KINSTON, North Carolina (January 16, 2025) – The Down East Bird Dawgs continue their offseason player spotlight series with a closer look at OF Cole Hill, UTIL Yeniel Laboy, and OF Ali LaPread after exercising their contract options for the 2026 season.

Each position player contributed to the Bird Dawgs during the 2025 campaign and will return to Down East as the club prepares for its second season.

Hill spent his first season of professional baseball with the Bird Dawgs in 2025 after playing two collegiate seasons at Stephen F. Austin. The Richardson, Texas, native appeared in 59 games and finished second on the team with 18 stolen bases. During his collegiate career, Hill posted a .304 batting average while hitting 13 home runs and driving in 62 runs.

Laboy returns to the Bird Dawgs after spending three seasons in the Oakland Athletics organization following his selection in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. During the 2025 season, the utility man hit .286 over 25 games with Down East. A native of Puerto Rico, Laboy has spent each of the last two offseasons playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League with Leones de Ponce. During this offseason, he appeared in 10 games and hit .286.

LaPread emerged as a key contributor during his rookie season with the Bird Dawgs in 2025, posting a .287 batting average across 75 games as the club’s primary right fielder. The Alabama State product followed a standout collegiate career in which he was named the 2024 SWAC Player of the Year after recording a 1.104 OPS.

Hill, Laboy, and LaPread are among the returning players the Bird Dawgs will continue to highlight throughout the offseason as the club prepares for the 2026 season.