Newcomer to the lineup injects center depth to Swamp Rabbits
BY: Jordan Kuhns, Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits have added a new face to the club with the signing of Mason Baptista to a Standard Player Contract for the 2019–20 season. Baptista was acquired as future considerations in the deal that sent Sean Flanagan to Fort Wayne.
Baptista, 29, has split his career between the ECHL and the second division of the DEL, Germany’s professional league. The playmaking center has posted 143 points in 231 games at the ECHL level (62-81) with the Quad City Mallards, the Wichita Thunder, and the Fort Wayne Komets.
“Mason is a player we targeted as having the potential to significantly improve our team, and he will with his ability to play in all situations,” said head coach Kevin Kerr. “He brings a coach’s mentality to the game. He will be a very valuable piece to our club next season.”
The longtime pro played his collegiate career with a Division III powerhouse, St. Norbert College. While with the Green Knights, he was part of two championship squads and three Frozen Four appearances overall. Baptista had the honor of being a second-team All-American, and an All-Conference selection.
His skillset includes being a playmaking center who can play in all situations, as he played significant time on the power play and penalty kill in Fort Wayne and was part of a club that drove eventual Kelly Cup champion Colorado to a seventh game two seasons ago in the Western Conference Final.
Baptista’s last two seasons in the ECHL have seen him put up a .798 points-per-game average.
The following players are now under contract for the 2019–20 season:
F – Michael Pelech (29)
F – Johno May (25)
F – Travis Howe (25)
F – Kamerin Nault (23)
F – Mason Baptista (29)
D – J.C. Brassard (23)
D – Luke Ripley (25)
D – Adam Larkin (24)
More signings will take place throughout the offseason, so stay tuned to the Swamp Rabbits on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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