March 13th, 2014
With a chunk of the Dutchmen front office having ties to baseball in the state of Texas, the team continues to dip into the vast southern talent pool in 2014. Adding further depth and southern charm to the Dutchmen pitching staff will be Texas A&M Corpus Christi teammates Kevin Landgrebe and AJ Flores.
A 6’3” junior from Bay City, Texas, Landgrebe has carved out a versatile role on the pitching staff in his first season with the Islanders. Coming from Wharton Junior College, Landgrebe has a reputation for missing his fair share of bats. He recorded 27 strikeouts in 33 innings last season and has already struck out eight batters in twelve innings this year. A former all-district honoree at Bay City High School, the right-hander was also named Newcomer of the Year in 2010. Appearing in eight games this year, including one start, Landgrebe has only allowed runs in two appearances, while recording four hitless games out of the bullpen. He has issued only two walks to his eight strikeouts and has registered a 2.84 ERA to start the season. A big, powerful arm, Landgrebe figures to be an influential member of the Dutchmen pitching staff in whichever role he winds up in.
Joining him will be former Bay City High School teammate, AJ Flores. Also a junior, the 5’10” Flores attended Alvin Community College after high school, where he went 2-0 with two saves in 23.1 innings out of the bullpen during his sophomore season. A late inning reliever, Flores has appeared in five games so far for the Islanders, striking out six batters in 6.1 innings of work. He has allowed only seven hits, and shut down Texas State in early February, throwing four hitless innings out of the bullpen, while striking out five batters. A proven closer with an aggressive mindset, Flores is one of the top contenders to close out games for the Dutchmen, providing a calm, veteran presence at the end of games.
