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CLOUDY Temp: 58 °F Wind: WNW at 7 mph Saturday, June 1, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend May 30, 2002 Andrew Bartels, one of the key cogs in the RiverDogs' success last season, is slated to return to the amateur baseball team once again this summer after a standout collegiate season at Willamette. Armed and ready Wealth of returners, pitching talent has RiverDogs eager to open 2002 campaign By DON HUNT Mail Tribune In one year, the Southern Oregon RiverDogs have established stability, credibility and the best collection of amateur baseball talent in the Rogue Valley. Now, if only they could generate a few more sponsorships and a little bigger fan base, manager John White and general manager Jim McAbee would be ready to call the undertaking a rousing success. The RiverDogs, a collection of college-aged players that by and large have local roots, launch their second season Friday at Miles Field with a 5:30 p.m. doubleheader against the Redding (Calif.) Spirits. The team is set for a 62-game season, 24 more than a year ago, and has joined a league that comprises two teams from Eugene (Blue Sox and Nighthawks), one from Newport (Mudsharks) and one from the Corvallis area. The new league is called the Oregon Baseball Association. "I don’t think a lot of people realize the caliber of ball that these guys play," says White, whose team fashioned a 20-18 record last season. "We’ve got a couple Division I players, several other guys who are headed to Division I programs and a bunch of other very good college players. "Some of these guys are going to get their shot at pro ball in another couple of years." Leading returnees include outfielder Steve DeClerck, who topped the RiverDogs in batting average (.406), hits (52), runs (31), triples (5) and stolen bases (16) in 2001; pitcher/infielder Andy Bartels, who hit .398 with five doubles and 20 RBIs; infielder/outfielder Don Jenkins, who hit .387; pitcher/infielder Nate Mayben, who hit .349; first baseman Colby Gonzales, who hit .339; and catcher Caleb Robbins, who hit .330. The vast majority of the team is back from its inaugural campaign. "I think we’ve got excellent talent," White says. "Last year we had a lot of kids who were coming off redshirt freshman years in college or seasons where they were getting maybe 10 or 20 at-bats. What I’m seeing is that these guys are bigger, stronger and quicker. "The season they had with us last summer helped them get playing time on their college teams. They’re just a lot more mature." White is looking for big seasons from the aforementioned players and also has high hopes for pitcher/third baseman Brent Foster and second baseman Dan Bruce, who both starred for Eastern Arizona Junior College this spring. Bruce set a single- season team record for doubles (19) and was among the top 10 hitters in the Arizona JC ranks. Other players to watch are outfielder K.C. Rumrey, who earned first-team Cascade Conference honors at Western Baptist College in Salem this spring, and Pat Jolley, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound first baseman who recently earned a scholarship to Centenary, a Division I college in Shreveport, La. The pitching staff is solid, if unspectacular. Top returners include Foster, who was 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA last season; Steve Pergin, who was 2-2 with a 2.79 ERA; Mayben, who was 1-4 with a 3.12 ERA; and left-hander Jesse Stevenson. Pergin is coming off a fine spring at Pacific University in Forest Grove, where he had a 5-1 record and led the Northwest Conference in ERA until the final week of the season. Top newcomers on the hill include Cascade Christian High product Bryan Edwards and Roseburg High product and current Western Baptist pitcher John Zumwalt, a 6-1, 210-pound right-hander who might be the team’s hardest thrower. White is carrying a hefty 25-man roster, partly because some of the players have jobs and won’t be able to make all the games. "I’m hoping to give everyone 100 to 125 at-bats and the pitchers at least 30 innings," White says. "That’s similar to these guys getting another college season under their belts. "And that’s what this team is all about — giving local college guys an opportunity to play baseball in the summer in Medford." White is hopeful that the league will expand to eight teams in another year or two with the league champion heading to the National Baseball Congress World Series. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S