Current Freshman, Incoming Freshman Highlight Latest Roster Additions

A connection with a former member of the AppleSox headlines this week’s roster additions. Antonio Gianni, Adam Haight, Ethan Hubbell and Cannon Peery are four newcomers signed to play for this summer’s team.

Antonio Gianni is a utility player in his freshman year at Central Arizona College. He is batting .216 through his first 21 games with the Vaqueros. Gianni recorded a five-game hitting streak in mid-March that he batted .500 (6-for-12) over. He finished his high-school career strong with a .341 average and four home runs and 19 RBI in 28 games last spring at Cactus Shadows in Arizona.

“Antonio is a true definition of a utility guy,” Darlington said.” Plays a little bit of middle infield and all three outfield spots. From our phone calls with him he is the type of kid who is up for playing anywhere. Wherever you want play him, he’s going to be comfortable and he’s going to be able to produce.”

Adam Haight will be a freshman this fall at Oregon State after completing the summer season with the AppleSox. He is a senior at Cedar Park Christian High School and is the younger brother of 2021 AppleSox catcher Andrew Haight. Adam is an infielder and a right-handed pitcher who is ranked as the third-best member of the class of 2024 in Washington by Baseball Northwest. BVM Sports and Perfect Game both rated him the second-best player in his senior class. 

“He’ll be a true two-way player for us this summer,” Darlington said. “He gets on the bump and he’s got an upper-80’s to low-90’s fastball. A lot of upside on the mound as well as in the field.”  

Ethan Hubbell is in his sophomore year at Everett Community College and is in the midst of turning in another impressive campaign. He leads the Trojans in innings (37.1) and strikeouts (37) and is second in WHIP (0.83) and third in ERA (1.45). This comes after he finished fourth in innings (56.2) and fifth in strikeouts (30) as a freshman. Hubbell finished with a 3.34 ERA, only nine walks and two complete games in 11 games (eight starts) last season.

“Ethan is a guy who attacks the zone and fills it up,” Darlington said. “Not a ton of strikeouts, not a ton of swing-and-miss but it seems like every outing that he’s gone for Everett he’s gone deep in the games and always gives you a chance to win.” 

The Camas, Wash. native pitched in two games in the West Coast League last summer with the Nanaimo NightOwls. Hubbell surrendered three runs (two earned) in 1.2 innings on June 27 at Yakima Valley before bouncing back with only one unearned run in 2.2 innings on July 2 vs. Port Angeles. 

Cannon Peery is in his freshman year at Grand Canyon University and has appeared in five games so far. He graduated from Mountain Ridge High School in 2023 and was the sixth-ranked first base prospect in Arizona by Perfect Game. Peery hit .366 with 15 extra-base hits and 31 RBI in 29 games last spring and received an invite to Prep Baseball Report’s West Coast Games in the fall of 2022.  

“Everything we’ve heard about Cannon is that he’s going to be a pure hitter someday,” Darlington said. “He’s going to play a lot of first base for us, a lot of designated hitter and probably a guy that’s going to be tough to keep out of the lineup.” 

The 2024 WCL season begins on May 31 as the AppleSox host the Port Angeles Lefties at 6:25 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. The AppleSox have 31 home games and play until mid-August. Single-game tickets for the 2024 season go on sale April 15. Season ticket packages are available for purchase now at applesox.com/season-tickets. Wenatchee’s five West Coast League championships are second-most in league history and head coach Mitch Darlington’s club set single-season franchise records for walks drawn, home record, home winning streak, sweeps and home runs hit in a single game in 2023.