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Tom Radz is the new skipper of Cyclones baseball beginning fall 2009. He replaces former head coach Dan De Caprio who led the Cyclones in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. "This is an exciting opportunity to return to the place where I grew up and to expand on a new career as a head coach. I’m very excited to start and have my own program," Radz said. A Palos Heights native, Radz graduated from Brother Rice High School then signed on as a catcher but later pitched for the University of Illinois-Chicago. He was UIC’s closer in 1997 and their number one pitcher in 1998 before transferring to Western Illinois University. As a Leatherneck, Radz quickly became the number one pitcher at the Division I school. Radz became the Leathernecks’ pitching coach from 2002 to 2003 before taking a hiatus to focus on his journalism career. In 2005 Radz returned to the team. He coached pitchers and catchers and served as the national recruiting coordinator through 2008. In 2007 Radz guided a pitching staff that brought home two Pitcher of the Week honors and one athlete who ranked third for the season in strikeouts in the conference. At one point during the 2007 season the pitching staff surrendered one walk in a span of 34 innings and featured a nearly 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In the summer of 2007 Leatherneck pitcher Rob Johnson signed a professional baseball contract, the first pitcher to do so under Radz. Radz also had a stellar pitching staff in 2008 when three pitchers earned various individual awards for their performances. The starting pitchers logged 10 complete games, more than doubling the total for the previous two seasons. The pitching staff also picked up two of the biggest wins in school history, defeating No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 4 Missouri. Outside of Western, Radz served as a guest coach at the University of Kansas Jayhawks baseball camps and TPX Top 96 summer clinics. "For players still looking to continue their college career on the diamond, Moraine Valley offers an excellent opportunity to play,” Radz said. “I know the Cyclones have competed with other colleges for players and I know my ties to Chicago and Division I baseball will bring quality players to the team, bring Moraine Valley baseball back to the top of the conference, as well as help my players continue their careers at a higher level.” Radz completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at Western Illinois University. In addition to coaching the Cyclones he also will start as an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley in fall 2009. Dave Murray Dave Murray joins Radz in 2010 in his first year as the Cyclones infield and hitting coach. Murray was a teammate of Radz's at Western Illinois University. He has coached varsity baseball at Lincoln-Way East High School the past several seasons, and also works as a personal baseball instructor at academies around the Chicagoland area. His strong baseball ties include a brother who played for Northwestern University and his father who is a scout for the Chicago White Sox. Nick Simmons Dan Dannenberg Ryan Topf Zach Brandt |
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