EXPLORERS INK FIRST CONTRACT OF 2022
Familiar Slugger Zawada Returns to Sioux City
Sioux City, IA (January 20, 2022) — The Sioux City Explorers have announced the signing of outfielder Sebastian Zawada. This is the first player signed to a 2022 contract for the X’s. This will be Zawada’s fifth season of professional baseball and his third with the Explorers.
Last season the Arizona native was one of the most consistent offensive weapons in Sioux City’s lineup. He finished second on the team in home runs (16), RBI (62) and runs (54) and games (90). He hit for a .259 batting average and tallied 17 doubles.
The slugger put together a couple of big games in 2022. On Sunday, July 25th against the Houston Apollos, Zawada wrapped out five hits, a team high for the season and a career high for himself. Of his five hits three he legged into doubles. Following a couple of nights off, he made his return to the lineup on Wednesday, July 28th and swatted two home runs against the Winnipeg Goldeyes, marking the first multi-home run game of his young career.
Zawada was one of the first players to sign with Sioux City for the eventually canceled 2020 campaign. After the American Association dispersal draft, Zawada was signed as a free agent by the St. Paul Saints. Zawada played in five games for St. Paul before landing on the injured list, he was later placed on waivers and claimed by Sioux Falls where he went on to play in three games for the Canaries. In total Zawada appeared in eight total games in 2020, hitting .364 with a home run, a double, three RBI as well as drawing three walks.
Playing for Sioux City in 2019, he was one of only two X’s hitters that hit double digit home runs (11), with Jose Sermo being the other one. In 77 games, Zawada, hit for a .263 average with 48 RBI, and 37 runs scored. He showcased more of his power with 20 doubles.
Zawada briefly made a stop in the Frontier League in 2017, playing in only five games, registering just two hits in 12 at bats with one of those knocks being a double. Zawada’s brief professional debut came after he left Arizona State during his senior year.
Zawada’s most successful collegiate season came when he was a sophomore at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. There he hit for an incredible .394 average, crushing 18 home runs, 13 doubles and recording five triples. In 55 games he drove in 65 RBI and scored 51 runs. Of his 87 hits, 12.3{c11ec094bc79a335569524a6d08ac7b227a99f27471bec3ce7b047a858d4e14a} of them were home runs and 41.4{c11ec094bc79a335569524a6d08ac7b227a99f27471bec3ce7b047a858d4e14a} went for extra bases. Zawada was responsible for 18 of the Cougars 29 homers during a season in which they went 34-25. Those numbers earned him First-Team All Conference and All-Region honors.
The Sioux City Explorers 30th year in Siouxland will begin at MercyOne Field at Lewis and Clark Park on May 17th versus the Lake Country DockHounds. Season, Group and Single Game Tickets are now all on sale and can be purchased by calling (712) 277-9467-