SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2024
SCHOLTEN SET TO START FRIDAY
EXPLORERS LOOK TO VETO CANARIES
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers announce that State Representative and current Sioux City Explorer J.D. Scholten will make his return to the mound Friday night, July 19 when the Explorers face the Sioux Falls Canaries at Mercy One Field at Lewis and Clark Park. The first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. It will be the third start for Scholten whose story has taken the baseball world by storm since being signed to fill an emergency need for Sioux City on July 6 against Milwaukee.
Scholten 44, is a native of Sioux City and is a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, representing District 1 as a Democrat in the state legislature in Des Moines. The representative tossed a quality start in his first start, surrendering two earned runs in 6.2 innings in a 11-2 win over the Milkmen. Scholten then returned to the mound on Thursday, July 11 and tossed another quality start, working six innings in a 3-0 win over the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota. For the season, the right-handed representative is 2-0 with 2.13 ERA in 12.2 innings.
Scholten attended Morningside College, where he pitched and played first base for three years, and then he transferred to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to pitch for the Nebraska Cornhuskers as a senior. In 2002, he led the Cornhuskers in earned run average. He earned his degree from Nebraska in December 2003. He played baseball and basketball at East High School in Sioux City and was born in Ames. He began his pro career in 2003 and would spend parts of three seasons with the Explorers in 2004 and 2006 – 2007. Scholten made his return to professional baseball last summer playing in the Dutch League.
The Explorers have set up a file drive for all items related to Scholten, including highlights, interviews and photos available here. For all photos please credit the Sioux City Explorers and all game video courtesy of the American Association. Please feel free to reach out to the club media relations team for any needs including media availability; we look forward to seeing you at the ballpark.
Friday night is also T-shirt night, and the Explorers will feature J.D. Scholten T-shirt jerseys to be thrown out to fans throughout the game. The gates will open at 6:00 p.m., and tickets can be purchased online at XSBaseball.com, in person at the Lewis and Clark Park Box Office or by calling 712-277-WINS. For more information or for media requests, call 817-739-3693.
TUNE INTO ALL THE EXPLORERS ACTION ON KSCJ AND AABASEBALL.TV