LINCOLN – The Lincoln Saltdogs announced today that they signed outfielder Brendan O’Brien and released outfielder Chris Garia.
O’Brien had a record-breaking career at Southern New Hampshire University. He held school records for hits (221), stolen bases (124), runs scored (159) and games played (204) after completing his senior season. O’Brien helped lead the Division Two program to three straight NCAA tournaments and the Division Two World Series in 2012.
The left-handed batter had his best season his senior year. He hit .315 with 52 steals in 53 attempts to lead the country. He was a first team All-Northeast 10 Conference player and made multiple All-Region teams.
O’Brien played in 47 games for Southern Illinois of the Frontier League last year. He compiled a .183 batting average and a .338 on-base percentage for the Miners. He stole five bases and tallied five doubles.
The 25 year old started 2017 with the Eastside Diamond Hoppers of the United Shore League. He was 6-22 (.273) with four RBIs over eight games in the Michigan-based league.
Garia, a native of Curacao, was just 1-18 in five games this season. He drew two walks and stole one base. The switch hitter is a member of Team Netherlands but was not on the roster for the semifinals of the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
The Saltdogs are in action tonight against the Cleburne Railroaders with first pitch at 6:45 PM. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling (402) 474-2255 or visiting Saltdogs.com. For the latest information on the Saltdogs follow the team on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram @saltdogsball.