TERRE HAUTE —
When Terre Haute Rex players Jase Morgan, Derick Daniel and Jake Wood were hurt just before the Prospect League All-Star break, their absence took away half of the Rex total home run output (all from Morgan) along with the loss of .271 worth of combined production at the plate.
The loss of the three players to the inactive list could have been acute, but instead, their replacements have given the Rex the charge they’ve needed to get off to a 4-1 start going into Wednesday’s Prospect League action.
Third baseman Joel Licon, from Loyola Marymount, and right fielder Chris Carlson, from California’s Orange Coast College, have filled in admirably for Terre Haute. Both players also offer an element the Rex were lacking a bit in the first half … speed on the basepaths.
Licon is hitting just .250, but has an on-base percentage of .400. He has one home run and three RBIs. Carlson is hitting .286 and has been solid in right field for the Rex.
“That really helped our lineup. Nothing against the guys that were here, but those guys provide a little bit more speed and consistency at the plate. One’s a left-handed stick [Carlson] and the other [Licon] can play anywhere in the field,” Rex manager Brian Dorsett said.
Licon and Carlson were friends before joining the Rex. While the Rex have enjoyed their speed, they feel they just bring energy.
“I’m not really big, I’m more of a get-on-base type of guy who steals bases. I bring energy to the field. Chris Carlson are both trying to bring that to the game, to make the game exciting,” said the 5-foot-10 Licon, who joins LMU teammates Alex Guthrie and Alex Sachs on the Rex roster.
Carlson admitted that it’s tough to walk into a team in the middle of the season, but he’s winning his teammates over the only way he knows how.
“It’s tough coming in the middle of the season, but I’ve been trying to earn the guys’ respect. To do that, I’ve just tried to play hard, I think that’s the best way to get that accomplished,” Carlson said.
Licon wears No. 22, the number Morgan had been wearing before his Achilles injury became too much to play through. Licon has taken some teasing from his teammates as his small stature and speed is the opposite of the burly Morgan’s power game.
“I’m starting to get more and more comfortable. It was a little tough at first because I had to come in and fill No. 22’s shoes [Jase Morgan]. But me and my buddy Carlson have been getting into a groove as we’ve got going,” Licon said.
• • •
• Extending the bench — The Rex lineup has been relatively unchanged since the All-Star break, but Dorsett wants to spread his at-bats throughout the roster more as the Rex play on.
“You’ll see some guys who haven’t been sitting will have to take their day off and let another guy play. It’s getting tougher and tougher because so many guys are playing well and we’re trying to get guys ABs,” Dorsett said.
Who will get those ABs?
“Guys like Cole Vicars. He’s a local kid and I’d love to see him play as much as possible. He got a little bit hot, than he got cold and other guys stepped up and got it going. He played on Sunday and he got two hits. He’ll get some more time,” Dorsett said.
n John returns home next week — Terre Haute native Tommy John will return home next week to throw out the first ball at the June 21 game against Dupage.
John, a Gerstmeyer graduate who is one of the best pitchers in MLB history not to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, had a distinguished 26-year career with the Indians, White Sox, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A’s from 1963-89.
John’s career record is 288-231 with 2,245 career strikeouts.
Terre Haute Rex
Rex Notebook: Licon, Carlson give Terre Haute second half spark
- 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
Successful playoff baseball = clean baseball.
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Rex mix, match their way to win
The Terre Haute Rex clinched a playoff spot last Thursday … but there were still four games to be played.
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Rex turn eye to Prospect playoffs
Fans attending this evening’s Terre Haute Rex game should expect some handouts, some surprises — and probably better start by the home team than the Rex could provide Saturday night.
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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
It was a long but fruitful night for the playoff-bound Terre Haute Rex.
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Playoff march continues: Rex creep closer to postseason with victory over Dans
Hire the band, make the floats, and rent out a street.
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Rex split, retain 3 1⁄2-game advantage in West Division
A five-run ninth-inning rally fell far short for the Terre Haute Rex on Sunday night in Prospect League baseball.
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No no-hitter, but Rex triumphs
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
So in the past two or three years, the increase in local travel baseball options has been led by three groups, Indiana (formerly Terre Haute) Havoc, Riley Recreation League and Junior Rex.
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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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