Opening day is Wednesday

May 19, 2005 - Frontier League (FL)
Mid-Missouri Mavericks News Release


The temperatures are beginning to heat up in Mid- Missouri, and coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, the start to the Mavericks' 2005 season is just days away. The ball club encountered their first week of four, five, and sometimes six-hour practices on the green pastures of Taylor Field, where the Mavericks will host 47 regular season games. Many of these lengthy practice sessions included intra-squad scrimmages. Manager Jim Gentile, and assistant coaches Thomas "Wakes" Waelchli and Pedro Baez used these competitive scrimmages to evaluate over 35 different ballplayers, several of which will be sent home before Wednesday's season opener against River City.

As expected, the eleven returning Mavericks have a leg up on their new teammates. Offensively, 1B Thomari-Story Harden, who blasted 11 home runs in just 48 games last season, looks to compile a monster 2005 campaign. Other hitting stars include 3B/OF Brent Metheny, and 2B Dusty Hillman, who could be cemented as a fixture atop Gentile's batting order. RHP Steve Soja, who logged 88.1 innings of work last season, leads the crop of returning Mid-Mo hurlers. Other potential starters include righty Danny Shuck(5-2, 3.96 ERA) and fellow RHP Mark Mueller(1- 1, 2.70 ERA). Several newcomers have made a major impact in just a few short weeks of practice. 23-year old South Carolina native Ashley Farr hopes to fill the Mavericks' void at shortstop with his terrific speed and raw ability to hit to all fields. Also, youngsters like 2B Tom Syska and 3B Greg Buscher have combined productivity at the plate with efficiency in the field. On the hill, right-hander David Nieto stole the show Tuesday with big-league movement on his two-seam fastball and slider. And while southpaws are a scarcity on Mid-Mo's roster, Ryan Bensch and Frontier League second-round pick Matt Williams have displayed a solid arsenal of pitches.

The Mavericks' will use the next few days for fine tuning, particularly in the areas of fielding and base running, both which plagued the team during the 2003 and 2004 campaigns. However, this team employs a strong nucleus of players, and with the right combination of veterans and newcomers, the dark days of past Mid-Missouri Mavericks baseball could soon be replaced by sunnier ones. Wouldn't that go hand in hand with the rising pre-summer temperatures?

Exhibition Game - Travellin' to Evansville

The Mavericks are travelling to Evansville, Indiana on Saturday, May 21st for an exhibition game against the Evansville Otters. The Mavericks have only beaten the Otters once in their two seasons in mid- Missouri. Last season Evansville finished in second place in the Frontier League's East Division.

The Mavericks' coaching staff will be making their first round of cuts on the morning of Friday, May 20th - knocking the roster down to approximately 28 players. The staff hopes the exhibition game against the Otters will provide a good measuring stick for those players that are 'on the fence.'

Be sure to check out www.midmomavs.com to see how the Mavs fared in their exhibition game!

Mavericks Booser Club Information

The Mid-MO Mavericks Booster Club is an essential part of the process of providing fun, action and sports for the community through its outreach to the Mavericks players. The Booster Club is an independent organization that works with the approval, support and cooperation of the Mavericks team management in order to help the players on the team throughout the season.

The Mavericks Booster Club will hold their next meeting at 11:30 on May 21 at the Coliseum Bistro. Also, the Booster Club will be helping with the Host Family Introduction Picnic on May 23 at 6:00 at the Taylor Ballpark Pavilion.

New Mavs' Gear...Ticket Information

The New Mavericks T-Shirts and Hats are here! We've compiled some new styles to go along with your familiar favorites. Kid's shirts and hats are available too! Check out www.midmomavs.com soon to see the latest gear!

Mavericks' game-day tickets will officially go on sale on Friday, May the 20th. And new for 2005...we've made tickets available for purchase on-line. Simply click on the link below for more information.

And it's your last chance to purchase Season Tickets and the Chesapeake Bagel Baker's Dozen Mini-Plan! Don't miss out on your chance to see thirteen games for just $75!



Frontier League Stories from May 19, 2005


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.

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