Wilson, N.C. – The Wilson Tobs are excited to announce the return of Dylan Scaranda, Garrett Browder, Shane Rademacher, Jacob McCaskey and Paul Sullivan to the organization. Scaranda led the Tobs in HRs, RBIs, extra base hits, at-bats and runs scored while batting .340 and being named a CPL Allstar in 2021. Browder, a Wilson native, played in 12 games for the Tobs in 2021. Despite not getting a full summer season of action, he is ready to make a larger impact in 2022. Rademacher makes his return for a 3rd season with the Tobs. Rademacher has been a talented arm for Wilson and is looking to build on his previous two summers in the CPL. McCaskey returns to the Tobs looking to build on his draft stock. Although his season with the Tobs was short, McCaskey batted .429 with 6 hits and 1 HR in 4 games. Last but not least, Sullivan comes back to Wilson as a good option out of the pen or starting on the bump. Sullivan has the ability to come into a game, whether starting or relieving, and eat up 3 to 4 efficient innings at a time.
Although Scaranda started his college career with RCSJ Cumberland in NJ, he transferred to Barton College for his junior season. In 2021, he was an essential part of Barton’s run in the Conference Carolinas Baseball Championship hosted here at Historic Fleming Stadium, which ended in a heartbreaker to North Greenville in the semi-finals. Scaranda has had a productive career with the Bulldogs, leading the team in ‘21 with an average of .397 and an impressive OPS of 1.156. For the 2022 season, he is batting .388 with an OPS of 1.120 so far in 15 games.
Browder, who was a star athlete at Fike High School during his time there, was the No. 3 ranked catcher coming out of North Carolina. As a sophomore at Davidson in 2021, he played in 40 games while starting in 29 behind the plate and in 2022, he is off to a hot start with an OPS of .922. He boasts a 1.000 career fielding percentage during his time at Davidson and is a sure glove behind the plate for the Wildcats.
The Chowan junior, Rademacher, has been a consistent arm for the Tobs the past two seasons. He attended JH Rose in Greenville and is a native of eastern North Carolina. During his sophomore season at Chowan, he pitched 45 innings and struck out 49 while only walking 12. In 2022, Rademacher has pitched 34 innings and has already set 47 batters down on strikes. He pitched 6 innings during a College Classic game at Historic Fleming Stadium earlier this year, where he only gave up one earned run and struck out 8 against a strong Frostburg State lineup.
California University of Pennsylvania product Jacob McCaskey is a two-way player with power at the plate and on the bump. He has a career 4.54 ERA on the mound and .319 batting average at the dish in college, which has MLB scouts on notice. During a game at Fleming stadium earlier this year, McCaskey tossed 12 K’s in 6 innings against the Barton Bulldogs, propelling the Vulcans to a win. With 2022 being his senior season, McCaskey is hoping to break out with the Tobs and improve his draft stock to get the call during the third week of July.
A right handed senior from NJ, Sullivan has been steady so far in 2022 for the Iona Gaels despite only making 2 appearances in 2021. So far this year he has pitched 11 innings and struck out 18 while maintaining an opposing average under the Mendoza line at .196. “Sully” is looking forward to another stint in Wilson with the Tobs and is ready to make an impact on the upcoming season.
With players like Scaranda, Browder, Rademacher & McCaskey returning to the Tobs for 2022, Head Coach Harry Markotay is ecstatic to have the base of leadership and firepower needed to be a front runner in the CPL. The Tobs and their fans are just as eager as Markotay to have them back in Wilson and are looking forward to seeing their continued success.
Tobs Fans, don’t forget to mark your calendars for the Tobs 2022 Season Opener and Thirsty Thursday on May 26th. Stick around for Memorial Day weekend and the always exciting Tobs Firework Extravaganza Show on Sunday, May 29th! The Tobs Red, White, and Blue Firework Show will be Saturday, July 2nd. Season tickets and ticket packages are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (252) 291-8627, or by visiting www.wilsontobs.com.
The Wilson Tobs enter their 26th season as a founding member of the Coastal Plain League. The upcoming season for the Tobs will see community outreach, increased participation in helping the less fortunate, a Petitt Cup Championship team, and more exciting entertainment than ever before. We would like to dedicate each successful season to the Wilson Community, Coastal Plain League Organization, Host Families, Corporate Partners, and the Dedicated Fans.
The Wilson Tobs have played host to over 100 alumni taken in the MLB draft and have produced over a dozen players who have gone on to play in the MLB, including Cy Young MVP winner Justin Verlander.