MIDWEST COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
2011 VS.
OFFICIAL PROGRAM
League Commissioner Don Popravak
Phone Number (312) 420-1268
commissioner@midwestcollegiateleague.com
Website
www.midwestcollegiateleague.com
Midwest Collegiate League Mission Statement
The Midwest Collegiate League will provide and promote premier summer collegiate baseball to communities across the Midwest in a family-oriented, affordable environment which will be held at the highest levels of integrity while operating in a socially responsible manner. The MCL is a summer collegiate baseball league that includes players who are enrolled in college during the academic year and have remaining eligibility. Our baseball players compete at some of top baseball programs in the nation and they come to the MCL to play with wood bats, improve their skills and perform in front of Major League Baseball scouts and local fans. Our teams are part of the local fabric of the community and encourage various groups and businesses to gather at the ballpark for events that promote their business and their support of our teams. Affordable tickets, concessions and merchandise mean families can enjoy MCL baseball for far less than a Major League Baseball game. Our players are approachable and enthusiastic role models who live either with their respective families or with host families during the season. Midwest Collegiate League baseball is what baseball is meant to be for Midwest communities large and small.
CONTENTS THE 2011 MIDWEST COLLEGIATE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERES JULY 30 - JULY 31, 2011
OFFICIAL PROGRAM Page 3 The 2011 Will County CrackerJacks
In its franchise-opening season, the CrackerJacks exceeded expectations. Re-live the club’s journey to the 2011 regular season MCL Championship and its sweep of the Chicago Zephyrs in the MCL Semifinals, glance at game-by-game results of the 2011 season and take a look at the CrackerJacks’ 2011 regular season and postseason statistical leaders.
Page 15 The 2011 Rockford Foresters
After splitting the first two games of the MCL Semis with the Southland Vikings, the Foresters rallied to win the third game of the series at Marinelli Field to advance to the MCL Championship Series. Look back at the Foresters’ classic series with the Vikings, game-by-game results of the 2011 MCL season and take a glance at the Foresters’ 2011 postseason statistical leaders.
Page 19 2011 Team Rosters
Meet Vern Hasty’s Will County CrackerJacks and Rene Valdez’s Rockford Foresters.
Page 21 Head-to-Head
The CrackerJacks and Foresters met 12 times during the 2011 regular season. After losing two out of the first three games to the CrackerJacks, the Foresters went on to win the season series 7-5.
Page 22 Behind the Scenes
View the front office staffs of the Will County CrackerJacks and the Rockford Foresters, production information of the Official Midwest Collegiate League Championship Program and the mission statement of the Will County CrackerJacks.
A Wild Ride
In the spring of 2011, 27 ballplayers from eight different states came together. By summer’s end, they were champions. By Mike Garabedian
The CrackerJacks loosen up before they play their first game in franchise history on June 3, 2011.
CrackerJacks’ players celebrate after winning the MCL regular season championship on July 24.
MCL Standings through June 2011 Pl Team 1. Foresters 2. Vikings 3. CrackerJacks 4. Zephyrs
W-L 12-7 8-6 9-7 3-10
GB --- 1.5 1.5 6.0
Pct. .632 .571 .563 .231
It all started from scratch. No players, no manager, no website, no tradition, no staff, no ballpark, not even a team name. But on a cold December evening in 2010, former Joliet JackHammers General Manager Jamie Toole created the foundation of a new baseball team in Will County, Ill. As the days turned to weeks, the new club began accepting entries for what it would be called. The thought process was simple: get as many people in the local community involved as possible. This wasn’t going to be a ballclub that people would be able to ignore. It was to be Will County’s hometown team. But even as Toole continued to accept entries for his new team’s name, there was still a daunting question that lingered throughout the chilly Chicago winter. Sure, the team can have a name, but what is a baseball team without players and a manager? If Will County’s new team was going to have a chance at competing in 2011, Toole needed to act fast and acquire talented collegiate ballplayers. Then, in late January 2011, Toole got the good news he was searching for when he got a commitment
June 2011 Highlights
June 3: ‘Jacks win franchise opener 12-6 over the Chicago Zephyrs June 4: Scott Hull hits the first home run in CrackerJacks franchise history June 7: ‘Jacks play Chicago Bandits in exhibition game June 11: ‘Jacks play its first home games at Wayne King, Jr. Field June 11: Conor Szczerba scores the game-winning run in first walk-off win June 26: ‘Jacks score five times in the ninth to rally and beat the Elgin Aces
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from a tall, right-handed pitcher from nearby Tinley Park, Ill. When the paperwork was finally signed on Jan. 25, the new ballclub in Will County finally had its first player in franchise history: University of Wisconsin-Parkside product Ryan Windt. Despite the much-needed victory for Toole, the last thing on his mind was slowing down. A roster was needed, and time was sparse. The new days came quickly, but as the calendar turned to February, so did new acquisitions. On Feb. 8, Toole acquired another WisconsinParkside pitcher in right-hander Mike Nicks and then he landed talented College of DuPage outfielder Domenic Biagini on Feb. 28. By the time March came around, a 2011 season became even more realistic. Then, it happened. After over three month’s worth of team name entries were collected, Toole and his family had come across one that stuck out. It was a name that described the type of ballplayer every manager desires. On March 1, 2011, the new baseball team in Will County finally had its name. They were the CrackerJacks. Contrary to popular belief, the background of the “CrackerJacks” name has nothing to do with the famous treat sold in ballparks all over the United States. Instead, the name stems from an old saying that describes someone excellent of their kind. If someone described a ballplayer by saying “he was a
Final 2011 MCL Standings Pl Team 1. CrackerJacks 2. Foresters 3. Vikings 4. Zephyrs
W-L 23-12 22-13 16-17 6-24
GB --- 1.0 6.0 14.5
On Jan. 25, 2011, Ryan Windt became the first player to sign with the Will County CrackerJacks.
real CrackerJack,” they’d be implying that he was a top-notch player, someone who has the skills and determination to be successful. “It’s a breath of fresh air,” Toole said of the CrackerJacks. “It’s so refreshing to deal with kids who are just excited to have a place to play ball in the summer.” Toole came to the CrackerJacks after a decade-long run in professional baseball that included stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates and numerous Independent League teams. The goals that those players had in mind were far different than those of the fresh faces in the CrackerJacks organization. Sure, the ultimate goal for every player is to play in the major league. But for professional players, the focus was less on the actual sport and more on
Pct. .657 .629 .485 .200
external factors such as meal money and a new contract. For collegiate players, the goal is to get better and develop the necessary skills to succeed. As the word about the CrackerJacks spread throughout Will County, Toole was still working on finding a leader for his club. On March 16, he had his man. Vern Hasty became the first manager in CrackerJacks history on that day in March, eager to get back to coaching players who were willing to learn the fundamentals of the game to be successful. He had just completed a long season in Slovakia with the Trnava Angels in the summer of 2010 and although he saw some success with the European club, including a win over the Russian National Team in June 2010, he
July 2011 Highlights
July 7: ‘Jacks win marathon 19-16 game over the Southland Vikings July 13: Nine players represent CrackerJacks in MCL All-Star Game July 17: ‘Jacks beat Rockford 10-1 to split four-game series July 18: ‘Jacks beat Vikings in 8-6 come-from-behind thriller in Joliet July 22: ‘Jacks catch Rockford for first place for the first time since June 16 July 24: ‘Jacks sweep Zephyrs to win regular season MCL championship
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Vern Hasty (right) talks with outfielder Scott Hull (left) before a game.
felt it was time to come back to the United States to manage again. Hasty, a native of Kearney, Neb., brought years of managing experience at nearly all levels of collegiate baseball in addition to his international stint into the CrackerJacks’ inaugural season. “At first, I was content with just being able to play and maybe win a few ballgames in our first year,” Toole said. “But when we signed Vern, my outlook changed. I wanted to win the league.” “When I went over [to Europe], it was a little difficult to have to teach basic fundamentals of the game, like the hit-and-run, that [the European players] did not completely grasp,” Hasty said of his time in Europe. “The great thing about coaching a summer collegiate team is that there are a lot of quality players playing in college right now that really know how to play the game.” With the team roster developing and the manager now in place, Toole and Hasty decided to fill the roster with a slightly different ap-
CrackerJacks’ ace Steve Taylor finished the 2011 regular season a perfect 7-0.
proach: instead of building a club that consisted of only Illinois players, why not take it to the next level and go outside the state? When this decision was made in at the end of March, the CrackerJacks began signing new players on a daily basis. In late April, Toole signed Conor Szczerba, Colt Hankamer and Chris Noble from Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla. The three would become the nucleus of the CrackerJack infield for the majority of the regular season. In addition, Toole was able to acquire Oklahoma native Scott Hull, Kansas City, Kan., product Brandon Truitt and St. Charles, Mo., native Lendon Ehlmann. When the roster was finalized at the beginning of June, the CrackerJacks’ roster consisted of players from eight different states. One of those key out-of state acquisitions was Steve Taylor, who quickly emerged as the ace of the pitching staff even before the regular season began. Finally, on June 3, 2011, after six long months of hard work and
preparation, Hasty and the CrackerJacks took the field for the first time. The end result of game one was better than what anyone could have expected. Behind Taylor’s five shut-out innings, the CrackerJacks jumped out to an early 12-0 lead and never looked back. They won their first game in franchise history on that warm June evening over the Chicago Zephyrs at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Ill. The team cruised through the first week of the season and got off to an early 6-1 start. Of course, that record did not include a 6-2 June 7 loss to the Chicago Bandits, Chicago’s professional softball team, in a “Battle of the Sexes.” But over the next week, the CrackerJacks began to stumble and on June 19, the Zephyrs downed the CrackerJacks 11-8 to drop the Will County club to 7-6 overall and 6-6 in the Midwest Collegiate League. But it was after that game in Sugar Grove where one of the key moments in the season occurred.
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Disappointed with what he had Jacks, Jordan hit just witnessed, Toole addressed his .383, drove in 15 club in the parking lot at Waubon- runs and stole 13 see Community College. bases. In addition “Guys,” Toole said. “This is what he went 2-1 on the rock bottom feels like. It can only mound with just go up from here.” a 2.96 earned run At the time, no one knew how average. correct Toole ended up being with With all the his bold statement. right pieces in After the June 19 loss to the place, the CrackZephyrs, the CrackerJacks went erJacks entered a 10-4 over their next 14 ballgames to four-game series improve to 17-10 overall and 15-9 with Rockford just in the MCL. The streak propelled 2.5 games out of them up to second place in the first place. After The CrackerJacks invent a “human jump rope” before their July 21 game. league standings, just 2.5 games be- losing the first hind the first-place Rockford Forest- game of the series, come-from-behind 8-6 win over ers heading into the MCL All-Star the CrackerJacks won two out of the Southland Vikings on July 18, a Game, which featured nine Cracker- next three to split the series. The near-brawl in a July 21 win over the Jacks, including Taylor, Drew Sain, series finale saw the CrackerJacks Zephyrs and a dominating 12-5 win Windt, Nicks, Biagini, Truitt, Ehlrout the Rockford club 10-1. over the Foresters to tie them for the mann, Szczerba and Derek Thomas, The win to split the series division lead on July 22. on July 13. marked the second turning point of But still, the CrackerJacks were The Foresters took over sole the season for the Will County club. the underdogs to win the division possession of first place on June 16 No, the win did not propel them heading into the final day of the when they stunned the CrackerJacks into first place. But it did show the regular season on July 24. To win at Wayne King, Jr. Field by scoring Foresters that it was going to be a the regular season title and grab the four runs in the ninth inning after tight race to the finish. top seed in the playoffs, they needed trailing 3-0. Rockto sweep the Zephyrs in a doubleford would hold that header and then hope that Southfirst place position land knocked off Rockford. for over a month On a warm, damp Sunday eveafter that game but ning in Sugar Grove, the Crackthey were never erJacks’ took care of business and able to completely got the help they were looking pull away from the for as well, pounding the Zephyrs CrackerJacks, who 12-1 and 13-4 while the Vikings quietly hung around topped Rockford in extra innings. in the division It was a championship that sigstandings as July nified much more than just a top wore on. seed in the playoffs. It was a title One of the that was a result of perseverance major reasons the through the adversity of early seaCrackerJacks were son struggles, a championship for The CrackerJack dugout eagerly awaits the conclusion of the division-clincher. able to remain a general manager who only four within striking months earlier was still searching The 10-1 win over Rockford distance of Rockford was the July for a team name and a victory for a ended up being the first of seven 7 mid-season acquisition of utility manager who came back to coach straight wins for the CrackerJacks player Michael Jordan. to close out the regular season. The in the United States with one goal in In 15 games with the Crackermind: to win. winning streak featured a thrilling The 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Official Program
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2011 MIDWEST COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
Regular Season Champions
WILL COUNTY CRACKERJACKS 2011 SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Date Opponent Result Overall MCL June 3, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 12-6 1-0 1-0 June 4, 2011 vs. Elgin Aces W, 18-2 2-0 1-0 June 8, 2011 at Rockford Foresters W, 7-4 3-0 2-0 June 11, 2011 vs. Rockford Foresters L, 5-3 3-1 2-1 June 11, 2011 vs. Rockford Foresters W, 6-5 4-1 3-1 June 12, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 15-0 5-1 4-1 June 12, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 3-1 6-1 5-1 June 13, 2011 at Rockford Foresters L, 4-2 6-2 5-2 June 14, 2011 at Southland Vikings L, 10-0 6-3 5-3 June 16, 2011 vs. Rockford Foresters L, 4-3 6-4 5-4 June 17, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 7-6 7-4 6-4 June 18, 2011 at Rockford Foresters L, 4-3 7-5 6-5 June 19, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs L, 11-8 7-6 6-6 June 24, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 10-4 8-6 7-6 June 25, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 2-1 9-6 8-6 June 25, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings L, 5-3 9-7 8-7 June 26, 2011 at Elgin Aces W, 8-4 10-7 8-7 June 28, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs L, 7-3 10-8 8-8 June 29, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 12-6 11-8 9-8 June 30, 2011 vs. Des Plaines Patriots L, 6-1 11-9 9-8 July 1, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 6-5 12-9 10-8 July 6, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 3-0 13-9 11-8 July 7, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 19-16 14-9 12-8 July 9, 2011 at Rockford Foresters L, 2-1 14-10 12-9 July 10, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 4-3 15-10 13-9 July 10, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 4-2 16-10 14-9 July 11, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 3-0 17-10 15-9 July 14, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings L, 4-3 17-11 15-10 July 15, 2011 at Rockford Foresters L, 11-6 17-12 15-11 July 16, 2011 vs. Rockford Foresters W, 3-2 18-12 16-11 July 16, 2011 at Rockford Foresters L, 9-2 18-13 16-12 July 17, 2011 at Rockford Foresters W, 10-1 19-13 17-12 July 18, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 8-6 20-13 18-12 July 20, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 16-4 21-13 19-12 July 21, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 7-0 22-13 20-12 July 22, 2011 at Rockford Foresters W, 12-5 23-13 21-12 July 24, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 12-1 24-13 22-12 July 24, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 13-4 25-13 23-12 Playoff Schedule July 26, 2011 July 27, 2011 July 30, 2011 July 30, 2011 July 31, 2011 *If Necessary
vs. Chicago Zephyrs at Chicago Zephyrs
W, 9-5 W, 10-2
MCL Championship, Game 1 vs. Foresters MCL Championship, Game 2 at Foresters MCL Championship, Game 3* vs. Foresters
WP: Taylor WP: Sain
LP: Huenecke LP: Hudspeth
12:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Joliet, Ill. Rockford, Ill. Joliet, Ill.
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Final 2011 Will County CrackerJacks Regular Season Statistics
PITCHING (sorted by innings pitched) Name G GS W L SV ERA CG IP H R ER BB K BA Stephen Taylor 9 8 7 0 1 0.50 4 54 1/3 32 7 3 14 52 0.169 Drew Sain 6 6 5 0 0 3.30 2 43 2/3 34 22 16 20 39 0.210 Ryan Windt 7 7 2 3 0 3.92 3 43 2/3 38 28 19 24 29 0.233 Mike Nicks 8 5 2 3 0 3.86 0 28 32 30 12 12 25 0.286 Michael Jordan 3 3 2 1 0 2.96 1 24 1/3 22 8 8 17 15 0.259 Josh Kause 5 0 3 0 1 3.79 0 19 23 13 8 2 12 0.295 Tom Laudadio 4 3 0 1 0 4.11 0 15 1/3 12 8 7 13 15 0.203 Chris Noble 6 1 1 1 1 4.05 0 13 1/3 16 10 6 7 11 0.296 Benny Collesano 9 2 1 1 0 7.30 0 12 1/3 17 14 10 9 4 0.315 Brooks McDowell 4 1 0 1 0 2.79 0 9 2/3 5 9 3 8 6 0.147 Matt Pruneau 5 1 0 2 0 9.00 0 7 7 8 7 1 4 0.259 Anthony Buonamici 3 1 0 0 0 15.43 0 4 2/3 9 10 8 8 2 0.391 Chris Bell 4 0 0 0 0 2.25 0 4 6 2 1 4 3 0.333 Kyle Cahill 3 0 0 0 0 17.18 0 3 2/3 9 8 7 2 2 0.500 Derek Thomas 2 0 1 0 0 2.45 0 3 2/3 1 1 1 3 3 0.083 Conor Szczerba 2 0 1 0 0 0.00 0 3 2 0 0 0 2 0.182 Spencer Lehmann 3 0 0 0 1 6.00 0 3 2 2 2 3 0 0.167 Mark Zhorne 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1.000 Totals 38 38 25 13 4 3.63 10 292 2/3 269 180 118 147 224 0.242
HITTING (sorted by at-bats) Name G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP K SB AVG OBP SLG Conor Szczerba 38 132 38 45 5 2 0 25 16 7 6 19 0.341 0.436 0.409 Brandon Truitt 38 128 23 38 4 0 0 30 9 9 26 3 0.297 0.368 0.328 Domenic Biagini 38 119 25 42 8 2 1 25 13 6 22 15 0.353 0.436 0.479 Lendon Ehlmann 35 103 24 34 3 0 0 23 25 7 23 4 0.330 0.482 0.359 Derek Thomas 34 103 21 26 4 0 0 15 14 4 14 5 0.252 0.361 0.291 Colt Hankamer 34 97 18 24 4 1 0 14 12 3 24 7 0.247 0.348 0.309 Chris Noble 34 94 29 30 2 1 0 15 14 5 16 19 0.319 0.430 0.362 Steve Kedroski 25 80 12 15 1 0 0 10 11 6 13 2 0.188 0.327 0.200 Scott Hull 22 74 21 24 4 2 1 18 8 8 8 6 0.324 0.440 0.473 Steve Clancy 23 64 6 14 1 0 0 2 14 1 14 7 0.219 0.363 0.234 Michael Jordan 15 47 17 18 4 0 1 15 10 3 4 13 0.383 0.517 0.532 Mark Zhorne 16 32 7 11 0 0 0 6 7 0 5 1 0.344 0.462 0.344 Chris Bell 11 25 5 6 1 0 0 3 5 0 6 1 0.240 0.367 0.280 Rick Gazarek 6 18 2 4 1 0 0 2 0 0 4 1 0.222 0.222 0.278 Kyle Thomas 6 15 2 3 1 0 0 1 1 0 5 0 0.200 0.250 0.267 Dominic Denney 8 15 6 4 0 1 0 1 8 0 5 0 0.267 0.522 0.400 Spencer Lehmann 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0.500 0.500 0.500 Josh Kause 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 Nick Emmole 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 Matt Gustafson 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 Justin Westre 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.000 0.500 0.000 Anthony Buonamici 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.000 1.000 0.000 Totals 38 1158 258 340 43 9 3 208 170 59 198 103 0.294 0.406 0.354
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2011 Playoffs • Will County CrackerJacks Statistics
PITCHING (sorted by innings pitched) Name G GS W L SV ERA CG IP H R ER BB K BA Stephen Taylor 1 1 1 0 0 3.00 1 9 11 5 3 1 3 0.289 Drew Sain 1 1 1 0 0 3.00 0 6 5 2 2 5 4 0.227 Mike Nicks 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 Mark Zhorne 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0.250 Spencer Lehmann 1 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 Totals 2 2 2 0 0 2.50 1 18 17 7 5 7 9 0.243
HITTING (sorted by batting average) Name G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP K SB AVG OBP SLG Chris Bell 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.667 0.750 0.667 Conor Szczerba 2 9 4 5 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0.556 0.600 0.667 Michael Jordan 2 9 4 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 1 0.444 0.444 0.444 Brandon Truitt 2 10 2 4 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0.400 0.400 0.400 Lendon Ehlmann 2 8 2 3 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 1 0.375 0.500 0.500 Scott Hull 2 10 1 3 1 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0.300 0.300 0.400 Domenic Biagini 2 8 2 2 1 0 0 2 2 0 2 1 0.250 0.400 0.375 Steve Kedroski 2 8 1 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.250 0.333 0.250 Derek Thomas 1 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.250 0.250 0.250 Chris Noble 2 9 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.222 0.300 0.222 Totals 2 78 19 28 4 0 0 15 5 3 8 6 0.359 0.419 0.410 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Semifinals • July 26, 2011 Game 1 vs. Chicago Zephyrs • Oil City Stadium; Whiting, Ind.
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Zephyrs (0-1) 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 5 11 2 CrackerJacks (1-0) 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 3 x 9 11 3 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Semifinals • July 27, 2011 Game 2 vs. Chicago Zephyrs • Waubonsee Community College; Sugar Grove, Ill.
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E CrackerJacks (2-0) 4 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 17 0 Zephyrs (0-2) 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 2
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By Mike Garabedian
Taking Down the Zephyrs Leading 5-2 with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one, the Zephyrs had the CrackerJacks on the ropes. Then, the ‘Jacks caught a break, started hitting and never looked back. When Chicago Zephyrs relief pitcher George Heller induced a ground out from CrackerJacks outfielder Scott Hull in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one of the Midwest Collegiate League Semifinal Series, it seemed as though the top-seeded CrackerJacks, not the fourth-seeded Zephyrs, would be fighting for their playoff lives in game two. It would not have been a surprise to anyone who witnessed the game. The Zephyrs got an early unearned run off a CrackerJack error, pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning and did not trail for a single moment through the first six and a half frames. It was as if the Zephyrs were the top dogs in the Midwest Collegiate League, not the CrackerJacks. Zephyrs’ starter Mike Derby was missing bats with his devastating two-seam fastball and the CrackerJacks were making errors that were uncharacteristic of a team that ended the 2011 regular season on a seven-game winning streak. But perhaps the most important factor working for the Zephyrs in game one at Oil City Stadium was that CrackerJacks ace, Steve Taylor, who was unbeatable during the 2011 regular season, was proving that he was human.
“It was just one of those days where I knew I just didn’t have it,” Taylor said after game one. “[CrackerJacks’ catcher] Brandon [Truitt] came up to me in the second inning and said that he thought [Taylor’s] velocity was down,” said CrackerJacks manager Vern Hasty. “I was already starting to get a little worried at that point.” Through the first four innings of game one, the Zephyrs tagged Taylor for three runs on seven hits. Although only one Conor Szczerba scored three runs in game one for the ‘Jacks. of the three runs were earned, RBI double off the right field wall Taylor held his opponents to just and a single by Ryan Cowhey to seven total runs in 54 1/3 innings knock in Collins. pitched during the regular season. Heller had allowed just one hit He entered the playoffs with a 7-0 in his inning and two-thirds of relief record and a 0.50 earned run aver- before Conor Szczerba stepped to age. the plated for the CrackerJacks with “I really was concerned even one out in the bottom of the seventh before game one started,” Hasty inning. said. “Anytime you begin a series With no one on base, Szczerba in the playoffs, especially a threebunted up the third base line and game series, you essentially throw darted for first base. Zephyrs’ third your regular season records out. If baseman Ryan Payne watched the you happen to lose game one of the ball trickle toward the foul line only series, you’re backs are really against to watch it settle in the grass just the wall.” inches fair. Leading 3-2 in the top of the With Domenic Biagini now at seventh, the Zephyrs scored twice the plate, Szczerba broke for second more off of Taylor to take a 5-2 lead base and stole it easily. thanks to a Luke Collins two-out Suddenly, the CrackerJacks had
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hit a weak ground ball to Wehr, he was immediately involved in the action. In all likelihood, it would not have been a double-play opportunity for the Zephyrs and a run would have scored for the CrackerJacks. But after Brandon Truitt delivered key RBI singles in the late innings of game one. Wehr fielded the grounder cleanly, life. his throw to a covering Ryan Rich Biagini drew a walk to bring up Truitt, who represented the game’s ardson at second base went into left field, allowing both Biagini and Trutying run. itt to score to tie the game at five. With Szczerba dancing off of It was almost as if after that sinsecond base and Biagini on first, Truitt laced a single into left-center gle play, the Zephyrs finally realized field to score Szczerba and advance they were playing the regular season Biagini to third. The RBI single not champions of the Midwest Colleonly closed the CrackerJacks within giate League, a team they went 2-9 against during the regular season. two runs but also ended Heller’s night. Dan Huenecke came into the The following batter was Derek Thomas, who took a pitch in the game in relief of Heller. The first batter Huenecke faced dirt that bounced away from Zephyrs catcher Scott Blanchette and alwas Lendon Ehlmann. Huenecke promptly drilled Ehlmann in the left lowed Ehlmann to score from third. leg with a fastball to load the bases The 6-5 CrackerJack lead was their with only one out for Chris Noble. first of the day. When the four-run seventh inning finally came to a The CrackerJacks had threatclose, you could feel the life being ened the previous two innings. In sucked out of the rambunctious the fifth, they had runners on the corners with one away and then the Zephyrs squad. They never saw anbases loaded with two outs but only other lead for the remainder of the series. managed to score one run. In the In the eighth inning, Taylor sixth, they had runners on second
finally began to settle down, retiring the Zephyrs in order. In the bottom of the eighth frame, the CrackerJacks put the game away. Michael Jordan led off the inning with a single and then swiped second base. After Szczerba drew a one-out walk, Biagini gave Taylor and the CrackerJacks the insurance runs they so badly needed with a booming double to left-center to score both Jordan and Szczerba. Then, Truitt knocked home Biagini to put the CrackerJacks up 9-5. In the ninth, Taylor induced two ground outs to Szczerba and a line out to Jordan to end the game and give the CrackerJacks a dramatic victory. “It certainly wasn’t pretty,” Hasty said. “But when you’re in the playoffs, you take any win you can get and get out of the park and prepare yourself for the next game.” “We had it the whole way,” CrackerJacks pitcher Ryan Windt joked the next day. “I told the guys after the game I really wasn’t feeling great about our chances after we kicked the ball around a few times and weren’t swinging the bats like we had been throughout the summer,” Hasty said. “But when we finally did get it going, we never looked back. I was so proud of the way we persevered through that first game. It really showed me that you really can’t count us out of any game.” The CrackerJacks and third with nobody out but left Oil City Stadium in Heller managed to escape the inning Whiting, Ind., that night without allowing a run. with a 1-0 series lead and With only eight outs to work a chance to sweep the with, the CrackerJacks were running Zephyrs the following out of time in the bottom of the evening at Waubonsee seventh frame. Community College in Then, the CrackerJacks caught Sugar Grove, Ill., the folthe break they desperately needed. lowing evening. John Wehr entered the game The outcome of at second base in the seventh ingame two was never in ning for the Zephyrs to replace the Chris Noble’s late-inning grounder opened the door in game one. question. injured K.C. Wright. When Noble The 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Official Program
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The Will County CrackerJacks congratulate each other after their dominating game two series-clinching 10-2 win over the Chicago Zephyrs on July 27.
in four runs and two runs, respec In the first inning, the Cracker- runs on five hits in six innings. tively. Jacks scored four times on five hits, Mike Nicks, Mark Zhorne and The dominating victory was highlighted by Hull’s RBI double, Spencer Lehmann each threw a the first of four RBIs for the Crack- scoreless inning of relief to end the the CrackerJacks’ 11th win over the Zephyrs in 13 tries but more imerJacks’ centerfielder, Szczerba’s Zephyrs’ 2011 season. For Sain, it single to score Hull, an RBI single was his sixth win as a CrackerJack. portantly, it propelled them into the Midwest Collegiate League Chamby Truitt and Ehlmann’s double to He went a perfect 5-0 during the pionship Series against a team that score Truitt. Before the Zephyrs regular season. could catch their breath, they were “I had a great feeling going into just completed a thrilling threedown 4-0. game two,” Hasty said. “After game game series. Leading 4-1 in the second, the one, I made sure that I talked to the “Because we were able to sweep CrackerJacks scored three more guys about relaxing at the plate and our series and the other series went all the way to three games, I really runs off of Zephyrs’ starter Ryan swinging the bats like they did the like our chances in the finals,” Hasty Hudspeth and then tacked on three whole summer. Once we had the additional runs in the third off of early lead that we did [in game two], said. “Pitching is the name of the game and we have a chance to set reliever Lucas Geier. The 10-2 lead I knew we’d be fine.” up our rotation exactly the way we (the Zephyrs scored once more in The CrackerJacks scored their want to.” the second) was plenty for Crack10 runs in game two off of 17 hits erJacks’ starter Drew Sain. Both and did not commit an error (they Whether the sweep plays out to Sain and Geier held their opposition had three errors in game one). Ev- the CrackerJacks’ advantage in the scoreless for the remainder of the ery player in the CrackerJack start- MCL Championship Series remains game as the CrackerJacks cruised to ing lineup picked up at least one hit, to be seen, but the CrackerJacks have won nine consecutive games a convincing 10-2 victory. and six players recorded multi-hit Sain earned the win for the games. Hull and Jordan led the at- and they do not appear to be slowCrackerJacks by allowing just two tack by going 3-for-5 and knocking ing down any time soon. The 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Official Program 13
The 2011 MCL Semifinals CrackerJacks 2, Zephyrs 0 MCL Semifinals Team Comparison Statistics Category ‘Jacks Zephyrs Games 2 2 Wins 2 0 At-Bats 78 70 Runs 19 7 Earned Runs 14 5 Unearned Runs 5 2 Hits 28 17 Singles 24 10 Doubles 4 2 Triples 0 0 Home Runs 0 0 Runs Batted In 15 7 Errors 3 4 Walks 8 7 Strikeouts 8 9 Stolen Bases 6 1 Caught Stealing 1 2 Sac Fly 0 0 Batting Avg. 0.359 0.243 OBP 0.419 0.312 SLG 0.410 0.200 ERA 2.50 7.41 Top Series Performers • CrackerJacks Conor Szczerba .556 avg. (5-for-9), 4 R, 1 2B, .600 OBP Brandon Truitt .400 avg. (4-for-10), 4 RBI, 2 R, .400 OBP
CrackerJacks vs. Zephyrs Final 2011 Season Results Game 1 (at Sugar Grove): June 3, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 12, Zephyrs 6 Game 2 (at Joliet): June 12, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 15, Zephyrs 0 Game 3 (at Joliet): June 12, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 3, Zephyrs 1 Game 4 (at Sugar Grove): June 19, 2011 Final Score: Zephyrs 11, CrackerJacks 8 Game 5 (at Sugar Grove): June 28, 2011 Final Score: Zephyrs 7, CrackerJacks 3 Game 6 (at Joliet): June 29, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 12, Zephyrs 6 Game 7 (at Sugar Grove): July 1, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 6, Zephyrs 5 Game 8 (at Joliet): July 20, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 16, Zephyrs 4 Game 9 (at Joliet): July 21, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 7, Zephyrs 0 Game 10 (at Sugar Grove): July 24, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 12, Zephyrs 1
Scott Hull .300 avg. (3-for-10), 5 RBI, 1R, 1 2B
Game 11 (at Sugar Grove): July 24, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 13, Zephyrs 4
Top Series Performers • Zephyrs Mac Coffey .714 avg. (5-for-7), 2 R
Game 12* (at Whiting, Ind.): July 26, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 9, Zephyrs 5
Kyle Renaud .333 avg. (3-for-9), 2 R Ryan Cowhey .286 avg., 2 RBI, 1 2B
Game 13* (at Sugar Grove): July 27, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 10, Zephyrs 2 CrackerJacks win regular season series 9-2 CrackerJacks win postseason series 2-0 *MCL Playoffs
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By Mike Garabedian
Surviving the epic three-game set After a marathon regular season, the three-game sprint to the Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series between the Southland Vikings and Rockford Foresters was one for the ages. Ten years from now when people look back on the 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Playoffs, they will see a 2-1 Rockford Foresters series win over the Southland Vikings. But what will not be captured in the MCL record books is the excitement, the suspense and the unpredictability that took place from July 26-29, 2011. After Rockford took the season series 7-5 from Southland, a series that saw the two teams split the first six games, the two would meet again in the playoffs with a chance to play in the first Midwest Collegiate League Championship series. The Foresters came into the series searching for a shot at backto-back championships after winning the 2010 Great Plains Baseball League Championship. For the Vikings, they were looking to dash the hopes of a Rockford club for the second time in 2011. On the final day of the 2011 regular season (July 24), the Vikings knocked off the Foresters in extra innings to end the Foresters’ chance at a regular season MCL title. The series was essentially a tossup on paper. The Foresters were over .500 when they played the Vikings in Rockford and in Flossmoor, but its records were just 4-3 and 3-2, respectively. In game one (July 26) of the
series at Marinelli Field in Rockford, the two teams battled deep into the warm summer night. The game saw four lead-changes through the first eight innings. Leading 5-4 in the top of the ninth inning, the Foresters were one out from closing out the Vikings before third baseman Ian O’Connor doubled home Elliot Armstrong to tie the game. “It was a 3-2 count,” O’Connor said. “I was looking for something that was in the zone and I got a pitch I liked.” But the momentum built by Southland in the ninth inning was short-lived. In the bottom of the tenth inning, Dontrell Rush’s first pitch to Rockford’s Cyrus Wimberly was rocketed beyond the Viking outfielders. Wimberly raced around second base and tried to leg out a triple. The throw back to the infield got away and Wimberly trotted home to score the game-winning run. The 6-5 Rockford win put the Vikings on the brink of elimination. But in game two, the Vikings bounced back thanks to a masterful pitching performance by crafty left-hander Aaron Hauge. Hauge came into the game with a 4-2 overall record and delivered his finest performance of the 2011 season in his most critical start.
In a complete-game performance, Hauge struck out 18 Rockford hitters and led his team to a 4-2 win in Flossmoor. “I felt really good out there,” Hauge said. “I really wanted to beat the Foresters to force a game three. I basically just tried to stay ahead of the hitters and mix in my off-speed pitches when I needed to. I give a lot of credit to my team. They made some nice plays behind me and came up with some big hits.” The Vikings’ game two win set up a showdown in game three on July 29 at Marinelli Field. After two straight games filled with drama and suspense, game three lacked the excitement that the first two games possessed. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Foresters rallied for seven unanswered runs, including two in the fourth, four in the seventh and one in the eighth. Cyrus Wimberly earned the win for Rockford and Josh Negele took the loss for the Vikings. The 9-4 win was Rockford’s ninth victory over the Vikings in 2011. They finished 9-6 over Southland overall. The series ended with a five-run Rockford win in game three, but the events that took place in games one and two won’t soon be forgotten.
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The 2011 MCL Semifinals Foresters 2, Vikings 1 MCL Semifinals Team Comparison Statistics Category FOR VIK Games 3 3 Wins 2 1 At-Bats 99 101 Runs 17 13 Earned Runs 13 9 Unearned Runs 4 4 Hits 26 21 Singles 20 15 Doubles 4 6 Triples 1 0 Home Runs 1 0 Runs Batted In 14 10 Errors 10 9 Walks 12 11 Strikeouts 36 17 Stolen Bases 7 4 Caught Stealing 3 1 Batting Avg. 0.263 0.208 OBP 0.342 0.286 SLG 0.354 0.267 ERA 3.00 4.33 Top Series Performers • Foresters Tyler Leach .571 avg. (4-for-7), 2R, 1 2B, .714 SLG Garrett Gee .444 avg. (4-for-9), 3 R, 1 2B, .545 OBP Ryan Scarpetta .400 avg. (4-for-10), 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI Top Series Performers • Vikings Elliot Armstrong .455 avg. (5-for-11), 4 RBI
Foresters vs. Vikings Final 2011 Season Results Game 1 (at Rockford): June 3, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 6, Vikings 5 Game 2 (at Rockford): June 3, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 11, Foresters 1 Game 3 (at Rockford): June 4, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 10, Vikings 0 Game 4 (at Rockford): June 19, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 1, Foresters 0 Game 5 (at Flossmoor): June 27, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 9, Vikings 6 Game 6 (at Flossmoor): June 29, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 7, Foresters 4 Game 7 (at Flossmoor): July 2, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 8, Vikings 1 Game 8 (at Flossmoor): July 2, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 8, Vikings 7 Game 9 (at Rockford): July 8, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 8, Vikings 0 Game 10 (at Rockford): July 8, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 2, Vikings 0 Game 11 (at Flossmoor): July 21, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 12, Foresters 1 Game 12 (at Rockford): July 24, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 9, Foresters 5 Game 13* (at Rockford): July 26, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 6, Vikings 5 Game 14* (at Flossmoor): July 27, 2011 Final Score: Vikings 4, Foresters 2 Game 15* (at Rockford): July 29, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 9, Vikings 4
Aaron Hauge 1-0 (1.00 ERA), CG, 18 K Kevin Kaczmarski .182 avg. (2-for-11), 4 R, 1 RBI
Foresters win regular season series 7-5 Foresters win postseason series 2-1 *MCL Playoffs
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ROCKFORD FORESTERS 2011 MCL SCHEDULE & RESULTS
Date Opponent Result MCL June 3, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 6-5 1-0 June 3, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings L, 11-1 1-1 June 4, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 10-0 2-1 June 5, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs L, 10-2 2-2 June 7, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 3-0 3-2 June 8, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks L, 7-4 3-3 June 11, 2011 at Will County CrackerJacks W, 5-3 4-3 June 11, 2011 at Will County CrackerJacks L, 6-5 4-4 June 13, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks W, 4-2 5-4 June 16, 2011 at Will County CrackerJacks W, 4-3 6-4 June 17, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 7-2 7-4 June 18, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks W, 4-3 8-4 June 19, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings L, 1-0 8-5 June 25, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 5-2 9-5 June 26, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs L, 8-6 9-6 June 27, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 9-6 10-6 June 29, 2011 at Southland Vikings L, 7-4 10-7 June 30, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 6-2 11-7 June 30, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W, 9-4 12-7 July 2, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 8-1 13-7 July 2, 2011 at Southland Vikings W, 8-7 14-7 July 3, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W** 15-7 July 3, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs W** 16-7 July 8, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 8-0 17-7 July 8, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings W, 2-0 18-7 July 9, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks W, 2-1 19-7 July 10, 2011 vs. Chicago Zephyrs W, 7-3 20-7 July 14, 2011 at Chicago Zephyrs L, 9-2 20-8 July 15, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks W, 11-6 21-8 July 16, 2011 at Will County CrackerJacks L, 3-2 21-9 July 16, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks W, 9-2 22-9 July 17, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks L, 10-1 22-10 July 21, 2011 at Southland Vikings L, 12-1 22-11 July 22, 2011 vs. Will County CrackerJacks L, 12-5 22-12 July 24, 2011 vs. Southland Vikings L, 9-5 22-13 Playoff Schedule July 26, 2011 July 27, 2011 July 29, 2011
vs. Southland Vikings at Southland Vikings vs. Southland Vikings
July 30, 2011 July 30, 2011 July 31, 2011
MCL Championship, Game 1 at CrackerJacks MCL Championship, Game 2 vs. CrackerJacks MCL Championship, Game 3* at CrackerJacks
W, 6-5 L, 4-2 W, 9-4
WP: Wimberly LP: Rush WP: Hauge LP: Ulloa WP: Wimberly LP: Negele 12:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 1:00 p.m.
Joliet, Ill. Rockford, Ill. Joliet, Ill.
*If Necessary **Rockford win, but final score unreported by Rockford
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2011 Playoffs • Rockford Foresters Statistics
PITCHING (sorted by innings pitched) Name G GS W L SV ERA CG IP H R ER BB K BA 10 2/3 6 4 2 5 10 0.162 Cyrus Wimberly 2 1 2 0 0 1.69 1 Mark Ulloa 1 0 0 1 0 2.25 0 8 3 2 2 3 5 0.100 Craig Provow 1 1 0 0 0 2.25 0 4 3 2 1 2 1 0.167 Daryn Streed 1 0 0 0 0 3.00 0 3 4 1 1 0 1 0.333 Ziggie Vanderwall 1 0 0 0 0 13.50 0 1 1/3 3 2 2 1 0 0.375 Brian McCabe 1 1 0 0 0 N/A 0 0 2 2 1 1 0 0.667 Totals 3 3 2 1 0 3.00 1 27 21 13 9 12 17 0.208 HITTING (sorted by batting average) Name G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB HBP K SB CS AVG OBP SLG Tyler Leach 2 7 2 4 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 0.571 0.571 0.714 Garrett Gee 3 9 3 4 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0.444 0.545 0.556 Ryan Scarpetta 3 10 3 4 0 0 1 2 2 0 4 0 0 0.400 0.500 0.700 Zach Wisowaty 3 8 3 3 1 0 0 0 4 0 3 3 1 0.375 0.583 0.500 Cyrus Wimberly 3 12 3 4 1 1 0 4 0 0 3 1 1 0.333 0.333 0.583 Ziggie Vanderwall 3 11 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0 0.273 0.273 0.273 Connor Kretz 1 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0.250 0.250 0.250 Ryan Hickey 3 10 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 0 0 0.200 0.200 0.200 Daryn Streed 3 10 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 0 0 0.100 0.182 0.100 Matt Cervantes 3 9 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0.000 0.100 0.000 Michael Delgado 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 Josh Voigtlander 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0.000 0.333 0.000 Jason Schnulle 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0.000 0.250 0.000 Totals 3 99 17 26 4 1 1 14 12 0 36 7 3 0.263 0.342 0.354 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Semifinals • July 26, 2011 Game 1 vs. Southland Vikings • Marinelli Field; Rockford, Ill
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E Vikings (0-1) 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 1 0 5 11 3 Foresters (1-0) 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2 0 1 6 7 5 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Semifinals • July 27, 2011 Game 2 at Southland Vikings • Homewood-Flossmoor High School; Flossmoor, Ill.
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Foresters (1-1) 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 5 2 Vikings (1-1) 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 4 5 2 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Semifinals • July 29, 2011 Game 3 vs. Southland Vikings • Marinelli Field; Rockford, Ill
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Vikings (1-2) 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 5 4 Foresters (2-1) 2 0 0 2 0 0 4 1 0 9 12 3
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2011 WILL COUNTY CRACKERJACKS President/General Manager................................Jamie Toole Manager................................................................Vern Hasty Pitchers (9) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 29 Ryan Windt RHP Tinley Park, Ill. University of Wisconsin-Parkside 27 Mike Nicks RHP Tinley Park, Ill. University of Wisconsin-Parkside 21 Steve Taylor RHP McDonough, Ga. Southern Polytechnic State University 16 Drew Sain RHP Momence, Ill. Kankakee Community College 14 Josh Kause RHP Elmwood Park, Ill. Triton Junior College 11 Tom Laudadio LHP St. Charles, Ill. Kankakee Community College 18 Benny Collesano RHP Homer Glen, Ill. Trinity Christian College 22 Matt Pruneau RHP Plainfield, Ill. Calumet College of St. Joseph 36 Spencer Lehmann RHP Minooka, Ill. Minooka High School Infielders (7) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 3 Colt Hankamer IF Solado, Texas Polk State College 10 Conor Szczerba IF Titusville, Fla. Polk State College 13 Chris Noble IF Fort Myers, Fla. Polk State College 26 Lendon Ehlmann IF St. Charles, Mo. Kansas City KS Community College 5 Mark Zhorne IF Galesburg, Ill. Carl Sandburg College 2 Michael Jordan IF Miami, Fla. Benedict College 32 Steve Kedroski IF Crystal Lake, Ill. Western Illinois University Outfielders (4) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 8 Scott Hull OF Bartlesville, Okla. Kansas City KS Community College 9 Chris Bell OF Gainesville, Ga. Emmanuel College 33 Domenic Biagini OF Arlington Heights, Ill. College of DuPage 19 Derek Thomas OF Cedar Rapids, Iowa Lewis University Catchers (1) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 34 Brandon Truitt C Kansas City, Kansas Baker University
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2011 ROCKFORD FORESTERS General Manager..................................................Joe Stefani Manager................................................................Rene Valdez Bench Coach.........................................................Mark Hernandez Assistant Coach....................................................Eric Pinter Pitchers (15) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 15 Brian McCabe LHP Lena, Ill. Clarke College 34 Chris Jordan LHP Geneva, Ill. Aurora University 44 Cory Walden RHP Aurora, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 29 Craig Provow RHP Naperville, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 7 Cyrus Wimberly RHP/Util. Rockford, Ill. Valparaiso University 50 Dan Hutcheson RHP Rockford, Ill. Sauk Valley Community College 25 Dan Okapal RHP Aurora, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 40 Jacob Chandler RHP Mendota, Ill. University of Wisconsin-Parkside 12 Luke Ingersoll LHP Savanna, Ill. Southern Ill. University-Edwardsville 3 Marc Ulloa LHP Chicago, Ill. Coker College 35 Matt Bowman RHP Streator, Ill. Coker College 9 Steven Lewis RHP Sugar Grove, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 6 Zak Engelbrecht RHP Hebron, Ill. Carl Sandburg College 11 Ziggie Vanderwall LHP/Util. Rockford, Ill. Holmes Community College 21 Dustin Meier RHP Roscoe, Ill. Oakton Community College Infielders (8) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 5 Josh Voigtlander IF Rockford, Ill. Rock Valley College 2 Michael Delgado IF Chicago, Ill. Ashford University 36 Regulo Moy IF Valencia, Venezuela University of Oklahoma 26 Tim Brann IF Sheridan, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 32 Tyler Leach IF Rockford, Ill. St. Ambrose University 20 Garrett Gee IF Woodstock, Ill. Kishwaukee College 51 Ryan Scarpetta IF Rockton, Ill. Rock Valley College 48 Daryn Streed IF Belvidere, Ill. McHenry County College Outfielders (6) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 30 Connor Kretz OF Rockford, Ill. St. Ambrose University 8 Ryan Adams OF Geneva, Ill. Aurora University 39 Luke Wichmann OF Freeport, Ill. Marshalltown Community College 1 Israel Sanchez OF Mission, Texas Sauk Valley Community College 14 Ryan Hickey OF Freeport, Ill. George Washington University 19 Zach Wisowaty OF Clinton, Wisc. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Catchers (3) No. Name Pos. Hometown College 27 Brad Winkler C La Grange Park, Ill. Monmouth College 17 Jason Schnulle C Batavia, Ill. Waubonsee Community College 10 Matt Cervantes C Sandwich, Ill. University of Illinois
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HEAD-TO-HEAD: ‘JACKS & FORESTERS How the CrackerJacks and Foresters fared against one another in 2011
2011 Season Series: Foresters won 7-5 All-Time Series: Foresters lead 7-5 First Meeting: June 8, 2011 Last Meeting: July 22, 2011 CrackerJacks’ Record in Rockford: 3-5 Foresters’ Record in Joliet: 2-2 Game 1 (at Rockford): June 8, 2011 Game 8 (at Rockford): July 15, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 7, Foresters 4 Final Score: Foresters 11, CrackerJacks 6 WP: Steve Taylor WP: Dan Okapal LP: Craig Provow LP: Tom Laudadio Game 2 (at Joliet): June 11, 2011 Game 9 (at Joliet): July 16, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 5, CrackerJacks 3 Final Score: CrackerJacks 3, Foresters 2 WP: Dan Okapal WP: Drew Sain LP: Matt Pruneau LP: Marc Ulloa Game 3 (at Joliet): June 11, 2011 Game 10 (at Rockford): July 16, 2011 Final Score: CrackerJacks 6, Foresters 5 Final Score: Foresters 9, CrackerJacks 2 WP: Drew Sain WP: Steven Lewis LP: Matt Cervantes LP: Chris Noble Game 4 (at Rockford): June 13, 2011 Game 11 (at Rockford): July 17, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 4, CrackerJacks 2 Final Score: CrackerJacks 10, Foresters 1 WP: Steven Lewis WP: Michael Jordan LP: Brooks McDowell LP: Ziggie Vanderwall Game 5 (at Joliet): June 16, 2011 Game 12 (at Rockford): July 22, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 4, CrackerJacks 3 Final Score: CrackerJacks 12, Foresters 5 WP: Daryn Streed WP: Michael Jordan LP: Mike Nicks LP: Cyrus Wimberly Game 6 (at Rockford): June 18, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 4, CrackerJacks 3 WP: Dustin Meier LP: Ryan Windt Game 7 (at Rockford): July 9, 2011 Final Score: Foresters 2, CrackerJacks 1 WP: Dan Okapal LP: Michael Jordan
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Midwest Collegiate League Championship Program Production The Official 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Program was produced by the Will County CrackerJacks media relations department based on information available through July 29, 2011. Photography, editing, research, design, statistics, formatting and writing is provided by Mike Garabedian, Manager of Broadcast and Media Relations for the Will County CrackerJacks. The Official 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Program is an official publication of the Will County CrackerJacks, 24014 West Renwick Road, Suite 103, Plainfield, Ill., 60544. Its logos and graphics are trademarks of the Will County CrackerJacks and of the Midwest Collegiate League. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of the Official 2011 Midwest Collegiate League Championship Series Program without written permission is strictly prohibited. Will County CrackerJacks Mission Statement: CrackerJacks baseball is dedicated to beginning a tradition of excellence for the entire organization. We want to be a championship organization on and off the field and want to develop the premiere summer collegiate baseball operation in the country. We want to have championship players on the field and championship people off of the field. We would like to utilize the 2011 inaugural season to lay the ground work for the future success of the Will County CrackerJacks. We want to be an asset and anchor for our community and an organization that Will County can be proud of. We want to make a positive impact on community organizations that can use our assistance. We want Will County to be a better place because of the Will County CrackerJacks.
The Will County CrackerJacks Mailing Address: Will County CrackerJacks 24014 W. Renwick Road, Suite 103 Plainfield, Ill., 60544 (815) 704-2255 President & General Manager: Jamie Toole Manager of Broadcast & Media Relations: Mike Garabedian Marketing Associate: Natalie Cortese Community Relations Associate: Amanda Cortese Public Relations Intern: Ruth Lee Operations Manager: Jose Contreras Intern: Mike Friend Intern: Matt Lang The Rockford Foresters Mailing Address: Southland Vikings P.O. Box 611 Rockford, Ill. 61105 (815) 312-2115 President & General Manager: Joe Stefani Assistant General Manager: Josh VanSwol Director of Group Tickets & Operations: Dan Stachowski Group Ticket Sales: Nicole Stefani Team Chiropractors: Dr. Brant Hulsebus & Dr. Cory Thiele Team Dentist: Dr. Kris Tumilowicz
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