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MLB Team Announced – Kansas Stars

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MLB ALL-STARS ROSTER FULL OF BIG LEAGUERS

Clemens one of eight NBC Alumni to compete in Championship Week

Kansas natives Nate Robertson and Adam LaRoche have put together an impressive roster of former big leaguers. The Kansas Stars, sponsored by the Kansas Star Casino will feature seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens. Clemens is one of 11 players on the team that was an MLB All-Star. 24 of the 25 players on the roster (see below) played in the Major Leagues. This is the first time in NBC World Series history 24 former Major Leaguers will be on one team.

Joining Clemens as NBC Alumni are Robertson, LaRoche, J.D. Drew, Dan Uggla, Jack Wilson, Koyie Hill and Ryan Kohlmeier.

MLB All-Stars: Tim Hudson (4), Ben Sheets (4), Roy Oswalt (3), Dan Uggla (3), Josh Beckett(3), Brad Penny (2), Jason Isringhausen (2), J.D. Drew (2), Jack Wilson (1), Brandon Inge (1).

The Kansas Stars, sponsored by Kansas Star Casino will play in Championship Week of the 82nd NBC World Series. The Stars pool play games will be Saturday, August 6th at 9:30 pm, Monday, August 8th and Wednesday, August 10th, both at 7 pm.

All games will be played at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. To order individual game tickets go to selectaseat.com or call 316-977-9400.

Adam LaRoche LaRoche is a Fort Scott, KS native that played 12 seasons in the majors. He was a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner ending with 255 career homeruns.
Nate Robertson A Wichita KS native who stayed home to pitch for the Wichita State Shockers. Robertson played professionally for the Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. He won 57 major league games and is currently the co-owner if the Wichita Wingnuts.
Roger Clemens Clemens is an 11 time All-Star, 2 Time World Series Champion, 7 time Cy Young Award winner, 1996 MLB MVP, was a member of the MLB All-Century Team, 354 MLB Wins and 4,672 Strikeouts.
Tim Hudson Hudson pitched 17 big league seasons and recorded 222 victories. During his career he was a 4 time AllStar, 2014 World Series Champion, 2010 NL Comeback Player of the Year, and the AL Wins Leader in 2000.
Josh Beckett Beckett pitched 13 big league seasons, won 138 games and was a 2 time World Series Champion. He’s a 3 time All-Star, World Series MVP for the Marlins, 2007 ALCS MVP with Red Sox, 2007 MLB wins leader and tossed a no-hitter 5-25-14.
Brad Penny Penny pitched 14 big league seasons, won 121 games and was a 2 time All-Star. He was a World Series Champion in 2003 and the 2006 NL Wins Leader
Roy Oswalt Oswalt pitched 13 big league seasons and won 163 games. He’s a 3 time All-Star, the 2005 NLCS MVP, 2004 NL wins leader and 2006 NL ERA leader.
Ben Sheets Sheets was the 10th overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft. He’s a 4 time All-Star, won 94 games in his 12 year big league career, struck out 1,325 batters and played for Team USA in the Summer Olympic Games.
J.D. Drew Drew play at Florida State University where earned both the Dick Howser Award and Golden Spike Award in 1997. He played 14 big league seasons and had a lifetime batting average of .278 recording 242 homeruns. He was a World Series Champion in 2007 and an All-Star in 2008.
Jason Isringhausen Isringhausen played 18 big league seasons and amassed 51 wins and 300 saves. He was a 2 time All-Star and the NL Saves Leader in 2004.
Dan Uggla Uggla played 10 big league seasons and smashed 235 homeruns. He’s the only second baseman in MLB history to hit 30 homeruns or more in 4 consecutive seasons. He was a 3 time All-Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner in 2010.
Jack Wilson Wilson played 13 years in the big leagues, is a Silver Slugger Award winner, and made the All-Star team in 2004 with the Pirates.
Rick Ankiel Ankiel played 15 professional seasons, won 13 games as a pitcher and recorded 76 career homeruns
Brandon Inge Inge played 13 big league seasons, hit 152 homeruns, driving in 708 RBIs and was an MLB All-Star in 2009.
Adam Everett Everett played in the big leagues for 10 seasons; he hit 40 homeruns and has 283 RBIs in his career.
Laynce Nix In Nix 10 year professional career, he slugged 69 homeruns and recorded 248 RBIs.
Brett Tomko Tomko won 100 games and had over 1,200 strikeouts in his 14 years as a pro.
Pete Orr Orr played 7 professional seasons and had a career batting average of .257. He represented his home country of Canada in both the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classic.
Koyie Hill Hill had a remarkable career at Wichita State University compiling a .384 batting average and 186 RBIs. In 1999 he played for Team USA and an 11 year professional career.
Ryan Kohlmeier Kohlmeier is an Salina, KS native and played 4 professional seasons.
Jayson Nix Nix played professional baseball for 8 years and recorded 38 homeruns.
Ryan Langerhans Langerhans played 12 years of professional baseball and had 33 homeruns.
Justin Germano Germano was drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2000 and also played in Japan and Korea during his 11 year professional career.
Koby Clemens Clemens was drafted in the 8th round by the Houston Astros and is the son of Roger Clemens.
Barry Wesson Wesson was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 14th round in 1995.

NBC Press Release – MLB Roster as a PDF

Gardenhire Highlights 2015 NBC Hall of Fame Class

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WICHITA, KS The National Baseball Congress is proud to announce the 2015 Hall of Fame class. Six worthy inductees will be honored during the 81st NBC World Series, July 24th to August 8th at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. Since the inaugural Hall of Fame Class in 1991 the National Baseball Congress has chosen to recognize some of the great contributors to the NBC legacy. The 2015 class is comprised of; Emmett Ashford, Ron Gardenhire, Chris Hmielewski, Frank Leo, Gil Carter and John Braden.

Ashford, inspired by Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier as a player, became Major League Baseball’s first African-American umpire in 1966. Ashford umpired five seasons in MLB, including the 1967 All-Star game and the 1970 World Series. After his retirement from MLB, Ashford served as Umpire-In-Chief for the Alaska Baseball League in the early 70’s, then worked the NBC World Series for a couple of years.

Gardenhire managed the Minnesota Twins for 13 season, compiling a win-loss record of 1068-1039. He earned the AL Manager of the Year in 2010 after his team finished the season 94-68. Gardenhire played in the NBC World Series in 1977 and 1978 for Wichita (KS) Coors. Gardenhire also logged five years of MLB service as a short-stop and second baseman for the New York Mets.

Hmielewski is in his 10th year as the Director of Athletics at Southwest Minnesota State University. However, around Wichita, he?s known to have one of the best World Series performances ever. As a slugging first baseman and pitcher for Kenai (AK) Peninsula Oilers during the 1991 NBC World Series, Hmielewski smacked 8 homeruns, a record 25 RBI and 42 total bases.

This is Frank Leo’s 33rd season as manager for the Hays Larks. During his tenure, the Larks have won six NBC Midwest Regional titles, and eight Jayhawk League titles. Leo has coached the Larks in 23 trips to the NBC World Series. Finishing as Runner up in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2007. Leo was inducted into Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Carter is known as the man who hit the longest homerun in organized baseball, a record 733 feet!!!! Carter helped the Wichita Rapid Transit Dreamliners to NBC World Series Championships in 1962 and 1963. Belting six homeruns during the 62′ World Series. In July, Carter will be inducted into the Shawnee County Baseball Hall of Fame. Recently, his family was presented the Pride of Kansas Award by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Braden, became the first manager to guide teams to five NBC World Series Championships with teams from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He racked up four straight from 1947 to 1950, with number five happening in 1956. A dominating run though the NBC World Series in the early years has earned him a place in the National Baseball Congress Hall of Fame.

The 2015 Hall of Fame class will be inducted on six different nights during the World Series. The 81st National Baseball Congress World Series will be held in Wichita, KS on Friday, July 24th with a National Champion crowned on Saturday, August 8th. For more information visit www.nbcbaseball.com or call the NBC Office at 316-977-9400.

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NBC Announces Hunter Pence as the 2015 Graduate of the Year

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GOY Graphic

WICHITA, KS The National Baseball Congress announces San Francisco Giants and former Liberal BeeJay Hunter Pence as the 2015 National Baseball Congress Graduate of the Year.

NBC World Series Graduate of the Year is awarded based on the previous season stats. In 2014 Pence helped lead the San Francisco Giants to a franchise eighth World Series title. During the season Pence hit a .277 average with 20 homeruns, 180 hits and 74 RBIs. Including a career high for the post season .444 batting average, one homerun and five RBIs in the Major League World Series. Runner up in voting was Detroit Tigers and former Liberal BeeJay, Ian Kinsler.

During the summer of 2003, Pence played for the Liberal BeeJays of the Jayhawk League. During his lone season with the BeeJays, the left fielder was named the team?s MVP after an incredible season. Pence led the team with a .429 average, four triples, seven home runs, 39 RBIs, 61 hits, 48 home runs and was second on the team with 12 doubles. At the NBC World Series Pence, batted .500 in three games and tallied two RBIs and a .714 slugging percentage.

In the spring of 2007, Pence made his major league debut in center field for the Houston Astros. Even with an injury shortened season Pence was still unanimously selected to the Major League Rookie All-Star Team. From that day on Pence has proven to be an asset to each team he goes to.

In a big league career that began in 2007, the 32-year old Pence has batted .284 with 187 home runs, 702 RBIs and has appeared in three All-Star games. He also features a career slugging percentage of .471.

In the 2015 MLB season Pence has had to battle back from an injury to his left forearm. Pence has seen action in 18 games, and he has been hitting .282 while hitting two homeruns and 13 RBIs.

The Graduate of the Year Award has been given out since 1975 and past award recipients include Tony Gwynn, Joe Carter, Dave Winfield, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Albert Pujols, Tim Lincecum, Mark Teixeira, and Alex Gordon.

The 81st Annual National Baseball Congress World Series begins in Wichita, KS on Friday, July 24th with a National Champion crowned on Saturday, August 8th. For more information visit www.nbcbaseball.com or call the NBC Office at 316-977-9400.

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Buck Named To U.S. Women’s National Team

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DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball announced the 18 players named to the 2015 U.S. Women’s Baseball National Team following the completion of three days of on-field trials in North Carolina. The 18 players will represent Team USA, July 20 to 26, when women’s baseball makes its multi-sport event debut at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

The 2015 U.S. Women’s Pan American Baseball Team is made up of 18 athletes from eight different states. California led the way with six selections, followed by four from Texas, three from Florida and single representatives from Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Washington.

Twelve of the 18 players represented Team USA in the first-ever Pan American Games Women’s Baseball Qualifier in La Vega, Dominican Republic, where the U.S. went a perfect 5-0, winning gold and qualifying to compete in the Pan American Games for the first time. Thirteen of the selected athletes have previously competed with the Women’s National Team in World Cup events, most notably Malaika Underwood and Tamara Holmes who have competed in five and four World Cups, respectively.

The roster also includes the reigning USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year, Sarah Hudek, as well as Holmes and Jenna Marston who earned the sportswoman of the year honor in 2012 and 2010.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will reconvene on July 8 to prepare for the Pan American Games with 10 days of training both domestically and in Canada. Team USA will meet Venezuela on July 20 at President’s Choice Ajax Pan Am Ballpark in Ajax, Ontario, in the historic first-ever women’s baseball game in the Pan American Games. It will also be the first women’s baseball game contested at a multi-sport, multi-nation event.

Team USA’s pool play schedule includes Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Canada. Pan American Games semifinals are scheduled on July 25 with the medal round games on July 26.

The Women’s National Team will be led by Jonathan Pollard, who returns as manager after guiding the 2014 USA Baseball Women’s National Team to a silver medal at the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup in Miyazaki, Japan, last September. Pollard will be joined on the staff by pitching coach, Matt Weagle, and assistant coaches, Kerry Kincaid and Mike Morgan. Cameron Harris will serve as press officer for the U.S. delegation during the Toronto Pan American Games.

The 18-woman U.S. Women’s Baseball Pan American Games roster is as follows:

Name, Position, Hometown
Veronica Alvarez, C, Miami, Fla.
Ryleigh Buck, IF/RHP, Wellington, Kan.
Samantha Cobb, OF/RHP, Garland, Texas
Veronica Gajownik, IF/RHP, Chuluota, Fla.
Brittany Gomez, OF, New Braunfels, Texas
Jade Gortarez, IF/RHP, Riverside, Calif.
Tara Harbert, OF, Boulder, Colo.
Tamara Holmes, OF, Albany, Calif.
Sarah Hudek, LHP/OF, Sugar Land, Texas
Anna Kimbrell, C/RHP, Fort Mill, S.C.
Jenna Marston, RHP/IF, St. Louis, Mo.
Stacy Piagno, RHP, St. Augustine, Fla.
Nicole Rivera, IF/RHP, Lakeside, Calif.
Cydnee Sanders, IF/RHP, Magnolia, Texas
Marti Sementelli, RHP, Sherman Oak, Calif.
Michelle Snyder, IF/RHP, Wenatchee, Wash.
Malaika Underwood, IF, San Diego, Calif.
Kelsie Whitmore, OF/RHP, Temecula, Calif.

For more information on the Women’s National Team program, please visit USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseballWNT on Twitter.

New Fan Experience Membership, Ticket Prices Announced For 2015 World Series

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Wichita, KS— The National Baseball Congress is excited to announce the new NBC Fan Club for the upcoming 81st NBC World Series.

This opportunity gives fans unique experiences and benefits during the World Series, July 24-Aug. 8.

Included in the membership is an NBC Fan Club performance T-Shirt, 10 lower box flex tickets, $10 in NBC Concession Bucks. Plus, members will receive access to exclusive team, player and Hall of Fame meet and greet opportunities during the tournament. NBC Fan Club memberships are priced at $75.

Kevin Jenks, NBC World Series general manager, expressed his excitement about the new fan club.

“We want to build an opportunity that gives the fans the feeling of ownership with the National Baseball Congress and their beloved World Series,” Jenks said. “So many of our fans support us year-in, and year-out, it’s time for them to feel rewarded for their loyalty.”

In addition to the membership, members who volunteer for three games during the World Series receive 40-percent off gift shop purchases and 25-percent off NBC fundraising entry fees and events.

However, the NBC Fan Club is not the only way fans or individuals can get involved by volunteering. The tournament depends heavily on the work and effort of volunteers, this year’s tournament being no different.

The NBC World Series also unveiled the new ticket pricing for this year’s summer tournament.

Ticket packages are significantly lower than in years past. Prices are as follows:

Full World Series Pass:

Lower Box: $150*, Upper Box: $120*, Evening Sessions Only: $120*

*World Series Passes include 1 (one) VIP Parking Pass

Individual Sessions:

Lower Box: $10, Upper Box/GA Bleachers: $6

NBC Flex Tickets:

20 Pack: Lower Box: $100, Upper Box: $60
40 pack: Lower Box: $200, Upper Box: $120

For information about our inclusive picnics, party decks and Skybox suites, please contact the National Baseball Congress office, 316-977-9400.

Baseball ‘Round The Clock

The Nicole Kirk-Baseball ‘Round The Clock returns for the 26th straight year and is slated for July 31-Aug. 2.

Entry is $20 while, any fan with a World Series Pass will only be charged $5. Fans this yearhave thechance to compete for a cash prize upon completing and winning the marathon event.

The contest spans 17 games over the three day stretch, beginning with the 4 p.m. game Friday, July 31, and finally concluding with the 10 p.m. game Sunday evening.

Fans will once again compete to see who can outlast the pack and complete all 17 games in 56 hours. For complete contest rules and registration, call the office or contact Jason Ybarra at jason@nbcbaseball.com.

NBC Forms Partnership With D-BAT For Upcoming World Series

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The National Baseball Congress proudly announces D-BAT as the official wood bat sponsor for the 81st NBC World Series.

D-BAT, which produces elite professional model wood bats, will provide team bats for the summer showcase, slated to begin July 24.

NBC tournament director and general manager Kevin Jenks expressed his respect and excitement about the opportunity.

“D-BAT produces a quality product that players will be very confident with once they get these bats in their hands,” Jenks said. “The company and their bats are highly respected throughout the baseball industry, as well as, throughout many of the leagues and teams affiliated with the NBC World Series. The partnership between D-BAT and the NBC is truly a perfect fit.”

D-BAT is based out of Carrollton, Texas. For more information about the company and their products, visit dbatinc.com.

 

D-Bat

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