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4/18/09: 2009 OPENING DAY MATCHUPS
Shockers vs. Thunder: The 2009 season opens up with a 1pm contest at Rotary Park featuring the expansion team Miami Valley Thunder getting their first taste of MVABL baseball. They will take on the new look Warren County Shockers, formerly the Dayton Panthers. The Shockers are led by 2008 All-Stars Taylor Hause and Thomas Fluty, and a starting rotation lined with veteran leadership in Damon Barr and Jeff Cherry. The Thunder will lean on the veteran leadership of coach Jeremy Lippincott who spent 10 years in the Dayton Rangers organization. Last year's MVP, Drew York, will assist in getting this team in contention in year one. John Ramsey and Evan Koogler will anchor the starting pitching until Mitchell Monke and Nick Taulbee arrive in camp.
Rangers vs. Indians: On the other side of Greene County, the rest of the MVABL squads will hit the turf over at AIA. In a rematch of the teams' 2008 opener, the Indians will look to avenge an 8-5 loss to the Rangers. The re-tooled Indians lineup added offensive firepower in 1B John Milliron, who was the 2008 MVABL batting champ, and added much needed depth to their pitching staff. Matt Spradlin looks to improve on his league-leading 83 strikeouts in 2008. The Rangers invited former Rangers' All-Stars Shawn Schmitt, Steve Marshall, and Jake Kingsolver back into the mix. Shawn adds pitching depth to go along with MVABL Cy Young award winner Jacob Robinson and Brad Clark. Shawn c.
Dragons vs. Slammers: The midday showdown features the Miami Valley Dragons, hungry for their first franchise victory, matched up agains the South Dayton Slammers, formerly the Kettering Outlaws. Scott Jones takes over at the helm for the young Dragons and was busy in the offseason adding a lot of talent to his ballclub. The Dragons selected Miamisburg's Chris Flahery as their top draft pick in '09, and should make a perfect double play partner with All-Star Aaron Brown. The Slammers will rely on veteran leadership to get back to the Big Dance. Since their championship loss in 2005, the Outlaws reached the 9-win mark for the first time in 2008. However, the newly restructured Slammers will look to pass that total by midseason! Rick Anderson and Dan Wayman have added a lot of talent to go with All-Star SS Kevin Ashworth.
Astros vs. Royals: The nightcap should be a doozy! The last time these two teams squared off was in the 2008 league championship series with the Royals coming out on top. The Astros won 2-out-of-3 from the Royals during the '08 regular season on their way to a second place finish. The Royals are winners of their last 4 Opening Day contests, since a 14-4 defeat to the Kettering Outlaws to open up 2004. Solid pitching continues to be the key for the Royals as they bring back their entire pitching staff while adding a few young arms for backup. On the offensive side, Shawn Rudegeair, Kevin Reynolds, and Tim Peffley lead a healthy middle-of-the-order attack. Last year, the Astros registered their first 20-win season since 2001. The 'Stros feature a lineup of (at least) 9 former league All-Stars and rely on speed and timely hitting. PJ Dobbins led the league in SB, the third straight season that an Astro led the league in that category. The Leach boys, Bryan and Mike, will look to continue their dominance on the hill.
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