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ApL Princeton WhistlePigs

Princeton Rays update

April 23, 2006 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Princeton WhistlePigs News Release


Professional baseball is now in bloom across the United States as both the major league teams and all full-season minor league teams now have almost four weeks under their belts and of course that means the 2006 Appalachian League season opener on June 21 is right in front of us. The weather is now turning the grass at Hunnicutt Field a rich green and now is a great time for you to take a few minutes with this latest edition of "Raywatch," the official monthly e-mail newsletter of the Princeton Devil Rays. In the past, April has always been one of our readers favorite issues as they find out who is playing where in 2006 among our alumni and we will not disappoint you in this newsletter either on that subject. Tune in now for the news of your favorite team, the Princeton Devil Rays!!

OPENING NIGHT SUPERLATIVES: Several former P-Rays came out of the gate with a roaring rush as full-season minor league teams opened their seasons across the country on April 6. In AAA action, pitchers Jason Hammel (2002), Brian Stokes (1999), and Jason Cromer (1999-2001) combined for seven shutout innings as part of Durham's 8-0 opening night win over Norfolk. Catcher Shawn Riggans (2001) crushed a homer in the same game. The AA Montgomery Biscuits featured three former 2002 P-Rays with multi-hit games in their opener. Infielder Elliot Johnson was 3-5 with a double and one run scored, new third baseman Wes Bankston powered a double and a homer to go along with three RBI's, and first baseman Gabby Martinez went 3-4 with a homer also. Pitchers Mike Wlodarczyk (2005), Jason Cayton (2005), Chris Kelly (2004-05), and Billy Evers (2004) were all on the mound in Southwest Michigan's (low full-season A) Midwest League opener versus the Lansing Lugnuts. J.T. Hall (2004) stroked three hits in that game.

MULTI-FEATURED WEBSITE: Have you visited the new P-Rays website yet? There have been many new features at www.princetondevilrays.com that have been added over the past month. The site features an online souvenir store, where you can shop for almost 60 additional items branded with the P-Rays' logo that you will not be able to find in our souvenir stand at Hunnicutt Field. Also, be sure to read the Q & A sections with past Princeton heroes, including current Tampa Bay pitcher Seth McClung. Be sure to take a moment and answer the poll question located in the bottom right hand corner of the site's opening page. There will be new poll questions inserted periodically.

PLASTIC COMES TO PRINCETON: For the first time in Princeton's 19-year franchise history, the team is now equipped to accept all major credit cards for ticket & souvenir orders. This will be especially helpful with phone orders from out of the area.

P-RAYS ON RADIO: For the sixth consecutive year, all P-Rays' away games in 2006 can be heard live locally on WAEY-1490AM and on the World Wide Web. We ask you to join us in welcoming Rich Bogard aboard as the team's radio play-by-play announcer for 2006. Rich is from Wheeling, West Virginia and has an extensive broadcasting background in all sports in the state's northern panhandle area and also has been the voice of many sports previously at the University of California (PA). He will also be working in pressbox operations when the team is at home. The P-Rays are also proud to announce that a selected number of the team's away games will also be broadcasted live to other areas of southern West Virginia over C-92 FM radio in Mullens, WV as part of the P-Rays' expanding radio network.

ADDITIONS TO 2006 ON-FIELD STAFF: The P-Rays also would like you to join us in welcoming to our on-field staff Jason Good and Ryan Denlinger, who will fill the roles of team athletic trainer and clubhouse manager respectively. Visit our website at www.princetondevilrays.com to see pictures of them and to learn more about their backgrounds.

PRINCETON RAYS BASEBALL CALENDARS: We would like to thank those of you that purchased birthday/anniversary lines on the "Friends of Princeton Devil Rays" baseball calendar. The calendars are scheduled for delivery in late May and for those who did not purchase lines, there will be additional calendars for purchase at $5.00 each. These calendars are dated from June 1, 2006 to May 31, 2007 and are filled with many full-color pictures of the great players in Princeton's baseball history. These also should be considered as a great reference piece for you to keep up with all the birthdays and anniversaries of your fellow P-Rays' fans.

APRIL 12 HOME RUN CLUB-CALIFORNIA STYLE: Two former P-Rays enjoyed big days as part of Visalia's (Tampa Bay's high-A full season affiliate) 17-15 California League slugfest victory over the Bakersfield Blaze. Shortstop Reid Brignac (2004 P-Ray) launched three homers and batted in eight runs while outfielder Shaun Cumberland (2003) clubbed two homers.

EARLY PEEK-GOODIES AND GIVEAWAYS: The front office staff of the P-Rays are putting the finishing touches on the team's 2006 promotional schedule but a visit in advance to the team's website at www.princetondevilrays.com will make you want to get out your day planner and start penciling in dates that you want to be sure to be at the ballpark. Find out right now on the website when dates are scheduled for giveaways of P-Ray logo items such as (among others) reversible floppy hats, t-shirts, Mayberry Deputy bobblehead dolls (a new pose for 2006), tie dye baseballs, team pictures, four 5" x 7" mini-posters, softee baseballs, license plates, "teamstones," seat cushions, and finally the item you have long been waiting for: a bobblehead doll of our mascot, Roscoe the Princeton Ray Rooster!!

COLLEGE BASEBALL TOURNEY HERE: A weekend of high-level NCAA Division II baseball is in store for you the weekend of May 5-7 as once again Hunnicutt Field will host seven of the ten games in the annual West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championship baseball playoffs. Six teams will journey to Mercer County to do battle for the league crown. This tourney features powerful offense and sterling defense while once again being the event that always reminds us that professional baseball in the region is not far behind. Be on the lookout for more details as the tourney gets closer.

WHO'S WHERE IN RAYSLAND: With the beginning of the 2006, here for you is a list of who's where with former P-Rays in the Tampa Bay organization as of Opening Day, 2006--TAMPA BAY: Rocco Baldelli, Carl Crawford, Jonny Gomes, Seth McClung, Luis Ordaz, and Doug Waechter; DURHAM (AAA): Jason Cromer, Jason Hammel, Carlos Hines, Shawn Riggans, Chris Seddon, and Brian Stokes; MONTGOMERY (AA): Wes Bankston, Chairon "Shaggy" Isenia, Elliot Johnson, Gabby Martinez, Tony Peguero, Jason Pridie, Jeff Ridgway, and Juan Salas; VISALIA (High A-Full Season): Brian Allen, Josh Arhart, Reid Brignac, Shaun Cumberland, Nick Debarr, Kris Dufner, Jose De la Cruz, James Houser, Brandon Mann, and Jason St. Clair; SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN (Low A-Full Season): Ryan Bethel, Drew Bigda, Jason Cayton, Chris Cunningham, Wade Davis, Eddie De la Cruz, Matt Devins, Greg Dupas, Billy Evers, Chris Kelly, Matt Larson, Christain Lopez, Craig Markel, John Matulia, Jacob McGee, Brandon Rousseve, Hunter Vick, and Mike Wlodarczyk,

WHO'S (ELSE)WHERE: Several former Princeton players dotted rosters of other major league organizations at the beginning of the 2006 season and included ARIZONA: Kevin Jarvis at AAA Tucson; CINCINNATI: Jason Standridge at AAA Louisville; FLORIDA: Buddy Carlyle, Paul Hoover at AAA Albuquerque, and Frank Moore at AA Carolina; HOUSTON: Brandon Backe at Houston, Roberto Giron at AAA New Orleans, and Jared Sandberg at AA Round Rock; LOS ANGELES ANGELS: Travis Schlichting at A Cedar Rapids; NEW YORK METS: Victor Zambrano at New York, and Bartolome Fortunato at AAA Norfolk; NEW YORK YANKEES: Mark Corey, and Jose "Enger" Veras at AAA Columbus; OAKLAND: Joe Kennedy at Oakland; PHILADELPHIA: Talley Haines at AA Reading; PITTSBURGH: Humberto Cota at Pittsburgh, and Yurendell Decaster at AAA Indianapolis; SAN DIEGO: Pete Laforest at AAA Portland; WASHINGTON: Dan Dement (playing for manager John Stearns) at AA Harrisburg.

CONCLUSION: Also, do not forget that good box seat locations are available at Hunnicutt Field for all 34 P-Rays' home games this summer and that our season ticket books have already arrived and are available for purchase. We are under two months to go and counting now so get focused as your P-Rays will be returning to Princeton soon.

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