The Kamloops NorthPaws newest recruit will help solidify defense in the outfield and add power to the lineup next summer.
Joe Sassi, a corner outfielder from Piedmont, Calif., is the newest addition to the NorthPaws inaugural roster.
Photo Credit: SJSU Athletics
“He’s a guy who will bring big raw power and a strong arm from the infield corner positions,” said head coach Cole Armstrong. “We’re excited about the potential he brings. We have a lot of guys we expect to see big improvements from during the spring and summer and Sassi is definitely one of those guys.”
A sophomore at San Jose State University, Sassi will join his university teammate Dalton Bowling as Spartans on the NorthPaws roster. The pair have known each other for a long time, as they were frequent opponents growing up in the Bay Area.
Sassi was perfect defensively as a senior in high school, putting up a 1.000 fielding percentage along with a 0.375 batting average.
“I’d describe myself as a right-handed, power-hitting outfielder,” Sassi said. “The West Coast League is a great league. It gives me an opportunity to get in a lot of at-bats during the summer.”
Joining the NorthPaws will mark a couple of firsts for Sassi. It will be his first experience playing a collegiate summer baseball season. He expected to play in the Expedition League in North Dakota last summer, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will also be his first time travelling to and living in Canada, an experience he is looking forward to.
“One of my teammates at [San Jose] State played a season in Kelowna and he said it was a lot of fun. I’m excited to get up there,” Sassi said.
The Kamloops NorthPaws are an expansion West Coast League franchise bringing the highest calibre baseball Canada’s Tournament Capital has ever seen. The West Coast League, founded in 2005, has 15 teams across Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alberta featuring some of the top collegiate players during a 54-game summer season. Find the NorthPaws online at www.northpawsbaseball.ca, @northpawsbaseball on Instagram and Facebook, or @northpawsbb on Twitter.
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