Wild Things Acquire Outfielder to Complete Chris Grayson Trade From October 2016
WASHINGTON, Pa. - Today, the Wild Things announced their first roster move of the 2017-18 offseason, as they acquired outfielder Zach Racusin from the Somerset Patriots to complete the Chris Grayson trade from October 3, 2016. Racusin is the player to be named in the trade that sent Grayson to Somerset following the 2016 season. Somerset is a team in the independent, Atlantic League.
Racusin appeared in 17 games for the Patriots in the summer of 2017. He had 12 hits and four RBI while only committing one error in the outfield. Racusin’s success on the diamond was apparent in his collegiate career, as he bounced around a bit, but in the end, Wild Things’ general manager Steven Zavacky is excited for the toolset Racusin brings to the workshop.
“The strides Zach made in his first season [of pro ball] were promising. He added a spark to the Patriot’s lineup upon arrival and provided quality defensive play across the outfield,” said general manager Steven Zavacky of the acquisition. “We anticipate his style of play to remain the same here in Washington; find a way on and pressure the defense running the bases.”
The former Patriot started his collegiate career at Essex County College (JUCO) and hit .391 in 176 plate appearances with 28 RBI and 22 stolen bases, He struck out just nine times that season, before taking his talents to Marist College, where he played two seasons. In his first year at Marist, the Mendham, New Jersey native hit .290 with an on-base percentage of .358. He drove in 25 runs and struck out just 21 times in 208 plate appearances. In 2016, Racusin sported an OBP of .316 and only struck out 14 times.
Racusin had his best year when he played for the Georgetown Hoyas in 2017. Racusin drove in 34 runs and hit .342 with an on-base percentage of .409 in 257 plate appearances. He struck out just 10 times and had 11 extra-base hits.
The outfielder joins the Wild Things after a 2017 season that saw Washington appear in the Frontier League playoffs for the first time since 2014 and second since 2007, and also win its 800th game as a franchise. Racusin said he is excited to join the team, saying it is a “great opportunity” to join a team with a culture of winning that is still hungry for more.
“My goal is to do anything I can to contribute to help the team win. I want to keep it simple out there. I want to put together quality at bats, get on base and put pressure on the defense to help us score runs,” said Racusin. “Defensively, I want to keep as many runs off the board as I can with my glove, but most importantly, I just want to play hard and leave it all on the field each and every night.”
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