Sonoma Stompers bring back slugger Daniel Baptista

The Sonoma Stompers Professional Baseball Club is bringing back a fan favorite for the 2017 season. The club announced that first baseman Daniel Baptista has agreed to terms to return to the team.

“I’m thrilled to have Daniel back. He’s great in the lineup; he’s great on the field and he’s great in the clubhouse,” Stompers general manager Theo Fightmaster said. “We’re lucky to have a player of his caliber here in Sonoma, and at the same time, we have high expectations of him for the season.”

This will be Baptista’s fourth professional baseball season, and his third with the Stompers. Baptista crushed nine home runs last season while driving in a team-leading 61 runs. A career .315 hitter, Baptista has 177 hits over his four pro seasons, with 86 of them coming in 2016, which was tops on the team.

Baptista will join a roster that has several fan favorites from last season, including designated-hitter Joel Carranza, right-handed pitcher Mike Jackson Jr. and right-handed pitcher Stacy Piagno. To go along with returning players, the Stompers also will have some new faces, including three players signed at the California Winter League. The Stompers also are bringing on four players who were signed at the annual Pacific Association tryout.

The Stompers’ season starts June 2 against the Diamonds in Pittsburg, with the first home game on June 13 against the Vallejo Admirals.