DANS HELP PROPEL LSU TO BIG WIN

BATON ROUGE -- Ryan Schimpf (Danville Dans 2007)and teammate Blake Dean launched back-to-back home runs twice in a 10-run fifth inning as the fourth-ranked Tigers overpowered in-state rival Tulane, 13-2, in seven innings Wednesday night at Alex Box Stadium.

Dean and Schimpf accounted for five of the runs with the long ball. Shortstop Austin Nola and center fielder Mikie Mahtook, both scheduled to play for the Dans in the upcoming 2009 season, drove in runs on a single and a double, respectively.

DALEY UPDATE

Matt Daley (Dans 03') made his first big league appearance in relief with the Colorado Rockies on Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. From ColoradoRockies.com, "The brightest spot of the evening was the performance of the bullpen, Glendon Rusch, Matt Daley, Alan Embree and Matt Belisle combined for five shutout innings of one-hit ball." Daley recorded one walk and one strikeout in one inning of work.

DANS DALEY CALLED UP

After striking out 15 and walking one in his first five relief appearances for the Rockies AAA farm club, Matt Daley (Dans 2003- Bucknell) earned a callup to the Rockies on Wednesday.


While with the Dans, Matt appeared in 18 of 24 games in relief, ending the season with a 0 – yes – that’s a zero – ERA while striking out 42 of 117 batters.
Daley, 26, posted a 1.42 ERA in six Spring Training appearances as a non-roster invitee. According to the Rockies web site, it was there he met catchers Sal Fasano (also a CICL alumni) and Paul Phillips, both of whom have learned much while bouncing between the Majors and Minors.


"Sal and Paul saw things in me that I didn't even realize that I could do," Daley said. "And they taught me things to go from hitter to hitter, what different swing paths that I could attack, different types of lefty hitters and righty hitters." Daley said. "For me, I really wasn't expecting it. I thought if I kept pitching the way I was pitching, maybe later on in the season it would happen. But not this quick.

"But if they call you up in April, it means they really needs you. It's a cool feeling to have. I'm going to try to take advantage of it."

Matt was coached in Danville by Bill Ferrari.