The Quincy Gems summer collegiate baseball team in the Prospect League reported a loss of over $23,000 for the past summer. General manager Rob Ebbing stated gate receipts were $16,000 below budget projections and beer, picnic, and catering revenues were also down. Ebbing claims the weather played a significant role in the short falls.
Quincy Civic Center authority chairman Hubert Staff has had concerns in the past and still has concern but states "i'm not suggesting at this time that we will discontinue", and "i'm sure we will be making a recommendation in the near future."
The Gems have been around since 1996 as a collegiate summer team and participated in the Central Illinois Collegiate League from 1996-2008. In 2008 the Prospect League absorbed the Central Illinois Collegiate League and the Gems have participated in the Prospect League since.
Other summer Illinois collegiate teams have had financial issues in 2012 include the two teams owned by Jamie Toole, the Will County CrackerJacks and the Illinois Lincolns. The two teams were kicked out of the Midwest Collegiate League for failure to pay anybody, including umpires.
Chris Serritella, Southern Illinois University, captures the Prospect League Player of the Year award by leading the league in home runs (14) and rbi's (60) and coming in fourth in batting average at .361.
Chris also helped lead the Quincy Gems to their second league championship in the three year history of the Prospect League with a 5-0 victory over the West Virginia Miners.
Chris will be a senior at Southern Illinois University and is from Glenview Illinois.
Quincy Gems and Southern Illinois Saluki Chris Serritella went 4-4 with three home runs and double with 5 rbi's and it wasn't enough for the Gems as Terre Haute defeated Qunicy 10-8 last night in Prospect League Action. Serritella now leads the Prospect League with 10 home runs on the season.
Four other homers were hit last night - one each by Andrew Hecht (Quincy), S. Bruno (Terre Haute), N. Johnson (Terre Haute) and J. Loeffler (Terre Haute).
The Quincy Gems baseball team captured a home playoff spot by winning the first half of the Western Division in the Prospect League. The Gems will host a first round playoff game in Quincy Illinois on August 8th against the second half winner of the Western Division.
