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WCL BASEBALL Rogues slide into action Medford opens third season tonight against Seattle Cheney Studs Comment By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 28, 2015 at 8:04 PM By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 28, 2015 at 8:04 PM --> MEDFORD ROGUES WHO: Third-year collegiate wood-bat baseball team in the West Coast League. RADIO: ESPN (580-AM). FOR MORE: Visit medfordrogues.com ... » Read more X MEDFORD ROGUES WHO: Third-year collegiate wood-bat baseball team in the West Coast League. RADIO: ESPN (580-AM). FOR MORE: Visit medfordrogues.com UP NEXT: Seattle Cheney Studs at Medford Rogues, 6:35 tonight at Harry & David Field. » Social News Ready or not, the time has finally come for the Medford Rogues to again take to Harry & David Field. As is always the case for collegiate wood-bat summer league franchises, everything will be a work in progress as the Rogues fit new pieces into the puzzle over the coming weeks but that process doesn’t dampen the spirits of those involved with the third-year West Coast League team. Fresh into Medford on Wednesday night, Rogues manager Josh Hogan was as upbeat as ever about getting back into the swing of things for another summer adventure. “I’m really excited for this summer,” Hogan said Thursday. “I think it should be a good group. It should be a fun and competitive summer.” Medford kicks off its campaign at 6:35 tonight with the opening game of a three-game nonleague series against the Seattle Cheney Studs. Saturday’s game also starts at 6:35 p.m. and includes a post-game fireworks show, while the series concludes with a 1:05 p.m. start Sunday. After this weekend, the Rogues will play a final nonleague home game against the Klamath Falls Gems next Thursday before opening the WCL season on the road June 5-7 against the Walla Walla Sweets. Medford’s WCL home opener is June 8 against Klamath Falls. “The buzz is in the air, the field looks great and I’m just enjoying seeing the player’s eyes pop open when they finally are seeing the platform they’re going to be playing on this summer,” said first-year Rogues General Manager Ian Church. The Rogues finished among the WCL leaders in paid attendance for a second year in a row last year and used a number of record achievements by Rogues players to again challenge for a berth in the playoffs. The Rogues averaged 1,387 fans in 27 dates to rank third out of 12 WCL teams in 2014 and finished third in the WCL South Division at 26-28, which was the seventh-best record overall. Medford reached the WCL playoffs in its debut season and Hogan is hoping to restore some of the intangibles from that squad on this year’s bunch. “We’re looking to get back to that team, family culture,” he said. “It’s really about playing hard-nosed baseball and letting it all out there on the field for each other.” Besides Hogan, the Rogues return pitching coach Jeff Lyle and assistant coach Aaron Nielsen, as well as a handful of players off last year’s roster that expect to trickle into Southern Oregon over the coming weeks. Chief among those expected returners include Rogues record holders Nathan Etheridge (62 hits, 181 at-bats, 11 doubles, three triples), Chris DeVito (11-game hitting streak) and Jackson Bertsch (six wins). Fellow returner Ivan Dilda led the pitching regulars last year with a 1.94 ERA in 20 appearances spanning 37 innings. Also returning is Gonzaga utility player Levi Pereira and Lane Community College pitcher Jamie Flynn, who will be joined by former Ashland High teammate Ethan Schlecht. For this weekend’s series, Hogan said he expects to have around 19 players available, with as many expected to arrive by the middle of June. “The quality of players that we have coming in are, at least on paper, they look legit,” said Hogan, who is also an assistant coach at Lane Community College in Eugene. “They should compete, especially with the guys we have coming back I’m very excited about.” Many of the players on hand for the first few weeks of the season are considered 10-day contract players, who have a chance to show what they can do before the regular contract players arrive. It’s this group that often can make or break a season because teams don’t want to find themselves in a huge hole early with only four WCL playoff bids to be doled out. “The 10-day guys are going to get a good shot to show us their skills and what they bring to the team,” said Hogan, “and we’ll get a fair shot to evaluate them. That’s the great thing about this early schedule.” In several instances, a 10-day player has gone on to become a featured part of the Rogues’ rotation during the summer. Most notable among those players has been Spencer Smith, who wasn’t expected to be among the starters back in 2013 but made a great impression and wrapped up his two-year Medford career with several team records last summer. “I just hope to get a good fan experience and see baseball played the way it’s supposed to be played,” Church said of his early season expectations. “Our pitchers are going to fill up the strike zone and let the defense play, and our hitters are going to attack the ball and move guys over when the situation is there.” “Regardless of whether we win or lose,” added Church, “what we want to make sure we’re doing is respecting the game and providing the kind of fan experience that will make Southern Oregon proud.” Medford will boast a 33-game home schedule, with single-game ticket prices range from $6 to $11 per ticket. The 33-game home schedule begins May 29, with the WCL home opener on June 8 at Harry & David Field. For more information, visit the team website at medfordrogues.com, email [email protected] or call 541-973-2883. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, [email protected], www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry By Kris Henry Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kris Henry Mail Tribune Posted May. 28, 2015 at 8:04 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Fantasy Football Outlook for Cowboys Stars May. 29, 2015 at 2:26 am Fantasy Breakdown of Top Quarterbacks May. 24, 2015 at 2:51 am Fantasy Football Outlook for Patriots' Stars May. 22, 2015 at 6:05 am Fantasy Football Outlook for Eagles Stars May. 18, 2015 at 12:35 am Early Fantasy Football Rankings May. 17, 2015 at 4:22 am Fantasy Football Stars Likely to Disappoint May. 15, 2015 at 2:02 am Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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