Summer League Baseball in Athens with the Southern Ohio Copperheads

The Southern Ohio Copperheads, Athens' very own summer league baseball team, are back again for their sixth year. Led by head coach Mike Deegan, who is fresh off winning the Division III national title with Marietta College, the Copperheads intend to improve upon their most successful season to date in 2006 and provide the fans of Southern Ohio with something to cheer for in the '07 campaign.

The Copperheads have been members of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL) for six years now. Over the past five years that the Copperheads have been playing, 24 players have moved on to bigger things in baseball and that includes the minor leagues. Players like Ben Crabtree, Anthony Gressick, and Adam Russell are paying their dues in the minor leagues in hopes that one day they will reach the majors and represent the Copperheads well.

Taking in a Copperheads game is a great way to potentially see future stars in baseball, and one to watch this year is definitely Matt Stiffler. He plays for Ohio University and this is his third summer with the Copperheads. In 2006, Matt won awards and accolades in the Great Lakes League, including MVP of the Great Lakes All-Star Game, including the Ron Miller Co-Top Position Prospect. Ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the GLSCL, fans can expect to see great things from Stiffler in 2007.

Stiffler is not the only Bobcat represented on the Copperheads roster. Fans of Ohio University can also expect to see Zach Hartle, Kristopher McDonough, and Matt Schlarb playing for the team in 2007.

Players come from all over to play in the GLSCL. Guys such as Tony Bertucci (Cornell), Tony Campana (Cincinnati), Arden McWilliams (Florida Southern), and Quentin Eberhardt (Ashland) will be coming to Athens this summer to play ball after their college seasons. There is also a strong MAC presence on the team for those fans who like to follow the Bobcats' conference. There are the four previously mentioned players from Ohio and three from Kent State (Jon Pokorny, Anthony Gallas, and Dominique Rodgers).