Posts Tagged ‘University of North Florida’

UW-La Crosse Standout, Two Others Join Rafters

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

(Wisconsin Rapids, WI) The Rafters continued to finalize the 2010 roster today with the addition of three more players.  The Rafters have added freshmen pitchers Mitch Running (University of Wisconsin- La Crosse) and Tommy Organ (University of North Florida), and junior relief pitcher Nathan Hardy (Delta State University) to the 2010 team.

Mitch Running, 6’1’’, 190 lbs (R/R) Fr.

Running just completed his freshman year with the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. This season Running has made a tremendous impact as a member of the Eagles’ rotation, making seven starts while throwing one complete game spanning 52.2 innings. Running has also posted a stellar 2.75 ERA to lead the entire WIAC in that category.

A Wisconsin native, Running is a graduate of Eau Claire North High School where he was a standout pitcher. Running joins three other Wisconsinites on the 2010 Rafters roster: Cody Koback (Stevens Point), Justin Jirschele (Clintonville), and Brad Hallberg (Barron).

Tommy Organ, 6’4’’, 160 lbs (L/L) Fr.

As a freshman reliever for the University of North Florida, Organ has appeared in 14 games, all in relief. He has pitched to a 1-1 record with a 5.01 ERA so far in 2010. Organ has proved valuable at the end of the game with three saves, the first of which came against Alcorn State on March 7th.

Organ is a 2009 graduate of Tarpon Springs High School in Florida where he was named Second Team All-District as a senior. During his prep career, Organ led the team to the Regional Playoffs once.

Nathan Hardy, 5’10’’, 160 lbs (R/R) Jr.

So far in 2010, Hardy has pitched to a stellar 2.53 ERA through seven appearances for Delta State University. He has held opponents to a .244 batting average while striking out nine and only walking four. Hardy has yet to allow a home run in the 2010 season.

In 2009, Hardy was a standout reliever for the Statesmen, making 13 appearances out of the bullpen. He held opposing hitters to another low batting average of .247. His strong pitching led to a 6-0 record and a 2.10 ERA.

Single game tickets, ticket packages and group tickets are on sale now!  Single game tickets and 9 Game Packs are now available for purchase online at raftersbaseball.com. For more information call (715) 424-5400.  The Rafters will play a 70 game schedule with 35 home games in 2010.  Opening Day at Witter Field is scheduled for Sunday, June 6 at 6:05pm vs. the Eau Claire Express.

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Rafters add Lott, Medlen, and Mancuso to Roster

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

(Wisconsin Rapids, WI) The Rafters continued to solidify the 2010 roster today with the addition of three more players.  The Rafters have added junior pitchers George Lott (University of North Florida) and Casey Medlen (University of North Florida), and versatile sophomore pitcher and infielder Jerry Mancuso (St. Louis University) to the 2010 team.

George Lott, 6’2’’, 195 lbs (R/R) Jr.

After a couple trying years while seeing limited action because of an elbow injury, Lott has emerged as a durable workhorse for the Ospreys in 2010.  Lott is tied for the team lead with 62.1 innings pitched while appearing in 12 games, 9 of those starts.  He has posted a 5-2 record thus far, while carrying a deceiving 5.34 ERA and recording a team high 53 strikeouts.

A graduate of William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Lott earned honorable Mention All-Area as a junior and senior, helping his team advance to the Class 5A regional tournament his senior year. That same year he started nine games and pitched 55.3 innings, while tallying 79 strikeouts, 11 walks, a 2.23 ERA. He is currently majoring in Sport Management at the University of North Florida.

Casey Medlen, 6’0”, 155 lbs (R/R) Jr.

Medlen is in his first year with the University of North Florida Ospreys after spending his previous two seasons at Lake City Community College and Daytona Beach Community College.  This season Medlen has made 19 appearances out of the bullpen while posting a 3-2 record and a 4.54 ERA.  He has thrown 33.2 innings on the season while logging 36 strikeouts and recording 3 saves.

Medlen appeared in 25 games at Daytona Beach a year ago, throwing 51 innings while striking out 40 batters and posting a 2.67 ERA with 9 saves.  As a freshman at Lake City Community College he made 20 appearances, spanning 38 innings, and recorded 41 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA.  The Mandarin High School graduate, Medlen is majoring in Health Administration at UNF.

Jerry Mancuso, 6’1”, 170 lbs (L/R) So.

Mancuso’s versatility to play both as an infielder and pitcher will be a valuable addition to the 2010 Rafters and field manager Scott Laverty.  This season Mancuso has spent time as an outfielder, designated hitter, and pitcher for the Saint Louis University.  At the plate, the left handed batter has hit at a .278 clip with 2 home runs, 13 RBI and carries a .406 on base percentage into the weekend series in Philadelphia, PA against conference foe La Salle.  While toeing the rubber, Mancuso has appeared in 14 games, making 9 starts, and has a 5-5 record with a 6.27 ERA.  His 14 appearances rank him second on the team in that department and his 60.1 innings pitched and 34 strikeouts rank him third in both categories, respectively.

Last season Mancuso hit .293 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 31 RBI and was 6 for 7 in stolen bases attempts for the Billikens.  His 12 doubles tied for third all-time among freshman while his 31 RBI rank him 5th all-time. On the mound he posted a 3-1 record in two starts and nine appearances out of the bullpen.  In 30.1 innings he struck out 13 batters while walking only four.  An All-State honoree his senior year of high school, Mancuso hails from Kansas City, Missouri.

Ticket Packages and Group Tickets are on sale now!  Single game tickets will go on sale May 8th! For more information call (715) 424-5400 or visit www.raftersbaseball.com.  The Rafters will play a 70 game schedule with 35 home games in 2010.  Opening Day at Witter Field is scheduled for Sunday, June 6 at 6:05pm vs the Eau Claire Express.

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Rafters Bolster Offense with Additions of Smith and Palermo

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

(Wisconsin Rapids, WI) The Rafters added some punch to their 2010 lineup today when they announced the signings of Michael Smith (University of North Florida) and Ryan Palermo (University of California Santa Barbara). Both players have started their spring season swinging a hot bat.

Smith, a junior outfielder and switch-hitter, has gotten off to a fast start this spring batting .271 while starting in all 15 games for North Florida. His best game so far this season came on March second against Georgia Southern when he went 4-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Last season, Smith started in 50 games for the Ospreys while hitting for a .312 average and sporting a .393 on-base percentage.  He had 14 extra base hits on the season, including five doubles, a team-high three triples and six home runs.  He recorded 16 multiple hit games and had a team-best 12 multiple RBI contests during the season. He was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic Team in both 2007 and 2008.  Smith was a three year letter winner at Providence High School where he hit for a .521 average with four home runs, 19 RBI, seven doubles, and five stolen bases as a senior. He is originally from Jacksonville, Florida.

Palermo has burst onto the scene in his second season with the University of California-Santa Barbara. After appearing in nine games and making only one start as a freshman, Palermo has started all 11 of the Gauchos contests entering 2010.  He has made it difficult for head coach Bob Brontsema to take his bat out of the lineup, while batting at a respectable .282 clip with a .378 on-base percentage and slugging .410 to begin the season.

Palermo was named First Team All-State, First Team All-West Catholic Athletic League, and First Team All-Metro in both his junior and senior years at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California. He holds school records for home runs, RBI, and total bases.  Named MVP of the team as a senior, Palermo also led his team to a West Catholic Athletic League championship in both his junior and senior years.

Ticket Packages and Group Tickets are on sale now!  For more information call (715) 424-5400 or visit www.raftersbaseball.com.  The Rafters will play a 70 game schedule with 35 home games in 2010.  Opening Day at Witter Field is scheduled for Sunday, June 6 at 6:05pm vs the Eau Claire Express.

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