FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 2018
Contact: Jared Shlensky
[email protected]

GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats announced the acquiring of right-handed pitcher Justin Sinibaldi from the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League in exchange for outfielder Cameron Newell on Wednesday. 

Sinibaldi went 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA and led Lake Erie with 36 relief appearances, a 73.2 first pitch strike percentage (FPS) and had the lowest base on balls per nine innings (BB/9) at 1.950 last year. The 23-year-old was second on the team with 73 strikeouts and 10.95 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) in his second season with the Crushers.

Sinibaldi began his professional baseball career in 2016 after signing with Lake Erie on June 21st following his senior year at Nicholls State University. In 12 games with Lake Erie in his rookie season, the right-hander went 1-5 with a 4.17 ERA and a save in 12 games (three starts).

A native of Kenner, La., Sinibaldi was named the Southland Conference Pitcher of the Year, First Team All-Southland, First Team All Louisiana and was a member of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Watch List after leading the conference with 10 wins and a 1.40 ERA as a junior in 2015. Sinibaldi tossed two complete game shutouts and held opposing batters to a .245 average.

Newell spent two seasons with the RailCats, hitting .286 with two home runs, 19 doubles, seven triples, 43 RBIs, six stolen bases and 75 runs in 118 games. In 2017, Newell batted .264 with two home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 19 RBIs and two stolen bases in 57 games. Newell led Gary with a 21-game on-base streak and hit his first professional home run on June 27th (Game 1) vs. Salina.

In 2016, Newell batted .303 with nine doubles, five triples, 24 RBIs, four stolen bases and 40 runs in 61 games. Newell began his professional baseball career in 2015 after getting drafted by the Miami Marlins in the 35th round of the MLB Draft out of the University of California at Santa Barbara. Newell spent two seasons in the Marlins organization, reaching as high as Class-A, Short Season.

The Gary SouthShore RailCats open the 2018 season at U.S. Steel Yard on Friday, May 18th vs. the St. Paul Saints. Ticket packages for the 2018 Gary SouthShore RailCats season are available online at railcatsbaseball.com and can also be purchased by calling the RailCats ticket line at (219) 882-BALL. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.