THE BROWNSVILLE 49ERS WILL OPEN THEIR 2014 ROCK RIVER SEASON ON SUNDAY, MAY 4TH AS
THEY TRAVEL TO SLINGER TO TAKE ON THE STINGERS. GAME TIME IS SET FOR 1:30PM.
SEASON PREVIEW:
THE NINERS BRING BACK AN EXPERIENCED ROSTER WITH ALMOST EVERYONE BACK FROM LAST YEARS 13-3, SECOND PLACE FINISH. ALTHOUGH THEY WENT 2 AND OUT IN THE PLAYOFFS, THE NINERS STILL HAD AN IMPRESSIVE YEAR AND GATHERED A FEW OFF SEASON AWARDS. JAMES GOODFELLOW WAS NAMED MVP OF THE NORTHERN DIVISION OF THE ROCK RIVER LEAGUE AND ALSO CAPTURED THE BATTING TITLE. PITCHER SAM WILHELMS WON HIS SECOND CONSECUTIVE PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD IN THE NORTH.
THIS YEAR, THE NINERS WELCOME AT THIS POINT 3 NEW MEMBERS TO THEIR TEAM. JOINING THE ROSTER ARE FORMER UWM STANDOUT GRANT BERKOVITZ, FORMER MARIAN ALUM, CHARLIE BEAU, AND CURRENT UW STEVENS POINT QB MITCH BEAU. THESE 3 ADD TO AN ALREADY POTENT LINEUP AND SHOULD REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ORDER AS WELL AS ON THE MOUND. ALL THREE CAN PITCH WHEN NEEDED.
RETURNING ALSO FOR THE NINERS THIS YEAR, FULL TIME ARE FIRST BASEMAN JACE UNREIN AND CATCHER JOSH KLISMITH. BOTH PLAYED SPARINGLY LAST YEAR AND HAVING THEM THE FULL SUMMER SHOULD ADD SOME NICE FLEXIBILITY IN THE LINEUP AND ADDED DEPTH.
THE PITCHING WILL AGAIN BE ANCHORED BY SAM WILHELMS, AGAIN THE 2 TIME NORTHERN PITCHER OF THE YEAR. ALSO HUNTER VENESS WILL BE BACK , AS WILL PART-TIMER MITCHELL GARDNER. GARDNER IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE SHEBOYGAN A'S AND MARIAN ALUM. VENESS IS A CURRENT MEMBER OF THE MARIAN BASEBALL TEAM AND IS A SOPHOMORE.
THE CATCHING DUTIES ARE WELL COVERED WITH PLENTY OF DEPTH. JOSH KLISMITH AND PAUL HEINKEL WILL SHARE THE DUTIES HERE AND MARIAN GRAD MATT BROMLEY IS ALSO AVAILABLE. GOODFELLOW AND BERKOVITZ CAN ALSO CATCH WHEN NEEDED.
FIRST BASE WILL BE THE HOME FOR JACE UNREIN AND JOHN CETNAR WHO WILL BE WEARING A LOT OF GLOVES THIS SUMMER. CETNAR WILL SEE ACTION ON THE CORNERS, OUTFIELD AND DH ROLE.
SECOND BASE WILL BE MANNED BY NEWCOMER CHARLIE BEAU AND 2ND YEAR PLAYER PAUL HEINKEL.
SHORTSTOP WILL BE A STRONG AREA FOR THE NINERS WITH JORDAN DEBOER AND GRANT BERKOVITZ.
THIRD BASE SHOULD BELONG TO MITCH BEAU AND SOME TIME WITH CETNAR AND BERKO.
THE OUTFIELD IS WELL COVERED AS THE NINERS RETURN LONG TIME 49ER JJ RAFLIK IN LEFT, WLA STANDOUT TIM SNOW PATROLLING THE PASTURES IN CENTER AND 2013 MVP JAMES GOODFELLOW IN RIGHT.
MANAGER , TIM NORTON, IS BACK FOR HIS 13TH SEASON AS THE SKIPPER OF THE NINERS, 17TH OVERALL, AND 23RD OVERALL IN THE ROCK.
"THE DEPTH OF THIS TEAM IS THE BEST WE HAVE EVER HAD HERE IN ALL MY YEARS. WE ARE 11-12 DEEP IN STARTERS. IT WILL TAKE SOME GREAT COMMUNICATION FROM ALL TO MAKE THIS WORK, BUT IN YEARS PAST IT ALWAYS SEEMS WE ARE SCRAPING FOR GUYS WEEK TO WEEK. HOPEFULLY WITH A COUPLE MORE GUYS ON THE ROSTER, THINGS WILL WORK OUT BETTER WHERE WE DON'T MISS A BEAT IF SOMEONE HAS OTHER PLANS OR NEEDS TO TAKE OFF. IT'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS THOUGH, BUT AN EXCITING PROBLEM TO HAVE," SAID NORTON.
THE NINERS HOME OPENER IS SET FOR SUNDAY MAY 11TH VS LEBANON WHO COMES OVER FROM THE SOUTHERN DIVISION TO THE NORTH. HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT AT THE OLE BALLPARK THIS SUMMER. IT'S GONNA BE EXCITING!!!