Volume 12, Number 1, 2003
Vactioners Guide
Blue Hen athletes fly up to the big leagues
Vactioners Guide
Blue Hen athletes fly up to the big leagues
A number of talented former University of Delaware student-athletes are taking the opportunity to play professional ball, both in the United States and internationally. Some, like Oakland Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, have reached the top levels of their sports, while others are working their way to the big time. Among the former Fightin' Blue Hens, a number completed their degrees before embarking on professional careers. Several players, particularly in sports (such as baseball) that draft underclassmen, left campus early. For UD fans traveling this summer, consider visiting a ballpark or a football training camp to cheer on a fellow Blue Hen.
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USA Arizona Pitch a trip to Phoenix, where you can catch UD's Koplove in action with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Bank One Ballpark, which, like UD's own sports arena, is known as The Bob. Koplove, a right-handed middle relief pitcher, appeared in nine games for the Diamondbacks during the team's World Series championship season in 2001 and in 55 games in 2002, and is on pace to appear in about 70 games in 2003. California Passing through California this summer, you might be interested in checking out the Oakland Raiders' training camp in the Napa Valley. That's where Fightin' Blue Hen Gannon, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, will be preparing for a second straight Super Bowl run (beginning July 24). Of course, if you are in the Bay Area in the fall, take in a game from the full battle dress Black Hole section in Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland. Florida Outfielder Vukovich opened the 2003 season with the Clearwater Phillies, a Class A Florida State League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, for whom his father, John Vukovich, is the third base coach. Vukovich had an opportunity to represent the Major League team in the annual Hall of Fame game played in June at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., and called the experience "awesome." Illinois His kind of town, Bourbonnais is. That is where wide receiver Elliott is in training camp with the Chicago Bears (beginning July 4). This is Elliott's second year with the Monsters of the Midway, who train at Olivet Nazarene University. Reid Gorecki Outfielder Gorecki was promoted to the Class A Peoria Chiefs, an affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals and the defending Midwest League champions, in 2003. Gorecki spent the previous season with the New Jersey Cardinals in the New York-Penn League, where he played 73 games in center field. He hit .281 and led the league with 55 runs scored and 13 triples. He also had 22 stolen bases, 52 runs batted in and 29 extra base hits. Maryland These recent graduates of the YoUDee mascot program are spending the summer at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, home of the minor league Aberdeen IronBirds. They are working with the team mascot, Ferrous. New Jersey Maestrales, an infielder, is on the roster of the defending champion Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League. Maestrales spent the previous season with the Salem-Keizer (Ore.) Volcanoes, a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Mark Michael Michael, a right-handed pitcher, was drafted in 2003 by the St. Louis Cardinals and, after a stint in rookie camp, was assigned to play for the New Jersey Cardinals in Augusta, N.J. New York Grant, a UD lacrosse All-American in 1999, plays attack for the Rochester Knighthawks of the indoor National Lacrosse League. He led the team with 46 goals and 53 assists in 2003. The Knighthawks, which fell to the Toronto Rock in this year's title game, play in the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Matt Nagy HNS 2001 Quarterback Nagy, who holds several Fightin' Blue Hens passing records, has been a member of the New York Dragons in the Arena Football League for two seasons. Nagy started several games for the Dragons in 2002 but was placed on the injured exempt list this season. Joe Minucci 2003 Spending time in the New York Jets training camp (opening July 21) at Hofstra University will be Joe Minucci, a UD defensive lineman who has signed a free agent contract with the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets, who went to the AFC playoffs last season. North Carolina Brumbaugh started the 2003 season with the Charlotte Knights, a Class AAA farm club of baseball's Chicago White Sox in the International League. He was hitting .309 with nine home runs in 62 games when his contract was sold to a professional baseball team in South Korea. Brumbaugh played briefly with the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies in the majors in 2001. South Carolina Salvo is playing in the Class A South Atlantic League, having started the season with the Kannapolis (N.C.) Intimidators, a team named for hometown hero Dale Earnhardt, the late NASCAR star. In July, he was part of a four-player deal that sent Roberto Alomar from the New York Mets to the White Sox and was assigned to the Capital City Bombers in Columbia, S.C., a Mets farm team. |
Texas The eyes of Texas are upon you when you visit The Ballpark at Arlington, home of the American League's Texas Rangers baseball team. UD's Mench, who has the largest hat size in Major League Baseball (8), patrols the outfield for the Rangers. Allison Trapp AS 2003 Also in Texas for a time was UD star basketball player Allison Trapp, who spent part of the spring on the practice squad of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars. Trapp says she hopes to sign a contract to play overseas. Washington, D.C. Hail to the Redskins and to the nation's capital, where there is always plenty to do, particularly if you like filibusters or museums. After a summer in The Netherlands with the NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals, defensive tackle Cecere is in training camp with the Washington Redskins, who actually train across the Potomac River at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. Training camp opens July 27. West Virginia After being drafted in 2003 by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, shortstop Dufner was assigned to the Princeton Devil Rays, which competes in the Appalachian League. John Schneider AS 2002 Schneider started the 2003 season as a catcher with the Charleston Alley Cats, a Class A minor league team affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays. The team plays in the South Atlantic League. Wisconsin Burnell, who starred as a running back at UD in 2002, now has an opportunity to be cheered on by Wisconsin's famous Cheeseheads, having signed as a defensive back with the Green Bay Packers. Training camp opened July 18 at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wis. If Burnell makes the team, he will play in storied Lambeau Field. International Germany Basit has previously played in Portugal and Israel, and spent the 2003 season with Avitos Giessen in the German league, or bundesliga. For the season, he finished fourth in the basketball bundesliga in rebounds with 9.4 per game and second in blocked shots with 1.1 per game. Basit led the 2000-01 Hens to a 20-10 record in Head Coach David Henderson's first season, scoring 15.2 points per game and grabbing 9.6 rebounds per game. Greg Miller BE 2001 The hot-shooting Miller played for Telekom Baskets Bonn, also in the German bundesliga, in 2003. In 14 games, Miller averaged 2.7 points per game. With his previous club, Brest of the French league, he scored 18.3 points per game. Greece Iversen, an inspirational player who earned the 2003 Colonel C.B. Shaffer Award given by the UD Alumni Association to the team's most valuable player, plans to play for a club in Greece. Israel Two former Blue Hen basketball players, Arsic and the aptly named Dunkley, play together for the Haifa Basketball Club in Israel's National League. Dunkley, a 6-foot, 11-inch center, earned first-team All-North Atlantic Conference honors as a senior in 1992-93 as he helped the Blue Hens compile a 22-8 record, win the conference title and advance to a second straight NCAA tournament berth. Arsic hit 202 three-point shots during his career at UD from 1994-97. Japan Ndiaye, a 7-foot, 1-inch center who helped UD finish second in the America East Conference championship tournament in 1999-2000, plays for OSG Phoenix in Japan's Superleague. A native of Dakar, Ndiaye also has played for the Senegalese national team. New Zealand Pegues, UD's career scoring leader and co-winner of the Alexander J. Taylor Sr. Award as Outstanding Senior Male in the Class of 2000, has spent much of 2003 playing in New Zealand's National Basketball League. He started the season with the Canterbury Rams and later was signed by the Otago Nuggets, and was among the league's leading scorers. Poland Marciulionis, who has hit more three-point shots than anyone in Blue Hen history, sinking 211 from 1996-2000, spent the 2003 season with Idea-Slask Wroclaw of the Polish PLK League. The team reached the playoff semifinals, falling to Anwil Wloclawek. He also has competed for the Lithuanian national team. |