Steamboat Storm names coach, selects players, hopes to find community support
Steamboat Springs — When the Steamboat Storm opens play in the Mountain West Collegiate Baseball League next month, the squad will be managed by Matt Ellinghuysen, who is an assistant coach with Bemidji State University in Minnesota.
Ellinghuysen graduated from the Bemidji State in 2013. While he was there, he played third base for the college team and lettered all four years. He will be the Steamboat Storm’s manager this summer.
The team and staff will begin arriving in Steamboat Springs June 6 and are expected to play their first game June 9.
Local spokesperson Dave Roy said the line-ups for the teams have been selected, but the group that brought the team to Steamboat Springs is still looking for host families willing to help house and support the 18 collegiate -level baseball players and coaches.
“We are about halfway there,” Roy said. “But we are looking for a little boost as the season draws closer.”
The team will spend six weeks living and playing games in Steamboat Springs. It will also travel to neighboring communities that are also hosting teams. It’s Roy’s hope that the community will welcome and support the players and that these players become a part of the community this summer.
The Steamboat Storm will be one of six teams in the league. Other teams hail from Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Summit County and Vail. The teams will be made up of players who are either currently playing at the college level or will be reporting to a college team next fall.
The season will run seven weeks and is designed as a development league for young players. Teams will play three doubleheaders each week (32 to 36 games including a post-season tournament) with half the team’s games taking place on the road and the other half at home.
The Steamboat Storm will play its home games at Emerald Park on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
For more information or to volunteer to host a player, contact Leigh Reece at 970-367-6777 or Roy at 970-819-6868.
To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966
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