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Dukes Finish Strong Winning Major Hardware
Sherwood
Park Home to Western Major Baseball League’s Most Valuable Player and
Coach of the Year
SHERWOOD
PARK, ALBERTA, Monday, August 18, 2008
The
Western Major Baseball League expansion franchise Sherwood Park Dukes’ inaugural season may have wrapped up last
Sunday with a loss in the Western Conference Championship series, but the Dukes
brought home some major hardware yesterday as the league released the 2008 WMBL
All-Star Teams and Award Winners. Leading the way all season for the Dukes, Thunder
Bay native Dan Grant led all WMBL hitters this season winning the League Batting
Title with a .403 batting average in the wood bat league. Grant (ex-University
of Northern Iowa/NCAA Division I) not only added a 1st Team All-Star
Infield Award to his wall, but also brings home the WMBL’s Most Valuable
Player Award. “Dan
did a great job this summer being a consistent threat at the plate, taking
pressure off our other hitters and giving our line-up depth,” states Dukes Head Coach Jordan
Blundell. “Dan was a quality defender and displayed a knack for
getting big hits. He lead by example everyday giving the Dukes his
best effort every game,” adds Blundell.
Dukes
center fielder Ryan Jacobi (Mansfield, TX; Texas Wesleyan University/NAIA)
dazzled the Dukes and their fans all season, robbing opposing hitters of extra
base hits with his great range and diving catches. Jacobi’s efforts in
the outfield were not just noticed by the hometown fans as Jacobi was awarded a
2nd Team All-Star Outfield Award by the Western Major Baseball
League. “Ryan
took many hits away from the opposition, which I'm sure did not go unnoticed on
our Pitching Staff,”
says Blundell.
Leading
the team from a tough mid-June to a strong 13-4 win-loss record in July and a third
place overall finish, it is clear to see why Dukes Head Coach Jordan Blundell
was named as the Western Major Baseball League’s Coach of the Year.
Although Blundell had a head start with some players following him to Sherwood
Park from the 2007 St. Albert Prospects squad (who took the year away from the
league due to facility issues), Blundell recruited some new faces to the
League, dealt with a couple of tough injuries and managed the team through
losing three quality players to Team Canada’s entry at the World
University Games with a fantastic July record. Coach Blundell heads the
baseball program at Vancouver Island University (formerly Malaspina University)
and is extremely proud to be recognized as Coach of the Year in the
WMBL. “The league has so much talent and has so many
great coaches that it's special to be given this honor,” states
Blundell. Blundell continues, “Most importantly, I need to thank
all my players for an outstanding season – their hard work and dedication provided me
the opportunity to be recognized with this award.”
The
Dukes players have all departed back to their respective colleges after a
strong first season that saw the Dukes finish the regular season with the third
best record and a first round playoff series win, both huge victories for an
expansion franchise. The Dukes cap off their successful inaugural season with three
of the major WMBL awards – a tough year to improve on, but the Dukes hope
to build on the strength of their first season and fight their way to the
League Championship series in 2009.
WMBL Allstars for 2008 Season
Monday, August 18th, 2008
WMBL ALLSTAR TEAMS AND AWARD WINNERS FOR 2008
1st Team Allstars
Pitchers:
LHP Robert Alcala Moose Jaw Millers
LHP Mark Hardy Okotoks Dawgs
RHP Jeff Duda Okotoks Dawgs
RHP Jake Bottari Okotoks Dawgs
Infielders:
Dustin Bissonette Swift Current Indians
Dan Grant Sherwood Park Dukes
Matt Warr Melville Millionaires
Joel Cardinal Saskatoon Yellow Jackets
Outfielders:
Riley Gavello Weyburn Beavers
Anthony Cros Okotoks Dawgs
Nickolas Longmire Yorkton Cardinals
Kyle Albright Swift Current Indians
Catcher:
Brett Thomas Okotoks Dawgs
DH:
Cory Hall Regina Red Sox
2nd Team Allstars
Pitchers:
RHP Gord Gateman Weyburn Beavers
LHP Josh Marshall Saskatoon Yellow Jackets
LHP Mike Goemans Yorkton Cardinals
RHP Brian Strawn Swift Current Indians
Infielders:
Hogan Barnes Medicine Hat Mavericks
Conrad Funk Swift Currrent Indians
Manny Kumar Okotoks Dawgs
Jason Chatwood Saskatoon Yellow Jackets
Outfielders:
Ryan Jacoby Sherwood Park Dukes
Eric McKinney Regina Red Sox
Ken Fuglerud Lethbridge Bulls
Doug West Moose Jaw Millers
Brandon Hunter Okotoks Dawgs
Catcher:
Eric Sim Moose Jaw Millers
DH:
Lee Darracott Okotoks Dawgs
Batting Champion: Dan Grant Sherwood Park Dukes (.403 avg)
Pitching Champion: Jake Bottari Okotoks Dawgs (.84 era)
Rookie of the Year: Matt Warr Melville Millionaires
MVP for the season: Dan Grant Sherwood Park Dukes
Canadian Rookie of the Year: Eric Sim Moose Jaw Millers
MVP of the Playoffs: Brett Thomas Okotoks Dawgs
Coach of the Year: Jordan Blundell Sherwood Park Dukes
The Sherwood Park Dukes (www.dukesbaseball.ca) are the newest
collegiate summer team franchise in the Western Major Baseball League
and will play their inaugural season at Centennial Park Diamond #9 in
Sherwood Park, Alberta, a legacy of the 2007 Western Canada Summer
Games. The WMBL includes teams from Saskatchewan – Melville
Millionaires, Moose Jaw Miller Express, Regina Red Sox, Saskatoon
Yellow Jackets, Swift Current Indians, Weyburn Beavers and the Yorkton
Cardinals, and Alberta – Lethbridge Bulls, Medicine Hat Mavericks,
Okotoks Dawgs, the Sherwood Park Dukes as well as the Red Deer Generals
and St. Albert Prospects who have been granted leaves of absence for
the 2008 season. The Dukes are locally owned and operated with their
“Diamond of Dreams” motto and their vision “to build a community
oriented organization that will enrich Sherwood Park’s quality of life
by providing affordable wholesome family entertainment and promote the
benefits of athletic competition through the successful ownership of a
summer collegiate baseball team.”
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