By orangecountysoccer.com Staff,

Orange County SC are delighted to announce the signings of Frank Olijve and James Baxendale. Both players join the club with vast experience, with Olijve competing in both the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie, the two highest leagues in Holland. And Baxendale, in the English Championship, League One and League Two.

“We are excited to add two high quality players to the group, we look forward to integrating them quickly and I fully expect them to have a big impact for us,” said Head Coach, Logan Pause.

Frank Olijve came through the famed AFC Ajax youth academy before he started his professional career with FC Groningen in the Eredivisie. He went on to make a number of appearances in the top flight of Dutch football. He then made the transition to PEC Zwolle, where he went on to make over 50 appearances for the club and played a key role in their promotion winning season in 2013, which saw them return to Holland’s top flight once again. Following his success with PEC Zwolle he then moved to another reputable club in Holland, FC Emmen. The 28 year old, spent four seasons with club making well over 100 appearances for them. During this time he also captained the side and helped lead them to a 9th place finish this season.

The dynamic midfielder, will bring energy and experience to the Orange County midfield and will link up with fellow Dutchman Jerry Van Ewijk who also made the transition from Holland to Orange County earlier this year.

Baxendale joins Orange County from English League Two side, Mansfield Town FC. He has a wealth of experience playing at a high level of soccer, despite only being 24 years old. He started his professional career with Leeds United FC and spent a number of years in their academy. He made his professional debut for Doncaster Rovers FC in the English Championship at the age of 18. Following his time with Doncaster he joined League One side Walsall, where he amassed 125 appearances for the club and firmly established himself as a fans favourite for his ability to score from long distances. Following his a successful spell with the League One side, he joined League Two side, Mansfield Town where he spent this past season before making the decision to transfer to the USL with Orange County.

Both players are eligible to make their debuts this Saturday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 and will hope to be big contributors for Orange County’s second half season push, with Orange County having 18 regular season games remaining.

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SOCCER CLUB:

The Orange County Soccer Club is Orange County’s Professional Soccer Team. The club was one of 12 founding members of the new United Soccer League (USL) in its inaugural 2011 season. The predecessor club Orange County Blues were the 2015 Western Conference Regular Season Champions and have reached the Western Conference Semi-finals of the USL Playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The club’s brand-new owner, James Keston, is the Chief Investment Officer of LARO Properties, and will actively oversee all operations of the USL club in Orange County. Keston is dedicated to transforming the club into a world-class professional soccer organization that focuses on the fans, players, and youth clubs of Orange County.

For more information about Orange County Soccer Club or to purchase tickets, visit:http://www.orangecountysoccer.com.

Contact: Kelly Salmieri: VP, Marketing & Community Relations, [email protected], 805.844.0856