GARY, IN. 1-12-2011 – Righty reliever Will Krout signed his 2011 contract with the Gary SouthShore RailCats after the ‘Cats received his rights as part of a May trade with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League.

Krout, 27, joins the RailCats bullpen after two strong seasons elsewhere in independent baseball. Krout spent the past season as an integral member of the Frontier League Champion Rascals where he had his best season as a professional.  The Santa Rosa, Calif. native earned a 7-1 record while posting a sparkling 2.45 ERA, striking out 49 and walking only 13 in 58.2 innings. Krout also pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs and earned the win against the Southern Illinois Miners in Game Five of the Semifinals to clinch a berth in the Frontier League Championship Series for the Rascals.

Krout spent 2009 in the Continental League where he posted a 5-1 record and an impressive 2.60 ERA in 34 innings out of the bullpen for the Alexandria Aces. The 6’4” righty struck also boasted an excellent strikeout to walk ratio in ’09 when struck out 32 hitters while walking only seven.

In two seasons at Division II Sonoma State, Krout helped lead the Seawolves to 64 wins including a 3.83 career ERA over 183.1 innings, six complete games in 21 career starts and 96 strikeouts against just 30 walks.

With the addition of Krout, the RailCats have eight players under contract for the 2011 season joining fellow pitcher Nolan Nicholson, catcher John Parham, infielders Chris Carrara and Brian Kolb and outfielders Adam Klein, Mike Massaro and Cody McMorris. All eight will be part of an at least 28-man squad when the RailCats open Spring Training on April 30 at U. S. Steel Yard.

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