712.277.WINS (9467)

OUTFIELDER CURRENTLY HOLDS 3 SINGLE SEASON FRANCHISE RECORDS

SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers announced today that OF Michael Lang will return for the 2017 American Association season, which marks the X’s 25^th season in Siouxland. The upcoming season will be Lang’s 5^th season with the X’s and 6^th season overall in professional baseball.

Lang, 28, will return to the Explorers after enjoying another successful season with the X’s in 2016 in which he appeared in 89 games and led the entire American Association in runs scored with 83, which is also a new Sioux City Explorers single season franchise record. He was ranked near the top of several other major offensive categories for the Explorers last season including his 103 hits (4^th), 22 doubles (2^nd), 5 triples (2^nd), 5 home runs (4^th), 41 RBI’s (5^th), and 30 stolen bases (3^rd).

Lang started his professional career with the Explorers back in 2012 following a stellar career at Rutgers University, where he still ranks in the top ten in six offensive categories and was named to the 2011 Big East All-Conference Second Team. Lang played in 34 games for the X’s in 2012 and posted an impressive .405 batting average while collecting 49 hits including 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 4 homeruns. For his performance, Lang had his contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks and played the remainder of the season for the Yakima Bears in the Northwest League, while spending the 2013 season playing for the Single-A South Bend Silver Hawks.

Even after missing 19 games during the 2015 season, the Dumont, NJ resident still managed to rank in the top 5 in 4 statistical categories in the American Association. Lang led the entire American Association in 2015 in triples (10), was second in the league in stolen bases (45), and scored the third most runs in the league (75), while holding the league’s 4^th highest batting average at .343. The 10 triples and 45 stolen bases also set Sioux City single season franchise records. For his outstanding 2015 season, Lang was named to the 2015 American Association All-Star Team.

In other team news, the Explorers have also signed INF/OF Joseph Deroche-Duffin and released INF Ino Patron and RHP Jordan Risse as both players have informed the X’s of their plans to retire from professional baseball. 2017 will be Deroche-Duffin’s first season in professional baseball following a collegiate career at the University of Connecticut where he was selected as the American Conference Player of the Year in 2016 and also named to the All-Conference First Team after hitting 17 home runs and collecting 52 RBI’s in 63 games. 

The Explorers 2017 home opener is set for Thursday, May 18^th versus the Sioux Falls Canaries.  Get in the game with the Sioux City Explorers and reserve your 2017 season ticket packages, flex ticket packages or company group outing by calling 712-277-WINS (9467).