Victoria Seals Bringing Familiar Faces Back
March 31, 2010 - Golden Baseball League (GBL)
Victoria Seals News Release
Victoria, BC - The Victoria Seals announce that they have exercised second-year options on the contracts of ten players from the club's inaugural campaign. Josh Arhart, Brian Rios, Brett Flowers, Wilver Perez, Matt Kavanaugh, Chris Van Rossum, Chris Bodishbaugh, James Garcia, Javier Garcia and Aaron Trolia will all compete for a spot on the roster at May's spring training camp.
Arhart, who will also take on bench coach duties this season, returns to the Seals after leading the team with a .325 batting average one year ago. The 2009 All-Star also posted 22 doubles and 11 home runs during his second season in the Golden Baseball League.
Rios is also entering his third year in the GBL, after collecting a .319 batting average on the back of 79 hits in just 69 games. A 2008 league champion with the Orange County Flyers, the Santa Ana, California product currently holds the club record with five hits in a single game, coming on June 3, 2009 against his former team.
Flowers, who patrolled first base for the Seals last summer, will be back in a Victoria uniform this season after posting a third consecutive season with at least a .300 batting average. Finishing fourth on the team with 49 runs batted in, the 27-year-old only committed four errors in 76 games played in 2009.
Perez, a Golden Baseball League All-Star last year, finished his first stint in the league with 104 hits and a team-best 78 runs scored. The native of the Dominican Republic quickly gained a reputation as one of the top middle infielders in the league, and also earned a championship title in 2009 following a late-season trade to the Calgary Vipers.
Kavanaugh will return to the Seals this summer after his first full season in the Golden Baseball League. The University of the Pacific and San Francisco State graduate made appearances behind the plate, on first base and in the outfield for the club last year, while posting a career-high 44 hits - including his first-ever home run.
Van Rossum, who appeared in just 47 games for Victoria in 2009 due to a season-ending wrist injury, will return as a veteran outfield presence for the club this year. The Concord, California native and former Olympian also holds the distinction of being the first batter in Seals history.
Bodishbaugh will also take the mound for his second season with the organization, following an impressive first year in the Golden Baseball League. The right-handed pitcher posted a 4-1 record, while finishing second on the team with 60 strikeouts and notching a 5.91 earned runs average.
James Garcia, a mid-season signing for the Seals, will return to Victoria to compete in his ninth season of professional baseball. Seeing 52.1 innings of work in 2009, the Torrance, California product compiled a 3-5 record while posting an 8.25 earned runs average.
Javier Garcia will also be back in 2010, returning to Victoria's pitching staff following an All-Star season last summer. The 26-year-old was a dominant closer in the Golden Baseball League through the first half of the campaign, finishing the year with a 4.63 earned runs average through 35 innings pitched.
Trolia, who once served as Seals' field manager Bret Boone's bat boy in Seattle, will work the mound once again this summer. The Clemson and Washington State University graduate returns for his third full season of Independent play after notching 41 strikeouts in just 41.2 innings pitched last year.
With the spring training schedule set to be released next week, field manager Bret Boone is anticipating a full camp of hopefuls, all competing for a spot on the 2010 Seals roster.
"This is not going to be an easy team to make by the time May rolls around," said Boone. "I expect all of the guys attending to play their hearts out, and only the top 22 will make the cut."
The 2010 Victoria Seals season kicks off May 21 when the brand new Na Ikaika Koa Maui arrive at Royal Athletic Park. Season tickets for the 2010 campaign are on sale, available through the Victoria Seals office. Call (250) 480-4487 for more information, or to book your seat today!
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