games. His nine steals have already surpassed his total of seven in 2009.
Zenn is a 5-foot-11-inch freshman for the Roughriders. In 19 games this spring, the infielder is batting .316 and is a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases. He is tied for the team-lead with 11 walks and leads the team with a .469 on-base percentage. Zenn appeared in 21 games as a senior at Benicia (Calif.) High school and had a .400 batting average. He was drafted out of high school by the Los Angeles Angels in the 27th round of the 2009 June Amateur Draft, but chose to attend school and play collegiate ball at Yavapai.
