A’s Roster Nearing Completion
Posted: May 2, 2022
Jared Reklaitis, elected by his teammates as the Sheboygan A’s most valuable pitcher of 2021, is back for another season and heads the list of latest signings that are filling out the 2022 roster.
Reklaitis, a member of the Concordia University baseball coaching staff, received the honor last year after going 5-2 with 1.04 earned run average. He struck out 77 and walked only 18 in 52 innings.
At UW-Milwaukee, Reklaitis set single game (15) and single-season (104) strikeout records, holds the record for most starts in a season (18) and ranks first all-time in career strikeouts at UWM with 219. He was a second-team All-Horizon League pick and a 2-time member of the conference’s all-academic team. He played his high school baseball at Sheboygan South.
Others to sign on are catcher Caleb Lorbecki from UW-Milwaukee, Ryan Blanchard who is an infielder from Feather River CC in California, Jonathan Kim, an outfielder from Brookfield who is headed for the University of Michigan, Riley O’Connell who is committed to UW-Platteville, pitcher Mac Doherty from Marian University, pitcher Bryce Lovisa who is also from Marian, infielder Cooper Gosse, and pitcher Blake Roach.
Lorbecki played his high school ball at Arrowhead High School and played at UW-Stevens Point before joining the Panther program.
Blanchard will be starting the season with the Wisconsin Woodchucks. At this writing, he was hitting .361 in 33 games as Feather River’s freshman shortstop. He hit .489 for Kettle Moraine High school in his senior season and was named first-team all-conference.
Kim, is regarded as one of the top prospects in the state. He has put up tremendous numbers at Hitters Baseball Academy, Chicago Scouts Association and in high school competition. He was first-team all-conference and 2021 Southeast District Player of the Year.
O’Connell is a pitcher/utility player who was his West Bend Spartans MVP last year when he hit .425 and had a 2.25 earned run average. O’Connell is billed as a pitcher/shortstop, but also plays first base, outfield, and catches.
Rousch is rehabbing from a shoulder injury but expects to be ready by Opening Day. He played for Oshkosh North High School, Oshkosh Legion, and the Hortonville Stars before relocating to Grafton.
Doherty, Lovisa, and Gosse were with the club last year. Doherty turned into the team’s most reliable reliever, appearing in 17 games, going 2-3 with three saves. Lovisa missed the first month of the season but got four starts and went 2-2 with a 3.70 ERA. Gosse, who is a valuable utility player handling both infield and outfield chores, appeared in 20 games last year before missing several weeks of the season with a knee injury.
The A’s season opens on May 21 when they host a 4-team pod of the Play Ball Tournament. Tournament pairings have yet to be announced, but it is known that the A’s will play the tournament opener at 11 a.m. and in the third game at about 3 p.m. The Sheboygan Athletic Club’s annual 5K Home Run/Walk presented by CITGO precedes the tournament, beginning at 8 a.m. at Wildwood Park. Cost is $30 for adults and $20 for kids. Groups of 10 or more can save money. To register: 5K.SHEBOYGANBASEBALL.ORG
The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
