Bruins ready to open season

First pitch for the Beatrice Bruins 2007 season is slated to be thrown tonight (Tuesday) at 7 p.m. at Christenson Field.

The Bruins will open their summer baseball season against visiting non-league foe Omaha Strike Zone.

Beatrice will follow up tonight's opener with a road game at Blair Thursday and a home contest against Omaha Diamond Spirit Friday.

The Bruins are starting the season off with three non-league games before opening play in the MINK (Missouri-Iowa-Nebraska-Kansas) League this weekend.

Bruins manager Bob Steinkamp said the three non-league games were scheduled to give the team a chance to “see what it has” before opening league play.

“You honestly don't know until the players get here and you see them play a little bit what kind of team we'll have,” Steinkamp said.

But, from all indications, Steinkamp said, things are looking good again for the Bruins.

MINK League action will begin Saturday with a doubleheader against the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at William Jewell College in Liberty, Mo., and continue Sunday with a road game against the Clarinda, Iowa, A's.

There are six teams in the MINK League this season.

Playing in the league along with the Bruins, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Clarinda will be the Topeka (Kan.) Golden Giants, the Chillicothe (Mo.) Mudcats and the Ozark Generals from Springfield, Mo.

Following a full-slate of MINK League games, the Bruins will be involved in postseason action, playing in the National Baseball Congress Regional Tournament at Clarinda, July 23-30, and the NBC National Tournament at Wichita, Kan., Aug. 1-15.

As the Bruins make another run for national honors this season, the team's roster will again be filled with players from across the country.

Once the collegiate season is complete for all teams, the Big 12 will be well represented on the Bruins' 2007 roster with four players from Nebraska, three from Texas A&M and two from the University of Texas.

Huskers scheduled to play for the Bruins this summer include starting infielder Craig Corriston from Paris, Texas; pitcher/infielder Thad Weber from Friend; pitcher Drew Bowman from Morrison, Colo.; and pitcher Zach Herr from Omaha.

Weber played for the Bruins last summer before joining the Nebraska program in the fall.

Texas A&M players on the roster include infielder Brodie Greene from Flint, Texas; pitcher Shane Minks from West Columbia, Texas; and infielder Brian Ruggiano from Austin, Texas.

Outfielders Kyle Lusson from Austin, Texas, and Clint Stubbs from Atlanta, Texas, will be the Longhorns joining the Bruins this summer.

While the Huskers season ended this past weekend at the Tempe, Ariz., Regional and Texas was defeated in regional championship action Monday by the University of California-Irvine, 9-6, Texas A&M is still alive in postseason play.

Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in three years with a 5-2 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Monday. The Aggies will now face Rice, the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, this weekend in a three-game series with the winner heading to the College World Series in Omaha.

Steinkamp has high expectations for all of the players on this year's team.

“I think we should be very, very strong defensively,” Steinkamp said. “We have a strong middle infield and we have both our catchers back from last year.”

Up the middle, Steinkamp said he's looking at A&M's Brodie Greene at second base and the University of New Mexico's Scott Gracey at shortstop.

Greene, a freshman at A&M has been starting in the outfield for the Aggies, but is expected to move to shortstop next season, while Gracey was an every-day player at New Mexico at a freshman.

“Last week, he (Gracey) made ESPN's Web Gems of the Week,” Steinkamp said. “He made a great diving play on a ground ball up the middle. He's a good fielder and has a plus, plus arm.”

Behind the plate, the Bruins return Kyle Lafrenz, who played at Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College this past spring and Nick Wolfe, who was the starting catcher at Emporia (Kan.) State University.

Lafrenz has an “above average” Major League throwing arm, is a strong defensive catcher and has improved his offensive production, Steinkamp said, while Wolfe is solid behind the plate and can also provide some offense for the team.

At first base, Steinkamp said Creighton's Tyson Parks, Nebraska's Weber and Wolfe could all see action, while Nebraska's Corriston is expected to play third base.

With Texas' Stubbs on the team, Steinkamp said the Bruins will have a centerfielder who can “run with anybody in the United States.”

“From what I hear, he (Stubbs) may be the fastest player we've ever had,” Steinkamp said.

Stubbs' brother, Drew Stubbs, was the eighth player picked in the MLB draft last June.

Steinkamp said Drew Stubbs is one of the fastest players he's seen play the game and Texas coaches say his younger brother might be just a little faster.

“If he's faster than his brother, then he's unbelievably fast,” Steinkamp said, “and we like speed, especially with wood bats.”

Other projected starting outfielders once the entire team is together include A&M's Ruggiano and Texas' Lusson.

While defense will be a strong point for the Bruins, Steinkamp said the team's biggest strength could be its pitching.

“We have some real quality arms,” Steinkamp said.

Steinkamp said the Bruins could be “beat up some” by the upcoming Major League Baseball draft, however.

“I know for a fact at least four or five of our pitchers will be drafted,” Steinkamp said. “Who knows if they'll sign or not. That will all come out in the wash in about 10 days.”

Once the draft is over, however, Steinkamp said he has other players “waiting in the wings” to join the Bruins if they are needed.

Returning as assistant coaches for the Bruins in 2007 will be Ron Cullison and Mark Mancuso.

Steinkamp has also made two new additions to his coaching staff.

Joining the team as assistant coaches will be Dion Parks and Chris Rowland.

Parks is from Steinauer and played for the Bruins the past several summers.

Rowland is currently a graduate assistant coach at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan.

Steinkamp said both Parks and Rowland want to get into coaching at the collegiate level and the summer program should offer them good experience.

Players on the Bruins opening roster include:

Sean Bartholomew, left-handed pitcher from Beatrice, Cloud County Community College, Concordia, Kan.

Drew Bowman, left-handed pitcher from Morrison, Colo., University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Craig Corriston, infielder from Pairs, Texas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Jacob Diekman, left-handed pitcher from Wymore, Cloud County Community College.

Scott Gracey, right-handed pitcher/infielder from Albuquerque, N.M., University of New Mexico.

Brodie Greene, infielder from Flint, Texas, Texas A&M.

Zach Herr, left-handed pitcher from Omaha, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Kyle Lafrenz, catcher from Sioux City, Iowa, Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College.

Kevin Large, left-handed pitcher from Topeka, Kan., Barton County (Kan.) Community College.

Kyle Lusson, outfielder from Austin, Texas, University of Texas.

Ben Mancuso, left-handed pitcher from Omaha, Creighton University.

Shane Minks, right-handed pitcher from West Columbia, Texas, Texas A&M.

Tyson Parks, left-handed pitcher/outfielder from Steinauer, Creighton University.

Brian Ruggiano, infielder from Austin, Texas, Texas A&M.

Randall Scott, right-handed pitcher from Portsmouth, Ohio, Shawnee State College, Portsmouth.

Ryan Sheldon, right-handed pitcher from Kearney, Barton County Community College.

Frank Smagacz, left-handed pitcher from Omaha, Bellevue University.

Clint Stubbs, outfielder from Atlanta, Texas, University of Texas.

Thad Weber, right-handed pitcher/infielder from Friend, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Nick Wolfe, catcher from Marysville, Kan., Emporia (Kan.) State University.

Beatrice Bruins 2007 Schedule

June 5 home, Omaha Strike Zone, 7 p.m.

June 7 at Blair, 7 p.m.

June 8 home, Omaha Diamond Spirit, 7 p.m.

June 9 at Fellowship of Christian Athletes (William Jewell), 2 p.m. (DH)

June 10 at Clarinda (Iowa) A's, 7 p.m.

June 12 home, Clarinda A's, 7 p.m.

June 13 home, Topeka (Kan.) Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

June 14 home, Chillicothe (Mo.) Mudcats, 7 p.m.

June 15 home, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 7 p.m.

June 16 home, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 2 p.m. (DH)

June 17 at Topeka Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

June 19 home, Clarinda A's, 7 p.m.

June 20 home, Topeka Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

June 21 at Clarinda A's, 7 p.m.

June 23 at Ozark Generals (Springfield, Mo.), 5 p.m. (DH)

June 24 at Ozark Generals, 1 p.m.

June 27 home, Chillicothe Mudcats, 5 p.m. (DH)

June 28 at Topeka Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

July 1 at Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 4 p.m.

July 3 at Clarinda A's, 7 p.m.

July 6 at Topeka Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

July 7 home, Ozark Generals, 5 p.m. (DH)

July 8 home, Ozark Generals, 1 p.m.

July 11 home, Topeka Golden Giants, 7 p.m.

July 12 home, Clarinda A's, 7 p.m.

July 14 at Chillicothe Mudcats, 5 p.m. (DH)

July 15 at Chillicothe Mudcats, 1 p.m.

July 23-30 at NBC Regional tournament, Clarinda, Iowa, TBA

Aug. 1-15 at NBC National tournament, Wichita, Kan., TBA