The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A PAIR of Bahamian players are set to become teammates in the Frontier League after a series of trades by the Lake Eerie Crushers.

Todd Isaacs Jr and Ellison Hanna II joined the Crushers this week after both outfielders were involved in multi-player deals that landed them with the franchise based in Avon, Ohio.

Isaacs was traded from the New Jersey Jackals along with catcher Zak Whalin, pitcher Angelo Baez, and pitcher Thomas Bruss in exchange for utility player Jackson Valera.

Hanna was traded from the Missoula Paddleheads along with right hand pitcher Austin Crowson in exchange for pitcher Jason Alvarez.

The Crushers finished 49-47 last season and missed the playoffs.

In addition to the changes on the field, the Crushers, announced Jared Lemieux as Director of Baseball Operations and Field Manager for the upcoming season. Lemieux spent the past two seasons coaching with the New Jersey Jackals.

The 2023 regular season will begin on Thursday, May 11 and run through Sunday, September 3.

The Frontier League is the largest league in all of independent professional baseball. It includes teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. In 2021, it merged with the American Association and the Atlantic League to become an official MLB Partner League.

Injuries brought an early end to Isaacs’ second season with the Jackals this fall.

In 50 games, he totalled .327 batting average with 70 hits, including nine home runs, 34 RBI, scored 45 runs, with 22 stolen bases, slugging .505 with a .300 OBP.

On opening weekend, Isaacs finished with three hits, one home run and four RBI as the Jackals took 2-3 games over the Evansville Otters in Evansville, Indiana.

In 53 games of the 2021 season Isaacs’ 11 home runs ranked second on the Jackals, behind Justin Wylie’s 15, achieved in 80 games. For the season, he hit .304 with 63 hits, including nine doubles, three triples, 32 RBI, scored 44 runs, nine stolen bases, slugging .536 with an .889 .OPS

Hanna’s 2022 season saw him serve in multiple roles – as a graduate student as well as assistant coach – in his first season of professional baseball with the Paddleheads in the Pioneer League.

He was one of three prospects chosen by the Paddleheads following the inaugural Pioneer League tryouts.

He made the transition from the field to the sidelines at the collegiate coaching ranks when he was named an assistant coach for the Hood College Blazers baseball programme - with responsibility for hitting, catchers, and outfielders. The Blazers compete in the Middle Atlantic Conference in NCAA Division III.

The Pioneer League is an MLB Partner League. The Paddleheads were formerly the Missoula Ospreys when the franchise was an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks from 1996-2020. It previousliy had Bahamian connections as both Jazz Chisholm Jr and Kristian Robinson spent their respective rookie seasons with the Ospreys. Following the restructure of Minor League Baseball out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was converted from an MLB-affiliated Rookie Advanced league to an independent league and granted status as an MLB Partner League.

Hanna concluded his collegiate career with the Indiana State Sycamores when he hit .429 and scored five runs in the NCAA Tournament’s Nashville Regional.

He was selected to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament team.

Following his tenure with the Sycamores, he won the 2021 Prospect League Championship with the Cape Catfish and was also named a West Conference All-Star.

The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players throughout the United States and Canada.