ST. PAUL, MN -- He was the league's best hitter in 2004 -- and he will be back with St. Paul in 2005, too.

 

The Saints announced today that Adam Olow, who set the Northern League standard for batting average last year with a .376 mark, has signed a contract for the 2005 season.

 

The right-handed hitting outfielder will return for his third year when training camp opens in May for the defending Northern League champs -- unless some major league organization grabs him first. "Adam was the best hitter in the league in 2004," said St. Paul manager George Tsamis. "We're still trying to get him into a big league organization because he deserves that chance. But if that doesn't work out, we're thrilled to have him in our lineup next summer."

 

Olow, 26, had a year to remember as he made the All-Star Game and set a Northern League record with a .376 batting average. The St. Paul player ever to win a batting crown, Adam set a team record for Hits (128) and Hit by Pitch (15) and finished just one short of the standard for doubles with 29. Baseball America took proper note by naming Olow to their first team All-Independent squad at the end of the season.

 

He kept it up in the post-season, hitting a solid .333 (11-for-33) as the Saints won their first Northern League title in eight seasons.

 

Olow is poised to rewrite the team's record book as he enters the 2005 season ranked in the top five all-time totals for the team in Runs, Hits, Doubles, Triples and RBIs.

 

For his five-year pro career, Olow is a lifetime .331 hitter. Tsamis, however, sees more than just batting stats in the Lemon Grove, CA native's game. "Adam has become a very good outfielder. He makes several spectacular plays that don't show up in the box score," he said.

 

Olow is the first St. Paul player to sign his 2005 contract. Tsamis said he expects "several more" signings in the next month or so.

 

The Saints set a team record in 2004 for wins with a 61-34 regular season mark. They capped the year by ousting defending NL champ Fargo-Moorhead in four games in the North Division finals and then rallying for a five-game victory over Schaumburg in the Championship Series.