SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS PRESS RELEASE
Phone: 817.739.3693
Website: xsbaseball.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2023
X’S INK FORMER HAWKEYE AND A RIGHT-HANDER
NEW FACES ADDITIONS ADDED FOR 2024
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Sioux City Explorers have announced that the team has signed RHP Pedro Gonzalez and INF/OF Brennen Dorighi for the 2024 season. Both players will make their American Association debut in 2024 for Sioux City.
RHP Pedro Gonzalez joins Sioux City after spending six seasons with the Washington Nationals organization. Gonzalez would compile an 18-23 record in 297.2 innings with a 5.02 ERA, reaching High-A in the Nationals system. In 2023, with Fredericksburg in the Carolina League, the right-hander went 8-3 in 34 games, working all in relief for the Nationals. He posted a 4.32 ERA in 73 career high innings with 50 strikeouts, walking 20 with a 1.384 WHIP. Gonzalez would pick up two saves while finishing eight games for the club.
In 2022, Gonzalez made two stops with the Washington organization, making 12 relief appearances with the rookie-level Florida Complex League Nationals, working in 21.2 innings with 15 strikeouts. He went 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA and finished second on the club with three saves. In nine games at A level Fredericksburg, Gonzalez pitched 14 innings with eight strikeouts. For the season combined, the right-hander would pitch in 35.2 innings with 23 strikeouts with a 1.570 WHIP with a 5.05 ERA.
The 2021 season was another two-stop season for Gonzalez, repeating his 2022 season. He would spend most of the season at the Nationals Complex League team pitching in 33.1 innings with 33 strikeouts and a 2-2 record with a 5.40 ERA. In six games at Fredericksburg, Gonzalez went 0-5, making three starts in 9.2 innings. He added 10 strikeouts with a 2.276 WHIP and a 11.17 ERA. For the season Gonzalez would toss 43 innings with 43 strikeouts in 20 games with six starts and a 2-7 record. He had a 6.70 ERA with a 1.791 WHIP in the Nationals system.
(Credit Edward Maurer/Fredericksburg Nationals)
Prior to the cancellation of the 2020 season, Gonzalez would split time at rookie-level Gulf Coast and short-season A Auburn in the New York-Penn League in 2019. The righty went 1-2 in the GCL with a 3.81 ERA in 28.1 innings with 21 strikeouts in eight games with two starts while notching two saves. At short season A, he was 1-4 with a 9.69 ERA in 13 innings. For the season he would go 2-6 in 41.1 innings in 13 games with three starts. Gonzalez struck out 30 while posting a 1.597 WHIP for the season.
Gonzalez would go a combined 4-3 with a 3.81 ERA in two stops in 2018 at the rookie-level Dominican Summer League and the Gulf Coast League. He would strikeout 54 batters in 52 innings while making nine starts and adding another three relief appearances with a 1.154 WHIP. In his rookie season of 2017, Gonzalez would spend the entire season with the Nationals team in the DSL. He made 12 starts over 52.2 innings with 44 strikeouts while going 1-3 and a 1.633 WHIP. The Nationals signed Gonzalez on December 27, 2016 as a free agent out of Chitre, Panama.
INF/OF Brennen Dorighi spent four seasons at Wofford College but would play his final collegiate season at the University of Iowa. He would play all 60 games for the Hawkeyes in 2023, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors along with being named the team captain for Iowa. Dorighi finished second on the team at the plate, hitting .348 and leading the Hawkeyes in homers (15) and RBI (67). He would slash a line of .348/.469/.564 in his only season at Iowa City.
Dorighi had three two homerun games during the season on May 2 against Illinois State and on May 13 on against Michigan State. He would have a season-high six-RBI game on May 5 against Ohio State, going 3-for-4 and another two-homer game with five RBI in the Hawkeyes win against then ranked #1 LSU on February 25. The versatile roster addition had an 11-game hitting streak and went 7-for-15 with six RBI in the NCAA Regional for Iowa. Dorighi went 4-for-5 with a homerun as the Hawkeyes faced elimination against North Carolina on June 4.
(Credit University of Iowa Athletics)
Following his season at the University of Iowa, Dorighi would play 33 games with State College and 13 games with Fredrick, both of the Major League Baseball Draft League. He would hit three homeruns and drive in 28 while hitting .294 for State College and drove in eight more runs while hitting .333 for Fredrick. Dorighi spent four years at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He would play in 14 games over his first two seasons in 2019 and 2020, hitting a homerun and driving in six runs, but he would become a leading contributor for the Terriers in his third season in 2021. In 48 games, Dorighi belted three home runs and drove in 26 runs in his junior season. He would make 26 starts as the team’s designated hitter and four more at first base. Dorighi hit .297 good for fourth on the team and his 33 hits was good for fifth on the squad.
In 2022 Dorighi was named First-team All-Southern Conference and SoCon All-Tournament team after the season. He played in 56 games, making 51 starts with 41 at designated hitter and another 10 in left field. He showed power by hitting nine homeruns, good for second on the club, and his 53 RBI also placed him second on the team. He would slash a line of .339/.399/.552 in his final season with the Terriers. Dorighi would be named SoCon Player-of-the-week twice during the season for Wofford. On February 19, he reached base four times with a pair of hits, including a long ball against George Mason. He added a three-RBI game on March 13 against Lafayette and a solid pair of games on March 25 and 26 where he had five hits and a pair of RBI in two games. In Wofford’s series at Dallas Baptist, he would blast a pair of homeruns and six RBI in the four-game series. He would finish his career at Wofford getting three hits and an RBI in the SoCon Tournament against Samford.
Dorighi has played summer ball following each of his college seasons except for 2020 due to the pandemic. He played in 2019 at Elmira in the Perfect Game Collegiate League, 2021 with Bristol in the New England Collegiate League and 2022 with Traverse City in the Northwoods League. Dorighi was a three-year letterman at Cherry Creek High School in Cherry Hills Colorado. In high school his team won three Centennial League Championships and reached the state semifinals and championship twice. Dorighi hit .375 with a .480 OBP as a senior and was named to the Coors Field All-Star State Senior Team. He was named first team Academic All-State Team three times. He received a degree in finance and accounting while at Wofford.
2024 Players signed:
RHP Pedro Gonzalez
INF/OF Brennen Dorighi
RHP Heitor Tokar
RHP Braunny Munoz
RHP Kyle Bloor
C Jake Ortega
C Wilfredo Gimenez
OF Scott Ota
INF Daniel Lingua,
INF Daniel Pérez
RHP John Sheaks
The Explorers are set to open their 31st season in the Siouxland at home Friday night, May 10th at 7:05 p.m. against the Kansas City Monarchs. Ticket packages for the 2024 season are on-sale now, including Full and Half-Season Tickets as well as 10, 15 and 25 game Flex Packs. More information is available by calling the Explorers front office at 712-277-WINS. Stay tuned to the Explorers social media channels and the club’s website xsbaseball.com for off-season news and updates.