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BASEBALL: Lakeland grad Retzbach promoted to Norfolk, at PNC Field
BASEBALL: Lakeland grad Retzbach promoted to Norfolk, at PNC Field
Scott Walsh, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.Fri, Jul 3, 2026·2 min readMOOSIC — For Adam Retzbach, it couldn’t have worked out better.
The Lakeland graduate was playing a series in Binghamton this week with the Double-A Chesapeake BaySox when he got the call Wednesday night that he was being called up to Triple-A Norfolk.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementConveniently, the Tides were at PNC Field this week playing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
So Retzbach headed south down Interstate 81 on Thursday to join the team, this time right in the Greenfield Twp. native’s backyard.
“It’s pretty cool and nice to be close,” Retzbach said. “I was playing in Binghamton and my family came to see me play there. My grandpa was able to come up with was nice, too. Then I got sent here.
“It’s a very different perspective on this field after playing high school regular-season games, district championship games, travel ball stuff. To be here in a Triple-A baseball game is pretty crazy.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is Retzbach’s second stint with Norfolk. He was there from June 9-13 and made his Triple-A debut June 11 against the Memphis Redbirds. He played first base and was 0 for 2 with one walk. Then he went back to Double-A.
“It was the same kind of thing. Something happened up here and they needed me to fill in for a couple days,” Retzbach said. “Pretty unique opportunity to get another perspective, even if it was a temporary thing. See what the level is like and try to use it as fuel to get back here.”
In 54 games with Chesapeake, Retzbach batted .169 (30 for 178) with six doubles, one triple, three home runs, 23 runs and 24 RBIs.
“I wish I was doing a little bit better,” Retzbach said. “But I just have to keep working and there’s still a lot of baseball left. Still a great opportunity to get those numbers up and finish strong.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRetzbach was promoted this time after catcher Creed Willems exited Wednesday night’s game after sliding into second base in the fifth inning and was placed on the seven-day IL on Thursday.
The only action he saw Thursday was when he warmed up the Norfolk pitchers between innings while starting catcher Silas Ardoin put on his gear.
“As of now I’m just filling in. It’s not like a full-on promotion or anything,” Retzbach said.
After graduating from Lakeland, Retzbach went to Lehigh University. He was taken in the 14th round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles (407th overall). He spent time with three teams in the Orioles organization in 2022, played at Single-A Delmarva and High-A Aberdeen in 2023 and Abderdeen and Double-A Bowie in 2024. He played all of the 2025 campaign at Double-A Chesapeake and had 19 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs while batting .221 in 117 games.