MWL1 Beloit Sky Carp

Minnesota Twins a Hit With Sold Out Crowd

Published on February 2, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Beloit Sky Carp News Release


With a sold out crowd on hand at the Country Club of Beloit, fans were treated to Minnesota Twin legends Tony Oliva and Jim Rantz, as well as a local Janesville native Terry Ryan. Representing the future of the Twins was former Snapper and current Minnesota starter Brian Duensing, while Snappers Pitching Coach Gary Lucas and new Hitting Coach Tommy Watkins filled out the star studded roster.

The night started off with fans mingling with all six speakers as they shared memorable moments and brought unique items for them to sign. Emcee Rick West kicked off the program by sharing some of his Midwest League experiences as a broadcaster for the Snappers affiliation for 13 years.

West introduced the Snappers GM Jeff Vohs as he presented the second annual "Stateline Team of the Year" and "Stateline Player of the Year" awards. Hononegah (IL) High School senior Ryan Scarpetta has played varsity baseball in every season since he was a freshman, taking the field for the Indians as a starting pitcher and corner infielder. Scarpetta has signed a baseball scholarship to play at Valparaiso (IN) University starting in the fall. In his last two years at Hononegah, Scarpetta combined to hit.377 with 78 RBI's and slammed 11 home runs, while only striking out 20 times in 265 plate appearances.

The Janesville (WI) Craig Cougars, led by head coach Victor Herbst, finished the 2009 season with a record of 21-6-1 overall. They finished second in the Big Eight Conference with a 13-5 record, and qualified for the Wisconsin High School State Tournament for the first time since 2001.

The program continued as Gary Lucas took the podium and talked about the importance of the instructional league to the younger athletes and how honored he was to be asked by the Twins to be a part of that experience. After Lucas, his counter part hitting coach Tommy Watkins commented on how he is looking forward to working with young prospects and spending his first season as a hitting coach in Beloit.

Minnesota Twins Farm Director Jim Rantz gave the fans an update on the Twin's new home Target Field and the acquisition of former Chicago White Sox Jim Thome as well as the updating fans on the Twin's farm system. Rantz was very grateful for the connection the Twins have with the Snappers and looks forward to continuing the partnership for the future.

Next Terry Ryan took to the stage along with Twins starter Brian Duensing and Twins great Tony Oliva. In an interview format with Ryan, Duensing discussed his Tommy John surgery, playing in the College World Series, playing in the 2008 Olympics, his playoff start for the Twins this past fall and his enthusiastic hunting trip with Watkins during the off-season. Tony Oliva entertained the crowd with stories about his playing days in the Major Leagues, his experiences coming to America from Cuba and pointing out the importance of practice for the younger baseball fans in attendance.

The evening wrapped up with all special guests from the Twins organization participating in a Question and Answer Session with the crowd.

Opening Day for the 29th season of professional baseball in the Stateline Area is Thursday, April 8th as the Snappers travel to Iowa to take on the Cedar Rapids Kernels. The team's home opener is Sunday, April 11th with first pitch coming at 4pm. Contact the Snappers office today at 608-362-2272 to get your season tickets.

Check out the Beloit Sky Carp Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from February 2, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central