SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Schaumburg Boomers Manager Jamie Bennett brought back a pair of productive right-handed pitchers in reliable reliever Joe Parsons and rookie standout Cody Griebling as both have agreed to terms on a 2013 contract it was announced today.

“Having both Joe and Cody back is a great start to anchoring our pitching staff for 2013,” Boomers Manager Bennett said.

In 2012, the bullpen was a major strength all season long and the versatile Joe Parsons led the club in ERA with a stellar 1.58 earned run average. Parsons earned a 3-1 record in 51.1 innings out of the pen while allowing just 34 hits over his 37 appearances and collecting 56 strikeouts against just 28 walks. “Parsons did an outstanding job for us out of the bullpen last season and was one of our most consistent guys on the entire staff,” Bennett added. “I look forward to having him back on our staff this year and competing for a spot in our rotation.”

Cody Griebling also received high praise from his manager after a stellar rookie season in Schaumburg. "Cody was one of the best young arms in this league last season” said Bennett. “He is beyond his years in his maturity on the mound and our guys absolutely love playing behind him." In 2012, Griebling signed with the Boomers in July and immediately contributed to the starting rotation. The 6-foot-2-inch Wisconsin native made nine starts en route to a 6-2 record and a stellar 2.48 ERA over 65.1 innings and was arguably the best pitcher on staff in the second half of the season for Schaumburg.

Parsons and Griebling push the number of Boomers officially signed for 2013 to five, joining infielders Gerard Hall, Steve McQuail and Frank Pfister on the Schaumburg roster. The Boomers will begin Spring Training on Thursday, May 2 with a roster of up to 34 players who will be vying for a spot on the 24-man final roster when Schaumburg opens the 2013 season at beautiful Boomers Stadium against the Windy City ThunderBolts on Thursday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Season Tickets, ticket packages we call Boomer Bundles and great Group Discounts for parties of any size and budget are available now by calling 847.461.3695. For more information, log on to www.boomersbaseball.com.

PLAYER BIOS

Parsons, 23, returns to the Boomers after a stellar 2012 season as a dominant arm in Manager Jamie Bennett’s bullpen. Versatile enough for short appearances or stretched out over a couple innings, Parsons led the Boomers in earned run average with an outstanding final mark of 1.57. The right-hander earned a 3-1 record over 51.1 innings while allowing just 34 hits over his 37 appearances. Parsons collected 56 strikeouts against just 28 walks to round out an impressive stat line.

Prior to joining the Boomers, Parsons played one season with the Gulf Coast League Pirates after signing as an undrafted free agent with the rookie-league affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 6-foot-1-inch right-hander appeared in 25.1 innings in 2011 and earned a 5.33 ERA with two saves, 19 strikeouts, and eight walks.

The Carmel, Calif. native completed his college career with two seasons as a member of the Hokies Baseball Team at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). As a junior in 2010, Parsons pitched just 5.1 innings and allowed six earned runs but thrived as a senior the following season. In 75.2 innings, which included 13 starts, a complete game and a shutout, Parsons earned a 7-3 record for the Hokies and added 54 strikeouts to 29 walks. Parsons allowed 76 hits and just 27 earned runs in 2011, which was good for a 3.21 ERA in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

After an outstanding 22-3 career record at Carmel High School including a senior year highlighted by a paltry 2.20 ERA, 90 strikeouts and an all-county nomination, Parsons attended the University of Hawaii, where he made one appearance as a freshman. Parsons transferred to Cuesta Community College in San Luis Obispo, Calif. where he was named Western State Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 8-1 with a save in 107 innings pitched. Parsons tossed three complete games and finished with a 3.41 ERA and 76 strikeouts before transferring to Virginia Tech to complete his collegiate career.

Griebling, 24, was a phenomenal addition to the Boomers starting rotation from the day he signed his first professional contract. The 6-foot-2-inch Wisconsin native earned a 6-2 record with a stellar 2.48 ERA in 65.1 innings. The rookie amassed 41 strikeouts against just 19 walks over his nine starts with Schaumburg in 2012. Arguably Griebling’s best performance of the year came to close out a three-game sweep of the Joliet Slammers from July 25-27. Griebling allowed the only run of the series in the ninth inning of a complete game, 7-1 Boomers win as he struck out eight, walked none and allowed just six hits.

Griebling came to Schaumburg after a stellar two-year career at Division II Missouri Southern State University.  A second-team All-Region honoree as a senior in 2012, Griebling earned a 9-4 record to go along with a 3.19 ERA with 74 strikeouts and a .246 opponents batting average. As a junior, Griebling finished the season with a 7-5 record and a 4.46 ERA to earn honorable mention All-MIAA status. Griebling struck out 54 batters in just over 70 innings, while striking out more than six on four different occasions.

Prior to attending Missouri Southern, Griebling was a two-time All-Conference Selection at Madison (Wis.) Tech where he went 4-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 12 appearances, striking out 33, while walking just 16 and holding batters to a .288 batting average in his sophomore season. As a freshman, Griebling was 3-1 with a 3.99 ERA in 12 appearances with three starts, two complete games (both shutouts), while holding batters to a .215 average and striking out 19 in 29.1 innings pitched.