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Knights Daily Update
Working for the weekend!
January 18, 2013Happy TGIF, everyone!
All of us down here at the WWHQ (today it's just me, as co-worker Bre Kerkvliet is up in Bellevue, Wash., at the West Coast League GM meetings) are looking forward to the weekend. But first things first, so on with today's Knights blog.
And by the way, it's just 137 more days until our June 4 opener against the Portland Lobos on Science & Art Day II at Goss Stadium. See you there!
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Nice story on returning assistant coach Billy Clontz in today's Corvallis Gazette-Times by columnist Brad Fuqua. We're thrilled to have Billy back for another season; you can read the story by clicking here.
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It's Friday, and time for our weekly Australian Baseball League update on former Knights Adam Melker (2008, 2009), Carter Bell (2009) and Liam Baron (2008-09), now playing for the Perth Heat, and on pitcher Eric Massingham (2006-07) of the Canberra Cavalry.
Melker hit .247 (20-81) in 22 games, with a homer and six RBIs. He has returned to the United States to begin preparation for spring training; he's in the St. Louis organization and had a good year with double-A Springfield (Mo.) in 2012.
Bell is hitting .293 (44-150) with three homers and 26 RBIs in 39 games. He's in the Arizona organization and spent last season at advanced Class A.
Baron is 0-0 with a 7.50 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 12 innings in 12 appearances, all in relief.
Massingham is 3-2 with a 4.29 ERA in 16 appearances, all in relief. Massingham has 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
The Heat are 21-18 and are in third place, 1.5 games behind first-place Canberra and Sydney in the ABL pennant race.
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I promise, this is our penultimate reminder of Hot Stove Night II, scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium. It features catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights alums who've been very successful in professional baseball.
Admission is $5 at the door. Diamond Club members and other season-ticket holders will be admitted free of charge, as will those who buy a 10-game punchcard or season ticket that night.
Reservations are available by e-maling me at [email protected]. See you there!
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Some news from elsewhere in the WCL:
KELOWNA: Here's an update on former Falcons' lefty pitcher David Otterman, now in his second season in the Milwaukee organization.
WALLA WALLA: The Sweets have signed UC-Irvine freshman outfielder Jonathan Herkins and freshman catcher Renae Martinez for the 2013 season. They'll join Anteater teamates Kris Paulino and Josh Bornstein on the club. Here are more details from the Our Sports Central website.
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That's all for now, have a great weekend and we'll see you on Monday.
Some spots still available for Hot Stove Night II
January 16, 2013Lots of buzz in the state today with the departure of Oregon football coach Chip Kelly to the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it's rather a slow day down here at the WWHQ. We've received lots of requests for reservations for Hot Stove Night II but we have a few more spots available if you're interested in attending.
Hot Stove Night II is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium. It features catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights alums who've been very successful in professional baseball.
Admission is $5 at the door. Diamond Club members and other season-ticket holders will be admitted free of charge, as will those who buy a 10-game punchcard or season ticket that night.
Reservations are available by e-maling me at [email protected].
By the way, the countdown is at 139 - just 139 more days until our June 4 season opener against the Portland Lobos at Goss Stadium on Science and Art Day II. For those of you who might challenged in math, that's less than 20 weeks away!
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It's Week 2 of our new tradition today, the Knights Top 10. Every Wednesday, we'll list the Knights Top 10 in a certain category and post it in the Knights Daily Blog.
Today we list the Top 10 leaders in RBIs in a single season (WCL games only):
1. 30, Taylor Ard (2009)
2. 30, Billy Clontz (2009)
3. 28, Caleb Whalen (2012)
4. 26, Dylan Jones (2009)
5. 25, Daniel Dillard (2010)
6. 24, Logan Lotti (2008)
7. 23, Pat Colwell (2009)
7. 23, Nick Torres (2012)
7. 23, David Armendariz (2011)
10. 22, Billy Clontz (2008)
Lots of great Knights on that list, including Billy Clontz, who returns as an assistant coach this summer after a one-year hiatus. Billy may well be the Knights' career leader too; we'll compile that list another day.
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
KLAMATH FALLS: The food service at Gems will be headed by Jerry Crane this year. His company most recently managed all the concessions and beverage operations for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, a Class-A affiliate of the World Series Champions San Francisco Giants. Here are more details, from BallparkBiz.com.
VICTORIA: We reported on Tuesday that the HarbourCats had signed five more players. Here's even more information on the signings from the HarbourCats Baseball Blog, a great new site for news about what should be a great franchise. I'm just sorry I can't make our first road trip to that beautiful city!
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That's it for today. See you on Thursday!
Space still available for Hot Stove Night II
January 15, 2013Happy Tuesday, everyone.
Space is still available for fans to attend Hot Stove Night II, our top off-season event. It's scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium; admission is $5, but free for Diamond Club members, host families, and for anyone who buys a season ticket or 10-game punch card at the gate.
Our very special guests are catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, a couple of Knights' alums who've been very successful in professional baseball.
Registration is available by e-mailing me at [email protected]. See you there!
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Speaking of Stewart, here's a rundown on the Yankees' catching situation from Howard Z. Unger of Yahoo Sports. And here's more analysis on the catching position from SI.com. Either way, it sounds as if Stewart has a roster spot and will get plenty of chances to play.
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Another former Knights' star in MLB, Houston right-handed pitcher Bud Norris (2005) of Cal Poly, had an up-and-down season in 2012 as he battled a knee injury. He finished last season on a high note, however, is expected to bounce back and is Houston's solid No. 2 starter heading into spring training.
Here's some analysis on Norris from ---------------------------------------------------------
Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
VICTORIA: The expansion HarbourCats have signed five more players for the 2013 season. The top signee is Brandon Smith, an outfielder from Grand Canyon University who was a previous 15th-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals. Here are the complete details on the signings, from the Our Sports Central website, a great source for WCL news.
And here's more on the signings from the HarbourCats' website.
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That's all for today. See you on Wednesday, when we'll have volume 2 of the Knights Top 10.
Top team honors for Ainsworth
January 14, 2013It's another back-to-work Monday throughout the country, and down here at the WWHQ as well. Tough to start the grind again after a great weekend, but hey, we gotta eat.
So, on we go, with another blog. We've got a lot of news to report, but first things first.
* It's only 141 more days until our June 4 opener against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day II at Goss Stadium. Seems like a long ways off, especially since it feels more like hockey season outside than baseball season, but it will be here before you know it.
* Please don't forget Hot Stove Night II, scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium. The event features catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights alums who've been very successful in professional baseball.
Admission is $5 at the door. Diamond Club members and other season-ticket holders will be admitted free of charge, as will those who buy a 10-game punchcard or season ticket that night.
Reservations are available by e-mailing me at [email protected]. It should be a great night; see you there!
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Trainer Jeremy Ainsworth has been named the 2012 Knights Staff Member of the Year, recognizing his exceptional service to the Knights, and to our West Coast League opponents who need attention when visiting our fair city. Here are all the details, from our website. Congrats to Jeremy!
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Your's truly was on the Joe Beaver Show on Friday, and co-host Jon Warren asked me how many WCL alums played in the majors in 2012. I said between 15-20; the exact number is 18, six of whom (Tommy Hanson, Bud Norris, Chris Stewart, Brent Morel, Matt Hague, Marc Rzepczynski) are Knights' alums.
Here's a complete list of all WCL alums in affiliated ball last summer. It's pretty impressive.
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Here's some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
KITSAP: The BlueJackets have signed right-handed pitcher Brandon Luper, a senior at Esparanza (CA) High School who has signed with UC Santa Barbara. He was 7-3 with a 1.83 ERA as a high school junior in 2012.
"Brandon has shown improvement overall this past fall and looks to have a stellar senior year," said UCSB coach Andrew Checketts, a former Knights' pitchig coach (2000). "He has a sinking fastball that touches 90 and a sharp low 80s slider that he pounds the strike zone with."
KLAMATH FALLS: The Gems have signed shortstop Ryan Clark and catcher Campbell Wear of UC Santa Barbara for the 2013 season. More details are available in this story from the Klamath Falls Herald and News newspaper.
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That's all for today. See you on Tuesday!
Our big news - Mike Parker is returning!
January 10, 2013We promised we'd have some big news today and we do.
Award-winning broadcaster Mike Parker is returning as the voice of the Knights this summer after a one-year hiatus. He'll be assisted by his daughter Lydia, a budding broadcaster who will graduate from Corvallis High this June and then study communications/media at Oregon State this fall.
Here are more details on Mike's return from our website.
Needless to say, we're thrilled with Mike's decision and we think we'll have the best broadcaster in summer collegiate baseball for the seventh year in a row. Mike's a great broadcaster who loves Corvallis and the Knights.
And we should have some news onn last year's broadcaster, 2012 Virginia Tech graduate Kevin Burke, in the very near future. He should be working in affiliated baseball this summer.
So, welcome aboard (again) Mike.
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We've had a flurry of reservations for Hot Stove Night II this week but we still have room for more fans. It's scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium.
The event features catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights alums who've been very successful in professional baseball.
Admission is $5 at the door. Diamond Club members and other season-ticket holders will be admitted free of charge, as will those who buy a 10-game punchcard or season ticket that night.
Reservations are available by e-maling me at [email protected]. It should be a great night; see you there!
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
WALLA WALLA: The Sweets have signed high school seniors Chayce Kaaua and Iolana Akau, both Hawaii commits, and UH freshman Jonathan Lopez for the 2013 season. Here's more from the Sweets' website.
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That's it for today. See you on a TGIF.
Big news on the horizon
January 9, 2013Happy hump day, everyone.
We must confess, it's a pretty slow news day down here at the WWHQ. Our signings are complete, our partner schools haven't started spring practice yet, and our Hot Stove Night II party is still two weeks away.
But we will have a major announcement on Thursday that should be very popular in Knights Nation. So please stay tuned and check back in to the blog and to the news portion of our website on Thursday afternoon.
In the meantime, we can revel in the fact that it's just 146 more days until our June 4 home opener, an 11 a.m. nonleague game against the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day II at Goss Stadium.
So, it's getting closer, and will be here before we know it!
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We're starting a new tradition today, the Knights Top 10. Every Wednesday, we'll list the Knights Top 10 in a certain category and post it in the Knights Daily Blog. So, here are the Top 10 crowds in Corvallis Knights history:
1. 3,506 (7/3/2009)
2. 2,930 (7/2/2012)
2. 2,930 (7/3/2011)
2. 2,930 (7/3/2010)
5. 2,570 (8/9/2011)
6. 2,517 (7/26/2011, WCL All-Star Game)
7. 2,273 (8/4/2012)
8. 2,162 (6/6/2012)
9. 1,927 (6/25/2011)
10. 1,752 (7/25/2012)
We've drawn 175,382 fans in our six seasons in Corvallis. Sometime this summer we'll pass the 200,000 mark, a real milestone. We can't do it without you, the best fans in the WCL!
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
BEND: Here's a short profile of 2012 Elks' standout Will Sparks from Summer Baseball Insider, another great source for news on the WCL and the the entire, expanding world of summer collegiate baseball.
MEDFORD: The expansion Rogues have received their first shipment of new team merchandise, according to the club's website. It's worth checking out.
WALLA WALLA: Our aforementioned Hot Stove Night II fete isn't the only offseason party in the WCL. The Seattle Mariners Caravan is coming to Walla Walla on Thursday, Jan. 17, from 4:15 p.m until 5:45 p.m. at the Reid Campus Center Ballroom (345 Boyer Avenue) on the Whitman College campus. Here are more details, from the Sweets' website.
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That's all for today. Stay tuned tomorrow for important Knights news!
Jorge Perez earns preseason honors
January 8, 2013Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Welcome back to the blog, which as of today has a new name: the Knights Daily Update. That better reflects our goal here, to provide Knights Nation with a daily (Monday-Friday) diet of team- and league-related news.
We're down to 147 more days until our June 4 opener, a nonconference game with the Portland Lobos on Science and Art Day II at Goss Stadium. Seems like a long ways off, but it will be here before you know it!
We're also down to just 14 more days until Hot Stove Night II, set for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium (please note the venue change). Catcher Chris Stewart and scout Mike Thurman of the New York Yankees are the featured speakers.
Reservations are encouraged and available by e-mailing Brooks Hatch at [email protected]. Admission is free for Diamond Club members and other season-ticket holders, and $5 for everyone else. You can also get in free by buying a 10-game punch card or a season ticket at the door.
So, see you there!
Now, on to the news!
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Sophomore right-handed pitcher Jorge Perez of Grand Canyon University, a 2012 and 2013 Knight, was named a Player to Watch for the upcoming season by the American Baseball Coaches Association's NCAA Division II All-America Baseball Committee.
Jorge was 3-3 record and 2.48 ERA at GCU in 2012 as a freshman. He then went 3-3, 2.79 in nine games with the Knights, with 32 strikeouts in 48.1 innings. He also made the West Division All-Star team and started the All-Star Game in Walla Walla.
Here are more details from the Grand Canyon University website.
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
KLAMATH FALLS: The Gems have signed freshman shortstop Ryan Clark and junior catcher Campbell Wear of UC Santa Barbara for the 2013 season. Here's more from the Our Sports Central website, a great place for WCL news.
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That's it for today. See you on Wednesday.
It's a back-to-work Monday
January 7, 2013It's a back-to-work Monday down here at the WWHQ of the Corvallis Knights.
It's only 148 more days until our June 4 opener with the Portland Lobos at Goss Stadium. That sounds like a long time, but even though it's lousy outside this morning the weather will improve, summer will arrive, and Knights' baseball will return!
It is our slow time but we'll try to find some Knights' news of interest; we've also tracked down some news items from elsewhere in the WCL.
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Don't forget, the venue for our Hot Stove Night II event has been moved to the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium instead of the Corvallis Country Club. It will feature catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights' alums who have been very successful in professional baseball.
The date and time haven't changed, it's still set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by e-mailing us at [email protected]. It's free for season-ticket holders and Diamond Club members, and for anyone who buys a season ticket or a 10-game punchcard at the door. Otherwise, it's $5 a head.
Should be a fun night! See you there!
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
BEND: We haven't heard much from the Elks lately but here's their latest news. Joe Dominiak will return as head coach for the 2013 season, assisted by Scott Anderson, on the Elks coaching staff for the past seven seasons, and former 17-year major league pitcher Alan Embree. The Elks have also finalized their 2013 schedule. Details of both moves are available as menu items on the home page of the team's page.
MEDFORD: The expansion Rogues have five fireworks shows planned for their first season. Details can be found by clicking here, for a story on the team's website.
VICTORIA: Victoria baseball fan Gary Belleville has started a blog about the expansion HarbourCats that has plenty of information on one of the WCL's two new teams for 2013. Here's the link to the aptly-named HarbourCats Baseball Blog.
WALLA WALLA: The Sweets have signed UCLA freshman pitcher Cody Poteet and UCLA commit Luke Persico, a senior outfielder at Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif. Here are all the details, courtesy of the team's website.
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That's it for today.
It's a big news Friday in Corvallis
January 4, 2013Yes, we're back, after taking a break from the blog on Thursday to work on other Knights' business.
What were we doing, you ask? Well, gathering material for today's big Knights news, which now has been spread throughout Knights Nation via Twitter, Facebook and this blog.
We're thrilled to announce that Knights' veteran player and assistant coach Billy Clontz is returning to the fold after spending the 2012 season coaching in Klamath Falls alongside former Knights' standout Josh Hogan. Billy played a major role in our 2008 WCL title as a player, and an equally-big role in our 2011 crown as an assistant coach.
Here's a link to the story elsewhere on our website announcing the big news. Welcome back, Billy!
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Just an FYI, the venue for our Hot Stove Night II event has been moved to the Omaha Room at Goss Stadium instead of the Corvallis Country Club. It will feature catcher Chris Stewart (2001) and scout Mike Thurman (1993) of the New York Yankees, two Knights' alums who have been very successful in professional baseball.
The date and time haven't changed, it's still set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by e-mailing us at [email protected]. It's free for season-ticket holders and Diamond Club members, and for anyone who buys a season ticket or a 10-game punchcard at the door. Otherwise, it's $5 a head.
Should be a fun night! See you there!
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It's Friday, and that means it's time for our weekly Australian Baseball League update on former Knights Adam Melker (2008, 2009), Carter Bell (2009) and Liam Baron (2008-09), now playing for the Perth Heat.
Melker is hitting .247 (20-81) in 22 games, with a homer and six RBIs. He's presently on the inactive list and hasn't played since Dec. 15. Bell is hitting .276 (35-127), with three homers and 22 RBIs in 32 games. Baron is 0-0 with a 6.97 ERA and eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings in 10 appearances, all in relief.
The Heat are 17-15 and are in third place, 4.5 games behind the Canberra Cavalry in the ABL pennant race. Sydney is in second place.
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Former Knights pitching coach Andrew Checketts (2000), now the head coach at UC Santa Barbara, one of our partner schools, was named to Baseball America's "Top 10 College Head Coaches Under 40" list, which was released on Thursday morning (see what we miss when we skip a day?).
Congrats to Andrew! Here are the details, from the UCSB website.
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That's it for today. Have a great weekend, and we'll see you on Monday!
More local flavor for the Knights
January 2, 2013We are back, after a long day of watching football on Tuesday while celebrating the New Year's holiday, and after some vacation and an extended holiday break.
So now we're rested and ready for the home stretch leading up to Year VII (7) in Corvallis. According to the brand-new 2013 calendar I hung up on the office wall this morning, it's just 153 more days until our June 4 opener against the Portland Lobos on Science & Art Day II at Goss Stadium.
And remember, we've got lots going on in Knights Nation before the opener. Coming up next is Hot Stove Night II, set for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Corvallis Country Club. It will feature catcher Chris Stewart and scout Mike Thurman of the New York Yankees.
It's free for season-ticket holders and host families, only $5 for everyone else, and free with the purchase of a 10-game punch card or season ticket at the event. Reservations are available by e-mailing [email protected].
See you there!
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Now, for that local connection we heralded in the headline.
The Knights have signed Scott Stone, a junior third baseman and first baseman at Central Washington University, to a 10-day contract. He starred at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis from 2009-10, and his parents (Jane and Bill) are a Knights' host family.
Scott played at Mt. Hood CC in Gresham the past two years. He hit .243 (18-74) with 15 RBIs in 37 games in 2012, and .250 (13-52) with a homer and five RBIs in 27 games in 2011. He's a 6-foot-5, 205-pound first baseman who bats and throws right-handed.
Scott was a Mid-Willamette Conference all-star and a 2010 first-team 5A all-state selection at CV. He also played in the 2010 Oregon All-Star Series.
Welcome to the club!
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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:
COWLITZ: The 2012 Black Bears were ranked as the No. 6 sports story in the Kelso-Longview area by The Daily News newspaper of Longview. Here are the details from the paper.
KITSAP: The BlueJackets have signed New Mexico outfielder Austin O'Such. He played at Yavapai CC in Prescott, Ariz., and also played for the Blue Jackets in 2011.
MEDFORD: The addition of the expansion Medford Rogues to the WCL was rated as the No. 10 sports story in Southern Oregon by the Medford Mail and Tribune newspaper. Here are the details.
