(March 1, 2017 – Dallas, TX) – The Dallas Spirits Baseball Club welcomes 2017 with big expectations following a successful 2016 campaign with some new faces and talent, as well as an entirely new team.
The team worked hard behind the scenes the past few months including a number of trips to DBAT in Addison and a number of practices and scrimmages on local fields in the North Dallas area. The club welcomes a new team to its franchise, that of the new 18+Â squad that will be run by Veterans and Fall Ball player, John Show. Show ran the team under the DABA umbrella playing a variety of games on both Dallas and Fort Worth. The squad will re-brand as the Dallas Spirits Open (18+) team and compete in the NTABL Open American League.
A number of players return to the Veterans and Masters team, while a couple of familiar faces on the Fall team roll over to the new 18+ roster. Kyle Redinger and Mike Werner will join the ranks of the Open (18+) team full time, however Redinger will start the season but then go into surgery for a foot injury. The Spirits expect his return later in the season. Cliff Brade will join the team full time and other Spirits players will fill in, including pitcher Craig Molldrem and outfielder Shawn Lee. The two also return to the Spirits (35+) squad and the Vets also welcome back sluggers Kirk Sipila and Patrick Bilgere.
A number of other league stars have joined the Spirits (35+) for the 2017 campaign including Will Nash, Travis Hitzeman, and former NY Mets pitcher, DJ Carrasco. There will be a number of other players filling in when needed including former Anaheim Angel and Texas Ranger, Benji Gil.
On the Master (45+) squad, Kirk Sipila returns in his third season to manage the team. Newcomers including a solid arm and bat from Earl German, alongside some infielding help from Mark Leemaster and Guy Koenig.
The teams have a lot to look forward to and expect to be competitive at each level. The Spirits (35+) team finished in first place during the regular season but slipped up during the playoff tournament in 2016. They look to avenge their early exit and to strongly compete. The additional players will boost a solid 2016 season for the Masters (45+) squad as they look to utilize the added depth to go further in the season. They’ll have their hands full opening day, March 27th as they battle league heavy-hitter, the Dallas Orioles.
Visit the team website to learn more about players, view stats, and to check out the 2017 schedules as you cheer on your Dallas Spirits. The team thanks you for your support!