Eau Claire Express announce 7 additions to roster as season approaches

The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

May 5—The Eau Claire Express announced another chunk of their roster on Wednesday.

The Express, who begin their season May 31, revealed seven more players who will don the orange and black this summer. The group was headlined by Drew Lechnir, a Kimberly native currently playing outfield at Central Michigan, and a pair of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs.

Lechnir is joined by Illinois-Chicago infielder Ryan Lin-Peistrup as the two additions from the Division I level. The Express also added two Division II players, two junior college pitchers and a Division III pitcher.

Lechnir, a redshirt freshman, is hitting .255 for the Chippewas this season. He's started half of the 26 games he's appeared in. The speedster has four stolen bases and boasts a .444 on-base percentage. He was part of Kimberly's Division 1 state championship team in 2017.

Outfielder Henry George and pitcher Ben Shepard are joining Eau Claire from Minnesota-Duluth. George brings a big bat to the Express. He has starred for the Bulldogs this season, leading the team in batting average (.339), extra-base hits (13), on-base percentage (.429) and OPS (.901) through 36 games.

Shepard has a 2-5 record in eight starts for Minnesota-Duluth. He sports a 6.56 ERA and has 32 strikeouts through 35.2 innings.

Lin-Peistrup, a Chicago native, has started 21 of the Flames' 37 games this spring. The senior has a pair of home runs to his credit.

From the junior college level, the Express added Eastern Florida State two-way player KC Swords and Pima Community College pitcher Bradon Zastrow.

Swords went 2-0 with a 3.69 ERA as a freshman this spring and hit .389 in limited action at the plate. Zastrow pitched sparingly, posting a 3.68 ERA in six outings.

Southpaw pitcher Nick Malmberg joins Eau Claire from Division III powerhouse Aurora University. He's been the ace for the No. 7 ranked team in the country, earning a 7-1 record with a 2.40 ERA so far this spring. He'll bring plenty of starting experience to the mound at Carson Park.

The Express season begins on May 31 with a home game against Rochester.