The Yorkton Cardinals offence just got a whole lot better with the signing of a pair of Tuskegee University Golden Tigers.
The additions of outfielder Cameron Duncan and third baseman Cash Oliver will no doubt bolster a Cardinals offence that struggled at times last season.
Duncan, a 6'1", 195 pound graduate student at Tuskegee University sits second on the Golden Tigers with a sparkling .377 batting average and 16 RBI's but has just seven extra base hits in the 40 games he has played in 2013.
However all Duncan needs to do is reach base to cause problems for the opposition. The speedster from Alpine, Alabama, led the Golden Tigers with 17 stolen bases on 23 attempts; seven more stolen bases than his closest Golden Tigers teammate.
Duncan also led Tuskegee University in walks with 13 while striking out 27 times, a number that tied him for second overall on the Golden Tigers.
Oliver, meanwhile, is the signing that everyone will be talking about if they aren't already.
The 6'3", 205 pound third baseman was the offensive catalyst for the 19-21 Golden Tigers all season long, leading his university team with an outstanding .435 batting average.
The graduate student from Lancaster, California, also picked up a team high 50 RBI's, 21 more than his nearest teammate. His 11 doubles and eight triples also led the Golden Tigers in those categories while his three homeruns placed him second, one back of Golden Tiger teammate Gene Moody.
Unlike most offensively gifted players, however, Oliver doesn't simply swing away. In fact Oliver struck out just 12 times in 38 games while walking nine times and being hit by two pitches.
Oliver's .696 slugging percentage was also good enough for tops on the Golden Tigers, nearly .200 better than any other player on the team.
It's also worth noting that Oliver, while powerful, can also run. The third baseman swiped nine bases in 10 attempts. The only minor problem with his game is that he committed 11 errors, second most on the Golden Tigers.
But with that kind of offence, a minor lapse in defence here or there should be the least of the Cardinals worries.
