GARY, IN. 6-14-2010 — The Gary SouthShore RailCats have today announced the signing of former LaPorte High School star and Wabash College pitcher Andy Weeks to a contract for the 2010 season.  Weeks takes the spot of right-hander Zach McClellan, who has been placed on the inactive list.

Weeks, 23, will be in uniform tonight when the RailCats begin a four-game series in Kansas City against the T-Bones.  The left-hander attended ‘Cats annual Open Tryout in early May, stayed with the team through Spring Training and will be making his professional debut when he first takes the mound.  An All-North Coast Athletic Conference pick as a senior, Weeks won 10 times for the Little Giants in his four-year career and ranks fourth in school history with 166 career strikeouts.  This past spring, Weeks served as an assistant coach at his alma mater.

An All-State pitcher at LaPorte High School, Weeks won 15 times as a senior in 2005 and played in the RailCats annual High School Challenge for the Slicers, although never as a pitcher.  Weeks becomes the fourth player to be discovered at the RailCats Open Tryout and eventually sign with the club, joining pitchers Dan Soria (2003) and Chris Pfalzgraf (2009), and outfielder Mike Coles (2006).

McClellan, 31, is making his return to professional baseball following an injury-plagued last three seasons.  A member of the Colorado Rockies in 2007, McClellan has not pitched a full season since that year and will miss at least the next 30 days as he continues his recovery.  In four starts for the RailCats this year, McClellan is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA, picking up his lone win in game two of a doubleheader Wednesday, June 9 in Rockford.

The RailCats (13-10) are a season-best three games over .500 and see their seven-game road trip continue tonight at 7:05 p.m. against the T-Bones (14-9).  Left-hander Brad Furnish (2-0, 3.60 ERA) will make his first start for the ‘Cats against Kansas City’s Reid Santos (1-2, 7.78 ERA).  The game, like every RailCats game this season, will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.