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Men's Baseball

July 28, 2009
Calling all ball players, fall tryouts being held for spring season

Still on the fence about playing college baseball? The Cyclones baseball team is holding open tryouts August 31 and September 1-2 from 3 to 6 p.m. each day on the campus’ baseball field, which is located on the southwest side of the campus at 111th Street and Kean Avenue.

This is a great opportunity for all baseball players to play at the college level and improve their game. Pitchers are especially needed. The team will practice throughout the fall in preparation for the spring season. All athletes are required to take a sports physical to participate in college athletics. For more information call head baseball coach Tom Radz at (708) 974-5298 or e-mail him at radzt@morainevalley.edu. 

July 15, 2009
Baseball team ready to rebuild with new young head coach

With a new season comes new challenges, needs, goals, and coaches. The Cyclones have a new skipper in Tom Radz beginning in the fall.

Radz replaces former head coach Dan De Caprio who led the Cyclones in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. De Caprio tallied a 42-47 record in his brief tenure with the team.

“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 and 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 signed as a catcher, but later 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 in school history, defeating No. 7 Long Beach State and No. 4 Missouri.

In addition to working at Western, he served as a guest coach at the University of Kansas Jayhawks baseball camps and TPX Top 96 summer clinics.

Radz completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at Western University. In addition to coaching the Cyclones he also will start as an adjunct faculty member at Moraine Valley in fall 2009.

Radz brings with him a young coaching staff knowledgeable about the game and hungry for a championship season. Infield/hitting coach Dave Murray, a Sandburg graduate, played at both South Suburban College and Western Illinois University. A Lockport graduate, Nick Simmons, played four years under Radz at Western and will serve as a hitting coach. Dan Dannenberg, an Andrew grad, will be in charge of the bullpen and work with the outfield. Ryan Topf played at Moraine Valley several years ago and will serve as a first base coach. Zach Brandt will round out the coaching staff as bench coach.

“I think Tom is the perfect fit for Moraine Valley. He was exactly what I was looking for in a head coach. He is a local who’s know in the area and respected as a baseball player,” said Athletics Director Bill Finn. “I expect him to recruit better local players, and I know he’ll match managerial skills with anyone around. He’ll do a great job.”

Radz looks forward to his new career with the Cyclones and is confident he can build a strong program.

“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.”

A two-to-three day team tryout will be held during the first few weeks of the fall semester. Radz wants to give the coaches a chance to evaluate the players’ talents and give the players a chance to demonstrate their skills over several days. Pitchers and catchers are strongly urged to tryout. All athletes need to complete a sports physical to be eligible to play college athletics. All tryout details will be posted as soon as they become available. For more information call Radz at (708) 974-5298 or e-mail radzt@morainevalley.edu.