By Leon G. Russ

HOMETOWN NEWS

The Blue Eagles, your local wooden bat collegiate level baseball team, has opened its second season in the Southern Collegiate Baseball League.

The Blue Eagles kicked-off their second season on Monday.  The home opener at Wofford College’s Russell C. Johnson Field is slated for Saturday versus the Asheville Redbirds.  Baseball purists will once again be able to hear the crack of a wooden bat ring out.

The Blue Eagles have eight players from their inaugural season returning this year.  Easley native and 2008 SCBL All-Star catcher/designated hitter Jesse Dunn of Pfiefer University returns for his second season with the Blue Eagles, as does fellow Upstate native and 2008 SCBL All-Star catcher Nate Horton of Presbyterian College who is a Byrnes High product.

Horton stated he wanted to return because “Mister (Mark) Dudley (the Eagles General Manager) and the owners treat us really well and I get to play at home.”

Dunn wanted to come back because “playing in Spartanburg last summer was probably the most fun I ever had playing baseball.  We had a lot of fans coming out supporting us and you couldn’t ask for a better group of guys” to play with.

Other returning players include 2008 SCBL All-Star pitcher Wes McIntyre of Carson-Newman College; outfielder Mack Hite from Presbyterian College; first baseman Neil Robinette of Wofford College, pitcher Buck Mosteller a Woodruff native attending USC-Sumter; pitcher Elliott Tolley of Anderson College; and infielder Josh Miller of Erskine College.

In addition local returning players Dunn, Horton and Mosteller the Blue Eagles have added local players Cory Hopper, a pitcher from Easley attending Erskine College; Gaffney native Corey Frye an infielder from Anderson College; infielder Zac McCarthy – of Erskine College and Byrnes High; outfielder Jay Rich of Blue Ridge Community College and Hillcrest High; and outfielder Kellen Moman of Brevard College and JL Mann High; and Dee Jones of USC Lancaster and Spartanburg High.

Ryan Thomas steps into the Blue Eagles head coaching position this year after serving as an assistant coach to Chris Edwards during last year’s inaugural season.

Thomas expects nothing less than the Blue Eagles reaching the playoffs as they did last year.

While this will be Thomas’ first chance to helm the team he said, “I’m real excited.  I feel I’m ready and prepared.”  He stated he learned a lot from Edwards last year such as how he interacted with players and said Edwards reminded him he’s just a phone call away if he wants to talk baseball.

Thomas said of Edwards, “He, along with other coaches, has played an integral part in preparing me.”

While the team has had few practices before the start of the season Thomas said, “I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen.”

He noted the first half of the season may be used to determine the best fit for the players so they can make a run at the playoffs during the second half. 

Thomas said, “You can’t win a championship in the first two weeks but you can lose one.”  He stressed, “Our goal is to definitely contend for our division and then win the whole thing.”

Dunn is looking for a winning season, too, noting, “A lot of the core guys are coming back, that really helps us out.  Last year was our first year and we didn’t really know what to expect.  This year we have eight guys who can be leaders on the field” right from the start.

Horton also expects a good season because “with eight guys coming back we know what we’re going to get” and he likes what he sees of the new additions to the team.

One of those new additions is Jones.  He was a late addition and is happy to be playing for a team in his hometown because it allows his family and friends a chance to see him play.

While many of the first year players will be experiencing the joy of using a wooden bat for the first time, Jones has been playing summer ball in wooden bat leagues since he was 15 so the adjustment shouldn’t be hard for him, he said.  The only difference he expects to see is “guys throwing harder.”

Dunn like many Blue Eagles fans is anxious for the season to start saying, “I can’t wait, it should be fun.”

For more on the Blue Eagles visit their web site at www.blueeaglesbaseball.com.

lruss@hometown-news.com