FORMER BADGER PLAYER AND COACH NAMED HEAD COACH AT CARLETON

Former London Badgers player and coach Ben Rich has been recently named Head Baseball Coach at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Ben coached with the Badgers Bantam team for three years, including 2007 when the team captured the Baseball Ontario Bantam AAA Championship.

Besides his years as a player with the Badger program, Rich played three seasons with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs, where he was named OUA All-Star catcher each of those three seasons.

We had an opportunity to ask some questions of the newly named Carleton University baseball coach.

Q. Is this appointment something that has been in the works for a while, or is it just an opportunity that has presented itself to you?

A. "Definitely just presented itself. In late June I went to the Raven's Baseball website to check things out, and there was a press release saying that last year's coach was not returning, and that there would be no season if they couldn't find a suitable coach over the summer. So I sent them my baseball resume detailing my coaching/playing experience. After a couple positive phone calls and e-mails with the manager of Carleton Athletics, I was officially awarded the position."

Q. How much recruiting does the coach of a Canadian university team do, and how long do you think it will take for this team to become yours?

A. "It really doesn't compare to the manner of recruiting in the United States. That said, coaches will still try to attract talented individuals, but they are just of a different mentality from those who head south for school. Canadian schools typically rely on quality athletes who do not want to sacrifice the level of their education, but who still want to pursue their baseball careers. As for how long until the team becomes 'mine', there's no doubt that it takes time for one to truly put their 'stamp' on a program. However, with the season fast approaching, I don't really have that luxury, so I'm looking for things to gel quickly. In spite of the challenges, I'm confident the 2010 season will move Ravens Baseball in the right direction."

Q. How important is the time that you spent as a Badger coach?

A. "It's everything. It was where I learned the core skills and approaches to coaching. It gave me the foundation I needed to grow my abilities and build my perspective year after year. Not to mention having the chance to learn from one of the best baseball minds in the country, in Mike Lumley. There's no substitute for that experience. So much of what I will take with me to Carleton is rooted in my years as a Badger coach."

Q. Is there anything you would like to add?

A. "Just that I'm tremendously excited about this opportunity. Being a head coach is a whole other set of responsibilities, expectations and challenges as opposed to being an assistant. The University level is certainly a different dynamic, but therein lies the fun of it all."

Ben Rich is currently attending Carleton University to pursue a Masters in Political Science.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Badger Alumni Report – July 15, 2010

Minor Leagues

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam has a .481 batting average in his last 10 games. Overall he has a .307 batting average with five doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 12 RBI in 42 games at Triple-A.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris has .233 batting average with six doubles, one triple, two home runs and 21 RBI in 45 games.

Jamie Romak – Northwest Arkansas Naturals- Double-A Texas League
Jamie was called up to Kansas City's Double-A club in Springdale, Arkansas on July 8, and he continued the hot hitting that saw him named Carolina Player of the Week three times in June and July as a member of the Wilmington Blue Rocks. In his first five games after being called up. Jamie has gone 11-for-20 with two doubles, three home runs and six RBI including a pair of home runs in a 3-2 win over Corpus Christi on July 12.

Brock Kjeldgaard – Brevard County Manatees - Class A - Advanced
Brock's batting average is .230 with 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, and 45 RBI in 84 games.

Bradley McElroy – Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A - Advanced
Brad has snapped out of a batting slump and has posted a .257 batting average over the past 10 games with Dunedin.

Matt Skirving - State College Spikes - Class A Short Season
After 16 games with the State College Spikes, Matt has yet to hit a home run, but he has a .333 batting average with three doubles, one triple and eight RBI.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike has a 4-2 record with 18 strikeouts in 27 and 1/3 innings of pitching. His ERA is 0.99.

Adam Arnold - Quebec Les Capitales - CanAm League
Adam has a 3-1 record and 23 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings of relief pitching. Les Capitales are currently in first place in the CanAm league with a 30-13 record.

College

David Wydeven
David has signed a letter of intent to play at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. He just completed his sophomore season at Indian Hills C.C. where he posted a 6-0 record with 3.07 ERA while striking out 37 in 44 innings.

Badger Alumni Report – June 21, 2010

Minor Leagues

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam went 3-for-3 in a 5-4 loss to Oklahoma City on June 20. Stern who has only played 28 games due to time on the disabled list as well as being called up to the Milwaukee Brewers on two occasions has a .267 batting average with one home run and six RBI.

Chris Robinson - Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris who went 2-for-3 in a 4-0 loss to the Albuquerque Isotopes on June 20 has a .367 average in his last 10 games. Chris has .230 batting average with two home runs and 19 RBI in 38 games.

Jamie Romak - Wilmington Blue Rocks - Class-A Advanced
Jamie went 3-for-3 with a double and a mammoth home run in a 10-4 loss to Winston-Salem of June 18. Despite going 0-for-5 in his last game Romak is batting .378 in his last 10 games. After 69 games Jamie is batting .283 with 17 doubles, one triple, six home runs and 44 RBI.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Brevard County Manatees - Class A - Advanced
Brock has homered in three of the last four games giving him seven on the season. His sixth home run of 2010 was a two-run shot and the game-winning hit in a 5-1 Manatees victory over Lakeland on June 18. Kjeldgaard has a .229 batting average with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBI in 64 games.

Bradley McElroy - Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A - Advanced
Brad has been back and forth this season in the Blue Jays farm system between Dunedin and Lansing. In his last 10 games back in the Florida State League, Brad has a .250 batting average with seven RBI and three stolen bases.

Matt Skirving - State College Spikes - Class A Short Season
In less than two weeks Matt Skirving has gone from Eastern Michigan University Eagle to being a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Class A affiliate State College Spikes. In his first ever professional game, a 4-2 loss to Williamsport on June 20, Matt went 1-for-4 with an RBI single.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike pitched two innings of relief to earn his third victory of the season in a 7-6 win over the Gateway Grizzlies on June 20. Damchuk has a 1.35 ERA with eight strikeouts and only one walk in 13 innings of relief pitching.

Adam Arnold - Quebec Capitales - CanAm League
Adam has a 2-1 record and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings of relief pitching. The Capitales are currently in first place in the CanAm league with an 18-4 record.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

SKIRVING ON THE MOVE AGAIN

Matt Skirving's baseball career has seen several moves, starting in his hometown of Brantford with stops along the way in London with EBBA Mosquito and Pee Wee teams, and then two years with the London Badger Bantams before moving to Midland, Michigan and eventually to Eastern Michigan University.

Matt's latest move is one of the most significant and exciting in his baseball career to this point, but he hopes that there will be many more moves before he fulfills his lifelong dream of becoming a major league baseball player.

It has been a very eventful week for Matt. Last Wednesday he was sitting in the living room of his family's home in Midland, Michigan waiting patiently to hear his name called in the 2010 MLB draft, and a week later he was sitting in a doctor's office in State College, Pennsylvania awaiting his physical before embarking on his professional baseball career in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Matt on the second day of the 2010 MLB Draft in the 30th round. Matt had an idea that he would drafted, but going into this year's MLB Draft he was uncertain where he would be going if in fact he would be going anywhere.

“Going into the draft, I knew of at least seven teams that had submitted a draft card for me and Pittsburgh was not one of them. I did know that they were interested in me because their area scout has called frequently over the past few months, and in the 15th round he called to make sure that I would still be interested in signing with the Pirates.” Matt said, “After that every time Pittsburgh had a pick, my family and I paid a little more attention. When the Pirates called my name in the 30th round, everybody in my living room went crazy.”

Skirving has been assigned to the Pirate's Single-A club, the State College Spikes. The Spikes play in the short season New York-Penn league that starts play on Friday June 18.

Matt talked about the feeling he got from hearing his name called, “Hearing my name called by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 30th round was a dream come true. You can prepare all you want for that moment, but it is impossible to describe the emotions that I felt when it actually happened. To know that I have achieved a goal that I set for myself back in elementary school is such an unbelievable feeling.”

Skirving's professional baseball career is about to begin and there will be a lot of people watching his progress very closely. Matt took time to mention some of the people who will no doubt be among that group who will be watching his progress, “I have been lucky to have such a great supporting cast on every team that I have played for. From Coach Mike Lumley, Mike Dlouhy and Hil Martin in the Badgers organization, to my high school coaches when we moved to Midland, Michigan, to Coach Jay Alexander at Eastern Michigan University. Everybody has had a part in my development as a player.”

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Badger Alumni Report – June 10, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak - Wilmington Blue Rocks - Class-A Advanced
Jamie who was named Carolina League Player of the Week for the period ending May 31 is currently on a 17-game hitting streak. Romak is hitting .438 over that 17-game stretch that has seen his batting average increase by 53 points. The streak is the longest by a Blue Rock player in nearly two years. He went 3-for-4 in a 5-0 Blue Rock win on June 7. We were able to catch up to Jamie after that performance and get some comments from him about the slump, the streak and his season in general thus far. "The thing about baseball, is numbers will play with your mind if you let them. From spring training and continuing today I haven't changed anything. I've had good at bats and have made consistent hard contact. Sometimes they fall in and other times they don't. I know where my numbers will be in the end, so in May when they weren't there I never panicked. I just stuck with the approach and eventually things turned around." said Romak. After 59 games Romak has a batting average of .267 with 33 RBI and four home runs.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam has been called up to the parent club twice in the past month. He was first called up to the parent club from Triple-A on May 10, and although he may have packed and unpacked a couple of times, he has stayed in Milwaukee longer than expected. Stern originally was called up when Carlos Gomez was placed on the disabled list, and then he was headed back to Nashville when Jim Edmonds was also placed on the DL and was finally given an opportunity to start on May 20 when Jody Gerut went to be with his pregnant wife. In that start, a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh, Adam had an RBI ground out in the fourth inning. Before being called up from Triple-A, Adam went 3-for-5 in each of his last two starts with the Sounds. After missing a couple of weeks after being injured in the second game of Nashville's season Stern a .267 batting average with one home run and six RBI in 21 games.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
After 34 games in Des Moines, Chris has a .204 batting average with one home run and 17 RBI.

Brock Kjeldgaard – Brevard County Manatees - Class A - Advanced
Brock has a .215 batting average with four home runs and 26 RBI in 56 games.

Bradley McElroy – Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A - Advanced
After 35 games in Lansing where he posted a .326 batting average with four homeruns, 16 RBI and eight stolen bases, Brad is back in the Florida State League with Dunedin. McElroy went 2-for-4 with four RBI in a 10-5 win over the St. Lucie Mets on June 7 and again on June 9 he went 2-for-4.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike has one win, two strikeouts and a 1.31 ERA in 7 1/3 innings of work with the Miners.

Adam Arnold - Quebec Capitales - CanAm League
Adam is tied for the team lead in wins with two. He has six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings of relief pitching.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University - Junior
Matt was chosen in the 30th round of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Skirving finished his junior year at Eastern Michigan with a .259 batting average, 28 RBI, six home runs and a team-leading 17 doubles.

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds - Freshman
Andrew finished his first season at UBC with a .331 batting average, three home runs and 24 RBI in 45 games.

Derrik Strzalkowski -- Kellogg C. C. - Sophomore
Derrik finished the season with a batting average of .368, 35 RBI and one home run in 48 games.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Sophomore
Devin finished his second season at Kenyon College with a batting average of .346 with three doubles and 10 RBI in 21 games with the Lords.

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University - Junior
Paul finished his first season at Grand Valley Stare with a batting average of .325 along with 12 RBI, five doubles, two triples, one home run, and three stolen bases in 40 games.

Trevor Barton - St. Clair County C.C. - Freshman
Trevor finished his freshman season with a team-leading batting average of .435 along with six doubles, 12 RBI and eight stolen bases in 33 games.

Travis Black – Lake Michigan College - Freshman
Travis finished with a .262 batting average, 10 doubles and 20 RBI in 40 games.

Sam Haldane - Madonna University - Junior
Sam finished the season with a 4-1 record with one save in 11 appearances. He struck out 33 batters in 41 innings pitched. He had an ERA of 3.51.

Mike Neal - Adrian University - Sophomore
Mike did not allow an earned run in five innings of relief pitching in his first season on the varsity team at Adrian.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 8, 2010

Former London Badger Matt Skirving was drafted in the 30th round on the second day of the MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 6' 2" 215 lb. catcher has just completed his junior year at Eastern Michigan University with a .259 batting average, 28 RBI, six home runs and a team-leading 17 doubles.

The Pirates have assigned Matt to the State College Spikes in the New York-Penn league. The Spikes play their opening game on Friday June 18 vs. Williamsport. Skirving had just completed his junior season with the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. The State College Spikes roster includes three of the top 10 players drafted by Pittsburgh in the 2009 draft.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNE 1, 2010

The Carolina League announced on Tuesday that Wilmington Blue Rocks slugger Jamie Romak has been named the league's Player of the Week for the period ranging from May 24-30.

The former London Badger is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak, which has seen him bat .467 (14-for-30) over that stretch. Six of those games fit in during the eight-day stretch that constituted this award. The hitting streak came on the heels of an elongated slump for the Canadian native that saw his batting average drop 69 points in less than one month. For the week, Romak batted .476 with four extra-base hits and six runs batted in.

On the year, he is batting .240 with four home runs and a team-high 30 RBIs. All four of his dingers have come since May 14.

Romak has split his time between the infield and outfield defensively this year. The former Pirates and Braves farmhand, who spent parts of 2008 and 2009 in the Carolina League with the Lynchburg Hillcats, has made five starts at first base, 18 at third base, 13 in left field, six in right field and seven as the designated hitter.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

Badger Alumni Report – May 3, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Wilmington Blue Rocks - Class-A Advanced
Jamie has a .233 batting average with four doubles and 13 RBI.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam has been activated from the disabled list where he was placed after the second game of the season. He returned to action on April 29 when the Sounds opened a scheduled four-game homestand against the Memphis Redbirds, but rain on Saturday and Sunday postponed the final two games. In his second game back from injury Adam went 3-for-5 in a 7-4 Sounds victory. Stern's batting average sits at .400 after four games.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris singled in a 4-3 I-Cubs victory over Round Rock on April 27. Chris has a batting average of .212 with one home run and five RBI in 11 games. The 2010 Baseball Canada Official Rules of Baseball features a picture on the front cover that includes Chris Robinson and Adam Stern hoisting a trophy at the 2009 World Cup of Baeball in Italy where Canada finished third.

Brock Kjeldgaard – Brevard County Manatees - Class A - Advanced
Brock hit safely in each of the Manatees first seven games this season. Brock went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI in an 8-0 win over Clearwater on April 28. Brock's batting average sits at .236 with one home run and 15 RBI.

Bradley McElroy – - Class A - Advanced
Brad has a .298 batting average with four doubles, a triple and five RBI in 12 games since being sent to the Lansing Lugnuts on April 19. He went 3-for-6 in an 8-6 voictory over Fort Wayne on April 22. The Lugnuts are the Blue Jays Class-A team in the Midwest League.

Craig Bate - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Craig recently signed with the Miners after rehabbing from elbow surgery and spending last season with the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League. The Frontier League season starts May 20.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike will be returning to the Miners for a second season when the schedule kicks off on May 20.

Adam Arnold - Quebec Capitales - CanAm League
Adam is leaving this week to join the training camp of the Capitales who play in the Can-Am Professional Baseball League that has roots back to 1936, but was reborn in 2004 and for the 2010 season will be a six-team league. The Capitales who are the lone Canadian team open their season at home against the Pittsfield (NY) Colonials on May 20.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University - Junior
Matt went 3-for-5 at the plate for the Eagles in a 12-10 victory over the Akron Zips on April 17.. Matt has a .282 batting average with 28 RBI, six home runs and a team-leading 14 doubles.

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds - Freshman
Andrew hit his third home run of the season in a 10-6 loss to College of Idaho on May 1. Andrew who has started 30 of UBC's 39 games this season has a batting average of .342 with five doubles, one triple and 23 RBI. The UBC Thunderbirds have climbed to #3 in NAIA rankings.

Derrik Strzalkowski -- Kellogg C. C. - Sophomore
Derrik is batting .368 with 33 RBI and one home run in 42 games. The Bruins lead their conference with a 19-5 record.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Sophomore
Devin has a batting average of .346 with three doubles and 10 RBI in 21 games with the Lords.

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University - Junior
Paul has a batting average of .336 with 15 RBI, five doubles, two triples, one home run, and three stolen bases in 32 games.

Trevor Barton - St. Clair County C.C. - Freshman
Trevor has a team-leading batting average of .451 with 10 RBI and seven stolen bases in 29 games.

Travis Black – Lake Michigan College - Freshman
Travis has a .248 batting average with 10 doubles and 18 RBI in 34 games.

Sam Haldane - Madonna University - Junior
Sam has a 4-1 record with one save in seven appearances. He has struck out 32 batters in 35 innings pitched. He has an ERA of 3.34

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Badger Alumni Report – April 15, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Wilmington Blue Rocks - Class-A Advanced
Jamie has yet to hit a home run, but he has hit safely in six of the Blue Rocks seven home games. He has a .333 batting average with eight RBI.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam was placed on the 7-day disabled list on April 10. He left the Sounds second game of the season after leading off the first inning with a single.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris was the starting catcher in a four-inning rehab start by Ted Lilly which ended in a 5-1 I-Cubs victory over Memphis on April 14. Robinson who had a two-run single in the game is currently batting .200

Brock Kjeldgaard – Brevard County Manatees - Class A - Advanced
Brock has at least one hit in all nine of Brevard County's games so far. Brock's batting average sits at .310 with four RBI and two doubles.

Bradley McElroy – Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A - Advanced
Brad has a .222 batting average in the early going, and Dunedin has a record of 4-3.

Craig Bate - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Craig recently signed with the Miners after rehabbing from elbow surgery and spending last season with the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League. The Frontier League season starts May 20.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University - Junior
Matt hit his fifth home run of the season in an 11-1 victory over Oakland on April 14. Matt has a .278 batting average with 23 RBI and a team-leading 10 doubles.

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds - Freshman
Andrew is batting .354 with 19 RBI in 30 games.

Derrik Strzalkowski -- Kellogg C. C. - Sophomore
Derrik is batting .364 with 20 RBI and one home run.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Sophomore
Devin has a team-leading-batting average of .409 with 10 RBI in 18 games with the Lords.

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University - Junior
Paul has a batting average of .354 with 12 RBI, one home run and two stolen bases in 32 games.

Trevor Barton - St. Clair County C.C. - Freshman
Trevor has a batting average of .451 with seven RBI and five stolen bases in 20 games.

Travis Black – Lake Michigan College - Freshman
Travis has a .133 batting average with two RBI in 10 games.

Sam Haldane - Madonna University - Junior
Sam has moved to Madonna University this season after two years at Lakeland C.C. He has struck out 29 batters in 29 innings pitched for a won-loss record of 3-1 and a 4.09 ERA in six appearances. The Crusaders have a record of 26-6.

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Badger Alumni Report – April 7, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Wilmington Blue Rocks - Class-A Advanced

Jamie had a successful spring at Kansas City's minor league training camp in Arizona. He hit six home runs and had 21 RBI in 15 games, and has been assigned to the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Class-A Advanced Carolina League. The Blue Rocks begin their season on April 8 in Myrtle Beach against the Pelicans.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A

Adam left Milwaukee's big league training camp with the Brewers. He traveled with the big team to Milwaukee for one exhibition game before being the final Brewers' cut of the spring and heading to Nashville where he and his Sounds teammates will begin the season against Chris Robinson's Iowa Cubs on April 8. Adam finished the spring with a batting average of .432 along with 12 RBI which was one less than the 13 RBI that Prince Fielder and Jim Edmonds posted during spring training to lead all Brewers hitters.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Iowa Cubs 2009 MVP is back in Des Moines to begin the season after spending the entire spring in the Cubs’ Major League training camp. Chris had a .375 batting average in 16 spring training games.

Brock Kjeldgaard – Brevard County Manatees

Their Milwaukee Brewers have assigned Brock to the Brevard County Manatees their affiliate in the Florida State League.

Bradley McElroy – Dunedin Blue Jays

Brad returns to the Blue Jays' affiliate in the Class-A Advanced Florida State League where he finished the 2009 season.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University - Junior

In five night games this season, Matt Skirving is batting a team-best .474 with two doubles and three home runs to go along with a 1.053 slugging percentage and nine RBI. Matt has an overall batting average of .286.

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds - Freshman

Andrew is batting .377 with nine RBI in 26 games. The Thunderbirds have a 26-6 record, and they are currently ranked sixth in the NAIA coaches poll.

Derrik Strzalkowski -- Kellogg C. C. - Sophomore

Derrik is batting .340 with nine RBI and one home run.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Sophomore

Devin has a batting average of .385 with five RBI in 11 games with the Lords.

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University - Junior

Paul went six-for-eight with two RBI in a doubleheader sweep over Findlay on April 2. Young has a batting average of .354 with 12 RBI, one home run and two stolen bases in 26 games.

Trevor Barton - St. Clair County C.C. - Freshman

Trevor has a batting average of .426 with six RBI and three stolen bases in 16 games.

Travis Black – Lake Michigan College - Freshman

Travis has a .286 batting average.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 26, 2010

Badger Alumni Report – March 26, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – West Arkansas - Class Double-A

Jamie is currently in the Kansas City Royals minor league training camp in Arizona.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A

Adam who homered in a 5-2 Milwaukee victory over the Cincinnati Reds on March 17, is batting .393 with eight RBI and two stolen bases in 18 spring training games with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris Robinson has appeared in 12 games for the Chicago Cubs this spring, boasting a batting average of .364 with two doubles and three RBI.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Milwaukee Brewers Minor League system

Brock is in Arizona at the Brewers' minor league training camp.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University - Junior

Matt will be traveling with his EMU teammates to Buffalo this weekend for a series with the University of Buffalo Bulls. The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday with the series finale on Sunday. Skirving is batting .307 with 12 RBI and two home runs in 21 games so far this season.

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds - Freshman

UBC Thunderbirds are off to a 20-3 start to the season, and Andrew has played in 18 of those games. Firth is leading all Thunderbird hitters with a .440 batting average along with 16 RBI, two doubles and one triple.

Derrik Strzalkowski -- Kellogg C. C. - Sophomore

Derrik is batting .208 with five RBI and one home run.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Sophomore

After five games Devin has a batting average of .357 with four RBI in seven games with the Lords.

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University - Junior

Paul went two-for-three with a double in a 4-3 victory over rival Ashland on March 24. Young has a batting average of .351 with 10 RBI, one home run and one stolen base in 18 games.

Mike Neal - Adrian College Bulldogs - Freshman

Mike is on the Bulldogs varsity team this season. He has made two pitching appearances, not allowing an earned run in four innings of relief work.

Travis Black – Lake Michigan College - Freshman

Travis has five hits in his last 15 at bats. His batting average is .227 with five doubles for a Lake Michigan team that has a 4-9 record this season.

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March 5, 2010

Badger Alumni Report – March 5, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak - West Arkansas - Class Double-A

Jamie is currently in the Kansas City Royals minor league training camp in Arizona, but before he left he talked about the off season training at the brand new Centrefield Sports training facility. "We put in a new gym at Centrefield Sports this year which took our workouts to the next level, and the five months off I had gave me a good mental break from baseball. Outside of our personal careers, the group of us over at Centrefield Sports enjoyed another fun winter. I had the chance to work with seven current London Badger players, and I'm impressed with the talent throughout the organization. I told Mike I will be following them during their season and hopefully be seeing them again next fall."

Adam Stern - Nashville Sounds - Triple-A

The beautiful weather in Arizona seems to be treating Adam well as he came off the bench in Milwaukee's first pre-season game on March 4 and contributed a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning off of San Francisco's Henry Sosa.

Chris Robinson - Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris Robinson was behind the plate for both Carlos Zambrano and Carlos Silva last Thursday on the second day of live batting practice at the Cubs' training camp. "I can't get too excited about it," he said. "It was good to get in there and catch those guys and get a feel for them just in case down the road something happens and I need to jump in there and catch them."

Brock Kjeldgaard - Milwaukee Brewers Minor League system

Brock is in Arizona at the Brewers' minor league training camp.

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University

Matt has started all eight EMU games thus far and will be heading to Nashville for a three game weekend series against Belmont University. Matt spoke about how the season has gone for him so far, "While I'm hitting somewhere over .320, I'm still finding myself a little uncomfortable in the batter's box. I've worked with our hitting coach and have made some slight adjustments and feel like I'm really close to putting it all together. I have caught six of our eight games and feel extremely good behind the plate."

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds

Firth hit a grand slam home run in a 15-2 win over Simpson University on February 27. Andrew is batting .412 with six RBI in helping UBC to a 10-1 start to the season.

Derrik Strzalkowski - Kellogg C. C.

Derrik and his Bruins teammates begin their season on March 5 in Louisianna. Derrik will be transfering next Fall to Grand Valley State University. He took some time to talk about what he expects from the upcoming season, "This season’s team is looking great. We have a lot of returning players from last year, and we have added to our pitching staff by bringing in some really good arms. Our strength this year is our pitching staff for sure and our defence. Our bats should also be there this year so we really have a well rounded team and a great group of guys. As for short term goals, I would like to keep swinging the bat as well as I did last year and improve on my defensive part of the game."

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College

Devin is starting his second season at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. The Lords season begins March 8 as they travel down to Florida on Saturday. Devin took some time to make a few comments about the trip south and the upcoming season. "We have a very tough schedule, including games against the #6 and #10 teams in the country in NCAA D-III baseball. We also have four games against the number #2 team in the nation, and last year's runner-up for the NCAA D-III championship, Wooster. We had one of the best seasons in Kenyon College history, including our first postseason series win. We had only beaten Wooster twice in the past 25 years, but won three out of four games in the regular season. This season we are trying to build on last year's successes."

Paul Young - Grand Valley State University

After two successful seasons at Grand Rapids C.C. Paul has transferred to Grand Valley. The Lakers season started this week with a split of a doubleheader with Quincy on March 1. Paul went 2-for-4 in a GVS win over Quincy in the first game and in the second game he was 0-for-2 with a walk. Paul spoke to us about the upcoming season at Grand Valley State, "This year I think the team has great opportunities to do great things. We have strong defense, pitching and a great offensive game that will do great things all year. I plan on going to the world series this year for D-II. I hope to be in the starting lineup most of the year, and hope to get honors for some of the things I do for the team." Paul remembers the time he spent with the London Badgers program, "The last three years have gone by quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was playing for Mike Lumley at the Ontario Eliminations. I miss those days, but Mike taught me a lot and I'm using those skills to my advantage now."

Mike Neal - Adrian College Bulldogs

Mike will be on the Bulldogs varsity team this season. They head out this weekend for a spring trip that starts in Birmingham, Alabama early next week.

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February 25, 2010

Badger Alumni Report – February 25, 2010

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – West Arkansas - Class Double-A

Jamie is heading out this week to Arizona to begin spring training with the Kansas City Royals. He talked to us about the upcoming season, "I signed with the Royals in mid January after the six-year contract I signed out of high school expired, which meant I became a Minor League free agent. The people in the Royals front office ran the Braves when I was drafted, so obviously there is some familiarity there. I signed a Double-A contract, but the reality of my situation is that I am going to need a strong spring and perhaps a break in my favor to leave camp with the Double-A club." Jamie hopes to improve on his performance last season in the Pirates farm system, "My 2009 season was miserable, but it's an afterthought now. I am anxious to get myself back on track to the big leagues."

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A

Adam played the majority of the 2009 season with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A club in Huntsville, Alabama. He finished the season with Triple-A Nashville where he posted a .310 batting average in the final 18 games before heading off to Europe with Team Canada for the World Cup of Baseball. Adam headed down to Arizona a week early after a very successful off season at his brand new training facility, Centrefield Sports.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris had a very successful season in Des Moines. He posted a .326 average in 91 games before traveling to Europe where he and Adam Stern helped Team Canada to a third-place finish in the World Cup of Baseball. Chris is currently in Arizona at the Cubs training camp. He talked to us about being in the big league camp and what the upcoming season has in store for him, "It's nice to be in big league camp so that I am able to show the big league staff what I can do. It's one thing to have the minor league guys write reports, but as a position player it is very difficult to get the call if the big league staff is unfamiliar with me. Because of that, my entire goal in camp is to stay around as long as possible and hope to make a good impression on the big league staff so that if during the season there is a need for a catcher they feel comfortable giving me a shot. Barring an injury it looks like I will be heading back to Iowa which isn't too bad. Obviously being in the big leagues is the goal this year, but Iowa was a great place to play last year and hopefully I can get back there and get some at bats and be ready if the big-league club needs me."

Brock Kjeldgaard - Milwaukee Brewers Minor League system

Brock leaves for Phoenix on Friday for the beginning of spring training. He spoke to us about where he might start the 2010 season after spending the 2009 season with the Class A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers where he batted .250 with 20 home runs in 133 games "As usual, I do not know where I will start the season, but I am hoping to be with our high A team, the Brevard County Manatees who play in the Florida State League. The off season has gone well at Centrefield Sports, but I am itching to get outside."

College

Matt Skirving - Eastern Michigan University

Matt homered in a 3-1 Eagles victory over No. 25 ranked Kansas Jayhawks in the first half of a doubleheader played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome Feb. 22. Skirving went three-for-six with a pair of walks in the doubleheader that was moved to Minneapolis due to severe weather in Kansas.

After the second game Matt had some comments about his Easterrn Michigan team, "Our team looks strong this year. We've got a lot of talent, both in the starting lineup and on the bench. We've got bench players who could probably start on other Division 1 teams in the Midwest."

Skirving went on to talk about his MetroDome experience, "Playing at the MetroDome was a great experience. When we walked in before the game, I was kind of in awe. I was excited to play at such an amazing field. We got the chance to take batting practice on the field which helped take the butterflies away. Hitting a home run at the MetroDome was a great feeling. I was running around the bases thinking about how I'm taking the same route as some of the Twins greats like Canadian Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett. It was a great feeling!"

Andrew Firth - UBC Thunderbirds

Andrew and the Thunderbirds left the Olympics behind in Vancouver as they have spent the past week or so in California to begin their season. Andrew was 4-for-5 in a 20-3 victory over Concordia-Irvine University. UBC is off to a 6-1 start to their NAIA season.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

Q & A TIME WITH FORMER LONDON BADGER ADAM STERN

The past 12 to 14 months has been a very busy and exciting time for former London Badger player Adam Stern. Just over a year ago along with another former Badger Chris Robinson, Adam represented Canada at the Olympics in Beijing. After that international experience Stern returned to London and established a new training facility named Centrefield Sports which will be moving soon to a brand new facility.

Adam’s 2009 season as a player started off as a member of Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic in Toronto in March. Unfortunately Canada unexpectedly lost to Italy in the preliminary round and their World Baseball Classic experience ended right here in Canada at the Rogers Centre. From there Adam was able to sign with the Milwaukee Brewers organization and started the season with the Brewers’ Double-A club in Huntsville, Alabama. In 104 games with the Huntsville Stars, Stern batted .280 with 32 RBI and 28 stolen bases. Adam was a member of the mid-season Southern League All-Star team.

He finished his minor league season by playing 18 games with the Nashville Sounds in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League and posted a batting average of .310.

If that wasn’t enough baseball, Adam joined Team Canada for the Baseball World Cup which started with a training camp and exhibition games against Team USA in North Carolina, and then saw Canada travel to Sweden for a preliminary round and then finally to Italy where the Canadian team had their best ever World Cup showing. Team Canada which also featured Chris Robinson and Sarnia’s Nick Bucci defeated Puerto Rico 6-2 on September 26 to capture the Bronze Medal.

We had an opportunity to track down Adam Stern after his hectic schedule of baseball to ask some questions about his season and the Baseball World Cup.

The following Q & A session reveals that Adam’s schedule isn’t likely to slow down any time soon.

Q.: The Baseball World Cup didn't seem to get a lot of attention here in Canada, but what was the atmosphere like in Sweden and Italy?

Stern: It was frustrating to find out that the World Cup was not being covered back home, considering it was Canada's best finish ever. I had never been to Sweden and found it to be a great country. It’s very clean with great people. Italy was also fun. It was just tough travel for the games, and we ate pretty much the same food for two weeks.

Q.: Where would the Baseball World Cup fit in with the Olympics and World Baseball Classic as far as excitement and intensity, even though baseball won't be at the Olympics anymore?

Stern: The World Cup doesn't have the same lustre as the Olympics, but the intensity and enthusiasm was still there. We were playing so good. It was a great time.

Q.: The format of the Baseball World Cup seemed to be a bit strange, but Canada did lose to both the Gold and Silver medalists. Do you think a different format would have favoured your team more? Maybe a playoff format where there were semi-finals and finals?

Stern: The format was not very good. We could have had the second best record in the tournament and still had no chance to play for gold. We really started playing well as the tournament went on. I would like to see what we would have done if we got a chance to play the U.S. again.

Q.: How is playing for Ernie Whitt similar or different to coaches you have had in professional baseball?

Stern: I have had the chance to play for Ernie on many different occasions and every time it has been great. He has a real knack for relating to his players and getting the team to gel. He is one of the best managers I've ever played for. He just asks that you play hard and the rest will take care of itself.

Q.: Describe the excitement of winning the Bronze medal and what it compares to.

Stern: Winning bronze for Canada ranks up there with beating the United States at the first World Baseball Classic because it was Canada's best finish ever in that tournament as well as the fact that Canada has only won something like eight medals in its history. It was a pretty special accomplishment.

Q.: Were you satisfied with your play this season in Huntsville and Nashville, and how does the future look?

Stern: I thought this year went well as a whole. Of course you want to get called up to the big leagues, but that is out of your control. I was happy to play the whole year without losing any significant time to injury, and I had great teammates this year which always helps.

Q.: The Double-A All Star game, what was that experience like?

Stern: Making the Double-A all star game was bittersweet in a sense because I felt a bit old for the league. Plus I played in that same all star game five years earlier. At the same time making an all star game is a huge accomplishment and felt I made the best out of the situation.

Q.: What are your plans for the offseason?

Stern: As for the off season, I'm getting married to the beautiful Jenna Duquette October 24th, and then back to training the future all stars at CentreField Sports, so it will be a busy time ahead.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

TEAM CANADA POSTS BEST-EVER BRONZE MEDAL PERFORMANCE.

Team Canada defeated Puerto Rico 6-2 to win the bronze medal at the 38th Baseball World Cup in Grossetto, Italy on Septmeber 26.

The bronze medal performance was the best ever showing by Canada at the Baseball World Cup.

Canada jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bronze medal game as former London Badger Adam Stern led off the first inning with a single and then scored on a single by Shawn Bowman.

“I’m so happy. The team we had here, the group of guys, you know I feel like we deserved it and we played so good. We felt that we were one of the best teams here since the get go,” said team veteran Adam Stern of earning a bronze medal.

Team USA captured the Gold Medal by defeating Cuba by a 10-5 score on September 27. More information can be found at the website.

September 3, 2009

Badger Alumni Report – September 3, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Lynchburg Hillcats - Class A
Jamie is currently batting .207 with three home runs and 13 RBI in 38 games with the Hillcats after starting the season at Double-A Altoona.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
Adam has joined Team Canada and will be leaving for Sweden early next week for the beginning of the World Cup of Baseball Stern didn't play in the first of four exhibitions with the United States on September 3. Team Canada manager Ernie Whitt is using the exhibition series with the USA as an opportunity to take a look at a lot of the new young talent on this edition of Team Canada. Adam finished his minor league season by playing the final 18 games with the Nashville Sounds of the Pacific Coast League. Over those 18 games, Adam batted .310 with one home run and eight RBI. He had two hits in each of his last three games with Nashville.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris has joined Team Canada for the upcoming World Cup of Baseball in Sweden. He appeared as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 in the first of four exhibition games versus Team USA on September 3. USA won by a score of 6-4. Robinson played in 91 games with the Iowa Cubs this season. He posted a batting average of .328 with two home runs, 48 RBI, and nine stolen bases.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock went 4-for-4 with a walk in a 4-2 loss to the Cedar Rapids Comets on September 3. He was stranded all five times he got on base. Wisconsin left 13 men on base in total in the loss. Over the past 10 games Brock has a .333 batting average to bring his season's stats to a .249 batting average with 72 RBI, 19 home runs and nine stolen bases in 129 games.

Brad McElroy - Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A Advanced Florida State League
McElroy is currently batting .277 with 21 RBI, three home runs and 15 stolen bases in 47 games with Dunedin.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

August 24, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – August 24, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Lynchburg Hillcats - Class A
Jamie is currently batting .219 with three home runs and 10 RBI in 28 games with the Hillcats after starting the season at Double-A Altoona.

Adam Stern – Nashville Sounds - Triple-A
In 10 games since being called up to Triple-A Nashville on August 14, Adam has put up some impressive and consistent numbers. Included in those numbers was Stern's first Triple-A home run of the season, a two-run blast in an 8-4 loss to Albuquerque on August 22. He is currently on a four-game hit streak, and he is batting .311 with nine stolen bases in 10 games.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
In his past 10 games Chris has a .351 batting average, and over the season he has a .329 average with 43 RBI. Chris has played in 86 of the I-Cubs 129 games this season. Robinson missed some games earlier in the season due to injury and is currently sharing catching duties with Steve Clevenger who has split the season between Triple-A Iowa and the Double-A Tennessee Smokies.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Over the past 10 games Brock has a .341 batting average to bring his season's stats to a .242 batting average with 71 RBI and 19 home runs in 120 games.

Brad McElroy - Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A Advanced Florida State League
In a 17-2 win over Clearwater on August 22, Brad went 3-for-5. He hit a solo home run in the eighth inning and a pair of singles in a nine-run sixth inning for the Blue Jays. McElroy is currently hitting .295 with 20 RBI, two home runs and 12 stolen bases in 39 games with Dunedin.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike picked up his fifth win of the season with two innings of relief work in a 10-inning 5-4 win over the Midwest Sliders on August 22. Damchuek's won-loss record stands at 5-4 for the season.

July 16, 2009.

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – July 16, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Lynchburg Hillcats - Class A
Jamie is batting .250 with three home runs and seven RBI in 16 games with the Hillcats.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam went 1-for-3 with a triple as he led the North All Stars to a 7-0 victory over the South All Stars in the Southern League All-Star Game July 13. He is currently on a three-game hitting streak and batting .290 for the season.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris went 1-for-2 for the Pacific Coast League All Stars as they dropped a 6-5 decision to the International League All Stars in the July 15th Triple-A All Star Game. Robinson who put together a recent six-game hitting streak is batting .315 for the season.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock who homered in a 5-2 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks on July 13 has hit safely in his last three games. He is batting .220 for the season.

Brad McElroy - Dunedin Blue Jays - Class A Advanced Florida State League
Brad had three RBI as he went 3-for-3 with a walk in a 5-2 win over the Tampa Yankees on July 13. He is currently batting .281 in eight games with Dunedin.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2009.

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – July 2, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Lynchburg Hillcats - Class A Advanced
Jamie is batting .263 in six games since being sent down to the Hillcats last week. He went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-4 loss to the Salem Red Sox on July 1.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A

Adam belted the game-winning home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to lift Huntsville past Tennessee 3-2 on June 28. That home run was his second of the game and third of the season. Stern who has hit safely in eight of his last nine games will represent Huntsville in the Southern League All Star Game along with six of his teammates. Adam is currently batting .303.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris will be the starting catcher for the Pacific Coast League team in the Triple-A All Star Game July 15 in Portland, Oregon. He is currently batting .313 with 30 RBI.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A

Brock hit his eleventh home run of the season in a 15-6 loss to the Peoria Chiefs on June 28. He is currently batting .215.

Brad McElroy - Gulf Coast Blue Jays - GCL Rookie
Brad is batting .231 in four games with the GCL Blue Jays.

Mike Damchuk - Southern Illinois Miners - Frontier League
Mike picked up his first win of the season in relief in a 6-3 win over Windy City Thunderbolts June 30. He currently has a 0.87 ERA in 10 1/3 innings of relief pitching.

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June 25, 2009.

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – June 25, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie put together a three-game hitting streak this past week. The highlight of the streak was June 20 when he blasted two home runs as the Curve won their fifth of seven games with a 4-0 win over the Connecticut Defenders. Romak now has five home runs on the season.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam led off the first inning with his fourth triple of the season, and he later scored as Huntsville went on to score four runs in the inning and record a 6-1 victory over Chattanooga on June 23. Stern is batting .296 with one home run and a league-leading 26 stolen bases in 70 games.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris is batting .333 with one home run and 28 RBI in 47 games. Robinson went 2-for-4 in a 4-0 win over the Memphis Redbirds on June 20.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock is currently batting .218 with 10 home runs and 42 RBI in 67 games this season.

Brad McElroy - Gulf Coast Blue Jays - GCL Rookie
Brad went 1-for-4 in a 2-1 loss to the Gulf Coast Phillies on June 24. The Gulf Coast Lague opened its season on June 23.

Adam Arnold - Kalamazoo Kings - Frontier League
Adam pitched a scoreless 12th inning to record his first win of the season, as his Kalamazoo teammates rallied in the bottom of the inning to defeat the Florence Freedom 8-6 on June 18th.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 18, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – June 18, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A

Jamie put together a four-game hitting streak this past week. Included in that streak was a 2-for-5 performance in a 4-3 win over the Connecticut Defenders on June 13. Jamie is currently batting .172 with three home runs.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A

Adam is currently batting .301, but is hitless in his last four games. Stern continues to lead the Southern League in stolen bases with 23 in 63 games.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris is currently on a four-game hitting streak after going the previous six games without a hit. Robinson who is on the Triple-A All Star ballot is currently batting .331 and .363 against right-handed pitching.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A

Brock's two-run homer in the top of the seventh inning with Windsor's Chris Dennis on base proved to be the difference in an 8-6 win over Burlington on June 16. That home run was Brock's tenth of the season. His batting average currently sits at .222.

Adam Arnold - Kalamazoo Kings - Frontier League

Adam made two relief appearances in the past week without giving up a run.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 11, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – June 11, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A

Jamie is currently batting .160 with three home runs.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A

In the second half of a Sunday doubleheader Adam hit his first home run of the season which tied the score at 1-1 in the sixth inning. The score remained tied until the top of the tenth when Stern led off with a single that ignited a four-run rally giving the Stars a 5-1 win over West Tenn. Adam's batting average stands at .310 with a league-leading 23 stolen bases.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris is 0-for-17 in his last six games. Robinson who is on the Triple-A All Star ballot did not go hitless in consecutive games before this recent hitless streak. His average has dropped to .338 from .384.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A

Brock's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers a 7-4 win over the Kane County Cougars on Wednesday June 10. Kjeldgaard had four RBI on the night to help the Rattlers to their second straight win. That home run was Brock's ninth of the season. His batting average currently sits at .228.

Adam Arnold - Kalamazoo Kings - Frontier League

Adam pitched a scoreless inning of relief in a 5-3 loss to Southern Illinois on June 7.

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London Badgers Baseball

London Badgers Baseball - June College Player
By Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

This month we are featuring Devin Ensing who attended A.B. Lucas S.S. in London and played in the Eager Beaver Baseball Association before joining the London Badgers. Devin's parents are Dennis and Debbie and he has a brother Dallas and a sister Danya. He has just completed his freshman year at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Devin will be playing this summer for the Southwest London Juniors.

In past College Player features we discovered the importance of finding a college that was a good fit for the athlete in respect to academics, baseball and overall surroundings.

Kenyon College has proven to be an ideal fit for Devin Ensing. Kenyon is a D-III Junior College located in Gambier, Ohio. Gambier is a quaint village of about 2,000 people in a hilltop setting in central Ohio.

Devin talked about some of the things he was looking for in a college, “There were a few main factors I had to consider. If I would fit in with the team, both in terms of personality and talent. If I would be able to play a lot, and what the chances were of me starting as a freshman and as an upperclassmen”

He went on to talk about the village of Gambier and how it fit into his plans, “Gambier is a very unique place. Since the town only has about 2,000 residents, it is quite small, and I have gotten to know many of the people who live and work in the town. There is really only one main street through town with only a market, post office, bookstore, and deli. Besides that, the rest of the town is mostly college buildings. I enjoy it there. One of the things I was looking at in a college was a small town, because I don't really enjoy being in big cities. I think it is a good fit for me.”

Ensing who was the only freshman to start for the Lords this season had a .258 batting average with 17 RBI. He summed up his first year in college, “I feel that I had a great freshman season. Our team had its best season ever. It was easy to fit in on the team and to live away from home, mostly because I carefully considered how I would fit at Kenyon when I made my choice of where to go to school.”

Devin's answer was much the same as others when asked what sports and baseball in particular has taught him, “Hard work and responsibility. There are many life lessons and intangibles that sports can teach you, and hard work is definitely one of those things.”

Devin had some advice for players who have not yet selected a school, “There are three main things. Academics, baseball and important university qualities. The academics have to be on par with what you want to accomplish, whether it be a junior college or a four-year university, I think that is by far the most important thing. Baseball is important because the team can’t be too good or else you will never play, or if the team is too bad you won’t enjoy yourself. You have to find the perfect combination of how much you get to play and how well the team will do.”

After his first year away from home Devin has a good idea of what to expect and was able to provide some advice for those who will be leaving home for the first time to attend college, “Be smart and work hard. You have to be open to suggestions and new ways that your coach might look at different situations. I was fortunate because many of my beliefs about baseball were similar to the way my coaches saw things. I didn't have to change all that much. I did have to change positions a couple of times, so do whatever you can to earn as much playing time as you can. I have always been a versatile player. In minor midget with the Badgers, I played every position except for catcher and first base. I mainly play infield now, but I can still play every infield position. I think that helps to get more playing time.”

Kenyon Lords won three out of four games against rival Wooster College who were ranked fourth in the country among NJCAA D-III baseball teams. Wooster went on to the JUCO World Series and came within one win of capturing the title. “That is probably the highlight of my baseball career thus far. Beating one of the best teams in the country three games out of four. I played really well in those games, and it was more wins then we have had against Wooster in the previous 25 years.” said Ensing.

We asked Devin to comment on his time with the London Badger program, “I enjoyed the Badger program a lot. I became a much better baseball player, but I also made many new friends and I had amazing coaching there. Al Neal coached me from when I was about five-years-old until last year, and he is probably the best coach I have ever had.” He went on to talk about the influence his family has had on his baseball career, “My family and my parents are the main reason I am where I am right now. They have always encouraged me, have been to almost all of my games, and they constantly provide me with encouragement and positive feedback.”

Devin is looking forward to spending the summer playing for the Southwest Juniors where he will have an opportunity to play against the Midget Badgers and many of his former teammates who play for other teams in the LDBA junior division, but he is ready for his sophomore season at Kenyon College.

“I had a great first year and I am excited to go back next year.”

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – June 4, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A

Jamie is batting .229 in his past 10 games to bring his average to .168 for the season. Over the past week Romak hit his third home run of the season on May 29 and went 2-for-4 with his 11th double of the season in a 12-9 loss to the Erie SeaWolves on June 2.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A

The Huntsville Stars lead-off hitter continues to lead the Southern League in stolen bases with 22. In a 14-5 loss to the Birmingham Barons, Stern went 3-for-4 with one double. Adam's batting average currently stands at .320 overall and at .359 against right-handed pitching.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

Chris is among the top five Pacific Coast League hitters with a .372 average. His average leads the I-Cubs now that teammate Jake Fox has been called up to the Major League Chicago Cubs. In the past week Robinson put together a four-game hitting streak during which he went 8-for-14.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A

Brock's batting average has slipped to .218 despite having a 2-for-4 day in a 14-4 loss to Dayton on May 27. Kjeldgaard has eight home runs on the season for the Milwaukee Brewers Class A affiliate based in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Adam Arnold - Kalamazoo Kings - Frontier League

After experiencing control problems in his first relief appearance of the year Adam bounced back with 2 1/3 innings of work in an 11-4 loss to the Southern Illinois Miners on May 31. In that outing Arnold gave up only one hit with one strikeout.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 28th, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – May 28th, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A

Jamie was 2-for-3 with a walk in a 10-3 loss to Akron on May 24. He is batting .163 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 48 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A

Adam had three hits and scored twice, and the bullpen backed David Welch with four scoreless frames to preserve Huntsville's 5-2 win over West Tenn on Memorial Day afternoon. Stern is currently on a four-game hitting streak while posting a .341 batting average with a league leading 21 stolen bases.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A

After missing nearly a week with a sore back, Chris has returned to the Cubs’ lineup and has kept his batting average among the leaders of the Pacific Coast League. Robinson is currently hitting .364 with 22 RBI and one home run in 32 games

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A.

Brock is currently batting .237 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in 45 games.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore

Matt was named to the MAC All-Conference team as designated hitter. He finished the season with a .348 batting average and 16 home runs.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman

Derrik was named to the NJCAA DII Region 12 All Conference team which is quite a feat for a freshman. The Bruins were ousted from the JUCO World Series in two straight games, but Strzalkowski had a great freshman season as led the Bruins with a .436 batting average and three home runs.

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London Badgers Baseball-College Player of the Week May 13th
By Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

This week we are featuring Derrik 'Diesel' Strzalkowski who attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier S.S. in London and played in the Eager Beaver Baseball Association before joining the Bantam Badgers in 2005. Derrik's parents are Ed and Sandra and he has an older brother Andrew. He is currently studying sociology, psychology, communications, art history, and English at Kellogg C.C. in Battle Creek, Michigan, and will be playing this summer for the St. Thomas Tomcats.

Strzalkowski makes immediate impact leading team to NJCAA World Series in freshman year.

Former London Badger catcher Derrik 'Diesel' Strzalkowski has made an immediate impact in his first year of college baseball. The freshman at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan has certainly caught the eye of his college coach. Head baseball coach at Kellogg, Eric Laskovy commented on the impact 'Diesel' has had on his team, "Derrik has made a tremendous impact on our program and he has a very bright future ahead of him."

Coach Laskovy continued to talk about Derrik's work ethic, "Derrik is a tireless worker who has a terrific attitude, and he gives you everything he has in the classroom and on the field." The coach's comments should come as no surprise after hearing Derrik himself talk about hard work and how he has developed a strong work ethic. " My dad, mom and brother have always encouraged me and reminded me that hard work will be rewarded and that I should never take anything for granted. My parents have committed their time and money to make sure I get to games, practices and extra workouts. My Dad has always, and still does take me out to do extra hitting. He will do anything to help me. He always has encouraged me no matter what."

Derrik's hard work has put him at the top of most of the Bruins' offensive categories. Heading into the NJCAA D-II Region 12 Tournament, 'Diesel' was first in individual batting average on his team with an average of .436.

When asked what his short-term goals were, Diesel said, "To have a strong finish to the season."

Derrik saw that goal reached as the Kellogg Bruins captured the 2009 Region 12 Championship this past weekend, going through the tournament undefeated. Derrik was one of four Bruins named to the All-Tournament team. Coach Laskovy was also named Coach of the Year.

In a 10-4 win over Sinclair College in the final, Derrik walked four times and added a single and four RBI. The Bruins now will be playing in the NJCAA World Series on Memorial Day weekend in Enid, Oklahoma.

Derrik said one of his long-term goals is to transfer to a four-year program after two years at Kellogg C.C., which would follow the path of another former Badger, Brad McElroy who played two seasons with the Bruins before transferring to NC Charlotte where he had a successful career. McElroy was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in last year's MLB draft.

Derrik commented on what sports and baseball in particular have taught him, "They have taught me discipline, respect and commitment. Baseball is a year-long commitment if you want to achieve success. I think my work ethic is my strength and that is paying off. I have good offensive skills and I am developing a strong throwing arm. I think my skills are always developing and I hope to continue improving."

Derrik who will be returning to London this summer to play for the St. Thomas Tomcats of the Jr. InterCounty league talked about his years in the Badger program, "My time with the Badgers was great. Mike Lumley, Al Neal and Mark Grimes all contributed to our team's success and development. Having good teammates with great baseball skills makes you work harder to be better."

"My first year has been great. I have had to work hard and learn a lot of life lessons along the way. I was prepared, and I understood the sacrifices I would be making to further my education and baseball career." Derrik said when asked about his first year away from home at college. He went on to give some advice to players who are considering college careers, "They should expect to work harder than ever, and always a little more. Someone is always ready to take your place. There is always someone watching. When deciding what school to attend you should make sure the school offers the education and programs you want. Make sure your skills fit the level of ball the school offers and your abilities will allow you the chance to earn playing time. See if the school or the coach has had success moving players on to the next level."

Like many players who left the Badger program to continue their educations and baseball careers in the United States, Derrik recognizes the importance of hard work and that you can never stop working hard. Diesel will be taking that work ethic along with him to the NJCAA D-II World Series in Oklahoma in a couple of weeks, and we will be watching closely.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21st, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – May 21st, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie went 2-for-4 in a 5-3 loss to Akron on May 15. Romak is currently batting .152 with two home runs and 12 RBI after 36 games.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam who leads the Southern League in stolen bases with 15, is currently batting .343

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris has moved into the top five among Pacific Coast League hitters with a .389 average. He collected eight hits in a three-game stretch last week, but has missed the last few games due to a sore back.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock hit two home runs in a 7-5 victory over the Kane County Cougars May 20. Those two home runs brought Brock's season total to seven while his batting average rose to .236 in the past week.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Skirving was 4-for-6 with four runs scored and five RBI in a 19-16 victory over No. 2 seeded Ball State in the opening round of the MAC Conference tournament May 20. The Eagles face the University of Toledo in the second round. On the season Matt is batting .356 with 16 home runs.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik along with another former Badger Kevin Murray will be traveling to Enid Oklahoma this weekend as the Kellogg Bruins compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II World Series.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 13th, 2009.

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – May 13th, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Romak is currently batting .139 after 28 games.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam who leads the Southern League in stolen bases with 15, is currently on a seven-game hitting streak. Stern's batting average has climbed to .360. A 4-for-5 performance on May 12th was his best offensive performance of the past week.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris has moved into the top 10 among Pacific Coast League hitters with a .373 average. He went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBI in a 9-2 win over the Memphis Redbirds on May 10th.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock homered in two of the four games he played this past week, giving him five home runs on the season. Kjeldgaard's batting average is .215.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Matt is now leading all EMU hitters with a .357 average. Skriving hit his 15th home run with three RBI while going 3-for-5 in an 11-5 win over Toledo on May 10, and then was 2-for-5 in a 9-5 victory over Ohio State on May 12.

Jared Wolf – Western Illinois University – Senior
Jared who is currently batting .311 went 2-for-3 in a 13-7 loss to North Dakota State May 10. The Leathernecks face Oral Roberts in the final series of the season before the Summit Conference tournament next week.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik was named to the All-Tournament team as the seventh seeded Bruins won the NJCAA D-II Region 12 tournament to earn a spot in the JUCO World Series in two weeks. Derrik leads his team with a .436 batting average.

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London Badgers Baseball - College Player Of The Week
by Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

May 1, 2009

Q. What do Brian Mulroney, Jerry Dee - Sports Reporter and former London Badger Stefan Martin have in common?

A. They all have attended or in Martin's case still attend St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and most importantly they all have or again in Stefan's case strive to have the coveted X-Ring. The X-Ring is considered to be the most significant symbol of St. Francis Xavier University. The X-Ring is more than a piece of jewelry.

When asked about the X-Ring and why he chose St. Francis Xavier, Stefan had this to say, “The biggest factor in deciding to go to St. FX was that it has been rated the top school in Canada numerous times in recent years. Also the valued X-Ring which can be identified by employers worldwide. The X-Ring is given to every student who graduates and it was a small factor in choosing X.”

Stefan left London, Ontario last Fall to further his education and continue playing the game he loves We asked Stefan about his most recent experiences playing baseball for the X-Men and how those experiences compare to what he had accomplished prior to moving down east. “Thus far in my baseball career, I would consider the opportunity to play for the X-Men, the highlight. I have made some great teammates on the field and even better friends off the field so to speak. It has also given me a new respect for why I started the game in the first place. In Nova Scotia, the level of play is extremely different. It is more relaxed and I feel it allows you to have more fun while competing at a high level.”

He went on to talk more of his experiences in his first year in Nova Scotia, “I loved my first season as an X-Men. The team was great and very hospitable. Every person on the team made me feel welcome to the team and to the school. It helped out a lot and it was very easy to get to know the guys, especially being so far away from home. It is true what they say about Maritimers being the friendliest of peoples.”

Martin's last season as a London Badger (2008) was highlighted by his excellent defensive performance. Stefan recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 120 defensive chances and he talked about that part of his game, “I don't believe it has changed. I think I have had the same fielding abilities all my life. It has merely been tailored to the competition I am facing.”

Stefan had some comments about his experiences in the time he spent playing for the London Badgers, “I had some great experiences over the years I was a part of the Badgers. Climaxing with statistically the best year as a team in Midget. I found myself to enjoy the game more and more as each year passed. Another spectacular aspect of the program was the trip down south during the winter.. Although I love the winter, it was nice to get out early for some baseball while enjoying the sunshine State. Each coach in the program brought something new to my experiences, both on and off the field. I can only comment on those coaches I have really gotten to know in the past years, aside from my dad Lloyd coaching, coach Al Neal and Mike Lumley. Aside from the fundamentals of the game and the mental side of baseball, I learned what it takes to succeed in baseball. From Coach Neal, I learned the true definition of the word dedication. It takes a great deal of time to coach a AAA competitive team, especially with all the pressures from parents, players and personal life. From Bantam, the first year in which I had the privilege of playing for Coach Neal all the way to Midget, I found that he always worked his hardest to make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. In my opinion that is very commendable.”

When asked what some of the most important things sports has taught him are, Stefan had this to say, “Respect. How to be a good friend. How to be welcoming to those who are alien to the team or area. Friendship. Teamwork. Playing the game the right way.” When asked about role models on and off the field, Stefan said, “Aside from family. My parents Lloyd and Rae and sister Tarryn? No one.”

When speaking to Stefan Martin about his future and the life lessons he has learned, it is quite evident that playing sports and leaving home to attend college has prepared him for his adult life. “I have not decided where I will be playing baseball this summer, if at all. This year I have taken the time to mature enough to realize the costs of the dollar, especially in the current recession and rapidly declining job market. My first priority will be to find work and revolve my schedule around work.” Stefan went on to talk more about what he has learned, “By no means am I the biggest, strongest or even most talented person in baseball or in life. However that has not stopped me from pushing myself to become what I want to be. The biggest thing one can learn from me is that I have chosen my path and I alone will decide what happens. I am an ardent believer in choosing one's own destiny, and that no matter where I get in life, I can look back and be proud of what I have accomplished, especially since I am the one who chose it. I also believe that an open mind is the best mind because great things can happen even in the least likely of odds. “

Stefan Martin has chosen his path and has his sights set on a specific goal. That goal is the coveted X-Ring which will forever link him to St. FX, much like he will be forever linked to another strong fraternity...The London Badgers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 6th, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – May 6th, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie hit his second home run of the season in a 12-7 win over the Reading Phillies on April 30. Romak who was 2-for-5 with three RBI in that game, is currently batting .138 after 22 games.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam continues to lead the Southern League in stolen bases with 14. Rain washed out all weekend games, but Adam is currently on a three-game hitting streak including a 2-for-4 performance in a 13-10 victory over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx May 5th. Stern's batting average is .326.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris continued his hot hitting by collecting three doubles and four RBI in an 8-6 loss to Nashville Sounds on May 5th. With the 3-for-4 night, Robinson has hit safely in eight straight games and in 14 of his 15 starts this season. Robinson's batting average is .386.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock went 3-for-3 and hit his third home run of the season in a 9-6 loss to the Great Lakes Loons on April 30. Kjeldgaard is currently batting .228 in 24 games.

Adam Arnold - Kalamazoo Kings - Frontier League
Adam will be on the Kings' roster when the Frontier League season begins May 20.

Mike Damchuk - Evansville Otters - Frontier League
Mike will be on the Otters' roster when the Frontier League season begins May 20.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Matt was named MAC West Player of the Week on May 4. Skirving had a stellar week at the plate for EMU, going 8-for-20 (.400) with four home runs, 10 RBI and seven runs scored, leading the Eagles to a split doubleheader at Michigan State and a pair of wins at home against Ball State. Skirving homered twice against the Spartans, and in the series finale against BSU, the slugger blasted his 13th home run of the season and finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Skirving finished the week with a 1.100 slugging percentage.

Jared Wolf – Western Illinois University – Senior
Jared returned from injury and went 1-for-3 with one RBI in a 7-1 loss to Illinois on May 5. Wolf is batting .315

Paul Young - Grand Rapids C.C. - Sophomore
Paul has a .424 batting average in 39 games.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik leads all Kellogg hitters in home runs with three, in doubles with 16 and in RBI with 33. He is second in batting with a .436 average.

Devin Ensing - Kenyon College - Freshman
Devin has a .274 batting average in 28 games.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29th, 2009

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – April 29th, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie is off to a slow start with the Curve. He has one home run and four RBI in 17 games while batting .147.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam leads the Southern League in stolen bases with 10. He has also hit safely in 17 of 19 games while putting together two separate eight-game hitting streaks and a .329 batting average.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris is batting .366 in 12 games so far with the Iowa Cubs. Chris hit a three-run home run in a 3-0 win over Nashville on April 26th. The home run was Chris's first of the season.

Brock Kjeldgaard - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers - Class A
Brock was the hitting star for the Timber Rattlers in a 5-3 victory over Peoria on April 24th with one home run and three RBI. Brock is currently batting .196 with the Class A affilliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Matt hit a solo walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth in an 8-7 victory over Northern Illinois University April 26th. Skirving is currently batting .325 for the Eagles with nine home runs and 36 RBI in 39 games.

Jared Wolf – Western Illinois University – Senior
As of the latest statistic updates from the NCAA (April 26), Jared Wolf is leading the nation with 0.48 sacrifice bunts per game. His 14 total sacrifice bunts are fourth best among all players in the country.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik leads all Kellogg hitters in home runs with three, in doubles with 13 and in RBI with 31. He is second in batting with a .482 average.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22nd, 2009
Weekly Badger Alumni Report – April 22nd, 2009

MINOR LEAGUES

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie had his most productive game of the season in a 3-1 loss to Erie on April 17th, when he went two-for-three with one RBI and a walk.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A.
Adam has hit safely in all but one of Huntsville's 12 games this season. He is currently batting .298 with five stolen bases as the Stars' leadoff hitter.

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris is batting .375 in seven games thus far for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate that plays in Des Moines, Iowa. Chris has yet to hit a home run this season, but he went three-for-three in an 8-2 victory over Round Rock on April 18th.

COLLEGE

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Matt hit a pair of home runs in a 15-11 victory over Western Michigan on April 17th. Skirving is currently batting .315 for the Eagles with eight home runs and 28 RBI.

Paul Young – Grand Rapids C.C. – Sophomore
Paul is currently batting .397 with 47 RBI in 35 games with the Raiders. In an April 18th doubleheader sweep of Royal Oaks Community College, Paul went five-for-seven with three RBI.

Jared Wolf – Western Illinois University – Senior
Jared who is currently batting .320 in 28 games for the Leathernecks, hit his first career home run this past week.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik leads all Kellogg hitters with a .500 batting average and is currently ranked in the Top 10 nationally among NJCAA D-2 batting average leaders. He also has 11 doubles, two home runs and 26 RBI.

Devin Ensing – Kenyon College – Freshman
Devin is currently batting .353 with 15 RBI in 21 games this season with Kenyon College.

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Minor League Baseball Season Opens - Former London Badgers Get Off To A Great Start
by Dan Haugh - Badger Media Liaison

April 10, 2009

Adam Stern and Chris Robinson were offensive leaders as their respective teams captured victories on the second day of the minor league baseball season.

Stern went 2 for 4 for the Huntsville Stars in a 2-1 win over the Mobile Bay Bears in Huntsville, Alabama. The Stars are the AA affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Huntsville scored both of their runs in the first inning. Adam scored the first Stars run after leading off with a single to left field, stealing second and advancing to third base on a throwing error by the catcher. After two games Adam Stern is batting .365 with two stolen bases.

Meanwhile in Round Rock, Texas, former London Badger, Chris Robinson got his first start behind the plate in AAA ball, and he made the best of it as he went 2 for 3 for the Iowa Cubs in a 5-2 victory over the Round Rock Express. Robinson so far is splitting playing time with 16-year veteran Mark Johnson. The Iowa Cubs play their home games at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.

Jamie Romak is playing for the Pirates’ AA affiliate, the Altoona Curve who lost their second consecutive game of the young Eastern League season. Romak singled in Altoona’s opening night loss to the Erie Sea Wolves on April 9th.

Another former Badger, Brad McElroy is expected to suit up with the Auburn Doubledays, a Toronto Blue Jays single-A affiliate in the New York-Penn league, when that league starts play in June.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 15th, 2009.

Weekly Badger Alumni Report – April 15th, 2009

Minor Leagues

Jamie Romak – Altoona Curve - Double-A
Jamie hit his first home run of the season in a loss to Akron Aeros April 13.

Adam Stern – Huntsville Stars - Double-A
Adam is currently batting .280 and is on a six-game hitting streak. Included in that streak was a lead-off double which ended up being the only hit allowed by Mobile pitching in their 3-0 victory over the Stars on April 12. Stern has three stolen bases

Chris Robinson – Iowa Cubs - Triple-A
Chris is batting .273 in three games. He is sharing the catching duties with veteran Mark Johnson.

College

Matt Skirving – Eastern Michigan - Sophomore
Matt went two-for-four with his fourth home run of the season in a 7-1 win over Ohio University on April 10. Skirving is currently batting .311 for the Eagles.

Paul Young – Grand Rapids C.C. – Sophomore
Paul is currently batting .361 in 29 games with the Raiders. In a 9-7 victory over Macomb C.C. on April 10th Paul went two-for-four with three RBI.

Jared Wolf – Western Illinois University – Senior
Jared is currently batting .347 in 20 games for the Leathernecks. He collected six hits in a single game this season against Medaille College on March 14th.

Derrik Strzalkowski – Kellogg Community College – Freshman
Derrik is leading all Kellogg hitters with a .508 batting average. He also has nine doubles, two home runs and 23 RBI.

Devin Ensing – Kenyon College – Freshman
Devin went five-for-nine as the Lords swept College of Wooster in a doubleheader April 11th. The wins were the first for Kenyon College over Wooster since 2005, and only their third and fourth wins over Wooster dating back to 1985. Ensing is currently batting .353 in 17 games with Kenyon College.

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Adam Stern went 3-4 with a home run and three runs scored as he led the Nashville Sounds offensively in a 7-5 victory over the Columbus Clippers in pre-season action March 28th in Phoenix, Arizona. Adam is currently assigned to the AAA Nashville Sounds. Their website and more about Adam can be found here.

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College "Player of the Week" returns to the Badger Website
by Dan Haugh - Badger Media Liaison

The College Player of The Week will be returning to the London Badger website this season. We recently caught up with former Badger second baseman Devin Ensing for a brief preview of what you can expect to see in this space throughout the upcoming season.

Devin who is attending Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, took some time to answer our questions after returning with his teammates from a spring visit to Florida on a 20-hour bus trip. "I have found that it has been easy to adjust to college life, including baseball. I think that living by yourself will either bring out the best or the worst in people, and it has brought out the best in me." Ensing said when asked about the adjustments he has had to make to college life. He went on to talk about the differences between college baseball and what he has become accustomed to back in his hometown of London, “I have found the transition to college baseball easy. Mostly because of having played with the Badgers. Many players on my college team have never practiced six to eight times a week and then played four to six games a week during the season. That is basically what we did with the Badgers, which has made it easy for me to fit into my schedule.”

Devin Ensing is one of many former Badgers who will be featured as College Players of The Week on our website, so be sure to check back regularly once the season begins.

In the meantime, check out this link which provides us with a brief look at Devin's progress so far at Kenyon College.

Former Badger Jamie Romak, of the Altoona Curve in the AA Eastern League, has been lighting it up recently with a hot bat. Click here to read about his recent success.

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College Player of the Week Jared Wolf

By Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

When asked what playing sports has taught them, most successful athletes will basically tell you the same thing. This week's Badger College Player of the Week Jared Wolf, is no exception. Jared's answer to the question was simply, "Hard work pays off."

According to Jared the lesson was one that he had been taught early on in his life by his grandfather John Seimen. "He has always taught me that nothing comes easy in life, and that you have to put in the time and effort to achieve your goals in life." Jared says.

The six foot, 175 pound outfielder who is a native of St. Thomas just completed his first season at Western Illinois University after two seasons at Sauk Valley C.C. in Dixon Illinois. Jared started 52 of the 53 games the Leathernecks played this season, batting .290 with six doubles, two triples and 13 RBI.

Jared talked about his original decision to go to Sauk Valley and then to transfer to Western Illinois after two seasons at Sauk where he was named to the All Conference first all-star team while batting .375. "It wasn't really that hard a decision to go to Sauk. Another former Badger, Jordan Tiegs, was also going there, so it made it easier for me to choose Sauk. As far as Western Illinois, it was always a goal of mine to play at a Division 1 university, so I could play against the best college players around. I got offers to play at some lower level colleges and universities. Western Illinois was the only D1 School, so I chose to go there." said Jared who has played this summer in his hometown for the Tomcats of the Junior InterCounty League.

Jared said, "Playing for the Tomcats this season has been fun for me. We have a good bunch of guys and the team gets along great. It?s a place to play in the summer that is relaxing, and it isn?t that big a grind like college ball."

Jared spoke about the influence his mother Anna Marie has had on his baseball career, "My mom was the major influence in my career. Without her I wouldn't be where I am today. I owe a lot to her. She has meant everything in where I am at today. Driving me to London back in the days when I played for the Badgers, she never got a weekend off because she was always taking me to baseball. I owe a lot to my older sister Courtney too, having my mom always being there when I was playing baseball."

Jared's mother also took the opportunity to add these comments about Jared and his baseball endeavors, "Baseball has been a very important part of Jared's life and our family's life as well. Jared works hard, and he never gives up, even though he has been thrown a few curves during his baseball career. I am still amazed by some of the unbelievable plays he makes in the outfield. I am extremely proud of Jared and his many accomplishments."

Speaking of Jared's accomplishments, we asked him about the highlight of his baseball career thus far and what his short-term and long-term goals might be.

"The highlight so far has been, making it to regionals in my freshman year at Sauk Valley and being one hit away from going to the College World Series," said Jared, who went on to talk about his goals and what he considers his strengths as a baseball player to be. "I would like to finish my degree and hopefully get drafted. After that maybe I will play independent ball somewhere or hopefully get a good-paying job," said Jared who then commented on what he considers to be his strengths as a player, "I would have to say my instincts as a ball player and just knowing how to play the game. I'm a pretty good hitter too."

Jared was asked about his playing days with the London Badger program and he had this to say, "The London Badgers program is a great stepping stone to playing ball down in the United States. They have some of the best coaches around, and I would have to say that Mike Lumley was the best coach I ever had. The teams we had were great, with a great group of guys from all over the place."

"You have to look at what the best fit for you is. You have to ask yourself if you want to play every day or are you all right with maybe not starting every game like you did here in Canada. It's not easy. You go from your summer team where a few guys are really good players to college where everyone is good. It is a lot of hard work in the U.S. Never think that no one is watching, because they are. Don't cut corners and never give up," was the advice Jared offered to players who have not yet decided where they are going to go to school and play baseball.

Jared talked in closing about his experiences thus far in the U.S. and particularly his first season in Macomb, Illinois playing for Western Illinois, "I enjoyed my first year at Western Illinois. We had a really good team. We beat a couple teams ranked in the top 10 in the nation, and we had a great bunch of guys on the team. I had the most fun this year compared to the past two at Sauk Valley. Everything does become a lot easier when you've been down in the states for three years now. I kind of know what to expect now. The only thing I had trouble with in my first year was the distance, but I'm over that now and it doesn't bother me one bit."

Another Badger graduate to keep our eye on as his career progresses, and we can be sure that Jared Wolf will be listening to his own advice which is worth mentioning again.

Good Luck Jared. We all will be watching your career.

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Stern and Robinson heading to Olympics

Former London Badgers players Adam Stern and Chris Robinson played important roles in Team Canada's strong showing at the recently played Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan.

Canada finished in first place with a record of six wins and a single loss to Australia in the qualifying tournament that took place in Taichung, Taiwan March 7 to March 14. After joining their respective Major League teams for Spring Training and their professional seasons, Team Canada will reunite for the Beijing Olympic Games which are scheduled to go from August 8 to August 24.

After pounding out an opening win over Mexico 15-10, Team Canada mercied South Africa 10-0 behind a strong pitching performance by Brett Gray of Petrolia, Ontario and a strong hitting performance from catcher Chris Robinson of Dorchester, Ontario. The mercy ended in the seventh inning with a walk-off home run by Robinson who went 4 for 4 in the game.

"It has been a while since I have done that." said Robinson with a laugh of his 4-for-4 performance with a double, the homer and two RBI. "We came into this game with a must win attitude. We handled ourselves well against a scrappy team and we knew that coming in and we were ready for them and we really battled."

After dropping their third game to Australia 10-5 Canada came up with a big win against Chinese Taipei by a score of 6-5 in 10 innings. Londoner Adam Stern, who was Canada's centre fielder and lead-off hitter throughout the tournament, scored an important run that tied the score at 2-2 in the third inning after Chinese Taipei had jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

"This will go down as one of the greatest games I have ever been involved in with Team Canada." said Manager Terry Puhl. "There are so many heroes on this team tonight, just one after another you can name them."

In their next game Canada used five runs in the third inning and four runs in the fourth inning on their way to an easy 11-0 victory over Spain in seven innings. Adam Stern started off the four-run fourth inning with a single.

Canada guaranteed themselves a berth in the Summer Olympics with a 4-3 win over Korea in their next game and then finished off the tournament clinching first place with a 2-1 victory over Germany in 10 innings.

The Team Canada goal, when they went to Taiwan, was to secure a spot in the Summer Olympics. They did just that, and they did it in fine fashion. Now we all have something to look forward to as our native sons prove to the International baseball world that Canada is a major player Internationally.