The River Valley Summer Baseball League opens its inaugural season today with several familiar names on the rosters of the five teams.
University of Dubuque head coach Shane Schellsmidt created the wooden-bat league to give college baseball players an opportunity to hone their skills and play in front of scouts. The five-team league runs through July 27, and each team will play up to 40 games.
Loras College senior outfielder Adam Gross, a former Dubuque Hempstead prep, will play for the Fish Flies. One of his teammates will be catcher Kyle Sime, a Prairie du Chien, Wis., native who played for Western Wisconsin Technical College in La Crosse this spring. They will be coached by the University of Dubuque's Mike Edmonds and Bill Albee, a former Dubuque Wahlert prep.
A trio of Clarke College players have been assigned to the Beavers. They include pitchers Justin Haas and Brian Cross and infielder J.D. Judd. Clarke's Jeremy Etchemendy and Irving Duran will coach the Beavers.
The University of Dubuque's Julian Cantu will pitch for the Snappers. One of his
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Kamron Koplitz, a former UD standout, will serve as an assistant coach for the Hawks. The Waves are the fifth team in the league.
Games will be played at UD, Farley Park, Petrakis Park and Jenk Field in Dyersville.
Today's games include the Waves against the Beavers at 1 p.m., and the Hawks vs. the Fish Flies at 4:30. Both games will be played at UD.
Marshalltown native clement in Triple-A with Mariners
Jeff Clement, who set a national high school record with 75 career home runs for Marshalltown (Iowa) High School in 2002, is playing for the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate after undergoing season-ending knee surgery in early September. Drafted as a catcher, he is now being listed as a designated hitter and outfielder.
Clement is hitting .285 with 18 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 39 RBIs in 55 games for the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. He played in 66 games for Seattle last season before injuring his left knee.
North Polk's Snygg named Iowa softball player of year
Sammy Snygg, who pitched North Polk High School to the Class 2A state championship last summer, has been selected the Gatorade Iowa Softball Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. Last summer, she went 40-4 with a 0.34 ERA and hit .409 with 11 home runs, 54 RBIs and 49 runs scored.
Snygg entered her senior season as the school's all-time wins leader with 158 and was 436 strikeouts shy of setting a five-year state record. She struck out 437 last summer.
E-mail More than the Score items to Jim Leitner at jleitner@wcinet.com.
