New Shipment of Dans T-Shirts Arrive!

Just in time for the holidays, a new shipment of Danville Dans shirts have arrived.... perfect for stocking stuffers. We have adult sizes only. To order, please e-mail jc@cooketech.net or call 446-5521.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!

Looking for that special gift? We have just the thing for your baseball player or fan, local history buff, or collector of fine art. Local award winning artist, Amy Chrisman, has created an original watercolor of historic Danville Stadium as part of her Vermilion County landmark series.

Only a limited number of signed and numbered prints will be produced, using a state-of-the-art giclee printing process which is nearly indistinguishable from the artist’s original painting. Each print comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

Prints come in two sizes, 12” x 16” ($89) and 18” x 24” ($150). Two local framers, Images and Resh Frame Shop, will give a 20% discount on framing for these prints. We will also have note cards available at $2 per card or a box of 5 for $10. A portion of the proceeds will go to Danville Stadium.

To order, e-mail jc@cooketech.net or call 217-497-2096.

CICL ANNOUNCES MAJOR EXPANSION

Columbus, OH - Frank Pergolizzi, Commissioner of the Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL), has announced a major expansion of the league which will now stretch from Missouri to Pennsylvania. The expanded league will begin play in the summer of 2009.

To better reflect its growth and scope, the CICL will be rebranded as the Prospect League. “The Prospect League’s mission is to create and maintain the best collegiate wooden bat summer league in the country,” said Pergolizzi. “Our ownership groups are committed to providing players a positive experience, quality instruction, and a high level of competition while offering our communities first class, affordable family entertainment.

The West Division will consist of the existing CICL teams of; Huntingburg, IN; Danville, IL.; Springfield, IL.; DuPage, IL; Quincy, IL; and Hannibal, MO. The East Division will include Chillicothe, OH; Richmond, IN; Lorain, OH; Butler, PA; and Slippery Rock, PA.

The Prospect League will continue the traditions of the CICL, upholding the standards of the National Association of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB) in ensuring the amateur status of its student athletes while preparing the players for future professional careers.

The CICL was formed in 1963 as a charter member of the NCAA’s certified summer baseball program. Throughout its 45 year history, the CICL has maintained a respected and prominent place in collegiate baseball. Names like Kirby Puckett, Mike Schmidt, Jon Papelbon, & Ryan Howard are among the nearly 175 CICL alumni who played or are playing major league baseball.

DANVILLE STADIUM ALUMNI NAMED PITCHING COACH

Danville Stadium alumni Bill Castro (Danville Warriors 1973), has been named Pitching Coach for the Milwaukee Brewers after serving 16 years as Brewers Bullpen Coach.

With the Danville Warriors, Castro made 46 appearances on the mound, all but one in relief. He led the staff with 11 wins and had the best ERA in the Midwest League, 1.74. He was the team leader in strikeouts with 106 and saves with 12.

Castro is a native of Dominican Republic. He and his wife Mary have two daughters, Katie & Cristina. He played 10 seasons in the majors with Milwaukee, New York (AL), and Kansas City.

DANS SCORE HIGH ON REPORT CARD

Baseball America (www.baseballamerica.com) has just released it's 2008 Draft Report Card. Aaron Weatherford (Miss. State - Dans 06), drafted in the 3rd round by the Colorado Rockies, has been named as the Pitcher having the best fast ball in the Rockies System. According to the publication, he sits at 91-94 mph and has thrown harder from a high slot and maximum-effort delivery. Jeff Flagg (Miss. State - Dans 05), drafted in the 27th round by the New York Mets, has been named one of the 3 best power hitters in the Mets organization. The paper notes Flagg has huge strength and well above-average raw power.

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THIS BLOG!

Watch this site for an announcement sometime next week. The perfect Christmas present for those that love Danville Stadium, no matter what age! We will also have Danville Dans T-shirts (adult sizes only) available.

Barton Hired as Assistant Coach at ULM

Cory Barton (Dans player 2005 - Dans Coach 2006)has been named assistant baseball coach at Louisiana State Monroe after 2 seasons as an assistant coach at Memphis. Barton will work primarily with the Warhawk infielders and catchers, as well as serving as the hitting coach.

From Trussville, Ala., Barton graduated from Memphis with a sport management degree in 2007.

DANS RANK AMONG NATIONS LEADERS

BallparkBiz.com has released the top 50 summer collegiate teams ranked by average attendance per game. Thanks to our great fans and sponsors, the Danville Dans lead the CICL and rank #7 nationwide. Other teams in the league rank #18 (Springfield) and #31 (Quincy).

DANS RUIZ CALLED UP BY TWINS

Former Danville Dan Randy Ruiz (1999) was called up by the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 1 from Triple-A Rochester making him the 14th major league player in the Dans 19 year history. The Bellevue University player hit .333 for the Dans, joining the team mid-way through the season. Bill and Pat Westphal were his host family. Randy is the 3rd major league player they have hosted. He joins Kurt Ainsworth and Kevin Sefcik.

Ruiz, as of Wednesday, Aug. 27, was batting .318 with one home run and six RBIs for the Twins. He hit his first major league home run on Aug. 26.

Bryce Stowell Signs With Cleveland Indians

Right-hander Bryce Stowell (La Habra, CA) has signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians.

While with the Dans (2006) the Pepperdine pitcher was 5-1 with a 1.52 ERA. He struck out 69 and walked 13, allowing only 9 earned runs in 53.1 innings pitched.

Stowell will begin his professional career with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

DANS DIAMOND NOTES

Baseball America has chosen former Dan Van Pope (2003- Ol' Miss) the Southern League's (Mississippi Braves, AA Atlanta) Best Defensive Third Baseman. The Golden's were Van's Host Family

The Tigers promoted shortstop Danny Worth (Dans 2005-Pepperdine)from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo in late July. Danny lived with the O'Shaughnessy's.

2008 Dan, John Flanagan, has been assigned to the Burlington Royals in the Rookie Applalachian League. He is currently sporting a 2.95 ERA and has 40 K's & 18 BB. John has appeared in 11 games.

DANS END YEAR WITH LEAGUE HONORS

TOURNAMENT HONOR: The Second Half Champion Danville Dans fell in the Championship game of the post-season tournament last night to Springfield in a 5-2 contest. The Dans Matt Bywater was named Pitcher of the Tournament with a 1 hit, 8 inning effort in game 2 of the 3 game series, which the Dans won 2-0. In striking out 8, Bywater did not allow a runner to reach second base. Matt is an incoming sophomore at Pepperdine University this fall.

POST SEASON AWARDS: The CICL has released selections for league Post-Season Awards today. Danville Dan, Dan Kaczrowski, was named Mike Schmidt Player of the Year. Dan finished the regular season batting .402 and broke an all time (33 year) record for hits in a single season with 79.

Righthanded pitcher, Tyler Hess, from Alamo, CA, was named the CICL's Top Pro Prospect. An incoming sophomore this fall at Pepperdine, the 6'5", 235# Hess was a formidable force coming out of the pen for the Dans this season.

Dans Manager Pete Paciorek was named CICL Coach of the Year, leading the team to a 2nd half championship after an 11-17 1st half and a 1-3 start in the 2nd half. This is the 2nd year Paciorek has coached the Dans. After 9 years in pro ball, Pete earned his masters degree from Cal State LA where he went on to coach. The San Gabriel, CA native is married to his high-school sweetheart Sara (Snyder).

DANS DAN BREAKS ALL-TIME CICL RECORD

Danville Dan, Dan Kaczrowski, has had his share of CICL honors this year, winning Player of both the 1st and 2nd halves. The senior to be (Hamline University) added a little more to his treasure chest this weekend when, during the last game of the regular season, he collected a hit to break the 33 year old CICL record for hits in a season, setting the new mark at 78. Denny Mantick, who played for the Peoria Pacers, set the former record at 77 in 1975.

The right handed 2nd baseman is expected to be a strong candidate for CICL Player of the Year, finishing the regular season batting .402, and leading in on base percentage with .463. Kaczrowski is also on the leader board in runs scored, runs batted in, doubles, triples, total bases, and stolen bases. Dan is from St. Anthony, Minnesota and is the son of Tom & Mary Kaczrowski. He is coached at Hamline, by Jason Verdugo.

TOURNAMENT NOTES:

The Dans will be in Springfield Tuesday night the 12th for the first game of a best of 3 post season tournament.

The Dans will be home on Wednesday for a 6:30 PM start. As this is a CICL tournament, not a Dans tournament, therefore season tickets cannot be accepted. Game costs, however, remain the same: $5 for adults, $3 for children under 12, free admission to toddlers and anyone under 12 wearing a team hat or jersey of a team on which they participate.

On Thursday, if teams split the 1st two games of the series, play will return to Springfield for the tournament's championship game.

DANS SWEEP 2ND HALF HONORS

From the CICL website - The Player of the Second Half of the 2008 CICL season is the same player that earned the first half award, Danville Dans second baseman Dan Kaczrowski. In the second half, Kaczrowksi led the league in batting at .375 (39-104), led in runs with 24, led in hits with 39, was 2nd in total bases with 48, 2nd in on-base percentage at .445, 5th in slugging at .462, was 2nd in stolen bases with 9 and was 8th in RBI with 15 despite batting leadoff or 2nd in most of the games of the second half. The right-handed hitting second baseman finished the regular season leading the league in batting at .402, leading in hits with 78 (a new league record, with at least 2 tournament games left to play) and leading in on-base percentage at .463. Dan is from St. Anthony, Minnesota, and will be a senior this fall at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Pitcher of the Second Half for 2008 is Danville Dans right-hander Chris Licon. In the second half, Licon was 4-0 with an impressive 0.30 ERA to lead the league in both categories. He was 2nd in the league in innings with 30, 2nd in batting average-against at .189 and was 2nd in strikeouts with 26. Licon joined the Dans in late June just before the start of the second half. He is from Pomona, California, and will be a sophomore this fall at Orange Coast Community College.

GRIFFIN COMPLETES USA BASEBALL SEASON

A.J.Griffin (University of San Diego) spent the 2008 Season playing on a USA Baseball National Team that finished the season with an amazing 24-0 record.

The former Danville Dan (2007)sported an ERA of 1.62 in a relief role striking out 18 and walking 5. Among others, A.J. made appearances in games against Chinese Taipei, Netherlands Antilles, the Czech Republic, and Canada.

A.J. returns as a junior to the University of San Diego this fall.

HOST FAMILIES GIVEN A BIG THANKS!!

The Danville Dans owe a big thank you to Lisa Smith, our housing chairman, and the 26 host families opening their homes to players this summer. Their support and participation make the program possible and help make it known as one of the best in the country. Last weekend, the host families enjoyed a picnic at Kennekuk County Park with their players as we head into the final few games of the season. On behalf of the players, the volunteers, and the community, THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Dans end up the 2008 regular season this week on Friday August 8 when they face the Quincy Gems at 6:30 pm in a game sponsored by WDAN, Acton & Snyder, Thrivent Financial, the City of Danville, Big Four, and Built 2 Last Construction. We also welcome our guests that night, the Danville Soccer Association and Sygma Corporation.

The night will be highlighted with the appearance of the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders, courtesy of WDAN (Neuhoff Communications Danville). The festivities will begin at 5:30 PM with Colts in Motion open to the public.

The CICL tournament will begin on the 12th of August at Springfield, winner of the 1st half. Game 2, on Weds. the 13th, will be at the home of the 2nd half winner. The Dans are currently in first place, by two games, with 6 games to go.

DANS HOST CHIEF ILLINIWEK

DANVILLE, IL………..Dans fans are asked to “Paint the Stadium Orange” for Logan Ponce, the last Chief Illiniwek to perform at Memorial Stadium, who will be the honored guest at the Danville Dans home game against Springfield (6:30 PM) on August 1, 2008.

The evening will be sponsored by Carmack Car Capital and WDAN. Tickets may be picked up at those locations as well as Iroquois Federal and Big R north.
The “Chief” will be available to sign autographs on the patio during the evening. A number of Illinois Football schedules will be available. A few lucky fans will win schedules signed by Ron Zook. CD’s, posters, and other items will be made available for purchase by Illini fans.

Chief Illiniwek’s appearance is courtesy of the “Honor the Chief Society.”

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Danville Dans are home 4 consecutive nights this week. The series begins Tuesday night with an unsponsored game vs the Qunicy Gems. Weds night (July 30) is sponsored by D.A.R.E and our guests are Commercial News carriers. Thursday night is sponsored by the Commercial News - check the newpaper for tickets - and by Lawlyes & Lawlyes. Friday night, August 1, is sponsored by Covington Foods, Thrivent Finanancial Champaign, Buds Express Cellular, car stereo & home theatre, C.U.B.S., and the employees of Krupp Presta Cold Forging. The honored guest at this game is "Chief Illiniwek."

WEATHERFORD SIGNS WITH ROCKIES

Aaron Weatherford (Dans 2006-Mississippi State)of Chrystal Springs, MS, a 3rd round draft selection of the Colorado Rockes, has signed with the Rockies and will report to the Class A Northwest League Tri-City Dust Devils in Pasco, Wa.

Hammond joins Giants Organization

Steve Hammond (Dans 2004), as part of the Ray Durham trade, leaves Nashville (Brewers) and joins the AAA Fresno Grizzlies (San Francisco Giants). Good luck Steve!

DAN NAMED CICL PITCHER OF THE WEEK

This week's CICL Pitcher of the Week award goes to Dans right-hander Chris Licon. Chris made a relief appearance and a start during the week, pitching a total of 7.2 innings, went 1-0 and allowed only 1 run while walking none, fanning 4 and allowing no extra base hits. In his start, Licon pitched 6 innings before giving way to relief in a 12-3 victory over Dubois on July 19 after having pitched 1.2 innings of relief 2 days earlier. Licon is from Pomona, California, and will be a sophomore this fall at Orange Coast Community College. Chris is staying with the Kurt & Laura Girouard family this summer.

Chris joins Dan Kazrowski, winning Player of the Week Award for games played from June 23-29. The St. Anthony, Minnesota, native led the league in batting for the week at .533 (16-30), on-base percentage at .588, hits with 16, total bases with 19, was 3rd in slugging at .633 and was 3rd in RBI with 6. The right-handed hitting Kaczrowski will be a senior this fall at Hamlin University.

Dan was also named CICL Player of the First Half, leading the league this season in 5offensive categories and second or third in 5 other categories.

DANS MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE

Left-hander Steve Hammond (Dans 2004) was promoted to the Triple A Nashville Sounds (Milwaukee) after going 7-4, 3.45 in 15 starts for Huntsville, with 78 strikeouts and 33 walks in 89 innings.

Randy Ruiz (Dans 1999) is on the leader board for the AAA International League batting 300 in .333 at bats with the Rochester Red Wings (Minnesota). (pictured)

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Dans are home this week on Thursday, July 24 and on Saturday July 26th. On Thursday, our sponsors are St. Mary's Westville and Old National Bank. On the patio that night will be the Mulvaney & Hoyer families, celebrating the marriage of Adam & Kathleen on the 26th. Saturday is Cellular One POSTER NIGHT. Along with Cell One, the game is being sponsored by Covington Foods. Also, our friends at Time-O-Matic (WatchFire Signs) and Quaker will be enjoying employee nights. See you at the ballpark!

DAN NAMED STAR OF STARS

Chris Coghlan (Dans 2004, Ole' Miss)powered the North Division to a 6-1 victory over the South at the Southern League All-Star Game last Monday evening. His three-run homer in the fifth inning broke open a 2-1 game and earned him the Star of Stars award.

Coglan is in the Florida Marlins organization. Since the end of May, he has hit .329 with 2 home runs and 21 RBI's in 38 games.

While in Danville, Chris was coached by Bill Ferrari and hosted by Bill and Pat Westphal.

DANS CAMP REMINDER

The last Dans camp of the summer will be held this week on the 16th & 17th! E-mail jc@cooketech.net

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Danville Dans are home this week July 16,17 & 19th! Sponsors on the 16th are Crimestoppers and Westville Legion Post 51. Thursday, as it has been all summer, is Thrivent Thursday. Pickup tickets at any Lutheran Church. Saturday night the 19th is McDonalds McPack the Place, WDAN, and Lynch Fire Dept. See you at the ballpark!

ROSS NAMED TO ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL

Austin Ross (Dans 08'), a Shreveport, La. product, has been named to the SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll.

To qualify for the SEC Freshmen Academic Honor Roll, each student-athlete must 1) have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above; 2) be on scholarship or a letter winner; 3) have completed 24 semester hours of non-remedial credit; and 4) have been a member of the varsity team for the sport's entire NCAA Championship segment.

At LSU, Austin made 21 appearances, including two starts. He recorded a 3-1 mark with a 2.58 ERA and three saves in 52.1 innings.

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Dans are home this week on Wednesday, July 9, for a 6:00 PM double-header against the Quincy Gems. No ticket sponsor is available for this game. They are home again on Thursday, July 10 for a 6:30 game vs the DuPage Dragons. All Thursday games are sponsored by Thrivant and tickets may be picked up at any area Lutheran Church. This game is also sponsored by our friends at 1st National Bank. Tickets may be picked up at any bank location. The game will be broadcast by WDAN on the radio as well as the internet.

2008 CICL VS KIT LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME

The 2008 CICL vs KIT League All-Star game will be held in Huntingburg, IN at League Stadium, home of the Dubois County Bombers, on Monday, July 21. The game will begin at 6:30 PM Central Time.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting the Bombers at 812-683-3700 or dcbombers@psci.net. Ticket prices are $9 for red chair back, $8 for orange chair back, and $6 for general admission. The game will also be televised on Teamline on a pay-per-listn basis for famly and friends who won't be able to attend. More information to come.

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK!

The sponsor for the next Danville Dans home game this coming Weds (July 2)is Lawyles & Lawyles. Saturday night, July 5, has no ticket sponsor. There will be fireworks, however, sponsored by AFGE, our friends at the Veteran's Administration Hospital. See you at the ballpark!

DODGER DAN

Danville Dan (1991) Eric Stults was called up last Wednesday after the Los Angeles Dodges placed two pitchers (Penny & Kuroda) on the disabled list. In his 1st start against the White Sox, the 28 year old left-handed pitcher pitched a four-hit shut out. In his first two Major League starts in 2008, Stults has earned 2 victories and has an ERA of 0.60.

While in Danville, Stults sported a 1.79 ERA and recorded 34 strikeouts in 13 appearance. Eric is from Argos, Indiana. He played college ball at Bethel College under former Dans Coach and current Air Force Academy Head Coach, Mike Hutchen. He was coached in Danville by Bill Ferrari.

DAN KIDS CAMPS!

The Danville Dans will be hosting two Dans Kids Camps, one on July 9 & 10th and a second on July 16th & 17th. Skills will be taught by the Dans coaching staff (14 years of professional baseball) and Danville Dans (future pro players). The cost of the camps is $60 for 1 camper, $50 per camper if there are 2 or more in a family, and $50 per camp for players attending both camps. Camps run from 9 AM to 2 PM. Campers may bring their own lunch or purchase lunch for an addition $5 per day with advanced notice. Forms are available at all home games, or e-mail jc@cooketech.net for further information.

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Dans are home this week on Tuesday the 24th (vs DuBois Bombers), Wednesday the 25th (vs the Dubois Bombers), and Saturday the 28th (vs the Springfield Sliders).

Sponsors: June 24 - Garfield's Restaurant and Pub, and Danville Light Opera. Our guests this night will the Dist. 118 Summer Bridges Program. June 25 - St. James Fellowship Committee. Our guests tonight are the City of Danville Golden Wedding celebrants. June 28 - Vermilion County Farm Bureau, 1st Illinois Credit, Health Alliance, McLane Midwest, and Iroquois Federal. Our guests tonight are employees of Fiberteq.

MORELAND NAMED MIDWEST LEAGUE ALL-STAR

Mitch Moreland (Mississippi State, Dans 05') has been named to the Midwest League mid-season All Star Team, representing the Class A Clinton LumberKings (Iowa). In the June 16th All-Star Game, Moreland, playing right field, was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. For the season, Mitch is hitting .311 in 212 at bats, with 66 hits, 20 doubles, 1 triple and 5 home runs. Fans wanting to see Mitch play can see him in Peoria (closest Midwest League location) on August 18 & 19.

DANS LEAD THE PACK IN MLB DRAFT....

The Danville Dans led the CICL in number of players selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft with 12. Of the total 29, DuPage followed with 6, Quincy & Twin City with 4, and Springfield, Galesburg, and DuBois with 1 each. Watch this blog for upcoming information on Dans alumni.

NEXT DANS HOME GAME....

After a win last night against the Springfield Sliders, the Dans are home again on Tuesday, June 24th for a 6:30 start against the Dubois Bombers. The game is sponsored by Garfield's restaurant and Danville Light Opera. District 118 Summer Bridges Program participants will be our special guests.

Dans Head to Omaha

Six current or former Danville Dans will be playing with their college team in the 2008 College World Series. Those include LSU Tigers: Ryan Byrd (Dans 05'), Austin Ross (Dans 08'), Ryan Schimpf (Dans 07'), Johnny Dishon (Dans 08'), and Louis Coleman (Dans 06') along with one Georgia Bulldog, Steve Esmonde (Dans 07') Georgia will meet Miami on Saturday night at 6:00 pm. Play begins for the Tigers as they meet North Carolina on Sunday, June 15 at 6:00 PM CT.

Rain, Rain Go Away...............

Tonight's game vs the Quincy Gems is rained out. It will become part of a 6:00 PM double header on July 9 at Danville Stadium. Tonight's sponsors, Thrivant Financial Services, Fiberteq (employee night), and C.U.B.S. (Champaign-Urbana Cubs Starwalts)make-up dates will be posted on this site as soon as they are selected. The Dans are in Quincy tomorrow night, June 14. Catch the game on www.1490wdan.com.

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE PARK............

You can still enjoy a game. The Danville Dans have partnered with Neuhoff Broadcasting Danville to make Dans games available on air and through the internet.

All home games will be broadcast over the net at: www.1490wdan.com. Away games at DuPage and at Quincy can also be heard. Just look for the link.

WDAN’s “A” Team will be broadcasting on the radio at 1490 on: July 5, July 10, July 16, July 19 and August 8.

Thanks to WDAN, on August 8 the Indianapolis Colts and their cheerleaders will be at Danville Stadium to wrap up the Dans regular season.

WHOSE NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK?

The Dans are home this week June 10 (vs the Quincy Gems), June 11 (vs the Springfield Sliders), June 12, vs. the Dubois Bombers, and Friday June 13 vs the Quincy Gems.

Sponsors: June 10 - Vermilion County Title, June 12 - every Thursday is Thrivent Thursday. Tickets may be picked up at area Lutheran Churches. June 13 - Thrivent night at the ball park as well as C.U.B.S. night. C.U.B.S. stands for Champaign-Urbana Baseball Stalwarts. There is no sponsor for Wednesday June 11.

Season tickets are $40 and can be purchased at the gate. Sponsors will be listed here each week. Go Dans!

"DAN"DY DOZEN!!!!

Twelve current or former Danville Dans were selected Thursday and Friday in the 2008 Major League Draft. Mississippi State's Aaron Weatherford (Dans 07') went in the 3rd round to the Colorado Rockies. John Flanagan (Dans 08'), Southwestern Illinois Community College, was chosen in the 11th round by Kansas City. Arizona State's Kiel Roling (Dans 07') went in the 6th Round to Colorado. San Diego Torreo, Ricardo Pecina (Dans 06'), was drafted in the 8th round by the Washington Nationals. Louis Coleman (Dans 06') from LSU was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 11th round. UC Irvine's, Bryce Stowell (Dans 06') was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round. The Tampa Bay Rays drafted Memphis Tiger Neil Schenk (Dans 05')in the 23rd round. Former Illini Tanner Roark (Dans 06')went in the 26th round to the Texas Rangers. In the 27th round, the New York Mets selected Mississippi State's Jeff Flagg (Dans 05'). 2006 Danville Dan, Dan Black (Purdue) was chosen in the 35th round by San Franciso. Justin Cryer (Ole Miss), a 2005 Dan, went in the 29th round with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rounding out the list, Ricky Bowen (Dans 06'), Mississippi State Bulldog, was taken by the Cincinnati Reds in the 38th round.

COACH VERPLANCKE LEADS TEAM TO FINALS

Congratulations and good luck to Coach Joe Verplancke (Dans pitching coach 08') for taking his Diamond Ranch High School team to the California State finals to be held Friday, May 30th, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angelos. Coach Verplancke attended Cal State LA where he was a 2 sport athlete (soccer and baseball). He was drafted as a pitcher after his junior year by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 8th round. Joe and his wife, Erin, reside in Corona, CA where Joe is a teacher and baseball coach.

DANS DABO DELIVERS

David (Dabo) Worthington (Dans 08'), a sophomore at Danville Area Community College, has been named 1st Team All-American by the NJCAA. In addition to that honor, he has been awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove, following in the footsteps of DACC's Ben Wolgomot (Dans 06'& 07'). The Dans home opener is scheduled for June 6.

27 DANS PARTICIPATE IN NCAA REGIONAL PLAY

Players from six teams will be arriving late to play with the Danville Dans this summer as the NCAA has just released their field of 64.

San Diego will be playing in the Long Beach Regional. Danville Dans on the San Diego Roster include: Matt Couch 05’ , A.J. Griffin 07’, James Meador 07’, Ricardo Pecina 06’, and Zach Walters 08’. Two Danville Dans can be found on the Dirt Bags roster, Brandon Godfrey 07’, and David Born 06’.

LSU will host a regional. Dans on the Tiger roster are: Ryan Byrd 05’, Austin Ross 08’, Ryan Schimpf 07’, Johnny Dishon 08’, and Louis Coleman 07’.

Pepperdine will be playing in the Stanford regional. Dans on the Waves include: Denny Duron 06’, Matt Bywater 08’, Trent Diedrich 07’, Tyler Hess 08’ and David Harris 06’,

The Louisville Cardinals will be playing in the Georgia regional. Drew Haynes 08’ Dans, Jon Clarence 08’, and Louisville assistant coach Xan Barksdale 02’). Steve Esmonde 07’ plays for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Vanderbilt will play in the Arizona State regional. The roster includes 08’ Dan, Richie Goodenow. The Arizona State team includes Dan Kiel Roling (07’) and catcher Andrew Pollak 08’.

Other Dans include Bryce Stowall 06’, who plays for U.C. Irvine, who will be playing in the Nebraska regional, and Ole’ Miss Rebels Justin Cryer (05') and Evan Button (06’) who will be playing in the Miami regional.

Regional play begins May 30th and runs thru June 2nd.

DANS RACK UP HONORS & WINS

As the 2008 college season begins to wind down, Danville Dans continue to rack up honors and assist their colleges in tournament play.

LSU’s Ryan Schimpf (Dans 07’) was named to the SEC (Southeastern Conference) All-Tournament Team. In the championship game, Schimpf was 2-4 with a double that scored 2 runners and prompted the Ole’Miss pitcher’s exit from the game. LSU defeated Ole’ Miss 8 to 2 and will host an NCAA regional. As a side note, Louis Coleman (Dans 06’-pictured) entered the game in the 4th inning and was brilliant in relief. He improved his record to 6-0 as he allowed just 3 hits in 6 innings with no walks and 7 strikeouts, 3 of those in the 9th.

Drury Universities, LHP Chris Marston (Dans 08’) was named All-GLVC (Great Lakes Valley Conference).

Purdue’s Jon Moore (Dans 06’) and Dan Black (Dans 07’) were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team. Purdue fell to top-seed Michigan 3-2 in the tournament championship game. RHP Tony Sedlmeyer (Dans 08’) was the starting pitcher and put zeros on the Michigan scoreboard through four innings before the Wolverines broke through with an unearned run in the 5th.

THANKS COACH!

Those that enter Danville Stadium’s office and spend time looking at history laden walls, will see a large picture of some “Legends” of the game. It is one of only two pictures that do not include Danville Stadium (1946) alumni. It is signed by Coach Ron Polk (Mississippi State) to the Danville Dans.

In 1989, a newly formed Danville Stadium organization began looking for a summer coach for the Dans. Coach Polk made the short list of nationally acclaimed coaches to call and, as always, was anxious to help a young coach and a young program. He sent Mike Hutcheon (currently Head Coach U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons), who coached the Dans for the next four years. On two occasions we have asked Coach to come to Danville and speak to state and national youth tournaments. Both times his immediate response was “when, where, and what time.” We feel blessed to enjoy such a partnership!

Coach Polk and his staff have sent us 57 players over the last 19 years. His players unfailingly display a respect for the game, their teammates, their coaches and others around them. When you ask them how they feel about being an MSU Bulldog, you frequently hear them say “I’m lucky.”

So – what will baseball ultimately say about Coach Polk? Currently, those active coaches/scouts who have worked under his tutorage include: 14 college head coaches, 5 college assistant coaches, 14 high school coaches, 11 professional scouts, and 8 professional coaches.

He is the all-time winningest coach in SEC history having won 1,360 games as a head coach. Of his last 34 teams, he guided 23 to NCAA regionals, including 5 straight from 2003-2007. He has taken 8 clubs to the College World Series. He has been honored twice as National Coach of the Year, inducted into 4 Hall of Fames, and was honored by his peers as the recipient of the Lefty Gomez Award (ABCA).

Looking again at that picture on the wall, it is our opinion, that he is a “legend”, not because of his coaching record, but because of the incredible number of lives he has impacted in a positive way. It’s a safe bet his friends and alumni will still get hand written notes from Coach, that he will continue to speak out to protect the sport and the student athlete, and that the seeds he has sown will continue to grow and flourish for a lifetime to come.

So, we wish Coach well in his retirement and give a heartfelt thanks for his loyalty and friendship. Like his players, if someone asks how we feel about working with Ron Polk, we will tell them we were lucky – and incredibly honored. Thanks Coach! And stay in touch.

DANS ADD ANOTHER ALL-AMERICAN

Dan Kaczrowski (Dans 08), 2nd baseman for Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been named DIII All-American by the NCAA to go along with his MIAC honor as league co-player of the year. Kaczrowski hit .477 for the Pipers with 40 RBI and 54 runs scored. Dan is the son of Tom and Mary Kaczrowski and is from St. Anthony, MN.

WOLGAMOT SELECTED ALL-BIG 10

Ben Wolgamot, 2nd baseman Purdue, (Dans 06,07) has been selected 1st team All-Big 10, finishing league play hitting .426 and .409 overall. In conference play, Wolgamot led all other Big Ten 2nd basemen in on base percentage (.538), runs scored (30) and walks (21). A DHS & DACC product, Ben was 7 for 9 in stolen bases and contributed 27 RBI's to the Boilermakers. Congratulations Ben!

Schimpf Honored

16th ranked LSU 2nd baseman Ryan Schimpf (Dans 07') has been named SEC Player of the Week.

The Covington, LA native batted .545 in the weekend series against Mississippi State with 1 double, 3 homers, 7 RBI and 7 runs scored. Ryan also walked 4 times, posted a .667 on-base % and a 1.455 slugging %.

Schimpf launched a 3 run homer to highlight Friday's win. He then unloaded 2 homers on Saturday - a solo blast in the 5th and a 3 run dinger in the 8th.

GRIFFIN ACCEPTS INVITATION

Sophomore All-American closer AJ Griffin (Dans 07'- San Diego) is one of 12 players nationwide who has accepted an invitation to the 2008 National Team Trails to be held June 11-23. In all, 32 players will be invited to the trials, with 22 being selected for the National Team Roster.

USA Baseball's 2008 National Team schedule includes a 6 game series against Chinese Taipei and a month-long trip to Europe where the team will compete in Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands and in the IV FISU World Collegiate Baseball Championship in the Szech Republic.

While with the Dans, AJ led the team with 4 saves to go along with 4 wins. He struck out 43 in 31 innings of work and sported a 2.61 ERA. A 6-5 sophomore from El Cajon, Calif., has become the all-time leader in career-saves at USD with 23, 12 of which have come during this season. Griffin has been named the WCC Pitcher of the Week twice this season and has a 1-1 record with a 2.08 ERA in 39.0 innings of work this season.

SINCE YOU ASKED.....

Dans fans often ask why there is such a difference between hitting with wood and hitting with aluminum. It starts with the fact that aluminum bats are hollow, wood bats are solid. Because of the way weight is distributed, the balance point is closer to the handle for an aluminum bat than for a wood bat.

An aluminum bat is more efficient at hitting an inside pitch. In other words, the “sweet spot” of an aluminum bat is longer than that of a wood bat. For balls not hit squarely on the sweet spot, an aluminum bat is more “forgiving” and players can still make good contact on inside pitches. A wood bat, since it is solid, has most of the weight concentrated in the barrel, which means the center of gravity is further from the hands.

Because of these differences, college players, who have almost exclusively used aluminum, have an adjustment period when moving from aluminum to wood. In effect, either in summer leagues or professional baseball, players have to learn, or relearn, the proper way to hit an inside pitch.

This is clearly illustrated by looking at CICL statistics. From 1987 to 1989, the CICL used aluminum. The league averaged 12.3 runs/game and 18.0 hits/game. The League batting average was .288.

In 1990 the league switched to wood. Since that time, the league has averaged 9.1 runs/game (down 36%) and 16.2 hits/game (down 11%). The CICL batting average is now .254 (down 15%).

The pitcher's ERA’s, however, moved from 5.71 in 1987-89 to 3.82 (down 50%). The average game length went from 3.5 hours to 2.5 hours (down 40%). Good pitching and good defense dominate the game.

The Danville Dans open at home on Friday, June 6 against the league’s newest franchise, the Springfield Sliders. The game begins at 6:30 PM. Fireworks, sponsored by Danville Township and the Vermilion County Federation of Labor, will follow the game.

MEADER NAMED WCC PLAYER OF THE MONTH

San Diego sophomore outfielder, James Meador (Dans 2007), has been named Player of the Month by the West Coast Conference. Meador helped lead San Diego to a 16-2 record for the month of April when he batted .413 going 31 for 75. James also clubbed 5 home runs and drove in 29 runs with 16 runs scored, to go along with five doubles and 2 triples.

YOUR 2008 DANS ARE.......

Greg Houston, P, R/R, Mississippi State
Matt Bywater, P, L/L, Pepperdine University
Jon Clarence, P, R/L, University of Louisville
Johnny Dishon,OF, R/R, LSU
Dan Evatt, OF/1B, R/R, Baylor
John Flanagan, P, L/L, Southwest Il College
John Foley, P, L/R, University of Evansville
Richie Goodenow, P, L/L, Vanderbilt
Drew Haynes, OF, L/L, University of Louisville
Tyler Hess, P/DH, R/R, Pepperdine
Dan Kaczrowski, IF, R/R, Hamline University
Brooks Kimmey, C, R/R, Baylor
Chris Lewellyn, IF, R/R, DACC
Jon Lilly, OF, L/R, Purdue
Chris Marston, P, R/R, Drury University
Lee Swindle, P/1B, R/R, Mississippi State
Tyler Park, IF, R/R, Cisco Jr. College
Andrew Pollak, C, R/R, Arizona State
Austin Ross, P, L/R, LSU
Worth Tate, P, R/R, Memphis
Zach Walters, SS, S/R, San Diego
David Worthington, 1B/OF, R/R, DACC

SNYDER LEADS RIVERDOGS

Justin Snyder (Dans 06'- San Diego) began the 2008 minor league season hitting .444 (16 for 36) for the Yankees' Charleston RiverDogs, placing him second among Southern Atlantic League hitters. The RiverDogs currently lead the South Atlantic League with an 18-3 record.

MORELAND LIFTS CLINTON TO WIN

Mitch Moreland (Dans 06'-Miss. State), playing in just his 2nd game with the Midwest League, Clinton LumberKings, laced a double over the head of Quad Cities center fielder, scoring 2 runs to give Clinton a 3-1 lead and the win. LumberKings games can be heard live on the web at www.lumberkings.com.

DANS HELP WAVES CRUISE OVER LMU

(April 21) Matt Bywater (Dans 08') tossed 7 shutout innings for the #6 Pepperdine Waves against Loyola Marymount allowing only 4 hits and walking 2. Tyler Hess (Dans 08'), in relief, induced a groundout to give the team a 10-1 victory. Bywater leads the Waves with 6 wins this season. Former Dan (06) David Harris contributed to the win with a triple and Trent Diedrich (Dans 07') singled him home. Diedrich was 2 for 4 for the day.

DANS PITCHER CRUISES TO WIN

(April 23) Tony Sedlmeyer (Dans 08'-Purdue) led the Purdue Boilermakers to a 3-1 win over Ball State, throwing only 59 pitchers in 7.0 innings, limiting the opposition to six hits and one run. The sophomore right-hander struck out one batter without issuing a walk. Other Dans contributed to the win with Dan Black (Dans 07') hitting his 11th home run of the season, Jon Moore (Dans 06) and Jonathan Lilly (Dans 08) scoring for the home team, and Ben Wolgomat (Dans 06 & 07)going 1 for 3.

Pecina Sets Program Record

Recording a program-record 13th consecutive win over #25 Long Beach State, Ricardo Pecina (Dans 06-Univ. of San Diego) allowed only one run on four hits, while striking out a career high 11 strikeouts. In Ricardo's last 4 outings, he struck out 34 batters issuing only 3 walks. In the same game, sophomore closer A.J.Griffin (Dans 07) tied the all-time San Diego career saves record, previously held by Tony Perez, to help propel #9 ranked San Diego to the win.

DANVILLE STADIUM ALUMNI NOTES

Cecil Cooper (Danville Warriors 1970-Brewers) is now in his 1st full year as manager of the Houston Astros. (Picture top right)

Duane Espy (Danville Warriors 1971-1972 Brewers) enters his 1st season as hitting coach for the Modesto Nuts. He served as hitting coach of the Casper Rockies in 2007. Espy has over 35 years of professional baseball experience including stints as the hitting coach for the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies. (picture top left)

Danville Warriors (Milwaukee Brewers) Manager (1974), Matt Galante is with the Houston Astros system as an infield instructor.

1982 Danville Suns (California Angels) Devon White if/of s with the Washington Nationals as a roving coordinator (outfield/baserunning).

His teammate in Danville, SS Dick Schofield, is a coach with the Los Angeles Angels minor league Tempe team in the Arizona League.

Mike Daly (Danville Dans 1999) is now the Manager, International Operations for the Texas Rangers.

DALEY PROMOTED TO AAA

Matt Daley piqued the interest of major league scouts during a productive summer with the Dans in 2003. A Garden City, New York native, Matt came to the Dans from Bucknell.

He signed with the Colorado Rockies the week following the major league draft (2004)and began his professional career with the Casper Rockies of the Pioneer League. This year, Daley was promoted to the class A advanced Modesto Nuts and had a brief but successful three-game stint with the double A Tulsa Drillers, posting a 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings.

Moving up again to the Triple A Colorado Sky Sox (Pacific Coast League), Matt is currently sporting a 1.80 ERA, appearing in 5 games as a reliever.

GRIFFIN NAMED WCC CO-PITCHER OF THE WEEK

San Diego sophomore closer A.J. Griffin (Dans 07)has been named the West Coast Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week. A.J. helped lead the Toreos to a 5-0 record and recorded 2 saves this past week in consecutive games against the University of Portland. He allowed no runs on 4 hits, while striking out 5 in 4 innings of work. On the season, Griffin has 7 saves and a 2.35 ERA.

ROSS NAMED LSWA PITCHER OF THE WEEK

LSU right-hander Austin Ross (Dans 08')has been named Pitcher of the Week by the Louisiana Sportswriters Association for his win last Tuesday at Southern. Ross entered the game in the 2nd inning and fired seven shutout frames in relief. He limited the opposition to 4 hits and registered one walk with a personal best eight strikeouts.

SCHIMPF POWERS LSU

Ryan Schimpf (Dans 07) launched a grand slam over the left field wall highlighting a 6 run LSU fourth inning as the Tigers defeated Southern Miss 8-4 Wednesday evening.

Besides Schimpf, two other Danville Dans figured in the win. Outfielder Johnny Dishon (Dans 08) walked to load the bases setting the plate for Schimpf. Freshman right-hander, Austin Ross (pictured), the 2nd of 6 LSU pitchers, was credited with the victory. He worked two shutout innings allowing one hit.

DANVILLE'S WOLGOMAT NAMED BIG 10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK

From the Purdue Web Site: Purdue junior second baseman Ben Wolgamot (Dans 06/07) was named the Big Ten Conference's Player of the Week for his performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the conference office announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Wolgamot helped Purdue to a 3-1 series victory at Iowa over the weekend, batting .563 with a .688 slugging percentage to give the Boilermakers a 6-2 Big Ten record this season.
The junior recorded multiple hits in three of the four games, also scoring at least one run in each contest. On the series, Wolgamot went 9-for-16 at the plate, touching home seven times while driving in five runs. He smacked a pair of doubles and did not strike out in the series.
The Danville, Ill., native's best game came in the series finale when he went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI as the Boilermakers won, 16-3.
In a non-conference game against 2007 College World Series participant Louisville on Wednesday, Wolgamot was 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and a pair of walks, which brought his weekly stat line to a .611 batting average, a .667 on-base percentage and a .722 slugging percentage. Ben currently leads the Big Ten in average (.478) and on-base percentage (.625) during conference action.

DANS TOLBERT SHINES IN MLB DEBUT

From the official web site of the Minnesota Twins: Matt Tolbert (Dans 2001) came into his first big league Spring Training this year with the hope of just making it through round one of cuts. Now, the Twins’ utility infielder is starting to learn what it’s like to play in the Majors on an almost everyday basis due to a series of illness and injuries. Tolbert has played in six of the team’s 1st seven games this season making two starts at 2nd base and two at shortstop. But for all his defensive flexibility, his bat is much of the reason for Twins manager Ron Gardenhire choosing to keep Tolbert in the lineup.

Tolbert entered Sunday’s game hitting .444 (4-for-9) and went 2–for-4 at the plate in his 2nd start at shortstop.

Although Tolbert seemed to be a long-shot to make the ball club out of spring, Gardenhire said it was the way Tolbert went about his business that made him an easy choice. “I liked his at-bats in Spring Training and the way he caught the ball,” Gardenhire said. “It’s hard not to enjoy him. In addition to his work habits, he brings that little bit of zaniness.” Tolbert is known for not only checking his batting stance in the mirror a few times a day but also leaving his equipment spread throughout the dugout. It’s all those quirks that have him bringing a bit of humor and smiles into the Twins’ clubhouse.

With the starters expected to return today, it is unclear whether Tolbert will play in the upcoming White Sox series. But if his offense has anything to do with it, Gardenhire might just find it necessary to get Tolbert in the game. “……his offense, that’s another bonus for us. He’s a guy that could step up and do some things – a young man who doesn’t look like he’s afraid out there.”

TOLBERT MAKES OPENING DAY ROSTER

Matt Tolbert (Dans 01-Ole'Miss) is on the opening day roster as a backup infielder for the Minnesota Twins. Matt batted .293 with 24 doubles and 7 triples in 121 games for Rochester last season. He is the 3rd players from the 2001 Danville Dans team to play at the Major League level, joining Jon Papelbon (Boston) and Erik Stults (Dodgers). The Dans were coached in 2001 by Bill Ferrari.

KIMMEY SPEARHEADS WIN FOR BAYLOR

In midweek action this week, Brooks Kimmey (Dans 08) helped spearhead a 14 hit attack for #20 Baylor as they defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Kimmey was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBI.

A Jr. transfer from Temple JC, he played last summer for the Clarinda A's of the MINK League and was named the league's 9th best prospect by Baseball America, 3rd among catchers. He led the team with a .382 average.

Brooks is a pre-med major, and the son of Kathy & Charlie Kimmey.

MOORE NAMED BIG TEN CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to Purdue outfielder, Jon Moore (Dans 2006) who was named, by the Big Ten, Co-Player of the week for his performance in a 4 game sweep over Western Illinois.

Jon posted a .667 batting average with a slugging percentage of .867. The junior tallied mutliple hits in each contest and scored at least one run in every game. On Sunday, Moore went 3-for-3 with 2 runs and a double before finishing the weekend by hitting 3-for-5 with 2 runs, 2 RBI and a run in the nichtcap to complete the series.

WORTH MOVES UP IN TIGERS' SYSTEM

Selected by the Tigers last year out of Pepperdine in the 2nd round of the annual June draft, Danny Worth (Dans 05')was assigned to high Single-A Lakeland where he started at shortstop. He made his Double-A debut with the Erie SeaWolves late in the season and helped the club win it's first Eastern League Southern Division championship since 2001.

"I was intimidated on the flight to Erie," Worth said. "I was nervous going to Double-A my 1st summer. No pressure, right? But when I got there, the guys were great and Matt Walbeck (former manager) was a great manager who made me fit in." Worth did not disappoint. He went 6-for-14 with four RBIs in Erie's last five regular-season games and played in all for of the first-round plyaoff games against Akron.

Baseball America rates Worth, who is 6 feet 1 inch and 80 pounds, No. 8 on its pre-season list of the Tiegers' top 30 prospects. Worth is known as a smooth, solid, though not flashy, infielder. He has an above-average arm and above-average range, but the strengths of his defense are outstanding footwork and a quick release. During the offseason, Worth played in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league where he hit .292.

Worth spent three weeks this spring with the Tigers in their major league camp. "There are expecations on everyone, not just the top guys," Worth said in an interview with reporter, Ron Leonardi. "Everyone still has to work hard and try to get to the next level and beat the one they're currently at."

BOWEN NAMED NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Mississippi State sophomore right-hander Ricky Bowen (Dans 07’) made his SEC start a memorable one last Sunday. The Jasper, Ala., native delivered a complete-game, two-hit shutout of fifth-ranked Mississippi in the final game of the SEC season-opening weekend series between the Bulldogs and Ole’ Miss. Bowen came within an out of nailing down a no-hitter.

For his exploits, he has been honored as the SEC Pitcher of the Week and Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week.

Bowen retired the first 14 UM batters and faced one batter over the minimum with 10 strikeouts through eight innings. He finished the 9th with an MSU staff season-high 11 strikeouts.

Bowen is one of 36 Dans Alumni from Mississippi State. In 2008, MSU will be represented on the Dans by: Michael Busby (IF/RHP), Forrest Moore (1B/RHP), and Paxton Pace (P/IF).

NAPPIE CONTINUES HOT HAND

Jason Nappi, 2007 Danville Dan, continues to hit at a blistering pace for his Mississippi State Bulldogs, sporting a .519 batting average through seven games. One of Nappi's 3 home runs includes a grand slam, to give his team the lead and eventual win, against UAB (University of Alabama Birmingham). Jason's current stats include 11 runs, 14 hits, 3 doubles and 9 RBI's.

DANS GRIFFIN CONTINUES TO RACK UP HONORS

All-American closer for San Diego, AJ Griffin, Danville Dan 2007, has been tabbed as the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Griffin, a 6-5 right-hander from El Cajon, recorded three saves this past week in helping USD close out wins over No. 10 Long Beach State, Cal Poly and No. 24 Fresno State. Griffin allowed no earned runs and recorded 11 strikeouts for the week. He picked up his first save in the win over No. 10 Long Beach State, then he picked up back-to-back saves in the double-header against Cal Poly and No. 24 Fresno State. Against Fresno State, Griffin tossed two complete innings and struck out five of the six batters he faced. In the save against LBSU, he tossed 1.2 innings and struck out three batters while not allowing a run to cross the plate. In the win over Cal Poly, Griffin didn't give up a single hit in 1.0 innings of work.

DANS IN PRO BALL

Thirty-six (36) Dans finished the 07’ season playing professional ball at all levels in the systems listed below. As soon as the regular season begins and assignments are made, we will begin 08’ updates.
* indicates Major League Baseball or MLB alumni. ** players invited to MLB spring training camp. All others – minor league.

Chris Michalak (Dans 1992-Notre Dame) Washington *
Jon Knott (Dans 1999- Miss State) Orioles (Twins 08) *
Randy Ruiz (Dans 1999-Believue) Twins **
Shane Youman (Dans 2000-LSU) Pirates (Phillies 08) *
Jon Armitage (Dans 2000-Georgia) Texas Heat (Independent)
Jon Papelbon (Dans 2001-Miss. State) Boston Red Sox *
Eric Stults (Dans 2001-Bethel) Los Angeles Dodgers *
Matt Tolbert (Dans 2001-Ole’ Miss) Twins **
Anthony Cupps (Dans 2002-Ole Miss) Arizona
J.C. Holt (Dans 2002-Ole’ Miss) Braves
Van Pope (Dans 2003-Ole’Miss) Braves
Steve Spurgeon (Dans 2003-Pacific) White Sox
Matt Daley (Dans 2003-Bucknell) Rockies
Jeremy Jirschele (Dans 2003-Univ of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) Royals
Korey Feiner (2003-Univ of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) Twins
Ty Davis (Dans 2004-Vanderbilt) Arizona
Jeffrey Rea (Dans 2004-Miss State) Cubs
Brian Cartie (Dans 2004-McNeese State-Baylor) St. Louis
Paul Coleman (Dans 2004-Pepperdine) Dodgers
Steve Hammond (Dans 2004-Sac City) Brewers
Matt Czimskey (Dans 2004-Baylor) Brewers
Chris Coghlan (Dans 2004-Ole’Miss) Marlins **
Jordan Abruzzo (Dans 2004-San Diego) Mets
Nate Bowman (Dans 2004-San Diego)– Angels
Josh Johnson (Dans 2004-Miss State) Tampa Bay
Danny Worth (Dans 2005-Pepperdine) Detroit **
Jordan Powell (Dans 2005-DACC-Southern IL) Astros
Justin Snyder (Dans 2005-San Diego) Yankees
Mitch Moreland (Dans 2005-Miss State) Rangers
Dan Sattler (Dans 2005-Purdue) Texas
Wes Roemer (Dans 2005-Cal State Fullerton ) Arizona **
Dusty Napoleon (Dans 2005-Univ of Iowa) Oakland
David Dinelli (Dans 2006-Sierra) Astros
Wynn Diggs (Dans 2006-Miss State) San Angelo Colts (Independent)
Jason Anderson (Dans 1998/1999-Illinois) Phillies
Darryl Hall (Dans 2001/2002-Ole’ Miss) Pensacola Pelicans (Independent)

DANS SPARKLE IN COLLEGE OPENINGS

Mississippi State's Jason Nappi (Dans 07)sparkled at the plate in his Bulldog debut, collecting 7 hits in 10 at-bats (.700), leading the team with 5 runs scored and 3 extra-base hits. Nappi reached base in 10 of his 12 plate appearances.

LSU sophomore, Ryan Schimpf (Dans 07), finished opening day 4 for 4, reaching base in every plate appearance. "Ryan Schimpf is as improved a player as we have," said LSU Head Coach, Paul Mainieri. "He put the ball in play, and something good happened for him. I thought he was a real sparkplug for us tonight." LSU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Schimpf scored on an RBI single by team mate Blake Dean.

9 DANS ALUM PREPARE FOR SPRING TRAINING

Jon Papelbon (2001) will be one of 9 former Danville Dans (CICL) headed to Major League spring training camps this month. The 27 year old finished the 2007 season boasting , among all qualifying major league relievers, the A.L.’s lowest opponents batting average (.146) and highest strikeouts/9 innings ratio (12.96). As a member of the World Champion Red Sox, Jon finished the 2007 World Series with 3 saves and a zero ERA.

Eric Stultz 2001 (Dodgers), Jon Knott 1999 Minnesota, and Shane Youman 2000 (Minnesota) are also on 40 man rosters each having major league experience. Additional Dans on 40 man rosters and non-roster invitees include: Wes Roemer 2005(Diamondbacks), Randy Ruiz 1999 (Minnesota), Danny Worth 2005 (Detroit), Matt Tolbert 2001 (Minnesota), and Chris Coglan 2004 (Marlins).

GRIFFIN ADDS TO HONORS

After being named a Louisville Slugger All American, A.J.Griffin (Dans 2007-San Diego) added to his honors by being named an All-American by Rivals.com. "It isn't often that a freshman steps in and becomes a premier closer in his first season. However, Griffin was an exception last season. The talented right-hander had a season to remember." While with the Dans, A.J. was one of the most feared pitchers in the league, holding opposition batters to a .147 batting average and striking out 1.39 batters per inning.

8th DAN HEADING TO MLB CAMP

Danville Dan, Wes Roemer (2005 – Cal State Fullerton) has been invited to Spring Training with the Arizona Diamondbacks, bringing the number of Dans invited to major league camps to eight.

As a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton, the first man to draw a walk off Roemer was the 253rd man he faced – that walk came on April Fool’s day. While with the Dans, Roemer’s 1.59 ERA was 2nd in the league behind Ryan Byrd (Dans – LSU). Byrd finished the year with a 1.91 era, on a team that finished in 1st place at 34-10 under Head Coach Jamie Sailors.

Wes was drafted by Arizona in the first round of the 2007 draft.

TWINS PROMOTE TOLBERT TO 40-MAN ROSTER

The Minnesota Twins added Matt Tolbert (Dans 2001 - Ole' Miss) to their 40-man roster on Tuesday. Tolbert, 25, batted .293 with 24 doubles and seven triples in 121games for Rochester last season. The infielder was also selected as the Twin's representative for the 2007 MBL Futures game and also participated in the Triple-A-All Star Game. Drafted in the 16th round of the 2004 First Year Player Draft, Matt has a career .280 average in four Minor League seasons. Seven players from the 34-16-0 Dans team have, or are, playing professional baseball. Those include David Coffey (Georgia), Tim Hutting (Long Beach), Nick Conte (St. Mary's), Edgar Varella (Long Beach), Dustin Scheffel (Sac City), Jon Papelbon (Mississippi State - Boston Red Sox) and Eric Stultz (Bethel College - Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2001 Dans were coached by Bill Ferrari.

TWO MORE DANS REPORT TO BIG LEAGUE CAMP

Randy Ruiz (Dans 1999) and Jon Knott (Dans 1999)have been invited to Spring Training with the Minnesota Twins, bringing the number of Dans participating at the Major League Level to seven. The only outfielder invited to the Twins camp, Knott was signed by the Twins as a free agent, Nov. 2007 after seeing time in 7 games last season with the Baltimore Orioles. Jon was first called up by the San Diego Padres. Ruiz also signed with the Twins organization in Nov. of 2007.

DETROIT GIVES WORTH A LOOK

Danny Worth (Dans 2005 – Pepperdine University) has been invited, by the Detroit Tigers, to participate in the team’s major league camp during the 2008 spring training season. Coached by Jamie Sailors (now assistant coach at Purdue), Danny was a member a Dans’ team that finished the regular season 34-10, 5 games ahead of the pack. Six players from that team are currently playing professional baseball at the minor league level: Justin Snyder (San Diego-Yankees), Mitch Moreland (Mississippi State- Texas Rangers), Dan Sattler (Purdue-Texas Rangers), Wes Roemer (Cal State Fullerton-Az Diamondbacks) and J.P. Powell (Southern IL- Houston Astros).

Bradford named Assistant Coach

Josh Bradford (Dans pitching coach 2003) has been named Assistant Coach at the University of Toledo, leaving his assistant position at the University of West Georgia to take the assignment. He will serve as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the Rockets.

As a player, Bradford spent four seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays organization reaching Triple A. During his stint with the Dans, he helped guide the team to a league championship with a league record 1.78 ERA.

A native of Hutchinson,KS, he finished his bachelor's degree in Physical Education at Kentucky Wesleyan. He is married to Tandy Bradford. The couple have a son, Blake (4).

COACHES CORNER…..

Over twenty coaches, who have come through the Dans’ system as players or coaches, have found careers in the coaching ranks.

MIKE HUTCHEON was the 1st head coach of the Danville Dans (1989-1993). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under college baseball coaching legend Ron Polk at Mississippi State. “Hutch” is currently head baseball coach of the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon baseball team. A native of Gunnison, Co., Mike is married to Laura, his wife of 18 years. The couple are parents of four children; two daughters, Manie (17), and Mary Garland (Gigi – 9), and two sons, Dane (13) and Hal (7).

XAN BARKSDALE (Dans 2002) is beginning his 2nd season as a Louisville Cardinal assistant coach, having helped guide the club to an NCAA World Series run last season. His primary responsibilities are hitters and catchers. Barksdale joined the Cardinal staff after spending 3 seasons in the Atlanta Braves system. He received his bachelor’s degree in marketing, with a minor in math, while playing baseball at Ole' Miss under current Cardinal Head Coach, Dan McDonnell, a Rebel assistant at the time. Xan’s hometown is Madison, Mississippi.

DANS ANNOUNCE PRE-SEASON SCHEDULE 08'

Home Games Only

All games 6:30 PM unless noted

Date, Day, Opponent

June 6, Friday, Springfield Sliders
June 10, Tuesday, Quincy Gems
June 11, Wednesday, Springfield Sliders
June 12, Thursday, Dubois Bombers
June 13, Friday, Quincy Gems
June 17, Tuesday, Springfield Sliders
June 24, Tuesday, Dubois Bombers
June 25, Wednesday, Dubois Bombers
June 28, Saturday, Springfield Sliders
July 2, Wednesday, Dubois Bombers
July 5, Saturday, Dupage Dragons
July 9, Wednesday, Quincy Gems
July 10, Thursday, Dupage Dragons
July 16, Wednesday, Springfield Sliders
July 17, Thursday, Dupage Dragons
July 19, Saturday, Dubois Bombers
July 24, Thursday, Dupage Dragons
July 26, Saturday, Dupage Dragons
July 29, Tuesday, Quincy Gems
July 30, Wednesday, Quincy Gems
July 31, Thursday, Dupage Dragons
August 1, Friday,Springfield Sliders
August 5, Tuesday, Dubois Bombers
August 8, Friday, Quincy Gems
August 12-14 (15th rain day), Tournament location tba

DAN HEADS TO SPRING TRAINING

Chris Coghlan (Danville Dans, 2004) has been invited to attend spring training with the Florida Marlins. Chris was named in December a top 10 prospect in the Florida Marlins system by Baseball America (Dec. 19).

DANS GIVE NOD TO COACHING STAFF

In his 2nd season managing the Danville Dans, Pete Paciorek will be joined in 2008 by Mack Paciorek and Joe Verplancke.

After playing professional baseball in the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers’ organizations for 9 years, Pete began his coaching career at Whittier College before moving to Cal State-Los Angeles, where he helped lead the team to the best overall record in school history. A San Gabriel, CA native, Pete earned his B.A. in Communications from Cal State LA as well as his Master’s in Organizational Communication and Leadership. He is currently the Head Coach at Principia College. Pete and his wife Sarah reside in Elsah, Il.

Mack, brother of manager Pete Paciorek, was drafted by the Detroit Tigers as an infielder and played professional ball for four years. He is currently Head Coach at San Marino High School in Southern California. He also works with various colleges providing professional infield instruction. Paciorek and his wife Keri have one son (Luke) and reside in Pomona, Ca.

Joe Verplancke attended Cal State LA where he was a two sport athlete (soccer and baseball) and was drafted as a pitcher after his junior year by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 8th round. He was a member of the 1997 High Desert Mavericks (California League) Championship Team. Joe and his wife Erin reside in Corona, CA where Joe is a teacher and Head Baseball Coach at Diamond Ranch High School.

The Dans coaching staff brings a combined 18 years of professional baseball knowledge to the Dans.

SLIDERS JOIN CICL FOR 2008 SEASON

The Danville Dans will be adding the Springfield Sliders to their schedule this summer as a new team joins the CICL. Co-owner, Jesse Boulder, made the announcement this week during the leagues annual meeting held in Philadelphia. The Sliders will play at Lanphier Park and will be coached by Dylan Putnam.

DANS CONTINUE TO GARNER HONORS

Aaron Weatherford (Dans 2006/Mississippi State) has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-America Team (2nd Team) adding to his Wallace List selection.

Kiel Rolling (Dans 2006/Arizona State) has added to his list of honors earning 1st Team All-Pac-10 honors and 1st Team All-American honors from the ABCA (American Baseball Coaches Association, to go along with his 2nd Team All-America NCBWA award (see November blog).

The All-America squads consist of 39 players from 19 different conferences. A complete list can be seen at http://www.sportswriters.net/ncbwa/