GARY, Ind. — The Gary SouthShore RailCats have reacquired right-handed pitcher Alex Rollin from the Frontier League’s Southern Illinois Miners, completing a June 27 trade that sent Rollin to the Miners in exchange for future considerations.

Rollin, 24, made the RailCats out of Spring Training last season and pitched in 16 games out of the bullpen before being dealt.  In his first nine RailCats outings, Rollin only twice allowed runs and had boasted a 2.35 ERA on June 6 before allowing runs in each of his next seven appearances.

The California native then made 15 more appearances for the Miners – including a pair of starts – and finished the season strong, with five scoreless outings in his last six games.  Rollin put up excellent strikeout numbers at each of his 2009 stops, fanning 45 in 48.1 innings against only 20 walks.

After completing his college career at California, Rollin signed with the Northern League’s Schaumburg Flyers in 2008 and was a mainstay in the rotation down the stretch, compiling 64.1 innings in 11 starts.  Rollin actually made his professional debut in 2008 against the RailCats and won two of his first four starts.

Rollin went 4-2 in his final season at Cal, making 11 starts for the Bears.  An All-State pitcher at Los Gatos High School, Rollin was also an outstanding prep quarterback, going undefeated on the football field in his career.

The RailCats open the 2010 season Thursday, May 20 at 7 p.m. against the Kansas City T-Bones at U. S. Steel Yard, and will play 100 games this summer for the first time in club history.  The new eight-team Northern League now includes both the Rockford RiverHawks and Lake County Fielders and is one of only two independent minor leagues to play a 100-game season or longer.

For more information or to purchase season tickets, group outings, mini plans and flex packages, call the RailCats today at 219.882.2255 or log on to www.railcatsbaseball.com.