JOLIET — The Joliet Slammers announced seven players signed to contracts for the 2013 season on Tuesday. Four are returning to the Slammers from last year’s squad and three are new to the team.

Returning to Joliet for 2013 will be star right-hander Jacob Sanchez. He started 11 games for the Slammers in 2012 and posted a 5-2 record with a 2.89 ERA. In his first season of pro ball Sanchez tossed 65.1 innings, striking out 45 batters while only walking 15. He joined the team mid-season last year after completing his senior campaign at Iowa Wesleyan University.

“We are very pleased and fortunate to have Jacob back for the 2013 season,” Slammers manager Mike Breyman said. “He was one of the first calls I made to talk about the upcoming season and my plans for him in the starting rotation. In my opinion he was one of the top rookies in the league and that is saying something. He will be a lot of fun to watch every five games."