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New Era for Paducah Chiefs Begins Next Week

New Era for Paducah Chiefs Begins Next Week
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By Bill Hughes
May. 25, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY
By Bill Hughes May. 25, 2016 | 06:50 PM | PADUCAH, KY
The Paducah Chiefs Baseball Club is back, and the season starts next week at historic Brooks Stadium. 

The team's first game is June 2 in Hopkinsville, and the home opener is June 4 against Madisonville. The 42-game season will continue through July.

Among the seven teams in the Ohio Valley Summer Collegiate League are five teams - including Paducah - that were once in the Class D professional Kitty League (Kentucky-Illinois-Tennessee League) during the early-to-mid 1900s. Besides the Hopkinsville Hoppers and Madisonville Miners, the other teams in the league are the Fulton Railroaders, Owensboro Oilers, Muhlenburg County Stallions, and the Dubois County Bombers in Huntingburg, Indiana. 

Chiefs General Manager Greg McKeel said the league uses wooden bats, and is for players on college baseball teams, with a maximum of four teammates from the same school. The 26-man roster includes 19 student-athletes from western Kentucky and southern Illinois, so it's a great chance to root for local players as they hone their skills.

"Their coaches look for them to play in the summer. Hopefully they get better so that when they return to college in the fall they'll be better off," McKeel said.

McKeel said Brooks Stadium was built for the Kitty League team in 1948.

"The Chiefs played there until 1955. The Chiefs were still going strong, but the league folded. Here we are 60 years later, bringing the Chiefs back to the ballpark that was built for them, and putting them back on the field, so that's pretty exciting " McKeel said.

The team will be managed by Joe Hall, who graduated from St. Mary High School and played for Southern Illinois University before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1988. He playing professional baseball for nine years, including three in the major leagues.

McKeel said, "It's gonna give us a lot of credibility to have someone with his credentials coming back here to run the program."

Season tickets are on sale by calling 270-444-0110 or 270-210-9766. Chair seats for the season are $168, and that includes tickets for the OVL All-Star Game on July 12 at Brooks Stadium on July 12.  

Individual game tickets for chair seats are $10, and general admission seats are $5 each. Tickets will be available at the box office on the day of the game. Since there is no office at the stadium, McKeel is selling tickets and team merchandise at his office, McKeel Equipment at 1938 North 8th Street.

McKeel said some local residents are hosting out-of-town players in their homes for the summer, and at least one player still needs a place to stay. Anyone who is interested can call 270-210-9766 to get more information.

As for local support, over 200 season tickets have been sold, lots of local businesses have signed on for sponsorships, and support for the team has been "overwhelming."

McKeel said, "I could talk forever about all of the good things that have come out of this and the people that have stepped up from the community to help us, because this team is a non-profit. We're not making any money off of it. Any money that comes out of there is going right back into the stadium and the team."

Chiefs games can be heard on the radio this summer on Life Talk 102.5 with Ed Taylor doing the play-by-play.


Here is the complete roster for the Chiefs, with their college, position(s) and home town:

ARMSTRONG, AARON       SOUTHEASTERN IL. COLLEGE             C                   PADUCAH, KY
CALIA, BRANDON         GEORGETOWN, COLLEGE                    P                  LEXINGTON, KY
CHANDLER, LEE               OLNEY CENTRAL                                     P                    LA CENTER, KY
DRAKE, AUSTIN                 SPALDING UNIVERSITY                     OF                 PADUCAH, KY
ELLIOTT, DAVIS                 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA     IF/OF          BRENTWOOD, TN
GARNER, RYAN                  GEORGETOWN, COLLEGE                  1B/OF/P         PADUCAH, KY
GILBERT, CODY                 MURRAY STATE                                      OF                  LEDBETTER, KY
HALL, GRANT                     SIU CARBONDALE                                 IF                   TOLEDO. OHIO
HEAD, DAKOTA                  REND LAKE UNIVERSITY                      P                    BENTON, IL
HICKS, TYLER                    SOUTHEASTERN IL. COLLEGE           OF                 PADUCAH, KY
JOHNSTON, BRIAN              OLNEY CENTRAL                                  C                   PADUCAH, KY
KLAYER, MICHAEL            MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY         P                    BROWNSBURG, IN
MITCHELL, DALTON          REND LAKE UNIVERSITY                     P                    METROPOLIS, IL
NEWTON, CLAY                 JOHN A. LOGAN                                      P/OF              BARLOW, KY
PRIEST, JASON                   TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY              C                   PONTIAC, IL
SCHEER, JOSHUA              JOHN A. LOGAN                                      P                    HICKORY, KY
SEITZINGER, DANIEL       TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY               OF/P               PADUCAH, KY
SHAW, AUSTIN                    OLNEY CENTRAL                                    P                    PADUCAH, KY
SMITH, TANNER                 OLNEY CENTRAL                                    P                    SYMSONIA, KY
SOCKWELL, PEYTON        UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA    IF                   LAWRENCEBURG, TN
WETZEL, JOSH                  BRESCIA UNIVERSITY                            IF/OF             METROPOLIS, IL
WOMACK, COLE               WESTERN KY UNIVERSITY                    IF                   PADUCAH, KY
ADESI, JORDAN                 HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY                    P/1B               MAUMEE, OH
POPE, REID                        JOHN A. LOGAN                                       P/OF            PADUCAH, KY
PIERCE, NOAH                   OWENS COMM. COLL.                            P                    TOLEDO, OHIO
SIMS, DAVIS                       MURRAY STATE                                        IF                   PADUCAH, KY

On the Net:

Chiefs Facebook page
Brooks Stadium Website -click PADUCAH CHIEFS at top of page
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