August 31

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a feature highlighting notes from around college baseball.

August 23-31, 2010

P.J. Finigan has been hired as pitching coach at his alma mater, Southern Illinois. Finigan was an infielder and pitcher for the Salukis from 2002-05 and was the 2005 MVC Player of the Year. Finigan was drafted in the seventh round by the Detroit Tigers and pitched in their system for four years before elbow injuries forced his retirement. 

Bob File (right) has been added as pitching coach at La Salle. An All-American at Philadelphia University, File was drafted as a third baseman in the 19th round of the 1998 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He was converted to a pitcher and played nine seasons of professional baseball, including three in the major leagues. File posted a 6-4 record in 89 appearances with the Blue Jays, including a 5-3 mark in 2001. File earned a degree in computer science from Philadelphia University in 1998 and is enrolled in La Salle’s Information Technology Leadership Master’s program.

Virginia will begin fall practice on Friday, Sept. 3. The Cavaliers will entertain the Ontario Blue Jays in an exhibition game on Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. at Davenport Field. Admission is free. The annual Orange and Blue World Series will begin on Oct. 3. at Davenport Field. Each contest of the seven-game series will begin at 6 p.m. and will be free to the public.

Brian Buscher will be an undergraduate assistant coach at South Carolina. He will be the bench coach and work with the corner infielders. Buscher plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology. An All-American third baseman, Buscher helped the Gamecocks reach the College World Series in 2002 and 2003. He played professional baseball for seven years, including three in the major leagues with the Minnesota Twins.

Texas A&M participated in its fifth annual Paint-a-Thon at the home of Lisa Ford of Bryan, Texas. The Aggies painted and completed repairs on the exterior of the house, created a flower bed in the front and a stone walkway in the back.

Maryland added right-hander Creighton Hoke to its roster, raising its number of newcomers to 23. Hoke pitched at San Jacinto College in Houston, posting a 1.42 ERA this past season.

Steve Rousey has been hired as pitching coach at Fresno State. He will assist with recruiting and team travel. For the past eight seasons, Rousey was head coach at Cal State Northridge. The Matadors were 29-27 this past season, including 9-15 in the Big West. Rousey was an assistant at Northridge in 2001 and 2002. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Long Beach State and head coach at Los Angeles City College. Rousey pitched at Cal State Fullerton and twice reached the College World Series (1982, 1984). The Titans won the national championship in 1984. Rousey was drafted in the fourth round by the Seattle Mariners in 1984 and spent five seasons pitching in the Seattle and Montreal systems. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Fullerton in 1988 and a master’s degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific in 1992.

Cliff Wren is the new volunteer assistant at Arkansas State. For the past six years, he has been the owner and instructor of Wren Baseball and Softball Academy in Hattiesburg, Miss. Wren was an assistant coach at Petal (Miss.) High School prior to that. Wren was a Freshman All-American in 1996 at Southern Miss. He transferred to Mississippi State for his senior season and was named first team All-SEC and third team All-America as a first baseman. Wren was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 33rd round and played three seasons in their organization.

Full tournament passes for the 2011 ACC Baseball Championship are now on sale. The 13-game event will be held May 25-29 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Adult passes are $125 and passes for college students with valid ID are $60.

Dave Dangler has been hired as pitching coach at Washington. Dangler is the former head coach at Portland State, Linn-Benton Community College in Albany, Ore., and Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. He has also been a professional scout for the Expos, Marlins and Orioles organizations. This past season, Dangler was the pitching coach at Notre Dame. In February, Dangler was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame and the Northwest Community College Hall of Fame.

Steven Trout has been named the volunteer assistant at Houston. He will coach third base and work with the infielders and base runners. Trout will also be Camp Director. This past season, Trout was a volunteer assistant at Texas State. Trout played two seasons at Texarkana Community College before transferring to TCU. He was second team All-Mountain West as a senior and earned a degree in general studies in 2007. Trout played for three independent teams in 2007 and 2008 before joining the staff at the Stars Baseball Academy in Southlake, Texas.

Texas A&M has changed the start date for walk-on tryouts to Wednesday, Sept. 15. A mandatory meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m. at Olsen Field.

Mike Quade, a former player at New Orleans, is the new manager of the Chicago Cubs. The third base and outfield coach for the Cubs takes over for Lou Piniella, who retired following Sunday’s game against the Braves. Quade was an outfielder at UNO under head coach Ron Maestri from 1976-79. Quade was a two-time All-Sun Belt selection. He was Sun Belt tourney MVP in 1979 as the Privateers earned their second NCAA Tournament bid. He was taken in the 22nd round of the 1979 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates and played five years in the minors before becoming a coach. Quade compiled a record of 1,213-1,165 in 17 seasons as a manager in the minor leagues.

(photo courtesy of La Salle Media Relations Office)