River City Rascals Aim for Repeat Championship in 2011

O'FALLON - Last September, the River City Rascals took some time off to kick back and enjoy their first ever Frontier League baseball championship.     

About 24 hours.     

"Right after we won the title, we relaxed for a day, and then started to focus on winning it again," said Rascals manager Steve Brook.     

River City defeated the Traverse City Beach Bums 3-1 in the best-of-five championship series to claim their initial crown on Sept. 20, 2010, a landmark day in the history of the successful 13-year franchise.     

Then it was back to work in hopes of winning a second successive crown.     

The Rascals begin defense of their championship on Friday with a season-opening contest against the Normal CornBelters at The festivities, which include the raising of the championship banner and several other ceremonies, begin at 7 p.m.    

Brook and his players loved reveling in the glory for a short time.    

"We all enjoyed it, it was a great off-season," said Brook. "But it's time get going again."    

River City came from out of nowhere to upset Southern Illinois in the Western Division final before dispatching Traverse City. This time around, there will be no surprises. This club is loaded and sports one of the strongest lineups in the 12-team league.    

The Rascals are trying to become only the third team in history to repeat as title-holders since the league began play in 1993.    

"Obviously, it's not going to be easy," said River City General Manager Chris Franklin. "But I think the talent is there."    

The Rascals return four of five starting pitchers from last year's squad. In addition, several key players, including two third-year veterans, are back. Plus, the Rascals obtained one of the league's top players in the off-season.    

So now the rest of the Frontier League is gunning for the surprise team of 2010.     "That's fine," said Brook. "We're ready for the challenge."   

Outfielder Chad Maddox and catcher Danny Sawyer are back to spend their third successive summers in St. Charles County. Maddox hit .307 and .311 in his first two seasons and quickly became a crowd favorite. He totaled 21 homers and 122 RBI over the past two years.    

Sawyer hit .263 in 2010, and most importantly, handled the pitching staff with aplomb.    

Righthander Josh Lowey, the MVP of the championship series, is back to head a balanced rotation. Lowey was 2-0 in the title series with 18 strikeouts and two walks in 15 innings. He went 17-7 over the past two regular campaigns.    

Gary Moran, Zach Sterner and Ryan Zink also return. Moran, who was 10-4 with a 2.68 ERA, is a former San Francisco Giants farmhand. Sterner (5-1, 3.61) and Zink (6-5, 3.62) give the Rascals four dangerous starters.    

Brook is overjoyed at the acquisition of Joash Brodin, a two-time all-star who came over from Oakland County in a December deal. The hulking 6-4, 225-pounder adds even more punch to an already powerful lineup.   

Returnees Chris McClendon and Stephen Holdren also figure prominently into Brook's plans. McClendon's two-run hit in the eighth inning accounted for the only scoring in Game 4 of the championship series. McClendon can play all four infield positions. Holdren, an outfielder, hit 16 homers and drove in a team-high 72 runs last summer.   

Pitchers Kirkland Rivers and Derrick Miramontes, both returnees, will handle most of the bullpen chores.   

Tonight's opener is not only a left-over celebration from 2010, but also a glimpse into what could be a bright future. Team President John Kuhn is expecting a crowd of well over 3,000. Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee will be present along with O'Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy. The Budweiser Clydesdale's are also scheduled to be part of the pomp and circumstance.   

"We are ready to get things started," said Brook. "We've been waiting for this day ever since the end of last season."

The evening will conclude with a fireworks display after the contest. Plenty of seats remain.