July 9, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Over the past two years at Santa Clara, the Bronco baseball program has produced nine players who have signed professional contracts and are currently playing minor league baseball. This is nothing new to head coach Mark O'Brien who has had his hand in helping produce over 50 professional players in his eight-year coaching career.

Six players off the 2003 Santa Clara team are currently playing at the minor league level and having great success. A.J. LaBarbera, who began his professional career with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the short-season Northwest League, has already been promoted to the San Francisco Giants' double-A affiliate in the Eastern League, the Norwich Navigators. He is currently batting .250 with the navigators after posting 11 hits, three of which were doubles in only 11 games for the Volcanoes.

Joe Diefenderfer and Jack Headley are playing with the Batavia Muckdogs, which is the short-season New York Penn League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Diefenderfer currently has a 2-3 record in 14 appearances, striking out 15 while walking only three in 14 2/3 innings of relief. Headley is batting .286 with three doubles, one home run and five RBI in 63 at-bats. After playing center field for his final two years as a Bronco, Headley has played 11 games in the outfield and six more at second base for the Muckdogs.

Scott Dierks, who was the 2003 West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year and a honorable mention All-America selection for the Broncos, is currently playing with the Jamestown Jammers, the Florida Marlins' single-A affiliate in the short-season New York Penn League. The big swinging left fielder for the Broncos has moved to second base for the Jammers where he has committed only three errors in 18 games. He is currently batting .230 with five home runs, two doubles and 10 RBI in 74 at-bats.

Catcher Jim Wallace was drafted by the New York Mets and is currently playing for their rookie team, the Kingsport Mets, in the Appalachian League. Wallace has made 32 plate appearances where he has drawn five walks and is batting .185 with one double and two RBI. In his six games behind the plate, Wallace has made only one error.

Left handed pitcher Matt Travis is also playing in the Appalachian League, suiting up for the Princeton Devil Rays, the rookie league affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In his five appearances Travis is 0-1 with a 2.79 ERA. He has allowed only three earned runs while striking out eight and walking none in 9 2/3 innings of relief.

Three players from the 2002 squad, Joey Gomes, Pat Peavey and A.J. Ampi, are also making waves as they continue their dream of one day playing Major League Baseball.

Through games dated July 6, 2003, Gomes is batting .280 with 21 doubles, nine home runs and 44 RBI in 83 games for the Bakersfield Blaze, which is the single-A affiliate for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the California League. He has helped the team to a 48-40 record as his 90 hits, 51 runs and 44 RBI are all second on the team.

Peavey, who spent his senior year at SCU as the team's shortstop, has played 22 games at second base and another 20 games at third base for the Lexington Legends which is the Houston Astros' single-A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. As of Monday, Peavey is batting .244 with 10 doubles, four home runs, 20 RBI and 23 runs scored.

Ampi, who is playing independent baseball for the Evansville Otters in the Frontier League, has made 14 appearances and has a 2-0 record with one save and a miniscule 1.40 ERA. He has allowed only nine hits while striking out 17 batters in 19 2/3 innings of work.

All-in-all the recent crop of Broncos in the minor league are progressing nicely, paving the way for current and future Santa Clara baseball players to make it to the next level.