Bobcats, league make changes for 2012

By DEREK McCREE
THE CRITTENDEN PRESS
With six months before the Marion Bobcats begin a fifth season, major changes are happening off the field. The Ohio Valley League president and founder, Gordon Guess, is stepping down from his four-year run as the general manager of the Bobcats due to health-related issues.

Kory Wheeler will take over the reigns as the team's general manager, with Guess remaining as the Bobcats CEO and league president. Wheeler is one of the team's original investors and a member of the Bobcat Executive Committee.

"She is a great detail person and has been actively involved with the Bobcats since the beginning," Guess said of his replacement.

The Bobcats will enter next season with a new skipper at the helm as well. Guess has tapped former Bobcats shortstop Drew Barrett to take over for Kyle Medley who coached the team to a 20-22 overall record last season. Barrett played for the Bobcats in 2009 and his collegiate career has consisted of a stint at Wabash Valley College before finishing his career at Lindsey Wilson College. Barrett was an assistant coach for the Owensboro Oilers last season.

The new Bobcats coach has started the process of filling the roster for the team and Guess said he is hoping to get several players to return from last year's team.

One major shakeup in the league for the upcoming season is with the Tradewater Pirates. Dawson Springs will no longer host a team in the Ohio Valley League. Former Bobcat coach Steve Fowler left his post as the coach of the Oilers and will head a new Pirates franchise, now based out of Madisonville. The new team will be called the Madisonville-Tradewater Pirates.

"We are glad to have Madisonville join our league and are still actively pursuing additional franchises in Hopkinsville, Paducah and Mayfield," Guess said.

As of now, Guess said the league remains at four teams and is working to get games broadcast on the Internet and radio for every home game.

Hall signs with Austin Peay

Hall

Zach Hall, Marion's strikeout leader for the 2011 season, has committed to play for Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tenn.

All of the Bobcats' 2011 players were from two-year schools, so Hall's signing with the, ironically, Ohio Valley Conference Division I college team, is significant according to Marion Manager Kyle Medley. With the Bobcats, Hall was 2-2 with a 1.55 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched

League president comments on 2011 season

The inaugural season of the Ohio Valley League turned out to be a real dandy!

The teams provided the fans with an extremely interesting and competitive race with each team leading the league at different times. Three teams were still in the running for the league title with less than four days remaining in the schedule.  It was finally settled when Owensboro won the league title, only to fall to Fulton in the post season playoff.

Rain outs played a large role in scheduling as the area rainy season played havoc with promotions and pitchers arms.  There were a auarter of all games requiring rescheduling and pushed back into July with doubleheaders somewhere almost daily.

Going forward, the league is working on expansion, exploring opportunities into eight new communities in the area. Don Gabbard is the point man in developing what ideally may become an eight team league, with two divisions of four teams each to begin play in 2012.

Gordon Guess, President Ohio Valley League

Raolroaders sweep double header, take title

The Fulton Railroaders swept a double header over Owensboro to win the 2011 postseason championship two games to one. Because of a Game 2 rainout on July 30, the teams agreed to play two seven-inning games on July 31 to decide the playoff title. For a summary of each of the three championship games, follow the links below:

Game 1 box score: Owensboro 19, Fulton 9
Game 2 box score: Fulton 2, Owensboro 1
Game 3 box score: Fulton 10, Owensboro 7

Fowler takes Oilers to championship series

Steve Fowler, the former Bobcats manager, has taken his Owensboro Oillers to the Ohio Valley League championship series in his first year with the club. The Oilers dispatched the Tradewater Pirates Thursday 4-3 at Chautauqua Park, taking the best-of-three series 2-1.

The Oilers broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth with a run on a two-out single. Jim Mulvaney then shut down the Pirates in the ninth for a save and a shot at the postseason title to go along with their regular season crown.

Former Bobcat Drew Barrett was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI for the Oilers.

With the Pirates' exit from the playoffs, 2011 marks the first since 2008 that the Pirates have not won either the regular or postseason or even both titles.

Click here for box score.