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Randy Rutschman and Don Nichols are First-Round Picks.

May 31, 2009

20th-Anniversary Season Alum Draft Held Saturday, May 30

Randy Rutschman and Don Nichols are First-Round Picks.

The Corvallis Knights are celebrating their 20th-anniversary season this summer. As part of the celebration, the club will be holding a special alumni event at Goss Stadium before the Knights' Saturday, June 20th game with the Bellingham Bells including a five-inning alumni game and home run derby.

The alumni teams were selected last night at the East Bank Saloon in Portland, Oregon. Alum team managers Kurt Brauckmiller and Dan Segel (pictured) made the draft selections.

Brauckmiller won the coin flip and picked first.

The #1 pick of the 20th-anniversary season draft was Randy Rutschman of Sherwood, Oregon.

Rutschman was a player/coach for the Knights from 1999-2004 and hit .371 in his rookie season with the team. He retired from catching following the 2002 season.

Rutsch starred at Linfield College from 1977-81, earning All-Northwest Conference and NAIA All-District 2 honors his junior and senior seasons.

Randy would later play two decades of semi-pro baseball for legendary teams like Reinhardt Plumbing, Taylor Electric and the Aloha Knights.

Rutschman is currently an assitant coach at George Fox University.

The second pick of the draft was pitcher Don Nichols of Hillsboro, Oregon.

Nichols pitched with the Knights from 1992-1998 and still holds the franchise single-season records for wins with 12, innings pitched with 91 and strikeouts with 121.

Don pitched at Portland State for Jack Dunn and the lanky right-hander continues to hurl at age 43 in an area adult league.

Affectionately known as "The Donald", Nichols threw a no-hitter last summer for his adult team - the Portland Sea Dogs - managed by ex-Knight Scott Baumer.

Don is the uncle of junior right-hander Geoff Nichols of University of Oregon, an ex-Knight, and the brother of fellow alum right-handed pitcher Doug Nichols.

Brauckmiller and Segel, two old timers, administered the sixteen round draft.

Brauckmiller pitched at Portland State and was drafted by the Montreal Expos. After a brief pro career, Brauck, like his friend Randy Rutschman, embarked on a legendary semi-pro career that included stints hurling for perennial powers Taylor Electric and the Aloha Knights.

Kurt was named All-Pacific International League as the ace of the 2000 Knights. The right-hander (with a wicked slider) went 7-1 and posted a 1.79 ERA.

Segel played at Linn-Benton CC and Northwest Missouri State. The left-handed hitting first baseman was a two-time All-Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association selection at NWMSU (1987-1988). He played semi-pro ball with the Knights from 1990-2000 leading the 1996 club in HR with 14, RBI with 46 and hitting with a .414 batting average.

Brauckmiller and Segel named their alumni teams the Knight Crawlers and Knight Riders, respectively. They also commented on their first picks.

"Rutsch is a great first pick. He will distract hitters by talking to them during their at bats and will make our team the most fun alumni team," said Brauckmiller.

"There is no question that Don Nichols is a first-rounder. He will set the tone for the Riders as we look to pound Kurt's Crawlers," said Segel.

The Crawlers feature Knights' single-season home run (16) leader Brett Smith, club single-season saves (17) leader Mike Gits and current Knights' coaches Brooke Knight and Travis Hanson while the Riders roster features Knights' Collegiate Player of the Decade (90s) Brian Graham and Semi-Pro Player of the Decade (90s) Rich Sermone, and ex-big leaguer Eric Gunderson.

Below are the alumni rosters and probable starting pitchers as announced by Brauckmiller and Segel.

KNIGHT CRAWLERS
Randy Rutschman, C, Linfield College
Travis Hanson, INF, University of Portland
Brooke Knight, C/3B, Oregon State/Western Oregon
Mike Gits, RHP, Oregon State/Western Oregon
Jared Powell, LHP, Azusa Pacific
Tony Fair, OF, Portland State
Brett Smith, C, Western Oregon
Jeff Post, RHP, Oregon State
Doug Nichols, RHP, Lewis & Clark College
Jeff Hammack, C, Mt. Hood CC
Rod Scheckla, RHP/INF, Oregon State
Brian Huck, RHP, University of the Pacific
George Ross, 1B, Aloha High School
Todd Caponetto, 2B, Linn-Benton CC
Joel Marick, Trainer, University of Portland
Kurt Brauckmiller, RHP, Portland State

Probable Starter: Doug Nichols.

KNIGHT RIDERS
Don Nichols, RHP, Portland State
Joe Gerber, 1B/OF/LHP, Oregon State
Travis Wong, 1B, Texas A&M
Brian Graham, RHP/OF, University of Portland
Eric Gunderson, LHP/OF, Portland State
Troy Babbitt, 2B, Cypress College
Jeff Moore, OF/INF/C/RHP, Oregon State
Rich Sermone, OF, Portland State
Randy Chandler, C/RHP, Linn-Benton CC
John Sipple, LHP/OF, Oregon State
Mike Stewart, OF, University of Portland
Kyle Burt, LHP, Western Oregon
John Schlottmann, 3B/RHP, Aloha High School
Alex Scheckla, INF, Linn-Benton CC
Sean Kramer, OF, Aloha High School
Dan Segel, 3B/1B, Northwest Missouri State

Probable Starter: Don Nichols.

Notes:
* The Crawlers have been assigned to the first-base dugout at Goss Stadium and the Riders to the third-base dugout.
* The Riders are the home team.
* The Crawlers will wear the Knights' cardinal tops and the Riders will wear the Knights' pinstripe tops.
* Batting practice starts at noon.
* Home run derby starts at 1 pm.
* The alumni game starts at 2 pm.