southlandvikings.com

TONIGHT'S GAME:
North All-Stars
at South All-Stars

July 9, 2014 • 7:30 p.m. • Whiting, Ind.
Radio: AM 1230 WJOB (Pregame at 7 p.m.)
Internet Broadcast: nwioilmen.com

For Starters
The brightest stars of the Midwest Collegiate League join forces on Wednesday night for the annual MCL All-Star Game. The Mid-Summer Classic returns to Oil City Stadium for the second consecutive year and the third time in the last four seasons. The All-Star Game will provide major league scouts with an opportunity to see the league’s top-tier talent. Ten current and former Midwest Collegiate League players were drafted in the 2014 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. In addition, Wednesday’s game is a benefit for the family of Bryce Nowakowski, the son of Calumet College of St. Joseph head baseball coach Brian Nowakoski. Bryce was born with a rare heart defect and is now battling for his life. Fifty percent of all ticket revenue will benefit the Nowakowski family.

Inside the South All-Stars
The South All-Stars will be the home team for this year’s Midwest Collegiate League All-Star Game. The South roster is comprised of players from the Northwest Indiana Oilmen, Southland Vikings and Lexington Snipes. The South is managed by Chris Cunningham, who is in his fifth year as the manager of the Southland Vikings. Cunningham, who played professionally in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, is also an assistant coach at South Suburban College. He is managing the All-Star Game for the second time in his MCL career and the first time since 2011. Northwest Indiana Oilmen manager and former major league pitcher Justin Huisman and Lexington Snipes manager Tyler Cook will both serve as assistant coaches. Jimmy McNamara (NWI), Matt Pobereyko (NWI) and Dan Potempa (Southland) are the three returning All-Stars from 2013 on the South roster.

Inside the North All-Star
The visiting North All-Stars feature a roster comprised of the DuPage County Hounds, Joliet Admirals and Chicago Zephyrs. The North squad will be managed by Sean Osborne, who has been the manager of the DuPage County Hounds since the team’s inaugural season of 2012. Osborne will be joined on the North staff by Hounds assistant coaches Ben Caple, Joe DeCeault and Ryan Miller as well as Admirals manager Jorge Garza and Zephyrs manager Marco Fajardo. Osborne is managing the MCL All-Star Game for the second consecutive year. Pat Cashman (DuPage), Patrick Bellinger (DuPage) and Bobby Smith (Zephyrs) are the three returning players from the 2013 North team.

All-Star Game History
The South All-Stars have won back-to-back All-Stars Games with the most recent North victory coming in 2011 at Oil City Stadium. The North (Zephyrs and Rockford Foresters) edged the South (Vikings and Will County CrackerJacks) 8-7 in extra innings that season. In 2012, the South defeated the North 3-2 at Benedictine University in Lisle. A year ago, the South was once again victorious, this time by a score of 12-4 at Oil City Stadium. Sean Beesley of Southland went 4-for-5 with three runs scored.

Around the League
The DuPage County Hounds remained atop the Midwest Collegiate League standings with an extra-inning victory over Lexington on Tuesday. The Southland Vikings have won nine straight and are now just one game behind the Hounds for the top spot in the MCL.

Click "download attachment" to view a full PDF of MCL Game Notes