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Medford Rogues | |
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Information | |
League | Pacific Empire League (2024-present) [1] |
Location | Medford, Oregon |
Ballpark | Harry & David Field |
Founded | 2012 |
League championships | 1 (2017) |
Division championships | 0 |
Former name(s) |
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Former league(s) |
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Colors | Green, Gray, Red and White |
Mascot | Rowdy! |
Ownership | Dave & Tabitha May |
Manager | Nate Esposito (head coach) |
General Manager | Jeff Weiss |
Media | KDRV (television) Rogue Valley Times (newspaper) |
Website | www |
The Medford Rogues are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Medford, Oregon. They are members of the newly-formed Pacific Empire League starting in 2024. They played in the West Coast League from 2013 to 2015, and were founding members of the Great West League, where they played from 2016 to 2018, then were members of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League from 2019 to 2021. They play their home games at Harry & David Field and were named after the former Class-D Far West League affiliate of the New York Giants that played from 1950 to 1951. They were the 2017 GWL Champions.
The Rogues were founded in 2012 by Consolidated Sports Holdings International, Inc, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The chief investor was Bill Yuill, chairman and C.E.O. of The Monarch Corporation of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The president was Gary Gelinas. The first general manager was Chuck Heeman, former G.M. of fellow West Coast League franchise the Klamath Falls Gems. The Rogues replaced the now-defunct Southern Oregon Riverdawgs, who played at Harry & David Field previously.
The Medford Rogues went 26–28 in their 2nd season of WCL play. They missed the play-offs by 5 games behind the wild card leader. Yuto Kata played as a support batter by sacrifice bunting 19 times and setting the WCL record for the most sacrifice bunts by any one batter in one season. Also, Spencer Smith got hit by pitch 18 times setting the record for the most times hit by the pitch by any batter. The Rogues put 41,490 people in the seats in 32 home openings with 1,297 a night.
The Rogues welcomed Ian Church as their new general manager for the 2015 WCL season, replacing Chuck Heeman. On September 23, 2015, the Rogues announced that they would be joining the Great West League, a new collegiate summer league with teams from Oregon and California. They became the sixth team to join the league along with the Chico Heat, Lodi Crushers, Marysville Gold Sox, Portland Pickles and the new Sacramento Stealth. [2]
The Rogues named Carolyn Birch as interim general manager in the spring of 2016. They opened play in the Great West League on June 3, 2016, with a victory over the Portland Pickles. It was also announced that the Rogues will be the inaugural hosts of the annual GWL All-Star Game scheduled for July 25 and 26. [3]
The Rogues finished the regular season at 40–20, their best record in history. But Carolyn Birch stepped down as general manager in the final game of the regular season against Chico on August 5, 2017. Also, Jonathan Kurman took over as play-by-play commentator near season's end after Brian Schnee (who started the season with the Rogues) became news/sports anchor at KTVL News 10. The Rogues took their semi-final series with the Portland Pickles 2 games to one and faced off against their chief rivals the Chico Heat in a rematch of last year's GWL Championship Series. They swept the Heat 5–3 in Game 1 in Chico and 7–2 in Game 2 in Medford to capture their first championship in franchise history dating back to their inaugural season in the WCL in 2013.
Following the season, head coach Josh Hogan stepped down to accept the head coaching position. He was replaced by former Oregon State Beavers and Arizona Diamondbacks standout Tyler Graham. [4] In addition, Dave May, was named the team's new Chief Operating Officer.
On October 4, 2018, the Rogues ownership, CSH International, announced that the Rogues are exploring other options with regards to their future as the Great West League ceased operations the same day. [5] On December 12, they announced that they were sold by CSH to local businessman Treg Scott effective December 31 and are joining the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League. [6] [7]
On January 14, 2019, the Rogues announced the hiring of former St. Mary's High School baseball coach Sean Gallagher as their new head coach. [8] On February 19, 2019, the Rogues announce general manager and COO Dave May had purchased an ownership stake in the team. [9]
The Rogues hired former Oregon State Beavers standout Bill Rowe. The GSCBL season for 2020 was cancelled due the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the Rogues played an abbreviated season with lesser known teams.
The Rogues had the opportunity to finally have a full GSCBL season along with a few non-league opponents.
Owners Dave and Tabitha May took full control of the Rogues and play as an independent team and will play an independent schedule featuring teams from many different leagues.
The Rogues announced on their Facebook page that head coach Bill Rowe was stepping down and associate head coach Parker Berberet would take the reins of the team.
On December 13, 2023, the Rogues announced as the new head coach former Oregon State staff member Nate Esposito. Then on December 15, the Rogues were announced as inaugural members of the new Pacific Empire League along with the Healdsburg Prune Packers, Humboldt Crabs, Lincoln Potters, Solano Mudcats and West Coast Kings. [10]
The Chico Heat is the name of two baseball teams that have operated in Chico, California. The first was a professional independent team operating in the Western Baseball League from 1997 to 2002, and the second team was an independent team operating as part of the summer collegiate wood bat league known as the Great West League, which began operations in 2014 and ceased operations in 2018. The team's title sponsor was Golden Valley Bank. Both teams were majority owned by Steve and Kathy Nettleton.
The Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox were a summer collegiate wood-bat baseball club based in Marysville, California, in the United States, that began as an independent professional team in 1995. They played their home games at Bryant Field, adjacent to Ellis Lake, in Marysville from 2002 to 2022. The team name was changed to the Marysville Gold Sox in 2010 to more particularly identify the city in which the team was located, but had since reverted to "Yuba-Sutter".
The Bellingham Bells are a collegiate summer baseball team in the West Coast League. The team is composed of college baseball players from teams around the U.S.
The Southern Oregon Timberjacks were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, based in Medford, Oregon. The team played in the Class A-Short Season Northwest League and were an affiliate of the Oakland Athletics for 21 seasons. They played their home games at Miles Field in south Medford.
The Medford Nuggets / Rogues were a Minor League Baseball team based in Medford, Oregon. They were members of the Class D Far West League from 1948 through 1951.
The Wenatchee AppleSox is a collegiate summer baseball team playing in the West Coast League's North Division. The team is based in Wenatchee, Washington. The team was established in 2000 by owner Jim Corcoran and has played its home games at Paul Thomas Sr. Field on the campus of Wenatchee Valley College. Asst. GM Ken Osborne became a stockholder in 2008. Corcoran and Osborne sold the team to retired Microsoft executive Jose Oglesby in 2018, with Osborne being appointed COO/GM. Osborne stepped down on Feb. 3, 2021, and assistant general manager Allie Schank was promoted to general manager.
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCBL), but in 2008 renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including a number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August.
Harry & David Field is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Medford, Oregon.
The Cowlitz Black Bears is an amateur baseball team located in Longview, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The league comprises teams from Canada, Oregon, and Washington. Cowlitz calls David Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College home.
The Walla Walla Sweets is an amateur baseball team located in Walla Walla, Washington. They play in the West Coast League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Walla Walla calls Borleske Stadium home which has a capacity of 2,378 spectators.
Tyler Lewis Graham is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current assistant head coach for the Michigan Wolverines. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Portland Pickles are a collegiate woodbat baseball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the South Division of the West Coast League, a premier collegiate summer baseball league based in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The Pickles play their home games at Walker Stadium in Portland's Lents Park.
The Gresham GreyWolves are a collegiate woodbat baseball team located in Gresham, Oregon. The GreyWolves play at Oslund Field on the campus of Mount Hood Community College and were a member of the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league, in their first two seasons in 2016 and 2017. However, the GreyWolves became an independent team in 2018 when the club was purchased by Rose City Baseball, LLC and replaced in the WCL by the Portland Pickles. The GreyWolves now play in the short-season Wild Wild West League.
The Lincoln Potters are a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Lincoln, California. They are operating as part of the summer collegiate wood bat league known as the Pacific Empire League. It began operations in 2016 as members of the Great West League. They play their home games at McBean Stadium in Lincoln. The Potters replaced the Lodi Crushers and Sacramento Stealth, who went inactive for 2017.
The Yuba City Bears were a summer collegiate baseball team based in Marysville, California, in the United States and representing Yuba City, California. They were a member of the Great West League, having been established in 2017, and had played their home games at Colusa Casino Stadium adjacent to Ellis Lake, in Marysville. They had shared the facilities with the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox, but have since folded their GWL operations.
The Klamath Falls Gems were a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They began as an expansion team in the West Coast League in 2011 and played their home games at Kiger Stadium, which is also the home of the Oregon Tech Owls. They were named after the former Class-D Far West League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies that played from 1948 to 1951. They previously played in the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League from 2016 to 2017 and were members of the Great West League, having joined that league in October 2017 and played during the 2018 season. They were without a league as the GWL suspended operations on October 4, 2018, and have eventually ceased operations themselves without notice. The owner Joe O'Connor was being given until December 31, 2018, to renew the lease or the team will be considered defunct. There was no response and the franchise was officially considered defunct.
The San Francisco Seals are a summer collegiate wood-bat club based in Alameda, California and represent the San Francisco Bay Area. Established in 1985, they joined the Great West League in 2017 having replaced the Yuba City Bears who went dormant the same day the Seals were announced as new members. The Seals play their home games at College of Alameda Stadium.
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The Wild Wild West League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league based out of Portland, Oregon. It serves as a developmental minor league and is owned and operated by the Portland Pickles collegiate baseball club of the West Coast League. The league features four teams and all games are played at Charles B. Walker Stadium at Lents Park in southeast Portland, home of the Pickles.