TERRE HAUTE —
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title.
The Rex finished with a 38-22 overall record, good for second best among the 12 teams in the league.
Off the field, the Rex were pleased with improvements they made to promotions during the game, and sponsorships from the community gained steam for the second straight summer.
The franchise did not reach its goals for improving on attendance, which was more than 1,000 fans per game in 2011. The Rex averaged 925 in 2012, but the brutal heat wave deserves a chunk of the blame.
“We had several teams start out on record pace and then slow down a little bit with the heat. I think we saw it here,” Prospect League commissioner David Chase said.
Rex general manager Casey DeGroote agreed.
“The heat was just unbearable at times from mid-to-late June to end of July. We still had a bunch of fans come out and support us even when it was hot,” DeGroote said. “Still, to average 925 fans, just 90 fans off of what we did the year before. That was good to see.”
Chase was on hand to see the Rex clinch the second-half West Division title in early August. He left impressed by the operation, which included community businesses such as Louise’s Copper Catering and Bagnoche Sports adding to the professional experience.
“There aren’t too many community league teams where you see people in the community wearing the Rex gear around town. You see a lot of that here,” Chase said.
“That is the essence of what I want the Prospect League to be. I want it to be your baseball team in your community in the summer. We can supplement what the universities do in our town and the youth leagues, but I want us to own the community in July and August.”
DeGroote, who was promoted to GM role in July, said recently that community presence for the Rex is a goal everyone in the organization has kept their sights on.
One way to achieve that is by bringing in quality people to play for the team.
“Every single guy this year was just great,” DeGroote said. “No bad attitudes. It showed in our record. Best record in the three years. Had [six] guys that made the All-Star team.”
Rex closer Nick Blount said earlier this summer he really enjoyed being in Terre Haute. He was named the league’s top prospect. The 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher throws in the mid-90s.
The Rex already have former players such as Stephen Bruneau playing in the minor leagues, hoping to have alumni of the team play in the major leagues some day.
Manager Brian Dorsett feels he and his coaching staff have helped some players from the 2012 on their way to achieving those goals.
Learning to play baseball every day, including hitting with a wooden bat, is a grind. Dorsett was impressed by how the players were sponges for information.
“They really wanted to learn the game,” Dorsett said. “They asked a lot of questions. Wanted to know how things worked. What we saw in certain situations. Knowing the situation and knowing how to look at a situation. Being willing to come out and practice, first and thirds. Pickoffs and those types of things.”
The work ethic of the Rex was a huge reason for the team’s success, Dorsett relayed, which makes managing the young men a positive experience for him.
“Just being on a roll where you start seeing them play the game how it should be played. Making sure they are respecting the game and playing hard at all times. Everybody there did that. That’s the most rewarding thing,” Dorsett said. “They did respect the game. They went out there always playing hard, every pitch, every inning. They weren’t taking plays off, giving at-bats up. That’s the most rewarding part.”
Dorsett, who was in the final year of a three-year commitment as the manager of the Rex, said his coaching staff was fantastic to work with every day.
“Ronnie Prettyman, Bobby Segal and John Howes, we all like to work,” Dorsett said. “The fans see the game. There’s so much that goes into preparing to play that game. Bobby Segal and Ronnie made themselves available to do that, and I worked a lot with catching and hitters.”
The Rex lost 3-2 in a one-game playoff with first-half West Division champion Dubois County to end the season abruptly. Dorsett said he would prefer a series in that situation. Plus, he felt the Rex should have been granted home-field advantage because of their better overall record.
Overall, though, he’ll take nothing but positive memories away from the season.
“We came down to the end fighting. In the second half, we dominated the second half. That’s something these guys all knew. They wanted it. Kudos to them,” Dorsett said. “Every year, the organization has gotten better on the field.”
Terre Haute Rex
Related Photos
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Consultation: Rex manager Brian Dorsett talks with his pitcher and players during a time-out Sunday, July 15, at Sycamore Field. (Tribune-Star file/Bob Poynter)
Discussion
2012 an up, down season for Rex
Summer league team started slow, won second half title
- Terre Haute Rex
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2012 an up, down season for Rex
The Terre Haute Rex went through plenty of trials and tribulations during the summer of 2012.
The team got off to a sluggish start to settle for third place during the first half of the Prospect League race, but manager Brian Dorsett rallied the troops to a second-half title. -
Metro Roundup: Dorsett, Rex players honored in Prospect League postseason awards
Terre Haute Rex closer Nick Blount won one award and shared another and Brian Dorsett shared Manager of the Year honors as the Prospect League announced postseason awards Saturday.
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Rex out of playoffs
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Rex mix, match their way to win
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Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
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Rex drop road game to Sliders 7-1
One night after a dramatic come-from-behind victory, the Terre Haute Rex went down meekly to the Springfield Sliders 7-1 in Prospect League baseball Friday night.
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Rex defeat Springfield twice, clinch spot in playoffs
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Rex split, retain 3 1⁄2-game advantage in West Division
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Kyle Zimmerman took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, lost his control and the lead, but the Terre Haute Rex offense had an immediate answer Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Travel baseball teams enjoy busy summer
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First-place Rex top rival Bombers
If you haven’t been to a Terre Haute Rex game yet this season, tonight might be the time to go.
The Rex have a second straight home game against the Dubois County Bombers, a potential Prospect League West Division playoff preview — and a battle between maybe the division’s two biggest rivals. -
Rex top Cavemen, raise record to 14-6
The first-place Terre Haute Rex picked up a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Hannibal, Mo., against the Cavemen.
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Rex win first game of Saturday doubleheader
Terre Haute maintained its stronghold on first place in the Prospect League West Division on Saturday, the Rex defeating Dubois County 6-1 in the first game of a doubleheader.
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Strunc fans 10, Rex win 12-10
Power pitching and power hitting kept a season-high crowd of 1,732 Rex fans on the edge of their seats Friday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Starting role suits Cunningham as Rex win
Nick Cunningham took the mound Thursday in his relatively new role as starting pitcher looking to give the Terre Haute Rex some breathing room atop the Prospect League West Division standings.
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Rex fall at Danville, maintain two-game division lead
The Terre Haute Rex lost 7-4 on Wednesday at Danville, falling to 9-4 in the second half of the Prospect League schedule.
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High drama, but no win
Pinch-hitter Michael Eberle provided patient Terre Haute Rex fans with plenty of excitement by belting a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the score against the Springfield Sliders at 9-9.
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Rex cool off against Springfield
It was a game Terre Haute probably didn’t deserve to win, and, despite an outstanding bullpen effort and focused hitting in the last few innings, the Rex did lose Monday for the first time since July 4 at Quincy.
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Rex roll to lead in division
A constant theme repeated by Terre Haute Rex manager Brian Dorsett is how his summer-league collegians adjust to the everyday schedule, rather than the four or five-game slates they’re used to.
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Rex bounce back, dominate Dans
Terre Haute reaped the bounty of three Danville errors in the second inning. The Rex made the Dans pay for each of their errors with eight base hits in the inning and Terre Haute never looked back on its way to an 11-4 victory in front of sweltering crowd of 669.
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Rex open second half with victory at Quincy
The Terre Haute Rex opened the second half of the Prospect League season with a 8-7 victory Tuesday night at Quincy Stadium.
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Head coach could be next stop for Prettyman
Credited in part to some unforgettable memories at Cal State Fullerton, where Ronnie Prettyman scored the winning run in the 2004 College World Series, the Indiana State and Terre Haute Rex assistant coach wants to pursue a future in college coaching.
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Cunningham, McCurdy pace Rex to win over league leader
What was essentially a meaningless baseball game as far as the standings were concerned couldn’t have gone much better for the Terre Haute Rex on Saturday night at Bob Warn Field.
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Rex score 4 before getting first hit, then hang on for win
With temperatures over 100 degrees Friday, affairs at Bob Warn Field took a walk on the wild side.
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Rex duo working overtime
It’s obviously a bonus to recruit a college baseball player that can pitch once a week and take the field and bat in the middle of the batting order the rest of the time.
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Rex fall 7-1 to Hannibal
The Terre Haute Rex lost 7-1 on Thursday, falling behind 4-0 after the first inning at Bob Warn Field.
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Rex have winning streak snapped
The season-long five-game winning streak of the Terre Haute Rex came to an end Wednesday night at Dubois County.
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Rex move within four games of first-place Dubois County
The Terre Haute Rex moved within four games of the first-place Dubois County Bombers, scoring the first 11 runs in a 12-6 shellacking at Bob Warn Field on Tuesday.
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Rex take third straight, move to 12-11 overall
Wildness cost the Terre Haute Rex a precarious lead in the fifth inning, but thankfully for the home team Quincy returned the favor in the bottom of the ninth inning.
- More Terre Haute Rex Headlines
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