Dawgs Moving Up the Professional Ranks

Several former Dawgs players have just completed successful spring training with their Major League clubs in Arizona and Florida. Five Dawgs players have moved up the ranks in their respective organizations while one will start the season at the same level and three other Dawgs are playing professional baseball in Europe in 2006.

Dawgs’ fans will remember Jim Henderson of Calgary who starred with the Dawgs youth development team before obtaining scholarships with Midland College in Texas and then the University of Tennessee (Weslyan). Henderson was a RHP/OF with the inaugural summer collegiate Dawgs’ club in 2003 before being drafted by the Montreal Expos. Henderson just completed his 3rd spring training camp with the Washington Nationals and has been assigned to the Potomac Nationals, High A affiliate of the Nationals.

 

Former WMBL Rookie of the Year, 1B Grant Richardson of Richland, Washington also had a successful 2006 spring training camp. Grant came to the Dawgs from Washington State University and led the Dawgs in hitting in 2003. Richardson was drafted in 2004 by the Milwaukee Brewers and had an impressive .289, 12 home run, 55 RBI season with the Brewers A affiliate, the West Virginia Power. Grant has moved up to the High A Brevard County Manatees.

Emerson Frostad of Calgary, who starred with the Dawgs youth development club from 1996 to 2001 before accepting a scholarship and playing on two NAIA National Champions at Lewis-Clark State College, is a big part of the plans of the Texas Rangers organization. Frostad led the Clinton Lumberjacks, A affiliate of the Rangers, in home runs in 2005 with 16 and has been rewarded with an assignment to the High A Bakersfield Blaze of the California League for this coming season.

 

James Avery, RHP, who first joined the Dawgs youth team as a 13 year old fireballer from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and went on to enjoy an outstanding career with Niagara University in the MAAC Conference, NCAA, Div 1, had a strong spring training camp with the Cincinnati Reds in Florida. Avery was a 5th round draft pick of the Reds in 2005 and will be displaying his 94 mph fastball for the Sarasota Reds, the Cincinnati High A affiliate in the Florida Stata League.

 

John Hurd, RHP who played with the Dawgs out of high school at the Peoria, Arizona showcase for the top high school players in North America and received a scholarship to the College of Southern Idaho, had an outstanding spring training this past month with the defending World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox. Hurd joined the Dawgs summer collegiate club in 2003 before signing with the Sox after the draft. A highlight of this past spring training camp was Hurd getting the nod to pitch for the White Sox in a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants. Hurd has moved up to the High A Winston-Salem Warthogs in the White Sox minor league system in 2006.

 

Another graduate of Niagara University who enjoyed an outstanding 2003 season with the summer collegiate Dawgs, Reed Eastley, had an impressive spring training camp with his Major League club, the Seattle Mariners down in Peoria, Arizona. Eastley put up good numbers in his first year of professional baseball with the Everett Aqua Sox and has been assigned to the Mariners High A Inland Empire 66ers for 2006.

 
Right hand pitcher Kyler Newby who joined the Dawgs in 2004 from Coach David Robb’s junior college club in Mesa, Arizona, was with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tuscon, Arizona for spring training 2006. Look for Newby, who was drafted by the Diamondbacks after playing with the Dawgs in 2004, has been assigned to Arizona’s A affiliate Yakima Bears.

In addition to Dawgs’ players signed to Major League clubs and playing with Minor League affiliates, other Dawgs’ players have signed professional contracts to play in Europe, including infielder Robbie Recuenco, who starred with the Dawgs from 2003 to 2005 and LHP Geoff Freeborn who was a WMBL All-Star with the Dawgs in 2003, both of whom have signed with clubs in France as well as 2003, 2004 Dawgs closer, Chris Cerchi, another Niagara University grad, who has signed to return for his second season in the Italian Professional League.