Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Sign Four in Frontier League Transactions

The Southern Illinois Miners Frontier League baseball team is keeping busy in the off season by signing four players for 2012.

The Miners signed three pitchers - James Albury, Albert Ayala, Anthony Collazzo and 1B/OF slugger Matt Fields.

Fields returns to the Miners after playing 57 games for the Miners last season before breaking a bone in his hand.  Fields hit .275 with 17 homers and 45 rbi's in 57 games.

Southern Illinois Miners Sign Two Ex-UIC Baseball Players

The Southern Illinois Miners announced the signing of two ex-University of Illinois Chicago baseball players - outfielder Steve McGuiggan and infielder Jason Ganek.

Ganek is from Hersey High School in Illinois and is currently playing professional baseball in Australia.

The Miners also added left handed pitcher Shawn Gilblair.

Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Offers Free Tickets for Military Personnel

The Southern Illinois Miners will offer free tickets to military personnel, firefighters, law enforcement officials and EMT workers and first responders as well as their families at the September 11th playoff game against the River City Rascals.  "This is a small thank you to the men and women who work every day and protect us" said Miners Exec Erik Haag.

The Miners first home playoff game will be on Saturday September 10th at Rent One Park. 

The Southern Illinois Miners are an independent professional baseball team in the Frontier League.

Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Adds Sean Coughlin

The Southern Illinois Miners announced the addition of former Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Sean Coughlin.

Coughlin was a 13th round draft pick by the Arizona Diamondback and played 4 seasons of Minor League ball, the latest was in 2010 at the AAA level in Reno where Sean hit .191 in 89 at bats.  In 2009 Coughlin hit .304 at the AA level in Mobile.

Justin Lord takes over as Pitching Coach for Southern Illinois Miners Baseball

Former Pensacola Pelican pitching coach Justin Lord takes over the Southern Illinois Miner pitching staff for the 2011 baseball season.

Lord, who playing minor league ball in both the Royals and Pirates, spent the last two season with the Pelicans.  Justin was the ace of the St. Paul Saints pitching staff in 2006 where he went 11-3 in 120 innings.

Lord replaces Bart Zeller who was named the manager of Joliet Slammers.

Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Pick up Two All-Stars from Oakland County Cruisers

The Southern Illinois Miners have picked up two pitchers, Adam Dominick and P.J. Zocchi, from the dispersal draft from the Oakland County Cruisers.

Adam Dominick went 3-7 with a 3.17 era and struck out 73 batters in 59 2/3rds innings last season with the Cruisers.  Adam made an appearance in the 2010 Frontier League All-Star game in 2010.

P.J. Zocchi tied a single season record with 26 saves for the Cruisers in 2010 and went 3-0 with a 2.96 era.  P.J. also pitched an inning for the East All-Stars


 

Southern Illinois Miners and Windy City Thunderbolts Seasons End Early

The Southern Illinois Miners and the Windy City Thunderbolts end their seasons in the first round of the Frontier League Playoffs.

The Thunderbolts season came to an end in the East Division thanks to the Travers City Beach Bums capturing the series 3 games to 1 with a 5-3 victory.

In the West Division, the Southern Illinois Miners held a 2-0 series lead before falling in game five 3-0 to the River City Rascals.

Both the Miners and the Thunderbolts captured the best records in their divisions, Miners going 64-32 and Thunderbolts at 56-38.



 

Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Sign Eric Barrett

The Southern Illinois Miners have signed local Marion native and former Atlanta Braves draft pick Eric Barrett for the 2010 season.  Barrett graduated from Marion High School and played college ball at John A. Logan College.  

Barrett joins former Miners pitchers Travis Hope and Cody Dunbar as the third Marion native to sign with his hometown team.

Southern Illinois Miners Baseball Signs Todd Martin

Baseball in Illinois News

The Miners have signed former Rockford RiverHawk 1B Todd Martin.  In 2009 the former Cleveland minor leaguer had his season cut short by a wrist injury.  Martin hit .343 with five homers and 27 rbi's in 31 games with Rockford before the injury ended his season.  In 2007 with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (a Cleveland affiliate) Todd hit .360 and won the New York-Penn league batting title 

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.

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.

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.

Javier Brown Signs With Southern Illinois Miners Baseball

Baseball in Illinois News

The Southern Illinois Miners have added yet another Frontier League all-star with the signing of second baseman Javier Brown. He hit .296 with a pair of home runs, 19 RBIs and a .396 on-base percentage in 65 games with the Evansville Otters in 2009.


The former Minnesota Twins draft pick hit .330 in the first half of the season with the Otters and was voted to the all-star team. In early August he was traded to Rockford, but after suffering an injury, only appeared in five games in the final month of the season. When Rockford moved from the Frontier League to the Northern League this offseason, Brown became a free agent, and Southern Illinois was at the top of his list of suitors.

“Basically, I wanted to get with a team that has a chance to win a championship and gives me a chance to learn,” Brown said. “I’m just looking for an opportunity for me to showcase my skills, and I want a place where I can work hard. I played here as a visitor last year, and I like the fans and the atmosphere in Southern Illinois.”

With the addition of Brown, the Miners now have eight current or former Frontier League all-stars on the roster. He is only 22 years old, and Miners Manager Mike Pinto is looking forward to seeing him get even better.

“Whenever you have a chance to add an all-star player to your lineup, it gives your offense a boost,” Miners Manager Mike Pinto said. “He not only hits for average and on-base percentage but also has great speed. I will have Ralph work with him to take advantage of that tool. Javie plays a solid defensive infield, and we are looking forward to seeing him thrive in our environment this summer.”

The Miners open the season on May 20 at home against River City.

Mike Damchuk Retuns to Souther Illinois Miners Baseball for 2010

Baseball in Illinois News

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that reliever Mike Damchuk will return for the 2010 season. Damchuk was 5-4 with a 2.63 ERA in 29 appearances and tied for the team lead with six saves with the Miners in 2009.


Damchuk, who will be 25 when the season begins, signed with the Miners three weeks into the 2009 campaign and immediately strengthened the bullpen, allowing just one earned run in his first seven appearances. The Canadian native was untouchable at Rent One Park. In 15 appearances in front of the home crowd, he was 4-0 with five saves and did not allow a single earned run in 22.1 innings, striking out 25 hitters and holding opponents to a .164 average.

All-Star Jake McMurran Returns to the Miners

Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that all-star reliever Jake McMurran will return for his third season with Southern Illinois. McMurran has a career 2.32 ERA, which is more than half of a run lower than any other pitcher in Miners history with at least 55 innings pitched. His 87 appearances are also more than any pitcher in the Miners three year history.

Miners MILONS BACK FOR 2010

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that outfielder Jereme Milons will return to the team for a second season after a record-breaking first year with the Miners. In 2009 the former Dodgers draft pick hit .285 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs along with a team-record 38 stolen bases in only 44 attempts. He also set single-season team records in doubles (27) and runs scored (80).

Joe Augustine Returns to the Miners for 2010

From Baseball in Illinois News

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that right-handed starting pitcher Joe Augustine will be back with the team for the 2010 season.


Augustine, 25, went 7-5 with a 3.50 ERA in 2009, his first season with Southern Illinois. His ERA ranked second on the team and eighth best in the Frontier League. He also led the team in innings pitched (110.2) and games started (19). After finishing the season strong, he is looking forward to pitching in Rent One Park once again.

“It’s a great environment,” Augustine said. “It’s the best place I’ve played so far in three years of pro ball. I really enjoy coming to the field every day and pitching here knowing the fans will be behind us.”

The Miners open the season on May 20 at home against River City. For a complete schedule and the latest news on the Miners and events at Rent One Park, visit www.southernillinoisminers.com.

SCARPETTA RETURNS TO MINERS

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that right-handed pitcher Brett Scarpetta will return for his third season. Scarpetta is 16-7 with a 3.84 ERA in two seasons with Southern Illinois.


Scarpetta ranks second on the three-year-old team’s all-time list behind Ryan Bird in wins (16), innings pitched (183) and starts (31). After missing spring training and the first three weeks of the 2009 season for personal reasons, the righty posted a 7-4 record with a 3.86 ERA in 95.2 innings of work and finished the season on a four-game winning streak.

In each of his first two seasons, Scarpetta has had one of the best ERAs in the Frontier League. His 3.81 tied him for 13th best in the league in 2008, and last year his 3.86 ERA was 12th best in the league.


“I’m really excited to come back and play,” Scarpetta said. “Our coaches have worked hard to put a very solid team and staff together. There’s nowhere better to play than Southern Illinois in front of 5,000 great fans every night. May can’t come soon enough.”


Scarpetta originally signed with Southern Illinois in mid-June of 2008 following his college career at Bellevue (Neb.) University. As a rookie, he put together a nine-game winning streak, the second longest such streak in team history. He is 8-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 17 starts at Rent One Park. Despite his experience, he will not turn 24 until May 16.

Southern Illinois Miners RYAN BIRD is BACK FOR 2010

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that their, ace Ryan Bird, will return in 2010 for his third season with the ballclub. The 25-year-old righty is the team’s all-time leader in wins, strikeouts and innings pitched

“I’m excited to be back,” Bird said. “The fans in Southern Illinois are great, and if you look at the offseason moves, we should have a good team and a good season this year.”

He signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization following the 2008 season and spent that offseason pitching for the Cardinals winter league team in Columbia. He rejoined the Miners after he was released during the final week of Cardinals spring training.

Bird won his first six decisions in 2009 to extend his personal winning streak to a Frontier League record 17 games. Despite battling fatigue from a busy offseason, he still posted nine wins, a 3.48 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 106 innings as the Miners finished the season one game out of a playoff spot.

Brendan Akashian Returns to Miners for 2010

From Baseball in Illinois News Sources

The Southern Illinois Miners have announced that catcher Brendan Akashian will return to the Miners for the 2010 season after spending 2009 with the Philadelphia Phillies single-A affiliate in Lakewood, N.J.


The left-handed hitting catcher led the Frontier League in on-base percentage in 2008 with a .442 mark as he helped the Miners to a playoff berth. He joined the team in June 2008 following his college career at Holy Cross University and made an immediate impact. In 69 games with the Miners in 2008 he hit .302 with 13 doubles, a triple and a home run. His .302 average ranked in the top 20 and third best among rookies in the league.