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.”