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Tom Radz is in his third season as the skipper of Cyclones baseball after joining the team in fall 2009. 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. 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. Radz has three former pitchers and one catcher currently playing professional baseball. Outside of Western, Radz served as a guest coach at the University of Kansas Jayhawks baseball camps and TPX Top 96 summer clinics. He also works as an instructor for the Chicago White Sox area summer camps. "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 is an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley. Dave Murray Dave Murray returns for another season with the Cyclones after joining Radz in 2010 as the infield and hitting coach. Under his leadership, the Cyclones boasted a healthy .322 team batting average. Murray looks to improve the team average in the 2011-12 season. Prior to Moraine Valley, Murray was a varsity baseball and football coach at Lincoln-Way East High School from 2002-08. He worked with many student-athletes on the diamond and gridiron who went on to compete at the next level for schools such as the University of Michigan, University of Illinois, Western Illinois University, University of Northern Iowa, Central Michigan University, Purdue University, and Ball State University. Murray also was a member of the 2005 IHSA state football championship coaching staff. Murray was a teammate of Radz's at Western Illinois University and several Chicago summer baseball programs. At Western, Murray earned a place on the All-Mid-Continent Conference Academic Team. He also was an all-area player in baseball and football at Carl Sandburg High School. His strong baseball ties include a brother who played for Northwestern University and professionally for the Houston Astros organization, and his father who is a former Catholic League standout from Mendel Catholic and is a scout for the Chicago White Sox. Murray currently resides in Orland Park where he raises his five-year-old son Aidan. He teaches British literature as well as composition and rhetoric at Lincoln-Way North High School. Jon Drahos |
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