2012 Frontier League Baseball Draft Results for Illinois Teams

The 2012 Frontier League baseball draft picks chosen by Illinois Independent baseball teams.


Rockford RiverHawks:
Mike Lee - RHP - round 1
Nick Rice - LHP - round 2

Schaumburg Boomers:
Jose Rodriguez - LHP - round 1
Sean Mahley - OF - round 2
Chad Mozingo - OF - round 3

Gateway Grizzlies:
Jonathan Gonzalez - RHP - round 1
Blair Springfield - IF - round 2
Justin Dunning - C - round 3

Normal CornBelters:
Brendon Smith - RHP - round 1
Ryan Krumlauf - RHP - round 2
Elio Briones - RHP - round 3

Windy City ThunderBolts:
Ricky Szeligo - RHP - round 1
Jorge Navarette - LHP - round 2

Joliet Slammers:
Kyle Zimmerman - IF - round 2
Anthony Amedei - IF - round 3

Southern Illinois Miners:
Matthew Soderlund - C - round 2
Blake Whitt - C - round 3

2012 Frontier Baseball League Tryouts

The 2012 Frontier League tryouts will be held on Monday April 30 and Tuesday May 1 2012 at CONSOL Energy Park in Washington Pennsylvania which is the home of the Washington Wild Things.

All 14 Independent Frontier League teams will be represented at the tryouts along with Major League Baseball scouts.

Registration will begin at 8:00 am and the workouts begin at 9:00 am on April 30th.

Advance registration is available on the Frontier League website which is listed below.

Illinois Independent Frontier League teams include the Southern Illinois Miners, Gateway Grizzlies, Joliet Slammers, Normal CornBelters, Rockford RiverHawks, Shaumburg Boomers and the Windy City ThunderBolts.

2012 Frontier League Tryouts

Pritchett Returns for CornBelters Baseball for 2011

Bobby Pritchett, who is ranked as the #5 prospect for independent baseball by Baseball America, will return to the CornBelter pitching staff for 2011.

Pritchett joined the CornBelters in late June last season and finished with a 2-2 record, 2.86 ERA and 79 K's in 72.1/3rd innings.  Pritchett's fastball has been clocked as high as 94.

The CornBelters season starts on May 20, 2011 against the River City Rascals in O'Fallon MO.

Bart Zeller Selected to Manage the Joliet Slammers Baseball Team

Bart Zeller has accepted the job to manage the new (or reorganized) independent Joliet team - the Slammers.  Zeller, the former pitching coach for the Southern Illinois Miners in 2010, has been a member of Mike Pinto's coaching staff since 2005. 

Bart Zeller is a native of Chicago Heights IL, logged one major league at bat with the St. Louis Cardinals and attended Rich East High School. 

The Slammers will play 96 games in the Frontier League and 48 home games at Silver Cross Field in Joliet in 2011. 

For more info on the Joliet Slammers please call 815-722-BATS (2287).

Joliet JackHammers, Lake County Fielders, Schaumburg Flyers and Rockford RiverHawks Join Newly Formed North American League

The Northern League, Golden Baseball League and the United League announced they have joined forces to create a new professional baseball league to be known as the North American League. 

The league will cover many of the major markets in the U.S. and Canada and expand in 2012.   The North American League will be second to Major League Baseball in terms of the number of teams and geographies.  The existing leagues will keep their names and their business activities and will now adhere to a consistant set of league rules and by-laws.  The league will have 16 - 20 teams in the U.S. and Canada in 2011.

Illinois teams from the Northern League who will be currently joining forces with the North American League are the Joliet JackHammers, Lake County Fielders, Rockford Riverhawks and the Schaumburg Flyers.

Top Ten Prospects from Independent Baseball Leagues

 

Baseball America's top ten pro prospects from Independent leagues....in bold are the players on Independent teams in Illinois.




1.  Matty Johnson - OF - Gateway Grizzlies
2.  Wes Alsup - RHP - Joliet JackHammers
3.  Chris Garcia - 1B - Shreveport-Bossier 
4.  Ryan Sheldon - RHP - Normal CornBelters
5.  Bobby Pritchett - RHP - Normal CornBelters
6.  Josh Short - OF - Lake County Fielders
7.  Donald Brandt - LHP - Maui
8.  Blake Gailen - OF - Chico
9.  Pat Trettel - C - Lincoln
10. Mark Samuelson - 1B - Chico/Yuma/Tijuana

 

Three Windy City ThunderBolts Sign With MLB Clubs

The Windy City Thunderbolts announced three more players have their contracts picked up by MLB clubs. 

Pitchers Andrew Werner and Rod Scurry have been picked up by the San Diego Padres and Pitcher Ryan Bollinger has been signed by the Chicago White Sox.

The ThunderBolts have had 16 players signed by Major League organizations since the start of the 2009 season.

 

Gateway Grizzlies Baseball Announce 2010 Fall Try-Out

The Gateway Grizzlies will hold their annual fall Try-Out camp at GSC Ballpark on Saturday October 9th 2010.  Registration for the try-out begins at 8:00 am and is open to players 20 years of age to under 27 years of age as of January 1st 2010.

The cost of the try-out is $50.00 and a link to the registration form is below.

Gateway Grizzlies Fall Try-Out registration form

 

Northern League Baseball Standings

Updated standings in the Northern League as of August 11th..
Illinois Teams will be listed in bold

Fargo-Moorehead 42-30
Kansas City 43-31
Gary SouthShore 41-36
Rockford 37-37
Joliet 37-37
Winnipeg 38-39
Lake County 31-44
Schaumburg 30-45



 

Gateway Grizzlies Open Tryout Sunday April 25th 2010

The Gateway Grizzlies will hold their open tryout on Sunday April 25th 2010 at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Illinois.

Along with the Grizzlies, representatives from the Oakland County Cruisers and the River City Rascals will also be on hand evaluating talent.

Tryouts are $50.00 and registration begins at 8:00 am.  In case of inclement weather tryouts will be held on Monday April 26th.

For a registration form please follow the link below.

Gateway Grizzlies Tryout Registration Form

Lake County Fielders Begin Construction on Baseball Stadium Village

Baseball in Ilinois News
courtesy of the Lake County Fielders

The City of Zion has announced that its construction of a planned multi-million dollar minor league baseball stadium is scheduled to begin next week. The stadium project is now worthy of a blockbuster major league trade announcement beginning with its new location on a 23-acre site at the NE corner of the Rt. 173 and Green Bay Road, gateway to Trumpet Park and the City of Zion. The "ballpark village" will include a year round multi-use development showcasing retail shops, multi-screen movie theatre, and restaurant.


The site of the project is currently commercially zoned vacant land with sewer, water, road, traffic, and power infrastructure already self-contained, allowing construction to commence immediately, in contrast to the former location. The city proactively pursued this new site on behalf of the 2010 baseball season. "The commercial appeal of this new location has attracted exciting new private investment allowing for the project to expand and it's really the premier home for this project for generations into the future" said Mayor Lane Harrison, "Plus, the addition of retail shops and a movie theatre will create an exciting year round entertainment and shopping atmosphere, more jobs in our community, and attract further development in the area."

The stadium will be home to the Northern League's Lake County Fielders, a minor league baseball team co-owned by Academy Award winner and baseball enthusiast Kevin Costner. The stadium will also contain a permanent concert stage, and a banquet facility that will be open all year.

"I applaud Mayor Harrison's long term vision for this project, and his uncompromising dedication to the quality of life for the residents in his community," said Fielders' President Rich Ehrenreich, "We've waited 20 years to see minor league baseball in Lake County, and it will all be worth the wait. "

Key Infielders Return for Southern Illinois Miners Baseball

Baseball in Illinois News

Landon Camp, second baseman Will Block and shortstop Brad Netzel will return to the Southern Illinois Miners for the 2010 season.


Camp spent the first half of the 2009 season as a rookie with Sioux City of the American Association. He signed with the Miners immediately after the all-star break and soon took over the starting job at third base. He is eager to return to Southern Illinois.

Block and Netzel also made their professional debuts in 2009.

Block signed with the Miners during the all-star break after setting numerous offensive records in his four years at Florida Atlantic University. He was quickly thrown into the fire as the starting second baseman when both starting middle infielders, Tony Roth and Pedro Lopez, went down with injuries.

Netzel signed in mid-August and took over at as the starting shortstop in nine of the final 14 games and pinch hit in two more of those games.

Rockford RiverHawks Sign Brad McDavid

Baseball in Illinois News

The Rockford RiverHawks added outfield depth on Wednesday with the signing of Brad McDavid.


McDavid, a former Southern University athlete, broke into professional baseball last year in the independent Continental League.

Jon Nelson Signs With JackHammer Baseball

Baseball in Illinois News

The Joliet JackHammers signed right-handed outfielder and first baseman, Jon Nelson for the 2010 season. Joliet signed Nelson after playing eight seasons with the Settle Mariners.

The 30-year-old Provo, UT native, he played his college baseball years at the Dixie State College of Utah. He was drafted in 2001 as the 26th round pick of the Seattle Mariners in the Amateur entry draft. In eight seasons with the Mariners, Nelson compiled 106 Home Runs and 461 RBIs.

Gateway Grizzlies Hosting Open Tryouts

Baseball in Illinois News

The Gateway Grizzlies along with the Oakland County Cruisers will co-host an open tryout on Saturday, March 13th and Sunday March 14th, 2010.


The tryout, which will be held at Escondido High School in Escondido, CA begins at 9:00 a.m. each day. The cost of the tryout is $55.00 per camper.

For more information, contact Phil Warren, pwarren@gatewaygrizzlies.com or Eric Coleman, coleman21@hotmail.com

To register, click here  Frontier League Open Tryouts 

Brad Miller Returns With Southern Illinois Miner Baseball

Baseball in Illinois News

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that all-star first baseman Brad Miller will return in 2010 for his third season with the team. Since joining the Miners midway through the 2008 season, Miller has hit .300 with 18 home runs, 106 RBIs and a .401 on-base percentage.

Miller began the 2009 season with unbelievable numbers, hitting .520 with three homers and 13 RBIs in his first 13 games. He flirted with .400 through late June and was voted the starting first baseman for the West Division All-Stars. In addition, he provided superb defense at first base.

He will join leadoff man Jereme Milons, MVP Joey Metropoulos, All-Stars Ernie Banks and Javier Brown, and 2008 on-base percentage league leader Brendan Akashian, all of whom are already on board in a potent lineup.

CornBelters Baseball Sign Two

Baseball in Illinois News

The Normal CornBelters recently signed infielder Jack Mikel and right-handed pitcher Adam Knight. Mikel is a Bloomington, IL native and former Tri-Valley high school standout.

Mikel attended Culver/Stockton University in Canton, MO and earned his degree in Sports Management in May of 2009. He finished his senior season with a .338 batting average and .422 on-base percentage in 160 at-bats. He also earned first-team Heart of America Athletic Conference honors and was dubbed a gold-glove winner leading all outfielders with six assists, and a 1.000 fielding percentage, in 74 chances.

Knight, a 6-foot, 6-inch 220-pounder, attended Georgia St. University in Atlanta, GA. He posted a 5.60 ERA with the Panthers last year. He finished the season with a 3-4 record allowing just 38 hits in 45 innings while holding his opponents to a .235 batting average.

Rockford RiverHawk Baseball Acquires Robert Matlock

Baseball in Illinois News

The Rockford RiverHawks continue dealing this week as the RiverHawk baseball team announced on Thursday that it has acquired outfielder Robert Matlock from the Edinburg Roadrunners of the independent United League in exchange for two players to be named later.


Matlock is coming off the best season of his career. He hit a career-high .327 with no home runs and 33 RBI for Edinburg. Matlock struck out just 14 times in 297 at-bats.

In an additional move, the RiverHawks released infielder Boomer Berry. The team acquired him in a trade with Sioux Falls of the American Association last month.

Miners Baseball Sign Brader and Kourie

Baseball in Illinois News

The Southern Illinois Miners have signed right-handed pitcher Dustin Brader and outfielder Jon Kourie for the 2010 season.


Brader, 24, spent the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers organization where he went 6-0 with a 3.96 ERA in 36 relief appearances. He posted 53 strikeouts against only 21 walks in 63.2 innings of work and held batters to a .249 average. In 2009 he was with the Bakersfield Blaze, the Rangers advanced single-A club. His Bakersfield teammate, former Miner Tanner Roark, gave Miners Manager Mike Pinto a recommendation with an outstanding report on Brader’s talents.

Brader is six-feet-four-inches and 220-pounds and was drafted by the Rangers out of Arizona State in the 21st round in 2008. He began his professional career with Spokane of the Northwest League where he allowed just four runs in 24.1 innings. Despite his two years of professional experience, Brader will be classified with rookie status in the Frontier League. 

Originally from Selah, Wash., he began his college career at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix where he had a 2.31 ERA in two seasons. He struck out 152 and walked only 35 as he led South Mountain to the 2005 Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colo. He then moved to ASU where he was a part of back-to-back Pac-10 Champion teams. As a senior he was 1-0 with a 4.27 ERA in 20 games including an appearance in the College World Series.


Meanwhile, Kourie, 26, finished his college baseball career at Texas A&M Corpus Christi in 2007 and has spent the last two summers with the semi-pro powerhouse Long Island Storm.

In 91 games in 2009, the six-foot-two-inch, 220-pound outfielder hit .394 in 246 at bats, including 22 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. He had a .496 on-base percentage, stole 15 bases and drove in 63 runs. The Storm play a strong schedule which includes matchups with Major League organizational teams during spring training, the Italian National Team and a trip to the Dominican Republic to face the 2009 Dominican Winter League Champion Licey Tigers. While in the Dominican, Kourie went 8-for-16 including a home run. He also hit .444 while helping Long Island to the runner-up spot in the Stan Musial World Series.

The Long Island native played two years at Briarcliffe College in New York. At Briarcliffe in 2004, he hit .359 with 3 home runs and 20 RBI. He led the conference in home runs and triples as a sophomore. At Corpus Christi, he hit .273 over his two seasons with a .331 on-base percentage while playing centerfield against some of the nation’s top college baseball programs including Rice, Texas, Oklahoma State, UCLA and Mississippi State.

RiverHawks Baseball Aquires Justin Knoff

Baseball in Illinois News

The Rockford RiverHawks have added another experienced, strike-throwing arm to the starting rotation.


The team announced on Tuesday that it has acquired right-hander Justin Knoff in exchange from the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League in exchange for cash.

Knoff spent most of last season with the Sussex Skyhawks. Knoff was 5-5 with a 3.24 earned-run average, the fourth lowest in the league, in 14 starts. When the Skyhawks fell out of the Can-Am race late in the season, they dealt him to Lincoln of the American Association. He was 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA in five appearances. Knoff combined to strike out 60 and walk 39 in 109 composite innings. Sussex reacquired him in another trade following the season.


Cincinnati drafted Knoff out of Siena in the 30th round in 2002 and he spent three years in their organization. St. Louis acquired him in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft at the 2004 winter meetings and he spent most of the 2005 season with two of the Cardinals’ affiliates.

The eight-year veteran has a career record of 40-24 and a 3.84 ERA. He’s twice been in his league’s top five in wins and twice among the top five in ERA. Knoff has never walked 40 in a season. The 28-year-old has LS-5 status in the Northern League.