Corvallis gets collegiate all-star team
Knights, a member of WCCBL, move from Gresham to Corvallis
Casey Grogan
Issue date: 11/22/06 Section: Sports
The ring of aluminum bats will ring deep into the spring but at the end of the season aluminum will be replaced with the sound of wood bats.
In the summer of 2007, Corvallis baseball fans will welcome the newly christened Corvallis Knights. The former Aloha Knights of Gresham, who play in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League will move from Mt. Hood Community College to Oregon State.
"When I found out they were moving and going to be playing at OSU I was thrilled," OSU and Knights catcher Erik Ammon said. "I'm really excited and looking forward to this season."
The Knights are members of the eight team WCCBL including clubs in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The WCCBL is one of multiple summer baseball leagues designed for college eligible players to improve themselves while playing in front of professional scouts.
"Guys can go anywhere across the country and play summer ball," Ammon said. "But the Knights have been outstanding to me and my development as an individual over the summer. They have a tradition of being a well rounded and winning ball club."
The WCCBL has provided summer grooming for many current and former Beavers, as well as multiple current professional ball players. The Knights themselves were the summer home for 37 current professional ball players.
The Knights have a large amount of success stories in Minor League Baseball including, University of Portland alumni Kory Casto who was the Washington National's Minor League Player of the Year in 2005. Pitcher Kevin Gunderson and first basemen Bill Rowe, members of OSU's national title team last year are both former Knights now in the minor's.
The Knights are named after their top sponsor Penny Knight, the wife of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Founded in 1990 by brothers Dan and Joe Segel, the Knights made their move to MHCC in 2000. Three years after arriving at MHCC, the Knights switched to an all-collegiate roster. In 2004 the Knights - led by former Beaver pitcher Kevin Gunderson - won the National Baseball Congress national championship. The team then became members of the WCCBL, finishing in third place and just missing the playoffs in 2006.
In the summer of 2007, Corvallis baseball fans will welcome the newly christened Corvallis Knights. The former Aloha Knights of Gresham, who play in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League will move from Mt. Hood Community College to Oregon State.
"When I found out they were moving and going to be playing at OSU I was thrilled," OSU and Knights catcher Erik Ammon said. "I'm really excited and looking forward to this season."
The Knights are members of the eight team WCCBL including clubs in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. The WCCBL is one of multiple summer baseball leagues designed for college eligible players to improve themselves while playing in front of professional scouts.
"Guys can go anywhere across the country and play summer ball," Ammon said. "But the Knights have been outstanding to me and my development as an individual over the summer. They have a tradition of being a well rounded and winning ball club."
The WCCBL has provided summer grooming for many current and former Beavers, as well as multiple current professional ball players. The Knights themselves were the summer home for 37 current professional ball players.
The Knights have a large amount of success stories in Minor League Baseball including, University of Portland alumni Kory Casto who was the Washington National's Minor League Player of the Year in 2005. Pitcher Kevin Gunderson and first basemen Bill Rowe, members of OSU's national title team last year are both former Knights now in the minor's.
The Knights are named after their top sponsor Penny Knight, the wife of Nike co-founder Phil Knight. Founded in 1990 by brothers Dan and Joe Segel, the Knights made their move to MHCC in 2000. Three years after arriving at MHCC, the Knights switched to an all-collegiate roster. In 2004 the Knights - led by former Beaver pitcher Kevin Gunderson - won the National Baseball Congress national championship. The team then became members of the WCCBL, finishing in third place and just missing the playoffs in 2006.
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