January 2004

Winter Practice Sessions Underway

After a four week Christmas break, we started winter practice on January 12 and the guys and coaching staff alike are really excited for the start of the 2004 season. We are going to highlight our seniors during this newsletter to help you become familiar with our players. I encourage you to contact your former teammates and set up a weekend to come down and watch the team play. We play at home the first three weeks of April.

You have helped us reach our goal of $6,000 for Matt Magers, our pitching coach. He and his wife, Lora, are new proud parents of Louis James who was born December 26. Thank you for your generosity.

We have received $10,910 from 93 givers so far for the current year and as you well know we depend on your financial support.

This support allows us to do the extra that other programs aren't able to do. We desperately need your support again this year!

A very special thank you to the former player's parents, relatives and our baseball friends for helping us reach our goal the last 4 years. It is your support that keeps me motivated every year.

My goal this year is to get more of our former players involved. Currently, we have 90 of 222 players that donate to our club. If we have 100% support from our former players, our goal of $25,000 will be very easily attained.

Cheri and I love the Christmas cards you send us and the pictures go up on the refrigerator. This is one way we are able to keep track of our baseball friends. Keep doing it-we love it.

Next dugout chatter will include more information about the 2004 team and schedule.

In Baseball,

Dean Bowyer

Mavericks Begin 2004 Season in Georgia

We are finalizing our trip to Georgia with the help of Dave Whiteford. Dave is setting up host families for the players to stay with along with a MSU alumni golf outing. We are trying to bring the 1986 team to Atlanta for a reunion. The current MSU team will be leaving on Tuesday February 24th and playing West Georgia on Friday and Saturday February 27th and 28th. We play the University of Minnesota in the Dome Wednesday March 3rd at 6:00pm. We leave for our annual Texas trip on March 5th. The team is currently practicing six days a week and is anxious to begin the season. For information on any of the dates and locations of upcoming games check the website or call the baseball office.