Mohawks Sign Wake Forest Frosh

The Amsterdam Mohawks of the NYCBL have inked Matt Conway from Wake Forest University. Matt is a 6-7/225 pound 1b/LHP from Birmingham, MI. He was a star at Brother Rice High School. He was ranked by Perfect Game as the 388th best High School prospect last season.

Player To Watch For In 2010--James Foster

Throughout the offseason, I will be highlighting, spotlighting or mentioning players that I believe are poised to have either big seasons in 2010 or are poised to have a breakout season. Again, I'm not a scout in any way or shape. The one constant factor in my picking of the players is that they all had productive summer seasons.

James Foster is a very talented sophomore OF from Wofford College by way of Trinity Christian in Addison, TX. While at the TAPPS powerhouse TCA, James was a key cog in success of the baseball program. During his senior year, he was named District MVP, All-District and All-State.

He had a very productive freshman season for the Terriers. He hit .287/.374/.374 in 174 at-bats. He scored 40 runs, knocked in 19 and stole a team-high 20 bases this past season. He also hit 8 doubles, smacked 2 triples and hit 1 homer for Wofford.

James spent this past summer back in Texas, as he played for the Coppell Copperheads. He was one of the best and most productive hitters in the league. He hit .317/.345/.412 in 145 at-bats for the eventual TCL Champions. He scored 29 runs, drove in 11 and hit 4 doubles for the Copperheads this past summer. He also stole a league-high 17 bases for Coppell. Overall, he was tied for 4th in the league in batting average, 4th in hits, 3rd in OBA, and tied for 2nd in the league in runs scored. For his outstanding summer, James was named to the TCL All-League team.

I've been told that James has signed a 10-day or temporary contract to play for the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod League this summer.

James was one of the many players that I had the pleasure to watch play this past summer. The sky is the limit for him, and I'm expecting him to have another great season in 2010.

New Wisconsin Rapids Baseball Team Is Named "Rafters"

From WAOW.com
WISCONSIN RAPIDS (WAOW) - The "Rafters" are coming to town! Wednesday night, in front of a standing room only crowd at Hotel Mead in Wisconsin Rapids, the newest member of the Northwoods League unveiled their name and identity. The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters will call Witter Field home starting this summer. From Friday, January, 15th thru Wednesday, January 20th the team held an online vote to determine the name of the franchise. The top three selections are as follows: Rafters, River Rats, and Boggers...with a total of 1,650 votes! Read more.

SwampDogs Keep It “Young” with New Broadcaster for 2010

From the Coastal Plain League
The Fayetteville SwampDogs are pleased to announce the hiring of Adam Young as their Broadcaster for the 2010 summer. The Illinois native will perform the play-by-play of all SwampDogs home games this season. The SwampDogs home games are streamed by way of the internet on the Coastal Plain League’s WebPass Service.

“I can’t wait to get to Fayetteville and start a great summer with the SwampDogs,” Young said. “I’m grateful to get a job of this caliber right after graduation, and I can’t thank Fayetteville enough for this great opportunity.”

At SIU Edwardsville, Young served as an announcer in many different capacities for the school’s Division 1 athletics program, while also covering St. Louis’ premier professional sports teams. He served as the T.V. Announcer for SIUE Men’s and Women’s Basketball. He also held the role of P.A. Announcer for SIUE Baseball, Softball, Soccer, and Volleyball. In addition, Young was a news/sports reporter at the school’s campus radio station, WSIE Radio. At the station, Young covered the St. Louis Cardinals, Rams, and Blues on a regular basis. Furthermore, he served as the Cardinal reporter for the St. Louis Cardinal’s pregame show on KSLG 1380 radio in St. Louis during the 2008 season.

Young is no stranger to summer baseball. Last season he was the broadcast intern for the Gateway Grizzlies Baseball Club of Independent Baseball’s Frontier League. His duties included serving as the No.2 broadcaster and helping out with media relations.

“Every broadcaster wants to be the voice of a team and this job brings that opportunity,” Young said. “I can’t wait to bring SwampDogs baseball to the great fans during the summer and to continue my dream of becoming a Major League Broadcaster.”

“We’re excited to welcome Adam to the Dogs family,” said Asst. General Manager Jeremy Aagard. “His enthusiasm and ambition will be a great addition to the staff and should carry into his broadcasts for an incredible atmosphere for our fans. As we embark on our 10th season Adam will bring more new and unique ideas to take the fan experience to the next level.”

The Fayetteville SwampDogs are entering their 10th season as a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation’s hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 14th season, the Coastal Plain League features 15 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league Web site at http://www.coastalplain.com. To reserve your tickets today, contact the Fayetteville SwampDogs at (910) 426-5900. For more information on the team, log onto goswampdogs.com.

Power Sign Christian Brother's Freshman

Matt Van Slyke (Christian Brother's University) has signed on to play for the the Niagara Power of the NYCBL. He is 5-10/160 pounds and hails from Oxford, MS. He will be expected to patrol the outfield for the Power.

Brown heading into Waterloo Bucks' Hall of Fame

From Susan Denk at the Hawkeye.com
Kent Brown had the time of his life the summer he spent playing for the Waterloo Bucks. Read the rest of this entry here.

News and Notes for Jan. 30th

Here is your daily dose of college baseball news and notes.
(photo is courtesy of Ole Miss)

**Rebels Ranked 17th In USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll
OXFORD, Miss. - The preseason rankings continued to come in for the Rebels with Ole Miss finding itself ranked in the third poll of 2010 when the USAToday/ESPN Coaches Poll tabbed the Rebels as the 17th-ranked team in the nation on Friday. Read more.

**Radford Baseball Picked Fourth in Big South Preseason Poll
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On the heels of its first winning season since 2000 and second-most conference victories in a season (16), Radford was picked fourth in the 2010 Big South Conference Baseball Preseason Poll. Read more.

**USF baseball picked to finish third in WCC preseason poll
The USF baseball team was predicted to finish third in the West Coast Conference preseason poll, while a pair of Dons were named to the preseason All-Conference team. Senior right-hander Doug Murray, who went 9-0 last season, and junior third baseman Stephen Yarrow, who hit .277 with 13 home runs, were both named to the All-Conference squad. USF, led by 12th-year coach Nino Giarratano, finished third in the conference last season. Read more.

**Versatile juco transfer gives ULM baseball team many options
It’s too bad ULM baseball coach Jeff Schexnaider can’t foresee the future in certain situations. Read more.

**Batter up, Bearkats!
January is flying by and February is quickly approaching. With February comes the beginning of spring, which brings the return of Bearkat baseball. Read more.

Braves add two pitchers from Rider

From the Staunton Braves
The Staunton Braves have added a pair of pitchers to their roster for the 2010 summer season.

Nate Eppley, a junior righthander, played for the Braves in 2009 and was solid out of the bullpen where he was 2-0 with 1 save and a 4.43 ERA in 15 appearances. He will work out of the pen this spring at Rider, possibly as the team’s closer.

Joe Colagero, a freshman lefty, should play a prominent role on the Rider staff. Broncos head coach Barry Davis expects the first-year hurler to compete for a spot in the starting rotation.

Dorsett, DeGroote named coaches of Terre Haute Rex

From The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
Jan. 28--The Terre Haute Rex have announced the hiring of Terre Haute native Brian Dorsett as head coach for the team's inaugural season. Casey DeGroote and John Gardner were named assistant coaches. Read the rest here.

Marlins Sign Former Rangers Draft Pick

Just because the Morhead City Marlins are entering their first season in the Coastal Plain League, don't dismiss them as simply an "expansion" team. Forest City is a great example of a relatively new team that proved they can win it all.

The Marlins have announced that they have signed Mike Schaaf from Saint Peter's. Schaaf is a big RHP from Saginaw, MI. The 6-7/240 pound freshman was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 18th round of this past June's draft.

News and Notes For Jan. 29th

Here is your daily dose of college baseball news and notes.

**Baseball Tabbed as WCC Favorites
SAN BRUNO, Calif. - San Diego was picked as the favorite to win this year's WCC regular season title in the 2010 preseason baseball poll, as voted on by the head coaches in the conference. The Toreros received six first place votes for a total of 48 points and are ranked 24th in Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll. Pepperdine was picked second with 38 points and is also receiving national recognition, ranked 34th in the Collegiate Baseball's preseason poll. San Francisco totaled 33 points for third, while 2009 WCC Champion Gonzaga got one first place vote for 29 points to finish fourth, just edging out 2009 runner-up Loyola Marymount, which received 28 points for fifth. Rounding out this year's preseason poll are Santa Clara, which received the last first place vote with 20 points, Saint Mary's with 17 points, and Portland with 11 points. Read more.

**Wyche, Dewald head Peach Belt baseball team
Former Central standout Alex Wyche and Georgia College & State relief ace Martin Dewald enter this baseball season with the target of all-conference on their backs. Read more.

**Ex-'Bow pitching in at HPU
An elbow injury ended Rich Olsen's playing career at the University of Hawai'i four seasons ago. Still, he has found his way back into the college game. Read more.

**South Carolina Tabbed No. 10 In Baseball America Preseason Top 25
Columbia, S.C. - The South Carolina baseball team has been ranked No. 10 in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 released on Wednesday afternoon. The Gamecocks will open the season on Friday, Feb. 19 hosting Duquesne in a three-game series at Carolina Stadium. Read more.

**Union baseball looking to return to NAIA nationals in 2010
JACKSON, Tenn. - 1/26/2010 - The Union University Baseball team is getting set to begin the 2010 season. Union opens play on February 6 at home versus Clarke (Iowa) College. The Bulldogs are receiving votes in the NAIA preseason rankings and are also selected to finish second in the TranSouth preseason poll. Union is coming off a season in which the Bulldogs captured the TranSouth Tournament Title and advanced to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round. Read more.

**Prep Baseball: Springfield's Moore commits to Air Force Academy
SPRINGFIELD — Jordan Moore decided he wanted to be an aerospace engineer in middle school. He saw a NASA launch one day, and it stuck in his head. Read more.

**Rams Ready To Start 2010
The 2010 University of Mobile baseball team will have a largely new look heading into the season opener Friday, Jan. 29 at Belhaven College, but that is nothing new for the Rams. Read more.

**Baseball Turns to Inexperienced Lineup after Record-Breaking Season
Coming off a school-record 39-12 finish and Top 20 final ranking, the 2010 edition of The University of Texas at Tyler baseball team will take on a different look with a ton of new faces but with the same common goal of making a repeat trip to the American Southwest Conference title game. Read more.

River Bats Sign Pitt's Smith

The St. Cloud River Bats of the NWL have signed Pittsburgh RHP Josh Smith. Smith is a RS Sophomore from West Lawn, PA. Last year he went 3-0, with a 4.33 in 27 innings pitched. He saved 2 games, walked 6 and struck out 23 bases for the Panthers in 2009.

ACBL to get new look in 2010

From the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League
Significant changes will give the ACBL a new look for the 2010 season. Summer college baseball will be returning to two areas well known for amateur college baseball. The Torrington Titans, sponsored by the Our Baseball Haven group, bring summer ball back to Fuessenich Park in Torrington, CT. Brian Leighton will be the general manager and Greg Hunt assumes the field manager position.

College summer baseball also returns to the Scranton-Wilkes Barre area with the addition of the Lackawanna Lumberjacks. Ron Aniska is the general manager and Chris Pensak will assist him. Mike Petroski has been named field manager. The Staten Island Tide, under the guidance of Tommy Weber as field manager and general manager, will be the third new addition to the ACBL. Kutztown and Peekskill has both been granted a one year leave of absence.

The Long Island Mustangs are now the Long Island Collegians. Butch Caulfield takes over as general manager with Chris Rojas as field manager. The Lumberjacks join the Quakertown Blazers, Lehigh Valley Catz and Jersey Pilots in the Wolff Division. The Collegians, Tide and Titans will compete with the North Jersey Eagles in the Kaiser Division.

The Hampton Division will include the North Fork Osprey, Riverhead Tomcats, Sag Harbor Whalers, Southampton Breakers and Westhampton Aviators.

Cape League Announces Red-Shirt Friday

From the Cape Cod League
CAPE COD, Mass. – Cape Cod Baseball League President Judy Walden Scarafile announced today the formation of “Wear Red on Friday to Support Our Troops,” where home teams at every CCBL game on Fridays during the season will wear special red uniform tops to support U.S. troops who are serving in harms way. Read the rest here.

Shaw Signs With The Braves

Kent State power-hitter, Travis Shaw will be a member of the Bourne Braves this summer. Travis (the son of former MLB'er Jeff Shaw) spent this past summer playing for the Cincinnati Steam. He hit .247/.452/.352 in 93 at-bats. His 5 homers placed him 2nd in the league, and he helped to lead the Steam to the Great Lakes League Championship. He was named the 25th best prospect in the league by Perfect Game. Travis answered four questions for the blog back on October 21, 2009. You can view the interview here.

Honkers Announce New Field Manager for 2010

From the Rochester Honkers
(Rochester, MN)-The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today that Ryan Ruiz, Assistant Coach at Central Arizona College (Coolidge, AZ) as their new Field Manager for the 2010 season. Ruiz replaces Thom Dreier who stepped down after accepting a full time position as the Midwest Video Coordinator with the Toronto Blue Jays. Ruiz becomes the Honkers’ 9th field manager since 1994.

“I am extremely honored to be a part of a winning franchise in Rochester,” said Ruiz “I am eager to get back on the field and guide this franchise to another Northwoods League Championship. The front office, fans and city have all been first class!”

Ruiz is no stranger to the Northwoods League or the Rochester Honkers. He served as the Associate Head Coach of the Mankato MoonDogs last summer, in charge of their offense and coaching 3rd base. He guided the MoonDogs to the first half championship in the North Division.

“Rochester has always put a great product on the field. I went through that from the other side while I was in Mankato but glad to be on this side now.” said Ruiz. “I expect nothing less than excellence this year and to continue a winning tradition while teaching these kids how to play the game the way it used to be played. We will play this game hard on every pitch of every out and every inning while still having fun and experiencing baseball in a professional environment.”

Ruiz spent eight years of playing professionally in the Northern and American Association of the Independent leagues. He spent 4 years with the St. Paul Saints, and 4 with the Sioux City Explorers. The left handed hitting centerfielder completed his playing career in 2006, with a career .288 average. His best year was in 2004 where he hit .310 with 22 doubles and 35 stolen bases and was named to the North All-Star Team. Ruiz finished his collegiate career at Texas Tech in 1999 where he led the team in hitting (.363) and stole 35 bases in 37 attempts. He was honored by the Big XII as a second-team all-conference pick as a junior and senior and was nominated for the Easton’s defensive Player of the Year award in 1999

Ruiz, now in his third year at Central Arizona, is in charge of handling the hitters, outfielders and the team’s strength and conditioning coach. He also assists in the recruiting process. The Lake Forest, CA native is married and holds an AA degree from Saddleback College and a BA from Texas Tech in Sports Psychology.

The Rochester Honkers 17th season begins on June 2nd when they travel to Mankato for a 7:05pm first pitch. Their home opener is June 3rd against the same MoonDogs at Mayo Field starting at 7:05pm. Season Tickets, Bonus Books, Suites and Patios are now on sale. Call the Honkers office at 507-289-1170 for more information.

Four Questions With Steve Kalush

Steve Kalush is a SR RHP from Santa Clara University. He is 6-1/200 pounds and he hails from San Mateo, CA.

He spent this past summer pitching for the Corvallis Nights of the WCL. He went 3-1, with a 1.49 era in 42.1 innings pitched. He allowed 41 hits, walked just 6 batters and he fanned 32. He made 12 appearances and he saved 3 games for the Knights. His 1.49 era was 2nd in the league and he was eventually named to the All-WCL 2nd-Team.

Steve recently answered four questions for us.


Summer Ball--Who was your favorite baseball player when you were younger?
Steve Kalush--Barry Bonds


SB--What were some of the best things about playing for the Knights?
SK--Being able to play baseball everyday with great teammates at a great stadium.


SB--What are some of your personal goals for this upcoming season?
SK--Pitch well and help my team win games.


SB--What is your favorite baseball movie?
SK--Major League


To view scans of Steve's autograph, click here and here.

News and Notes For Jan. 28th

Here is your daily dose of college baseball news and notes.

**Defending Champion Virginia Leads ACC Coaches' Preseason Baseball Poll
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia, which made its first ever College World Series appearance last June, has been picked as the 2010 preseason favorite in a vote of the league’s 12 head baseball coaches. Read more.

**New NCAA initiative will shorten seasons for Division II teams
KEARNEY — University of Nebraska at Kearney fans will see a little less of the Lopers next year. Read more.

**Huskies release 2010 schedule
Head Coach Neil McPhee and the Northeastern baseball team have released their 2010 schedule. The slate includes 24 CAA games and 25 non-conference games and is highlighted by the team's annual 10-day trip to Florida and a three-game turn in Philadelphia. Read more.

**Tucker Joins Nevada Baseball Staff
Reno, Nev. - University of Nevada head baseball coach Gary Powers has added Kevin Tucker to the staff for the 2010 season. Tucker will serve as the volunteer assistant working with the Wolf Pack outfielders and hitters. Read more.

**Sheppard and Franklin Selected to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List
Irvine, Calif. (NCBWA) - Forty players have been named to the initial watch list for the sixth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, as announced by the association Thursday. Read more.

**2010 LSU Baseball Preview; Practice Begins
BATON ROUGE -- Fourth-year coach Paul Mainieri, who directed LSU to the 2009 NCAA championship, believes his 2010 club has the necessary elements to earn a third consecutive berth for the Tigers in the College World Series. Read more.

**Eason Earns CAA Anniversary Team Honors
Richmond, Va. - Former East Carolina standouts Tommy Eason and Winfred Johnson have been named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Baseball Silver Anniversary team. A panel of current and former conference coaches selected the team. Read more.

Staunton Braves Sign Pair From Top NAIA Program

From the Staunton Braves
The Staunton Braves have signed a pair of players from Savannah College of Art & Design – a Top 25 NAIA program in 2009.

Patrick Braswell, a junior middle infielder, is a career .390 hitter for the Bees. As a sophomore, he led SCAD in hitting with a .405 average and was an all-conference second baseman. Braswell was selected to play in The Sun Conference preseason all-star contest for the second straight year. The all-star game features the top junior and senior players from The Sun Conference. Coaches nominated players from their teams to participate. The game will be an opportunity for draft-eligible players to be seen by professional baseball scouts.

Brice Schlosser, a junior lefthanded pitcher was also join the Braves. Schlosser will be a weekend starter for the Bees and is slated to pitch the team’s season-opener at Point Loma Nazarene – the second-ranked team in the nation in the preseason NAIA rankings.

City hires Mustangs general manager

From Mickey Powell at the Martinsville Bulletin
A new general manager for the Martinsville Mustangs has been hired, but city officials have not yet decided whether the baseball team will continue playing beyond this year. Read the rest here.

SETON HALL'S GRAY TO PLAY FOR BOLTS

From the Rome Thunderbolts
Seton Hall sophomore infielder Chase Gray has agreed to play for the Rome Thunderbolts in the summer of 2010. The Toms River, NJ native had an early season injury in 2009 that sidelined him for just about the whole season as he only played in three contests. In high school, Gray was a first team All-County all-star and second team All-Shore. He holds career records for hits(139) and doubles(39) in his high school career. The Seton Hall coaches are very high on Chase as he is definitely an offensive presence. The Bolts are looking for big things from Chase as well.

Rafters Join Northwoods League

From the Northwoods League
The newest franchise in the NWL will be called the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. The announcement was made to a crowd of over 250 at Hotel Mead in the Rapids on Wednesday night.

The "Rafters" won a vote between seven possible names, narrowly beating the two other top finishers, "River Rats" and "Boggers". The team's logo incorporates something from each of the top three names.

The focus of the logo is a rat rafting on a river. Decades ago, the men that rode the rafts while transporting timber to the paper mills were known as "River Rats". "Cranberry Red" will be the team's main color. The Wisconsin Rapids area is known for its bogs, which allows the area to be a prominent player in cranberry production.

Brewers Hire Pitching Coach

The Utica Brewers of the Eastern Collegiate Baseball League have hired Andy Weimer to be their new pitching coach. Weimer is currently a coach at Utica College. You can read the full press release here.

The Greg Morrison Story

From Jonathan Hodgson and the Western Major Baseball League
Today we take a look at the baseball life of Medicine Hat Mavericks owner, Greg Morrison.

Morrison bought the Mavericks prior to the 2009 season, but that was on the heels of a very successful playing career.

Greg grew up in Medicine Hat in a sports family. All four brothers and his father played sports so Greg just followed their lead.

“It was a hockey, baseball, golf, and football in the park till the sun went down kind of childhood,” says Morrison. Read the rest here.

Lake Erie College Sends Three To The Stingers

Lake Erie College has a history of sending it's players to play in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League and 2010 will be no different as at least three Lake Erie College Storm players will be playing for the Carolina Stingers. Zach Mosbarger (FR--OF), James Shaw (FR-RHP), and Michael Morgan (SO-INF/RHP) will all be making the trek south this summer. This will be the 2nd summer in Carolina for Morgan.

SPASH Grad Fritz Returning with Woodchucks

From WSAW.com
SPASH grad and UW-Stevens Point sophomore Eric Fritz has signed on to play with the Woodchucks once again this summer. Read the rest here.

Diamond Spirit Sign Local Product

One of the newest teams in the M.I.N.K. League has signed a talented freshman outfielder from Creighton University. The Omaha Diamond Spirit have signed Michael Blatchford for the 2010 summer season. Blatchford is 6-1/200 pounds and hails from Columbus, NE. He played baseball, basketball and football in high school.

Player To Watch For In 2010---Russell LaFleur

Throughout the offseason, I will be highlighting, spotlighting or mentioning players that I believe are poised to have either big seasons in 2010 or are poised to have a breakout season. Again, I'm not a scout in any way or shape. The one constant factor in my picking of the players is that they all had productive summer seasons.

Russell LaFleur is a JR outfielder from the University of Missouri. He is 5-10/180 pound and hails from Katy, TX. He excelled both in the classroom and on the ball field at Morton Ranch High School. In 2007, he was an All-District baseball player and was also named an Academic All-Star.

In 2008, Russell went 1 for 4, with an rbi for the Tigers. He spent the 2008 summer patrolling the outfield for the San Louis Obispo Blues. He hit .323 and really turned heads with his speed and defense.

2009 was a tough spring season for Russell as he was redshirted. His summer season was a different story as he was a member of the East Texas Pump Jacks. He hit .276/.309/.375 in 123 at-bats. He scored 22 runs, drove in 10 and hit 4 doubles. He walked 17 times, was fanned 29 times and stole 11 bases. For his performance, Russell was named to the Texas Collegiate League All-League Team. Russell has signed on to return to the Pump Jacks this summer.

Russell is poised to have a big season this year.

2010 Schedule Released

From the Valley Baseball League
HARRISONBURG, Va. - The Valley Baseball League released its 2010 schedule and announced two franchise transfers as part of its regularly scheduled January meeting Monday evening.

The league will play as an 11-team, one-division loop this summer, starting with its first-ever "Opening Night" on Thursday, June 3 when New Market visits Harrisonburg.

This game will be played in the Turks brand-new facility that was built by James Madison University on the site of Veterans Memorial Park.

The top eight teams will make the playoffs again this summer.

VBL President Dave Biery also announced that Jim Critzer and David Gauldin Jr. have been approved as the new owners of the Waynesboro Generals. Critzer had owned the team from 2000-2008 before selling to Jerry Carter one year ago.

Critzer and Gauldin will run the team as a partnership with Ronnie Palmer taking over as field manager.

The Fauquier franchise, which will not play this summer, has been sold to a group headed by attorney Paul "Jay" Neal and will resume play in 2011 with Strasburg as its new home.

The team, which will play at First Bank Bank Park, has not been named as of yet but will change its colors from the blue, green and gray that Fauquier used to the same purple that Strasburg H.S. employs.

"Ownership will be held by a nonprofit corporation, Strasburg Community Baseball, Inc., with all local directors. The organization is structured such that any profits derived, which we know will be a little bit down the road, will go to the Strasburg High School baseball and softball programs, and the Strasburg Little League baseball and softball programs," Neal said.

"There has a lot of speculation on the name to be taken, and the board will welcome all suggestions, but one thing isn't open to discussion as none is needed: the team WILL wear purple. A town vote on that question would be unanimous."

Neal also stated that the group will be undertaking some upgrades at First Bank Park including a new visitors dugout, additional seating and the purchase of an infield tarp.

Finally, with Strasburg celebrating its 250th anniversary next year, the new team's home opener will be part of the town's year-long celebration.

Complete schedule.

Giuletti Signs With The Mountaineers

The Vermont Mountaineers of the NECBL have signed a weekend starter from Binghamton University. James Giuletti is a JR RHP, and he will be expected to provide depth and leadership for Vermont.

James spent this past summer pitching for the Herndon Braves. He went 1-3, with a 3.19 era in 36.2 innings pitched. He allowed 41 hits, walked 13 and had a team-high 34 k's for the Braves. He was also named the Cal Ripken Leagues "Pitcher of the Night" for his performance on July 8th.

News and Notes For Jan. 27th

Here is your daily dose of college baseball news and notes.

**Domschot, Cowart Named Preseason All-Americans
ADRIAN, Mich. - Ryan Domschot (Toledo, Ohio/Whitmer) and Alex Cowart (Dearborn, Mich./Edsel Ford) were selected to the 2010 D3baseball.com Preseason All-America Team. Adrian College is one of only two teams in the nation that have two players on the First Team Preseason All-America Team. Read more.

**Alexander Named Preseason All-American
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - Air Force senior designated hitter/first baseman Matt Alexander was named to the Ping! Baseball 2010 Preseason All-American Team. Alexander, who batted .383 with 15 home runs and 65 RBIs as a junior, was named third-team All-American as a designated hitter. Read more.

**Local baseball stars Zastryzny, Franco are Mizzou-bound
CORPUS CHRISTI — Rob Zastryzny is a week away from the season’s first day of high school baseball practice, but he likes the way everything is going so far. Read more.

**Belton's Alcozer signs with TC
BELTON - After reviewing the options regarding his future, Seth Alcozer concluded there were too many positives associated with staying close to the community where he's grown up. Read more.

**Seawolves Baseball Tabbed For Second In Conference
Sonoma State University’s baseball team is expected to have another strong season with the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s coaches picking the Seawolves to finish second in the league. Read more.

**Summer collegiate baseball league adds team in Nashville
The Prospect League just gained some Outlaws. Read more.

**Panthers are tabbed fifth in preseason poll
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Ferrum College's baseball team has been picked to finish fifth in the USA South Athletic Conference in the 2010 preseason coaches' poll released Wednesday. Read more.

BOLTS SIGN TWO OUT OF SACRED HEART

From the Rome Thunderbolts
The Rome Thunderbolts signed two Sacred Heart University players, shortstop John Murphy(Seymour, CT) and outfielder/1st baseman Dave Boisture(Highland Mills, NY). Murphy hit .387 last year for Seymour High School nailing five home runs, 22 RBI's and was 11 for 11 in stolen bases. He was also 2nd Team All State....Boisture(left) hit .482 last season with five home runs and 27 RBI's. He was also masterful on the mound as well going 8-0 with a 2.24 ERA. The Bolts are very pleased to have signed both of these impact players.

Former Falcon Paxton is One of the Best in College Baseball

From the Kelowna Falcons
Former Falcons James Paxton is regarded as one of the top pitchers in college baseball in 2010 and is a candidate for a top-10 selection in the 2010 MLB Draft.

A supplemental first-round selection in 2009, Paxton became the highest drafted college player to elect to return to school, where he will compete as a senior of the University of Kentucky.

He was selected 37th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays last June.

Paxton has a 3.3 GPA as an accounting major, and says graduating in four years was important to his decision to return to school.

The former Falcon, had a breakout season in 2009 at UK, despite battling injury in the middle of the year. He had two performances on the big stage that led to his draft prospects in 2009, striking out 12 of his first 13 outs at LSU in a pitching duel and outdueling eventual first-rounder Mike Minor in front of nearly 60 scouts in a win over Vanderbilt.

He was ranked third in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings in 2009 and at 20 years old in June of 2009, he was the youngest college junior available in the 2009 MLB Draft.




The Ladner native pitched in Kelowna during the summer of 2007 and still holds the club record for strike outs in a single season with 62.

The 2010 Major League Baseball draft is in early June.

WCL Sends More Than Players To The Major Leagues

From the West Coast League
The West Coast League focuses on developing players for pro ball and big league roster spots, as well as providing exciting and affordable family entertainment in member communities. However, there's more. The league also develops young sports executives. Superstar Corvallis Knights intern Marisa Gorman is moving on to the Tampa Bay Rays to serve as a fan experience intern. A Portland, Oregon-native and recent Oregon State grad, Marisa spent the last two summers as an intern with the Knights. "The two seasons I interned with the Knights made me want to pursue a career in professional athletics, and helped me gain the experience and confidence I needed to take this next step," said Gorman.

News and Notes For Jan. 26th

Here is your daily dose of college baseball news and notes for January 26th.

**Peacocks Picked Seventh in NSIC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced its 2010 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll and the Peacocks have been selected to finish seventh, accumulating 92 points. UIU finished the 2009 season with a 26-26 record and a fifth-place finish in the NSIC with an 18-13 mark in league play. Read more.

**Baseball players prepare for USF
The familiar "Ping!" sound has returned to the Pacific campus in the past week. Read more.

**Abbey's 2009 baseball team to be honored
BELMONT – The athletic team that had the highest finish in Belmont Abbey College history will be officially honored during halftime of the school’s Feb. 13 men’s basketball game with Pfeiffer. Read more.

**North Georgia places three on PBC preseason team
AUGUSTA -– In preparation for the 2010 baseball season, the Peach Belt Conference released its 11-member preseason All-Conference team from the league office on Thursday afternoon. Read more.

**Couch Selected To Play With USA Athletes International
Adelphi University junior starting pitcher Keith Couch (Elmont, N.Y.) was selected to play with the USA Athletes International team this summer in the Annual Robur '58 Invitational Series from July 3-12 in Amsterdam. Read more.

**Baseball Picked Sixth By Big South Coaches
CHARLOTTE- The VMI baseball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Big South Conference by the league’s coaches, it was announced Tuesday. Read more.

**Diamond Knights picked ninth in Conference Carolinas preseason poll
Presbyterian College has been selected ninth in the 2010 Conference Carolinas Preseason Poll as voted upon by the leagues head coaches. Read more.

**Pacers slugger named to All Conference team
AUGUSTA, Ga. - USC Aiken's Travis Howard has been named to the 11-member Peach Belt Conference preseason baseball All-Conference team. Read more.

**Five USCB baseball players selected for Sun Conference all-star game
Five USC Beaufort baseball players -- three pitchers and two infielders -- are among the 51 players who have been selected to play in the Sun Conference all-star game Saturday at Embry-Riddle's Sliwa Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. Read more.

Five Questions With Phil Klein

Phil Klein is a 6-7/230 pound junior RHP from Youngstown State University. He is from Gahanna, Ohio and was a star at Gahanna High School. He was named to the First Team All-Horizon League team in 2009.

He spent the summer of 2008 pitching for the Sag Harbor Whalers of the ACBL. July 13th proved to be a day that Phil will probably never forget. On that day, in the first game of a DH, Phil retired all 21 batters, without allowing any base runners. He pitched the first perfect game in the modern history of the ACBL. You can read about his perfect game here.

Phil spent this past summer playing for the Licking County Settlers of the Great Lakes League. He went 2-1, with a 1.70 era in 37 innings pitched. He allowed 27 hits, walked 11 and fanned 24 batters. He was third in the league in ERA, was named to the All-Star Game, and he was named
2nd Team All-Great Lakes League. Perfect Game ranked Phil as the 16th best prospect in the league.

Phil recently answered 5 questions for the blog.

Summer Ball--Who was your favorite baseball player when you were younger?
Phil Klein--As a kid, I really enjoyed watching Roger Clemens pitch. Now, my favorite player is Josh Beckett.


SB--What were some of the best things about playing for the Settler this past summer?
PK--Just hanging around all the guys and doing nothing but playing ball everyday. Also, it was nice to be able to stay home during the summer season.


SB--What are your plans for next summer?
PK--Depending on what happens in the draft, I will either play with the Settlers again or take the summer off.


SB--In your opinion, which school in the Horizon League has the nicest stadium? PK--Our is very nice. It's a minor league field, so it's really well maintained. The field at Wright State is nice as well.


SB--What is your favorite baseball movie?
PK--Without a doubt, Bull Durham!


To view a scan of Phil's autograph, click here and here.

NACSB Welcomes The Cal Ripken League

From the NACSB
The National Alliance of College Summer Baseball is pleased to announce that the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League has become the Alliance’s eighth member league in time for the 2010 season.

The Cal Ripken League’s admission was unanimously approved by the Alliance’s seven other members at its annual meeting on January 7 as part of the American Baseball Coaches Association national conference in Dallas, Texas.

“We are thrilled to join the Alliance,” said Ripken League Commissioner Robert Douglas. “The Alliance’s representation of its members’ interests is first‐rate, and we are proud to be listed among such prominent and respected summer collegiate baseball leagues.”

The other member leagues of the NACSB include the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League, the Cape Cod Baseball League, the Florida Collegiate Summer League, the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, the New York Collegiate Baseball League, the Southern Collegiate Baseball League, and the Valley Baseball League. These leagues represent the best in summer collegiate baseball.

“I know I speak for everyone in the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball in welcoming the Cal Ripken League to our Alliance,” said NACSB Executive Director Jeff Carter. “We are excited to have a group that represents one of the most trusted and admired names in baseball join our ranks. We look forward to our continued efforts together to help these young players meet and exceed their potential.”

The primary mission of the Alliance, founded in 1996, is to foster better communication and cooperation between member leagues. The Alliance also seeks to promote and market member leagues on a national level while advancing its core principles‐‐‐the use of wooden bats, the adherence to NCAA baseball rules, and the mutual comity of individual player contracts within respective leagues.

National Alliance of College Summer Baseball: www.nacsb.org.

Nitros Sign Francis Marion Pitcher

The Allegany County Nitros of the NYCBL have signed T.J. Miller from Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. T.J. is 6-3/205 pounds and he hails from Waxhaw, North Carolina.

Safe at Home Released

From the Valley Baseball League
NEW MARKET, Va. - The New Market Rebels announced recently that the book Safe at Home, A Season in the Valley has been released to the public. Read the rest here.

Generals start season with rematch of title game

From the Victoria Advocate
The Victoria Generals begin their sophomore campaign June 2 with a two-game home series against East Texas Pump Jacks at Riverside Stadium.

The Generals and the Pump Jacks finished the regular season last year ranked first and second, respectively, in the Texas Collegiate League. Read the rest here.

Rapids Names Laverty as Manager

From the Northwoods League
(Wisconsin Rapids, WI) - The Wisconsin Rapids Baseball Club announced that Scott Laverty will be the Field Manager for the Inaugural season in 2010. Laverty has been the head coach at the University of Redlands since June of 1999. In his time with Redlands he has helped the Bulldogs climb to the top of the conference ladder. He led the Bulldogs to a conference championship in 2006 and recorded his 200th win with the club on March 22nd, 2009.

Laverty spent the last two summers coaching the Cheyenne Grizzlies of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League (MCBL). The MCBL is also a summer collegiate wood bat league that is similar to the Northwoods League. His leadership took the Grizzlies to their best record in franchise history as they won the MCBL regular-season championship in 2009.

Laverty also served as the hitting and third base coach for the Evansville Otters in the independent Frontier League. As a player, he was an All-West Regional shortstop at UC Riverside and appeared in the 1994 NCAA Division II World Series.

"I can't wait to be part of the Northwoods League." said Laverty. "This is the best summer collegiate league in the country and the opportunity to be a part of an expansion team in a great baseball town like Wisconsin Rapids really gets a guy like me excited!"

Laverty is a big fan of all sports and especially enjoys following college basketball. He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from UC Riverside and his master's in Education from Cal Baptist University. Laverty is part of the American Baseball Coaches Association and resides in Corona, CA.

In looking ahead to the 2010 campaign, the Wisconsin Rapids Baseball Club roster will be compiled and announced over the coming months, but Laverty did offer a glimpse of what fans can expect next summer.

"Quality fundament baseball," said Laverty. "We'll do the little things right and I feel that over the long season that mentality will give people give Rapids Baseball fans something to be proud of right from the start."

Wisconsin Rapids Baseball Club will be unveiling their team name and logo on Wednesday January 27th at 6:30pm at Hotel Mead in the Grand Ballroom. Turkey legs will be given out to the first 200 fans. Hot Dogs and sodas will also be available. The Wisconsin Rapids Baseball Club will have their home opener on June 6th at 6:05pm again the Eau Claire Express.

Braves sign Central Florida LHP

From the Staunton Braves
The Staunton Braves have signed Central Florida lefty Nick Cicio for the 2010 summer season.

Cicio, a junior, was a JUCO All-American last year at Catonsville. Cicio pitched last summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. league and was the MVP in the Mid-Atlantic Summer Classic All-Star Game played against the Valley Baseball League. He was ranked the No. 20 prospect last summer in the Cal Ripken Sr. league.

Four Michigan State Spartans heading to Southern Ohio

From Brian Boesch and the Southern Ohio Copperheads
The Southern Ohio Copperheads will have plenty of Spartan flavor in 2010, as four Michigan State prospects will join the fold this summer.

Skipper Mike Florak and his coaching staff have signed infielder Ryan Jones, catcher John Martinez and pitchers Trey Popp and Andrew Waszak.

Jones will enter his second season with Jake Boss Jr.’s Spartans after not appearing during his first campaign. A native of Haslett, Mich., Jones hit .593 during his senior year for Haslett High School.

“He’s got a great attitude,” Florak said about Jones. “He’s not a tremendous physical tools guy, but he’s a prototypical scrappy middle infielder who will do anything to win.”

Martinez will be a freshman in East Lansing, Mich., this spring after winning a state title for Warren DeLaSalle High School in Auburn Hills, Mich., during his senior year. He can also play in the outfield and in the infield, giving the Green and Gold some depth all over the field.

“John’s a good catch and throw guy,” Florak said. “We know in Martinez we’ve got a quality defensive catcher who will make our pitching staff more confident throwing to him and also help shut down the opponents’ running game.”

A pair of Spartan hurlers are traveling south, too. Trey Popp will debut for the Spartans after one season with Grand Rapids Community College. During that year, the southpaw went 7-3 with a 4.09 ERA. He accepted a scholarship with the Spartans in mid-July.

“He’s not an overpowering pitcher,” Florak said about the lefty. “It’s always good to have left-handers with you, and we look for Popp to provide us with some innings from the left side.”

Finally, Andrew Waszak will begin his second year with Michigan State in a few months. He played at Rochester Adams High School in Rochester Hills, Mich. He did not appear this past season with the Spartans.

“He’s got a good, loose arm,” Florak said. “The coaching staff [at Michigan State] is very high on him, so we’re looking for big things from him over the summer.”

The Copperheads went to the GLSCL Championship game last year for the first time in franchise history. Mike Florak and his coaching staff return for their second season together.

News and Notes for Jan. 25

Here is your daily dose of news and notes for January 25th.
(photo is courtesy of KFSM)

**Van Horn Hopes to Harness Eibner's Lightening
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark--Hog baseball coach Dave Van Horn has visions of putting Andy Wilkins, Zack Cox and Brett Eibner into the middle of the team's batting lineup this season. "It would be pretty tough to go through 'em," Van Horn told 5News. "You'd feel like one of them is gonna get you." Read more.

**2 Sea Gulls named to D3baseball.com All-America team
MINNEAPOLIS - As the Salisbury University baseball team prepares for another season on the diamond, two of its members can celebrate their first preseason accolades as they were named to the D3baseball.com 2010 Preseason All-America team. Read more.

**Crum, Soares Picked Preseason All-CAA
The George Mason baseball team had a school-record six players drafted off of last year's squad but the cupboard is not bare in the eyes of the Colonial Athletic Association baseball coaches. Second baseman Ryan Soares and starting pitcher Kevin Crum were named preseason All-CAA while designated hitter Shane Davis earned preseason honorable mention, as selected by the CAA baseball coaches. Read more.

**Dorzweiler named head coach by HiToms
The Thomasville HiToms made a midcourse correction last summer that worked out well, naming Tom Dorzweiler as the interim head coach. Read more.

**Baseball 'Bows filling holes in lineup
The University of Hawai'i's baseball season starts four weeks from tomorrow with several holes to fill. Read more.

**Cooper Moseley Earns National Award For Baseball Performance And Sportsmanship
ATHENS-----University of Georgia freshman pitcher/infielder Cooper Moseley has received the inaugural National Umpires Association Player of the Year/Sportsmanship Award, the NUA announced Thursday. Read more.

**Improvements Continue on Baseball Field
With the 2010 regular season just under a month away, the finishing touches are almost set to make the Field at Panthersville one of the best in the league. The Georgia State baseball team has enjoyed watching progress on the field they call home for just over a month now with everything being done well in advance of the home opener on February 23rd. Read more.

**Eric Baldwin (basebaldy) Donates $200,000 to UW-Whitewater Baseball
UB.com sponsored pro Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin has made a generous $200,000 donation to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s baseball team. Baldwin helped guide the squad to a national championship in 2005. Read more.

**N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson picks baseball over spring practice
North Carolina State sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson will miss all of spring practice in order to spend a complete season with the Wolfpack baseball team. Read more.

**Baseball announces 2010 Captains
The Concordia College Baseball team recently announced their captains for the 2010 season. Senior Greg Conway, a senior from Floral Park, New York, was named Captain for the second year in a row. Last year Conway lead the Clippers in put outs with 196. Read more.

**Baseball Lands Two On CAA Anniversary Team
Richmond, Va. - Former East Carolina standouts Tommy Eason and Winfred Johnson have been named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Baseball Silver Anniversary team. A panel of current and former conference coaches selected the team. Read more.

**A-10 favorite UD has strong pitching tandem
The University of Dayton baseball program has two former pitchers currently toiling in the major leagues, and there might be a pair of future pros taking the mound for the Flyers this season. Read more.

Conor Caloia returns to become the Mallards General Manager heading into the team’s 10th season

From the Madison Mallards
Madison, WI – January 25, 2010. A familiar face is back with the Madison Mallards. Conor Caloia, who worked for the organization from 2003 to 2006, has been named General Manager heading into the team’s tenth season in the Northwoods League. The former GM, Vern Stenman, will now serve as President of both the Mallards and the new franchise in Wisconsin Rapids both he and Steve Schmitt purchased in December.

Said Caloia, “It is an exciting time to be a part of this organization. I am looking forward to a great 2010 season at the Duck Pond.”

Stenman shares Caloia’s enthusiasm as the team plans to celebrate a rather impressive ten-year run this upcoming season.

“The addition of Conor in combination with our existing front office staff gives us an unprecedented amount of experience working in summer collegiate baseball and we feel very strongly that 2010 will be better than ever,” said Stenman.

Caloia rejoins the Mallards after most recently serving as the Director of Operations of the Wilmington Sharks of the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League. Under his management, the Sharks hosted the 2009 CPL All-Star Game and were named the 2009 CPL Organization of the Year.

Prior to moving to Wilmington, Caloia worked as the Director of Marketing at the Western Athletic Conference. At the WAC he was responsible for developing marketing, branding, and promotional campaigns for the Division I conference.

Caloia started with the Mallards as an intern before working his way up to becoming the team’s Assistant General Manager in 2006.

He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.A. in Journalism with a focus in Strategic Communication. A newlywed, Conor was married in August to wife Rachel. Caloia is originally from St. Charles, Illinois.

Five Senators gain Valley League honors

From InsideNOVA.com
The Valley Baseball League announced its 2009 All-Valley divisional teams Thursday with five Haymarket players selected to the North squad.

Third baseman Greg Hopkins and relief pitcher Jack Leathersich headlined the Senators' honorees, which also included first baseman Michael Demma, second baseman Tom LaStella and outfielder Mike Lang. Read the rest of this entry here.

Staunton Braves sign two from MTSU

From the Staunton Braves
The Staunton Braves have announced the signing of two players from Middle Tennessee State University for the 2010 season.

Justin Miller, a junior infielder hit .270 in 33 games as a sophomore at MTSU. Miller Had a good summer in 2009 in the Prospect League. He can play second base, shortstop or third base.

Hunter Adkins, a 6-foot-3 righthander, is expected to be one of the top freshman arms for the Blue Raiders. Adkins is a power pitcher who should see quality innings right away at MTSU.

Knights Announce Hiring of New Pitching Coach.

From the Corvallis Knights
Corvallis Knights GM/Head Coach Brooke Knight announced the hiring of pitching coach Ryan Wing (pictured) of Carlsbad, California this past week.

Wing replaces Ryan Heil of Riverside CC as the team's pitching coach for the summer 2010. Heil did an excellent job managing last season's top West Coast League pitching staff (WCL single-season record 2.22 ERA) and further developing pitchers like Ben Guidos (7-0, 1.27) of University of Washington and Steve Kalush (4-2, 1.87) of Santa Clara.

"Coach Wing comes highly recommended. We have been very impressed with our discussions with Ryan. He's going to add great value to our organization and most importantly our kids are going to benefit greatly from his approach and his wealth of knowledge he accumulated in professional baseball," said Knights' skipper Brooke Knight.

Wing is currently working with pitchers at Riverside Community College while taking classes at RCC. Wing is pursuing a Master's Degree in Special Education.

Ryan pitched 9 years in professional baseball retiring after last season (and a third arm surgery). After 8 years in the minor leagues, he spent his final pro season with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Pacific League of Nippon Pro Baseball (the Japanese Major Leagues).

Wing starred at Riverside Community College and pitched for the Tigers' 2001 State championship team that featured ex-Knights shortstop Eddie Cornejo, catcher Chris Stewart and pitcher Mike Swindell.

Following the 2001 spring season, Wing was selected in the 2nd round of the June MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox.

The hard-throwing southpaw was nurtured at RCC by former Knights' pitching coach and current University of Oregon pitching coach Andrew Checketts. Ryan credits much of his accelerated development as a collegian (and transition from high school outfielder to pitcher) to Checketts.

"Ryan Wing is an exceptional person. His decision to coach is exciting. He'll be an excellent teacher and role model, and with his experiences, work ethic, communication skills, intellect and pitching expertise, he's going to make an immediate impact. We're thrilled for the Knights and I'm confident he will do an extraordinary job developing pitchers," said ex-OSU Beavers star pitcher and Ducks' pitching coach Andrew Checketts.

Like Checketts, Wing will start his college coaching career with the Knights. Andrew was a player/coach in 2000 for the then semi-pro Aloha Knights.

As a professional, Ryan pitched in the White Sox, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics organizations. He was a key member (2-1, 2.33, 47 relief appearances) of the AAA Sacramento River Cats team that won the Pacific Coast League and AAA championship game in 2008.

Wing isn't the Knights first rookie coach hoping to launch a career after time in pro baseball. Other ex-pros that got their start with the Knights are Checketts, Geoff Loomis (head coach at Pacific Lutheran University), Matt Kosderka (head coach at Wilsonville High School) and Trent Baysinger.

Baysinger, who pitched four years in the minor leagues, was the pitching coach of the 2007 Corvallis Knights and was highly successful working with young pitchers. He was instrumental in the development of 2009 Big West Pitcher of the Year and UC Irvine ace Daniel Bibona.

Ryan Wing and his wife Kandyce have a son Kaleb and a daughter Dylan and currently reside in Carlsbad, California.

Corvallis Knights Pitching Coaches
2009 - Ryan Heil (*assistant coach, RCC)
2008 - Jason Hawkins (*head coach, Occidental College)
2007 - Trent Baysinger
2006 - Colby Summer
2005 - Colby Summer
2004 - Dale Stebbins (*volunteer assistant, University of Portland)
2003 - Dale Stebbins (*volunteer assistant, University of Portland)
2002 - Matt Kosderka (*head coach, Wilsonville High School)
2001 - Mick Ellett (*pitching coach, Clackamas CC)
2000 - Andrew Checketts (*pitching coach, University of Oregon)

* current position

Sweets Pick Up Two Pairs of PAC-10 Players

From the Walla Walla Sweets
WALLA WALLA, WA (January 20, 2010) – The campus battle between the two is among the greatest rivalries in college sports, and now a pair of players from USC and a pair from UCLA will become teammates in 2010 in Walla Walla, WA.

The Sweets announced that they have added two infielders from the Trojans of USC, and an infielder and an outfielder from the UCLA Bruins. Matt Hart, a junior infielder from Tacoma, WA and Matt Foat, a sophomore infielder from Rescue, CA will be representing USC. Adrian Williams, a sophomore infielder from Moreno Valley, CA who played the 2009 summer season in the Northwoods League, and Kevin Williams, a freshman outfielder from Van Nuys, CA who helped lead his high school team to a Southern Section CIF Division II championship in 2009, will represent UCLA.

“USC and UCLA are the programs that I grew up admiring, and I was lucky to be part of the Trojan family as a player,” said Cirillo. “This is a further indication that we are bringing top baseball talent to Walla Walla, and that our fans will be seeing future big leaguers at Borleske Stadium this summer.”

USC, the alma mater of Sweets owner Jeff Cirillo, has won 12 national championships in college baseball, tops among Division I programs. The Trojans have a winning percentage of .699 over the past 90 years, and has produced such memorable big league names such as Cirillo, Fred Lynn, Mark McGwire, and Barry Zito. UCLA has perhaps the most inspirational baseball alumnus of all time, as Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson played college baseball in Westwood (as well as basketball, football and track). Other notable players for the Bruins program include Chris Chambliss, Todd Zeile, Eric Karros, Troy Glaus, and Chase Utley.

“These players come from two of the most decorated college programs in the history of the game,” said Sweets GM Zachary Fraser. “We look forward to having these talented young men represent our club and community during the summer. These programs carry an enormous amount of respect within the game of baseball.”

The Sweets, an expansion franchise in the West Coast League, will open up the 2010 season by hosting defending league champion Wenatchee AppleSox at Borleske Stadium on June 8. Season tickets are now available by calling 509.522.BALL (2255) or by visiting www.wallawallasweets.com.

About the Walla Walla Sweets:

Walla Walla Sweets is a professionally operated baseball club in the West Coast League. It is led by a group of civic-minded individuals with strong ties to the Walla Walla region and to the game of baseball. The Walla Walla Sweets will strive to provide their fans, sponsors, business partners, and investors with the very best in competitive baseball and entertainment, including atmosphere, comfort, food & beverage, safety, competition, fun and value. For more information, please visit www.wallawallasweets.com.

CONTACT:
Walla Walla Sweets
Zachary Fraser
E: zachary@wallawallasweets.com
P: 509.522.2255
C: 801.360.8391

Four Questions With Jacob Hiatt

This installment of my "Four Questions With..." series continues with a very capable reliever from Gonzaga.

Jacob Hiatt is a 6-2/200 pound senior pitcher from Gonzaga University. He hails from Walla Walla, WA and played his junior college baseball at Walla Walla JC.

He spent this past summer playing for the Pittsfield American Defenders of the NECBL. He went 2-0, with a 1.49 era in 18.2 innings pitched. He save 2 games, walked 10 and fanned 26 this past summer. This past summer's campaign comes on the heels of his outstanding 2008 summer season while pitching for Spokane of the WCL. For his performance in Pittsfield, he was ranked as the 14th best prospect in the league by Perfect Game.

Jacob recently answered four questions for the blog.

Summer Ball--Who was your favorite baseball player when you were younger?
Jacob Hiatt--Ken Griffey Jr.


SB--What are some of the best things about playing for the American Defenders?
JH--Seeing the East Coast and experiencing different cultures.


SB--What are some of your personal goals for this upcoming season?
JH--Have an era below 3.50 and a low amount of walks.


SB--What is your favorite baseball movie?
JH--For Love of the Game.


Thanks Jacob. To view a scan of his autograph, click here.