[PRESS RELEASE – Decatur, IL] – The Pride is back! As in the Decatur Pride men’s fastpitch team! The Decatur Sports Foundation is proud to announce that the Decatur Pride men’s fastpitch team is being re-established and will begin play in the 2006 season. A new booster club is being formed presently to support the team and a manager is already under agreement for the new program, which will include not only a men’s team competing at the major level of the sport but also a youth team designed to homegrow talent for the team.
Scott Standerfer will be introduced as the organization’s guiding hand and field manager at an upcoming press conference. Standerfer is a Charleston resident with deep roots in area men’s fastpitch, competing as a player during a 16 year career and as both coach and manager since 1994. He is currently involved as an assistant coach for the USA Jr Men’s Team, a national 19under team, with duties as hitting and outfield coach as well the team’s first base coach. Scott also assists with the EIU softball team and in 2005 will be a coach with County Material men’s fastpitch team, one of the premier teams in the sport.
2005 will be spent organizing the booster cub, fundraising for the team and with publicity to familiarize the public with the new teams and their schedule of events.The Decatur Sports Foundation, owner and operator of the Borg Warner Sports Complex on Rt 51S in Decatur, will oversee the operations of the booster club and assist them in re-establishing the Decatur Pride program and with the hosting of events for the team. The focus of the program will be to field a competitive top 10 team in the near term with development and growth into a top contending team every year. A very important part of the program will be to interest and develop local talent rather than importing a roster full of paid position players, and the program is already at work identifying and contacting area college baseball players. Standerfer’s commitment to and knowledge of developing talent and his willingness to make a long-term commitment to the team and program are part of what made him sought after by the team organizers and the Decatur Sports Foundation. Eventually the program will suppport a youth 19under team, a mid-level class A team as well as the Pride. Standerfer strongly believes that there has always been sufficient area and local talent to compete, noting past Pride players such as David Boys, Brian Rothrock, Rick Minton, Bob Sagle, Pat Pownall, Robbie Tirpak (and many more) all grew up in the area and learned to play the game locally, and he believes that his experience with the USA 19under National team will help with young talented area players into talented Decatur Pride players, while noting there are times, particularly with pitchers, where you may still have to spend a few dollars to compete at the top level. Decatur has always been a favorite place for the top players and teams in the sport to compete and the Borg Warner Sports Complex has continued to host men’s fastpitch tournaments and teams, keeping the fastpitch world’s eye on Decatur.
During the 2005 season Standerfer will be talking with current and prospective players as will Chad Seeman of Chenoa, player/manager of the current Bloomington Stix team, who has been involved in the organizational efforts and is already committed to playing for the new Decatur Pride in 2006. Seeman believes that just the opportunity to play in Decatur will interest many players in the game. And for area fastpitch fans in 2005 there is a men’s area fastpitch league with two doubleheaders every Wednesday night from May through July (free admission), the softball-world famous Decatur ShootOut – a premier men’s fastpitch tournament featuring 12 of the top teams from across the country on June 17-19, the Illinois ASA’s two weekend state championship tournaments on 7/27-31 and 8/3-7, plus the ASA Nationals Class B championship on 9/1-9/5 with over 60 teams from around the country expected to compete. The Cerro Gordo Broncos Fastpitch team also calls the complex home, and they are expected to again challenge for the Illinois ASA Open Division State Championship in 2005, as well as hosting the national tournament.
A press conference with Standerfer will be announced in the very near future as will a public orgainzational meeting of the new booster club, and it’s hoped that a lot of the former boosters will have an interest in getting involved again. Community sponsorship and support will be crucial but team organizers and Standerfer believe they can fund the program properly at about half the previous levels of the club, and believe with the rich history of fastpitch in the Decatur area and when the economic benefits of the sports complex and team are realized the community will proudly support them again. People seeking information about the booster club or becoming involved with the team as well as young players interested in learning more about opportunites in fastpitch may contact Lynne Durham at 433-2507 or Doug Gray at 423-1951.
Scott Standerfer softball biography:
* Player for various Central Illinois & area teams from 1979 to 1995
* Champaign Merchants: Manager – 1994 – 1996
* Peoria River Rage: Manager – 1997 – 2001
* 5 top 10 finishes ASA Men’s majors Nationals\
* 2 top 10 finishes ISC Worlds
* St Louis Lafayette Pub: Manager – 2002
* 5th place finish ASA Men’s majors Nationals
* HIS Construction, Houston,TX: coach – 2003 – 2004
* 2 top 10 finishes ASA Men’s majors Nationals
* 1 top 10 finish ISC Worlds, County Material, Wisconsin:
* coach – 2005 – one of the premier teams in the sport
* Also: volunteer assistant coach will EIU softball team
* USA Jr National team – coach- hitting & outfield coach, first base coach
Source: Decatur Sports Foundation
PO Box 4536, Decatur, IL 62525 217-429-0788
Contacts: Doug Gray 217 423-1951 or rdgray@insightbb.com
Lynne Durham 217 433-2507 or durham@pietalent.com
Scott Standerfer at standerfer@consolidated.net