Beach Bums sign top pitcher
February 20, 2006 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release
TRAVERSE CITY, MI, February 20, 2005: The Traverse City Beach Bums announced today that they have added Tony Casoli to the team's pitching staff for the 2006 season.
Casoli went 8-6 last season for the Richmond Roosters with a 3.89 ERA. He tied for fifth in the Frontier League with 20 starts, completed three games and was eighth in the league with 134.1 innings pitched.
The right-hander started the season on fire going 7-2 through July 20th with a 3.12 ERA. Hitters had to earn their way on against Casoli in 2005 as he allowed a scant 1.61 walks per nine innings.
"Tony is a pitcher with outstanding control and that's how you win baseball games," said Traverse City manager Jeff Isom. "If you don't let guys get on base for free, you minimize the damage that hits can do. Tony has exhibited a consistent ability to do that throughout his collegiate and professional career."
Casoli's first Frontier League season was in 2004. He started with the Springfield/Ozark Ducks (Springfield, MO) before coming to the Roosters in a July transaction. The New Jersey native went 3-3 for Richmond in 2004 with a 4.53 ERA. Once again showing good command of the strike zone, he only walked 15 batters in 57.2 innings.
The 24-year old pitched for the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes in college. During his collegiate career with the Hurricanes, Casoli was dominant, being named a 2003 NAIA All-American. In two years at Georgia Southwestern, he went 17-3 with a 2.19 ERA and completed 14 of the 25 games he started. Once more exhibiting excellent control, Casoli only walked 25 batters in 168.1 collegiate innings, a ratio of just 1.34 walks per nine innings pitched. For the Hurricanes, he had eight complete games in which he did not walk a batter.
The Traverse City Beach Bums will kick off their inaugural season on May 24, 2006 with a game against the defending Frontier League champions, the Kalamazoo Kings. Individual game tickets will go on sale on March 16th at Wuerfel Park, located at Chums Corner on US-31 South. The Traverse City Beach Bums can be reached at 231-943-0100 or online at www.traversecitybeachbums.com.
Frontier League Stories from February 20, 2006
- former Otter Jason Radwan signs with Seattle Mariners - Evansville Otters
- RiverHawks' Ciarrachi joins Cubs' baseball-operations staff - Rockford RiverHawks
- Beach Bums sign top pitcher - Traverse City Beach Bums
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