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SIOUX CITY, IA – The Sioux City Explorers announced today that they have acquired the rights to RHP Kaohi Downing from the Winnipeg Goldeyes in exchange for the rights to INF Ryan Pineda.

Downing will begin his fifth season of professional baseball in 2014. The 27-year-old was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 50^th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft out of Point Loma Nazarene University. He spent two seasons in the Giants organization before continuing his career in independent baseball the past two seasons in Winnipeg.

The right-hander from Honolulu, Hawaii has spent his entire career out of the bullpen. In 2009 with the San Francisco Giants Arizona Rookie League team, Downing compiled a 3.07 ERA in 14.2 innings of work while striking out 13 hitters and only allowing 5 free passes before being promoted to the Giants affiliate in Salem-Keizer for the 2010 season.  With Salem-Keizer, Kaohi went 2-2 with 1.47 ERA in 43.0 innings and collected 34 strikeouts to only 22 walks. 

Downing sat out the 2011 season before joining the Goldeyes for the 2012 campaign and in his first season of Independent baseball, he posted a 4-2 record in 48.0 innings pitched, while striking out 34 batters and allowing only 13 free passes to go along with a 4.50 ERA. Last season with the Goldeyes, Kaohi appeared in 42 games and compiled a 3.40 ERA in 45.0 innings of work out of the bullpen. In his two seasons with the Goldeyes, Downing has put together an 8-6 record with a 3.97 ERA in 79 appearances.

“Downing is a guy that has logged some very productive innings in our league the past two seasons and will serve as another strong arm for us out of our bullpen this season, stated X’s field manager Steve Montgomery.”

Pineda began the 2013 season with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and after 11 games, Pineda was traded to the Grand Prairie Airhogs for a player to be named later.  Between the two clubs, Pineda accumulated a .288 batting average while driving in 49 RBI’s.  At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Pineda was traded from the Airhogs back to the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and Ryan served as one of the two players to be named later that was owed to Sioux City from the Redhawks to complete a late season trade that sent RHP Chris Bodishbaugh to the Redhawks. Bodishbaugh served as the second player returned to the X’s to complete the trade.