The pen has been put to paper for LJ Waco, as the former UW-Oshkosh baseball pitcher signed a professional contract with the Sioux City Explorers in the American Association of Professional Baseball on April 14.
“Playing professional baseball fulfills a lifetime dream of playing at the highest levels,” Waco said. “Internally it validates all the hard work that I put into junior high, high school and college baseball.”
The 2024 graduate was a two-time All-WIAC First Team and WIAC Pitcher of the Week selection, posting a career record of 11-4 for the Titans, appearing in 38 games and starting in 17. Waco held a 3.03 ERA in his career, earning 191 strikeouts and allowing 49 earned runs on 121 hits and 53 walks across 145.1 innings.
Following his sophomore campaign, Waco played for the Green Bay Rockers, a summer collegiate baseball team within the Northwoods League. In two appearances, Waco pitched 1.1 innings, acquiring a 13.5 ERA with two earned runs on three hits, striking out one and giving up a trio of walks.
“Every time he stepped on the mound, the team knew that we had a great chance of walking off the field with a win,” UWO head coach Kevin Tomasiewicz said. “His determination and work ethic to be the best pitcher he can be is unmatched. I am confident that he will be a very successful professional pitcher.”
The Cary, Illinois, native, didn’t realize that professional baseball could be a reality for him until after receiving his degree.
“After I graduated, I started in the professional world as a strength and conditioning coach,” Waco said. “During that time, I continued to stay fresh to have fun rather than preparing for a season. This winter I got that competitive itch back and wanted to see what I could do, so I started preparing for a hypothetical season.”
Waco said that the calls started after a trip to Bloomington, Illinois, to get experience with professional batters.
“A month ago, I went to K’s Training Academy down in Bloomington to throw to some professional hitters just to see where I was at and hit a lifetime best of 96 miles per hour off the mound,” Waco said. “I was shocked and started receiving calls to talk about a professional opportunity. It was surreal and I decided there was no better time to try it than now.”
Waco is the 22nd player signed by the Explorers as they prepare for their upcoming season in the American Association. This edition of the AAPB, formed in 2005, is a partner league of Major League Baseball, with the competition being comparable to Minor League Baseball’s High-A level.
