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SIOUX CITY, IA – With his offensive lineup starting to come together, X’s Field Manager Steve Montgomery has turned to the pitching staff and another battery mate with today’s signings. The Sioux City Explorers announced today the signing of RHP Kohei Tsukada and C Ken Matsuzaka, both from Japan.

Tsukada is a 24-year-old, Tokyo, Japan native that attended Waseda Jitsugyo High School in Tokyo, Japan and was a member of the 2006 Japan National High School Championship team.  After the completion of High School, Kohei attended Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan from 2008-2011.  In 2011, Tsukada was drafted in the 4^th round as a player in training by the Hiroshima Carp of the Japan Big League where he spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons.  In 2013, Kohei’s contract was rented to the Kochi Fighting Dogs of the Shikoku Island League Plus. 

Matsuzaka calls Yokohama, Japan his hometown and joins the X’s for his first season of professional baseball in 2014, after recently being seen in a winter league down in Texas. Ken attended Yamanashi Gakuin University starting in 2010 and although his primary position is catcher, he can also play both corner infield positions.

“We have received some very good reports on both of these young men and we are looking forward to seeing them in spring training, commented Field Manager Steve Montgomery.

With today’s signings, the X’s now have 18 players under contract, including 10 pitchers and 8 position players.

The 2014 regular season will kick off on May 15th, when the X’s travel up to Sioux Falls, SD to take on the Canaries in a (4) game split series, with the first two games being played in Sioux Falls.  The series will then shift back to Sioux City on Saturday May 17^th for the X’s 2014 home opener at Lewis & Clark Park, the series will conclude on Sunday in Sioux Falls.

NOW is the time to reserve your X’s Season tickets, partial season tickets, group outings, luxury suite rentals and Birthday parties, call the X’s at 712-277 9467 or visit www.xsbaseball.com