2011 Saint Leo Baseball Newsletter

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Saint Leo University Baseball Newsletter3rd Annual Opening Night

With the Lions

The Lions baseball team woulld like to cor-dially invite you to the 3rd annual Opening Night With the Lions in which we will welcome former Texas A&M Hall of Fame baseball coach, Mark Johnson. Johnson will speak to the ball club as well as everyone else in attendance and share his story and many experiences that came with over 41 years of coaching experience.

The event will be held January 28, 2012 in the Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardroom inside the Student Community Center. The Reception will begin at 6:00pm with dinner beginning at 6:30pm. Tickets: $100

For more information contact Head Baseball Coach Russ McNickle at (352)-588-8227 or [email protected]

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New Hitting Complex Opened in January 2011

The Lions opened a state-of-the-art hitting complex in the spring of 2011. The covered facility includes two 72-foot and two 60-foot batting cages and a spacious storage area. Both baseball and softball teams use the complex.




Lions’ Baseball squared off against St. Petersburg College this past weekend to mark the beginning of their fall season and the first fall baseball game with outside competition at Saint Leo in over 10 years. The 10-inning game, which took place on Friday, October 7th, featured a 10-2 win as the Li-ons started their year on a high note. What made for an interesting twist, however, was the opposing SPC Titans, whose roster features freshman Trey McNickle, son of Saint Leo Head Baseball Coach, Russ McNickle. Only nineteen, Trey began his pitching career during his senior year at Land O’ Lakes High School when his coach converted him from a catcher to a side-armed pitcher. Surpris-ingly, before Friday, Trey had never played on a team that his father coached, nor had he played against him. “I purposely stayed away,” said Russ McNickle, “I wanted him to choose to play; not for him to feel like he had to.”

As the son of a highly qualified baseball coach, Trey has grown up learning about America’s favor-ite pastime his whole life, even occasionally par-ticipating in Saint Leo inter-squad baseball games. However, this was both an advantage and a disadvantage for him during Friday’s game, where he threw one inning against five Saint Leo batters. After getting two quick outs, Trey hit one batter and allowed one single before ending a scoreless bottom half of the inning for the Lions. “I thought I did well for just starting out pitching,” said Trey of his performance on the mound, “plus we have 23 freshmen and only four sophomores, so we’re still getting better as a team.”

Before the game, Russ described his mood as “nervously excited,” saying “I’m nervous for [Trey] because I want him to be successful, but at the same time I want my guys to win.” When asked if he thought the day would ever come to play against his own son, Russ said, “Never, but I’m excited because he’s on a team that’s very well-coached; this is a good opportunity for him to grow and develop.”

McNickle and the Lions will continue their fall cam-paign on Wednesday, October 19, when they host Hillsborough Community College at 6:00 p.m.

Saint Leo Softball Junior Katie Gwinn contributed to this story.

For McNickle, It’s a Family Affair




Saint Leo Baseball School, Inc., is proud to announce the Lions’ Winter Showcase Camp running December 10, 2011. Open to 8th graders through seniors, the camp will provide instruction and evaluation encompassing hitting, fielding, throwing, base running, etc. The Lions’ baseball staff is second to none, led by fourth-year head coach Russ McNickle as well as assistants Keith Strick-land and Lee Parks.

Cost for each camper is $75 and lunch is included for the day

Campers will receive group and one-on-one instruction from the Saint Leo Baseball staff in a fun and exciting environment. Contact Coach Lee Parks at 352-588-8841 or email him at [email protected] for more information.

Interested parents may also print out the application linked below and fax it to (352) 588-8290.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. on December 10th with camp beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. (estimated). Checks should be made payable to Saint Leo Baseball School, Inc.

Lions to Host Winter Showcase CampLIONS WINTER SHOWCASE CAMP

Dec. 10

Click here for the PDF registration form




McNickle Adds Impressive List of Newcomers Entering his fourth year, Saint Leo University baseball coach Russ McNickle has unveiled the list of new-comers who will wear the Green and Gold for the Lions in the upcoming 2012 baseball season. The list includes two local freshmen who made a splash at the high school ranks and six transfers with impressive resumes at previous institutions.

“Looking at our needs and trying to address some of our deficiencies from last season, and then you look at this group of young men and see their positions and their experience level; we feel confident that we accomplished our goal,” McNickle said of his roster improvements. “We are excited about the quality of these student-athletes that have joined the Saint Leo University baseball family”

Freshman:Tyrone Miller5-10, 175lbRHP, Fr.Tampa, Fla.Tampa Bay Tech

Brandon Mumaw5-10, 165lbLHP, Fr.Wesley Chapel, Fla.Wesley Chapel

Transfers:Zach Miller6-0, 195lbUtility, Sr.Dardenne Prairie, Mo./Saint Louis University

Taed Moses6-1, 175lbUtility, Jr.Valrico, Fla./Florida State University

Charles Neely6-0, 175lbRHP, Jr.Ocala, Fla./College of Central Florida

Ryan Sadler6-6, 230lbRHP, So.Naples, Fla/Broward College/Georgia Southern

Michael Revell6-3, 210lbOF/3B, Jr.Havana, Fla./Chipola College

Dillon Vitale6-1, 205lbUTL/RHP, Jr.Punta Gorda, Fla./Chipola College

Click Here For the 2012 Spring Schedule or scan the QR Code




Black Team Wins Blood Bowl Series In a decisive game 5, the Black team pre-vailed as the winner of 2011 Blood Bowl Series after a pressure packed game. Down a run going into the top of the 7th, the Black team, coached by Keith Strick-land and Sean Van Guilder, got a bloop single from senior Anthony Santa to start the inning. After a few timely hits and situational hitting the Black team took the lead going into the bottom of the 7th and RHP Dillon Vitale was able to shut down the heart of the Gold team’s order to win the series 3 games to 2.

The losing team is required to donate blood on Nov. 28, but all members of the team and staff are encouraged to do so as the Lions hope to set a new record high for participants.

Game 1: 6-4 GoldGame 2: 9-1 BlackGame 3 11-0 BlackGame 4: 3-1 GoldGame 5: 3-2 Black

Lions in the Pros

Seth Fowler, RHPCedar Rapids KernelsClass A Midwest LeagueParent Club: L.A. AngelsSLU Career: 2008-2010




Meet the Seniors

Dustin Brown, OF Anthony Santa, 1B Aaron Brandt, RHP

Myron Kirchner, OF Jamie Tutko, RHP Shaun Gough, LHP Zach Miller, INF




Michael Dunnigan6-3 | RHPTarpon Springs, Fla. | Tarpon Springs HS

Dunnigan was 8-3 last year in route to being voted Second Team All-County and All Bay Area Honor-able Mention. He posted and 8-4 overall record, posted a 3.04 ERA and allowed only 12 walks in 61 innings. On the offensive side, he also hit .319 and played a pivotal role in Tarpon Springs’ regional run last season.

Coach McNickle’s Thoughts -

“Michael is a fantastic addition to this signing class and should have an impact right away on the mound. His ability right now is off the chart and I think he can develop into a dominant pitcher in the Sunshine State Conference.”

Lions Sign 3 in Early Signing PeriodSAINT LEO, Fla. – Saint Leo University baseball coach Russ McNickle is proud to welcome three new student-athletes, all who signed early letters of intent and will be attending Saint Leo starting in the 2012-13 school year.

This year’s early signing class consists of three highly accomplished and recognized student-athletes both on and off the diamond. All three are Florida natives and have competed at the highest levels in both high school and travel baseball as they look to bring their experience and winning expectations to Thomas B. Southard Stadium.

“Our coaching staff has done an outstanding job of identifying quality student athletes and quality people to add to our baseball family” said McNickle. “These young men have proven they can com-pete at a high level while maintaining a high level of academic success.”

The November signing class consists of RHP Michael Dunnigan (Tarpon Springs, FL); SS Taylor Perez (Winter Springs, FL); and RHP Christopher Williams (Tampa, FL).




Taylor Perez5-11 | SSWinter Springs, Fla. | Winter Springs HS

A four year varsity starter at 7A Winter Springs High School, Perez hit .359 his junior year with a .484 slugging percentage. He led the team in doubles and RBI’s his junior year as well and was voted 2011 All Seminole County Honorable Mention. Perez played his travel ball with the Orlando Scorpions where he was a three year starter.

Coach McNickle’s Thoughts –

“Taylor was a player we identified early during his sophomore year as a kid we wanted to continue to fol-low and recruit. His athleticism and ability to play the shortstop position right away are a big reason we are thrilled with Taylor’s commitment to become a Lion.”

Chris Williams6-2 | RHPTampa, Fla. | Steinbrenner HS

Williams, a 6’2” right-hander, was 7-2 overall with a 2.20 ERA, 39 strikeouts and 54 innings for the Stein-brenner Warriors and he played his travel ball with the Florida Hardballers.

Coach McNickle’s Thoughts –

“Chris is a kid who has the confidence and athletic ability to have success in the Sunshine State Confer-ence. His maturity and ability to throw 3 pitches for strikes will play a huge factor as he continues to de-velop into what we feel will be a very special athlete.”



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2011 Saint Leo Baseball Newsletter