From the Dugout: Madison Boer Checks In
Monday, June 22, 2009
In this week’s summer baseball roundup, right-hander Madison Boer took the time to answer some questions for From The Dugout while playing for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League.
Last Monday, Madison made his first appearance of the season, and tossed the final three innings of a 10-7 victory over the Eau Claire Express. Madison held the Express to one run on three hits while striking out two, earning his first save of the year.
Here is his Q&A session with From The Dugout
What is it like playing for La Crosse in the Northwoods League?
MB: Playing for the La Crosse Loggers is a lot of fun. The Northwoods League teams get a lot of support from their surrounding communities, and our team averages about 3,000 fans a night. We get to the field, do our work, and then have fun playing baseball.
What was it like making your first appearance and getting a save last week?
MB: My first experience pitching for the Loggers was really exciting. I didn’t think I would be that nervous, but I really wanted to make a good impression. I really like the team, and it's also fun to pitch to wood bats. I catch myself pretending I’m in the minors sometimes.
Are there any familiar faces on your team, and are you looking forward to pitching against some of your Oregon teammates who are also playing on other Northwoods’ teams?
MB: My new teammates are about half freshmen and half older players. I only knew one teammate before arriving here. He is a buddy of mine who pays for Nebraska. I haven’t pitched against anyone I know yet, but I am excited to play against other Ducks and former teammates.
What is a typical day is like for you and your teammates?
MB: I live with a host family in La Crosse, Wisc., and they are very nice. I’ve met a few other host parents and they really do a great job with everything. A typical day for a Logger is probably to wake up around 9 or 10 a.m., eat breakfast with the host family, get showered and get ready to go to the field.
We generally get to the field about five hours before the game, and we have a team meeting, stretch, and then throw. We then get the field ready for batting practice, take batting practice, and then the pitchers do core workouts and condition. We get about a half hour to rest, get treatment from the trainer, and change into our uniforms. We then take infield/outfield, watch the other team take in/out and then play the game.
We either eat hot dogs and burgers at the concessions stands after the game, or we go to Pizza Hut as a team, before getting home to go to sleep around 11 p.m. The next day we get up and do it all over again. I go to the gym three times a week to do the Oregon lifting program, so about half the mornings we are home, I’ll work out before I go to the field.
Below is a quick recap of the rest of the Oregon baseball team in action this summer.
SUMMER ROUNDUP WEEK 2: Staying in the Northwoods League, shortstop KC Serna is batting .375 for the first-place Mankato Moondogs (16-7), winners of eight of their last 10. On Thursday, Oregon right-hander Chris Garrison made his first appearance for Mankato, pitching two innings of scoreless relief in a 6-0 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats. The following night, Oregon left-hander Bennett Whitmore dealt three strikeouts in three innings of scoreless relief as Mankato defeated Thunder Bay, 8-4...remaining in the NL, catcher Mitch Karraker and right-hander Riley Bevill made their first appearances for the Rochester Honkers in a 7-4 loss to the Duluth Huskies on Friday. Karraker started behind the plate and was 0-for-2, but was hit-by-a-pitch and came around the bases to score a run. After the Honkers starter gave up seven runs in three and 1/3 innings, Bevill came in to pitch three and 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Danny Pulfer is starting at shortstop and hitting .111, while Scott McGough has a 2.08 ERA, having pitched 4 and 1/3 innings in two appearances...John Adamson has made six starts for the Yorkton Cardinals (9-6) of the Western Major Baseball League, hitting .118 with three runs scored and two RBIs...in Hawaii, Oregon teammates were pitted against one another as Antony Kreitz and Kenny Bartz of the Kauai Menehunes and Taylor Ausbun and Sean Potkay of the Waimea Waves played a three-games series with the Waves taking the 3-0 sweep. Kreitz has made six starts for the Menehunes (2-6), and is second on the team batting .429 with five RBIs, five runs scored, three doubles, a .571 slugging percentage, a .520 on-base percentage and three stolen bases. Bartz is hitting .190 with four runs and four RBIs. For the Waves, Ausbun has made two starts behind the plate, while first baseman Sean Potkay is batting .125 in six starts...Dylan Gavin has made four starts for the Spokane Riverhawks (5-6) and is hitting .214. In Spokane’s 4-3 victory over Moses Lake on Friday, Gavin was 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the first...staying in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, Josh Hogan is batting .238 in five starts for Corvallis Knights (8-3)...right-hander Geoff Nichols has made two appearances and pitched 1 and 2/3 innings of scoreless for the Newport Gulls.
IN OTHER NEWS: Former Oregon right-hander Erik Stavert signed with the Colorado Rockies last week after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft...he will be assigned to the Tri-City Dust Devils of the Northwest League (Short-Season A), and will return to Eugene to play the Eugene Emeralds at Civic Stadium, Aug. 3-7, Stavert will also return to Oregon, July 4-7, in a four-game series with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
