*Photo Courtesy to the University of Notre Dame, Loyola Marymount University, University of California, Irvine, and University of California, Berkeley *

As the Lake Erie Monarchs 2018 season draws nearer, the excellent roster that General Manager Jim DeSana has assembled is closer to trotting onto Flat Rock Field for the first time. In another edition of Meet the Monarchs, it’s now time to look at the infusion of talent from the west that will have an impact for the kingdom very soon.

OF John Arndorfer, Notre Dame:

The freshman from Lake Oswego, Oregon has participated in two games this season for the Fighting Irish. His parents were 1985 graduates of Notre Dame and his sister, Katie, just finished her degree last year in South Bend.

John was a three-time letter-winner at Jesuit High School. Coming out of his prep playing days, Arndorfer was recognized as Oregon’s 18th best prospect and was the #4 outfield prospect by Perfect Game from the state. He stole 18 bases and drove in 18 runs while maintaining a .360 average at the plate in his final prep campaign.   

INF Alex Lambeau, Loyola Marymount:

The first-year player from Seattle, Washington has gone 8-26 in the box (.308 average) with a triple, five RBI, and three runs scored in 12 games played (six starts). He is a business management major at LMU.

Lambeau graduated from Newport High School in Bellevue, Washington and earned three varsity letters for his efforts on the diamond. He was recognized as an all-league performer during his sophomore and junior campaigns. He was a big part of his club’s journey to the state title game in 2015.   

C Griffin Mazur, Cal Irvine:

A gifted defensive backstop, the sophomore has a .989 fielding percentage (one error in 92 chances). He has played in 30 games this year, starting six, while batting .229 with 4 RBI. During his high school career, he played as a catcher on the Moorpark High School. Last summer, Mazur played summer ball with the Walla Walla Sweets in the West Coast League.

INF Casey Slattery, Cal:

The talented first baseman grew up near Los Angeles and played baseball for Harvard-Westlake High School. He drew interest from four D-I programs (Cal, Pepperdine, Wake Forest, North Carolina) but decided to stay a little closer to home. Harvard-Westlake is where former Detroit Tigers first baseman Brennan Boesch went to high school. Slattery also found success on the mound during his prep days. He will be a nice addition to the Monarchs infield for the coming season.

To keep up to date with your favorite baseball team, visit the Monarchs official website: lakeeriemonarchs.com. Be sure to follow the Monarchs on Twitter: @GLL_Monarchs, and on Facebook: /lakeeriemonarchs/.