Mizzou Baseball Quotes & Notes

RECRUITS

■ From the E-Mail In-Box, here are more details on Jake Walsh, new to the Tigers this Fall:

Jake was used mostly in relief type situations. He made 9 Appearances with a 3.98
ERA over 32 innings of work. He had 18 Walks and 35 strike outs over the course
of the 2009 season.

MU IN THE MINORS

■ Defenders celebrate: They're headed to the playoffs (TheDay.com)

Garrett Broshuis has been coming to Dodd Stadium every summer day since 2006, making this his fourth season in Double A. In 2007, he was 3-17, despite a
decent 3.88 ERA.

Never has he been part of something like he was Thursday night, as the champagne rained from the heavens in celebration, splashing off the plastic wrap covering the cubicles in the Connecticut Defenders' locker room.

”I've seen a lot of guys' heads' down in this clubhouse,” Broshuis said. “To see guys celebrating in the clubhouse … I've been here awhile, too. I know exactly what the fans are going through.”

The Defenders, by virtue of a 3-1 victory over the New Britain Rock Cats before 3,835 fans at Dodd, earned their first playoff berth as a San Francisco Giants affiliate. The Norwich team was the Class-AA affiliate of the New York Yankees in 2002 and known as the Norwich Navigators when it last qualified for the postseason. Since then, it has changed its major league club and name.

This was the night Broshuis finally delivered the team back to the playoffs in a performance manager Steve Decker called “professional.”

■ Brock Bond was named to the Eastern League All-Star Team, according to OurSportsCentral:

Connecticut Defenders second baseman Brock Bond got a single in his first career Double-A at bat on April 16th against Trenton and he hasn't stopped hitting since. The 23-year old had his batting average as high as .360 for the Defenders this season and is currently leading the league with a .337 average. Bond, who is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, also leads the league in runs scored (88) and on-base percentage (.432) and is ranked among the league leaders in hits (139-4th), walks (62-6th) and OPS (.841-tied 6th). The 5'10", 195 lb. switch hitter was the starting second baseman for the Northern Division at the 2009 Eastern League All-Star game and drove in one run.