Spring Training

REDCOATS BRING IN PROSPECTS FOR MINI-CAMP TODAY by Nick Scala Parkersburg Sentinal.

In his first tour of duty as manager of the Ohio Valley Redcoats, Greg Le Masters put together a team a team that set a Frontier League record for victories that still stands.

Starting today, Le Masters greets some of the players that will make up the core of his second tour of duty as the Redcoats begin preseason mini-camp at Sump Field.

"I'm not sure what to expect, but I know we're gonna have a positive atmosphere around here," said Le Master, who's back at the Redcoats' helm after being away from the club for the past three seasons. "That's important, and I'm also excited about what we've got coming."

Le Master and Ohio Valley general manager Steve Swisher have invited about 40 prospects to the mini-camp, including 14 from last year's team that finished with a league-worst 21-59 under manager Pete Berios.

Le Master, Swisher and new Redcoat coaches Tom Waelchli and Rob Guzik will evaluate the talent at the camp tonight through Thursday.

Le Master was the Frontier League Manager of the Year in 1994 when he led the Redcoats to a 50-17 regular season record. That team's mark for wins and winning percentage (.746) remains the best in the FL's five year history.

" I hate to make predictions, but I'm excited," Le Master said. "With the talent coming in and the coaching staff we've got, we're excited to get together and put all that experience to work.

"We're all made hundreds of calls and have been talkiing to a lot of players . Now the coaches are excited about seeing what we've got out on the field."

Today's workout will begin at 5pm, then the prospects will return Sunday for an afternoon session starting at 1pm.

" The first couple of days will be like an open tryout camp, trying to find out who can run, who can throw who can hit and who can catch," Le Master said. "then for the next three or four days we'll have more intrasquad scrimmages and such, then get together as a staff and decide who we want to keep."

Le Master said he will trim the roster back to 24 players by Thursday, although that won't necessarily be the team he puts in uniform for the June 4 season opener at Stump Field against Canton.

"We're gonna keep the best 24 guys we can find, including 11 pitchers, but that will not be the ball club," Le Master said. There are other folks we'll still be looking at who are still finishing up college or in regional (tournament) play."

Amoung the familiar names returning from last year's Ohio Valley team for the tryout camp are catcher Josh Herman, first baseman Dwayne Crawley, second baseman Jeff Berman, utility players Bart Close, Todd Cunningham, and Barry Shelton, outfielders Joe Gordon and Ramon Davenport, and pitchers Sean Economou, Todd Anderson, Jeff Cordle, Brad Hall, Carlos Simmons and Greg Gerland.

Also coming in are catcher Jason Freshour, a 1997 All-Big East Selection for West Virginia University and Clay County's Robert Boggs who pitched last year in the Cincinnati Reds' organization at the Class AA minor league level.