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ALEXANDRIA ACES
2002 record: 59-37 (won first-half title)
Manager: R.C. Lichtenstein
Top players: 3B Michael Brown; SS Kip Harkrider; C Willie Oropeza; 1B Brian Schmidt;
P Shaun Shiery
At a glance: The Aces won titles in 1997-98 in what was then the Texas-Louisiana
League - Alexandria lost to Jackson for the overall division title a year ago
- Brown and Harkrider, give the Aces solid bats in the infield - The Aces lost
pitcher Cortney Jenkins to a season-ending shoulder injury. |
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FORT WORTH CATS
2002 record: 36-60
Manager: Wayne Terwilliger
Top players: CF Jim Essian Jr.; 1B Shawn Green; P Steve Hahn; DH Jason Hill; 3B
Bryon Smith
At a glance: The oldest of the league’s franchises, baseball has been played professionally
in Fort Worth since 1888 - It is the Cats’ second year in the CBL - A rookie,
Smith has the potential to be among the league leaders in batting. - Essian hadn’t
shown the potential for power but is off to a hot start and he also led the league
in steals last season with 45.
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JACKSON SENATORS
2002 record: 50-46 (won first-half title)
Manager: Dan Shwam
Top players: RF Mario Campos; P Russ Herbert; SS Garrett Osilka; 1B Jeremy Todd;
P Nick Vandergriff
At a glance: The Senators lost in the league championship series to San Angelo
in five games - Osilka and Todd figure to be Jackson’s top offensive threats -
Herbert led the staff last season with an 11-6 record and 110 strikeouts - Vandergriff
brings a live arm out of the bullpen.
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SHREVEPORT SPORTS
2002 record: n/a
Manager: Terry Bevington
Top players: OF Jorge Alvarez; P Joshua Gold; OF Ryan Rothe; 3B Tony Schifano;
C Kevin Webster
At a glance: Joins Coastal Bend as one of two expansion teams this season - Bevington
previously managed the Chicago White Sox - Alvarez played at Alexandria last season,
emerging as the CBL’s top slugger with league-bests in homers (23) and runs batted
in (105) - Schifano hit .306 with 56 RBI a year ago.
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SPRINGFIELD/OZARK MOUNTAIN DUCKS
2002 record: 45-51
Manager: Phil Wilson
Top players: P Ross Cowling; C Eric Cummins; RF Steve Green; 3B Preston Harriman;
P Tim McClaskey
At a glance: Off to a .800 average to start the season, Green should challenge
for the league batting crown - he hit .298 last season with 19 RBI in 38 games
- Sixteen players on the opening-day roster were rookies - Cowling was 3-10 a
year ago with a 4.39 ERA
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AMARILLO DILLAS
2002 record: 46-50
Manager: John Harris
Top players: C Shawn Hughes; RF Eric Kofler; P Jason Stockstill; CF Greg Strickland
At a glance: The Dillas won the 1999 T-LL championship by sweeping Alexandria
in three games - The Dillas were one of the poorer-hitting teams in the league
last year with a .262 average. They also weren’t so sharp on the mound, with the
second-worst ERA (4.52) - SS Josh Brack and OF Micah Ladd each hit .266 for Amarillo
last year while Hughes hit .229.
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COASTAL BEND AVIATORS
2002 record: n/a
Manager: Les Lancaster
Top players: 2B Mark Bugger; SS Dalphie Correa; OF-DH Mel Hall; P Brian Langen;
OF Matt Mann; P Mike Smith
At a glance: Former major-leaguers Lancaster and Hall lead the team as 15 of the
22 players on the opening-day roster had three years or less of pro experience
. . . Southpaw Langen, the former Texas A&M-Kingsville basketball player and St.
Louis Cardinals farmhand and ex-Calallen player Rey Chapa (P) add some local flavor
to the team.
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EDINBURG ROADRUNNERS
2002 record: 54-42 (won second-half title)
Manager: Chad Tredaway
Top players: OF-DH Ben Cordova; RF Vince Moore; P John Ortiz; IF-OF Aaron Sisk;
SS Kevin Wilson
At a glance: The Roadrunners lost to eventual league titlist San Angelo in the
divisional playoffs - Player-coach Moore (.299 a year ago) is one of seven Roadrunners
who played in Edinburg last season, and that list also includes former Miller
standout William Roland.
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RIO GRANDE VALLEY WHITEWINGS
2002 record: 44-52
Manager: James Frisbee
Top players: P Sam Goure; 2B Tony Jaramillo; LF Jeremy Murch; DH Travis Oglesby;
3B T.D. Taylor;
At a glance: The White Wings won the league title in 2000 - Murch already has
set the league’s single-game RBI record by driving in eight in RGV’s season-opening
16-2 win over defending champ San Angelo - Murch his .304 with RGV and Edinburg,
to whom the Wings traded him in the middle of last season.
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SAN ANGELO COLTS
2002 record: 50-46 (won second-half title, league championship)
Manager: Steve Maddock
Top players: 1B Stanton Cameron; DH Adam Patterson; P Jess Turner; P Jeff Van
Landingham
At a glance: If the Colts are to repeat, they will have to do so with an entirely
new crew - The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Cameron, the elder statesman on the club at
33, has hit 19 or more homers in the last five seasons - former Houston Astros
draftee OF Buck McNabb is one of four players on the squad 30 or older.
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