Spring Player Update - 4/29/08
Check the status of the 2008 Mustangs by clicking here

Host Families Still Needed!!
Team to Begin 2008 Season on May 28

The Martinsville Mustangs are still desperately searching for host families for the 2008 season. Players will arrive just three weeks from today and the Mustangs are still considerably short of the needed number of host families. Anyone interested in hosting a player should call the Mustangs Office at 403-5250 or 632-9913.

Mustangs News & Notes
Erick Guest Pitches No-Hitter, 2008 Mustangs Honored

No Runs, No Hits -Erskine College Freshman and 2008 Mustang Erick Guest picked up his first win of the season on Saturday, throwing a seven inning no-hitter against Brevard College. Guest, a native of Easley, SC walked five and struck out four. Guest will be joined in Martinsville by his brother Andrew and teammate Matt Schneider from Erskine.

New Signing - The Mustangs have added to their roster with just a month to go in the season signing catcher Tyler Smith from Mt. Olive College. The Trojans are currently ranked number one in all of the Division II Polls with a 49-5 record and another Conference Carolinas Championship under their belt. Rob Watt, the former Mustangs head coach is an assistant coach at Mt. Olive along with former Mustang and 2008 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Jason Sherrer and First Team All-Conference pitcher Casey Hodges. The Trojans will begin regional play May 15 in hopes of advancing to the Division II World Series in Montgomery, Alabama.

Player of the Week - Matt Duffy picked up his second Player of the Week Honor posting a 12-fo-17 week with five doubles, a homerun, and eight RBIs in five games last week for UVa-Wise. The Cavalier junior and Martinsville native is hitting .389 with 14 doubles, three home runs, and 50 RBIs on the season.

Pitcher of the Week - 2008 Mustang Sam Heaps was named the Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week for his efforts last week in leading Elizabethtown College to the number one seed in the upcoming conference tournament with a complete game two hit shutout against Albright College. The junior righty is just one week removed from picking up player of the week honors. On the season the two-way Heaps currently posts a 2.97 ERA and 5-1 record on the mound with 57 strikeouts in 57 innings. At the plate Heaps is hitting .441 with six doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 33 RBIs.

Power Surge - Unlike in years past the Mustangs Line-up will feature a little more power this summer. Walters State teammates Adam Milligan and Dylan Pratt will surely add some power to the Mustangs line-up this summer. Pratt currently has 21 home runs on the year while Milligan is right behind with 16 long balls of his own. Erskine's Matt Schneider has 12 home runs to round out the heavy hitters coming to Martinsville this summer.

The Martinsville Mustangs are a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its twelfth season, the Coastal Plain League features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. The CPL gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com.

Martinsville to Battle Team USA
Mustangs will Battle Nation's Best in Cary, NC on July 1

MARTINSVILLE, VA --- The Martinsville Mustangs are proud to announce the addition of an exhibition game to their 2008 schedule. The Mustangs will travel to Cary, NC to face Team USA at the Team USA Training Complex on Tuesday, July 1st at 5:00 PM. Team USA is made up of the Top Collegiate Players from across the country, including the very best underclassmen from the ACC, SEC, and other top college conferences.

"We are extremely happy to be invited to play Team USA, I know our players will be very excited to see how they match-up against the nation's best college players," said Mustangs General Manager Doug Gibson. "This will surely be a highlight of the summer and a once in a lifetime experience for some of our players," added Gibson.

Team USA is headquartered in Durham, NC and fields various national teams each summer, including the 2008 Olympic Team that will be competing in Beijing, China in mid-August. The July 1st game will take place at the Team USA Training Facility located in Cary, NC. The complex includes a main stadium for games and auxiliary fields that are used for tournaments and practices.

"This game is a great way to kick off our Fourth of July week that includes home games on July 2nd and July 4th," added Gibson. "We are expecting a sell-out crowd for the July 4th game against Asheboro that will include an amazing post game fireworks show".

Mustangs Searching for Host Families
Team to Begin 2008 Season on May 28

The Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League are in search of Host Families for its players for the 2008 summer season. Players arrive in Martinsville on May 26 and remain until the completion of the season in early to mid-August. Host families are vital to the survival of the Mustangs Franchise and a great way to serve your community by taking in a college athlete and making his experience in the Martinsville community. Host families are provided with season tickets to attend all Mustang home games at Hooker Field.

A responsibility of a host family is to provide player(s) with a bed, some meals, and a loving and caring atmosphere to make the player feel like they are home. Players are grouped with families based on player requests, such a pet allergies, etc. Host families are not responsible for providing travel to the players. Players that are unable to provide their own travel will be grouped with another player that does have transportation in order to remove this burden from Host Families.

“We are in great need of host families this summer more than the other three summers, we have had one host family move away and a few others that have indicated for different reasons their inability to host this summer,” said Mustangs General Manager Doug Gibson. “The program is a very vital part of the Mustangs Organization and we need some families around the community to support the team in this time of need,” added Gibson.

Being a host family is a memorable experience and something that families will remember for years down the road, especially those families with children that have a true, professional prospect living in the same house. Each host family is responsible for sitting their own rules for their player(s) and any problems within the household will be handled immediately by the Mustangs Organization if notified by a host family that there have been problems. To host a player, please call the Mustangs office at (276) 632-9913 or email the Mustangs at mustangsgm28@aol.com.

The Martinsville Mustangs are a member of the 14 team Coastal Plain League, comprised of teams throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The league will begin its 12th season in 2008. For more information please visit www.coastalplain.com or www.martinsvillemustangs.com.

Milligan Returning to Martinsville in 2008

MARTINSVILLE, VA --- The Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League are proud to announce the signing of 2007 Mustang outfielder Adam Milligan to their 2008 roster. Milligan, a sophomore at Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee and has twice been drafted by the Atlanta Braves. Walters State is currently ranked #2 in the latest NJCAA Rankings with a 30-6 record. Milligan has signed a letter of intent to continue his college career at SEC front runner Vanderbilt University.

Milligan returns to the Mustangs lineup after a very successful 2007 campaign in Martinsville. Milligan hit .262 with eight doubles, six homeruns, 34 RBI's and nine stolen bases. Milligan's performance really heated up over the second part of last season and carried right on through the Petitt Cup Playoffs where Milligan hit .412 in four games with two homeruns and 10 RBI's, including a go-ahead homerun in the top of the ninth in the Mustangs second round match-up with Fayetteville. Milligan is currently hitting .375 for the Senators with seven doubles, eight homeruns, and 25 RBI's in 36 games played.

"We are very excited to have Adam returning to the Mustangs for another summer, he definitely brings a lot of talent and skill to our roster," said Mustangs General Manager Doug Gibson. "Adam is certainly a difference maker as shown down the stretch last season and to add a player of his stature is huge at this point in the year," added Gibson.

Milligan joins college roommate Jack Snodgrass and Dylan Pratt from Walters State on the 2008 Mustangs roster. Pratt has also signed a letter of intent with Vanderbilt and will be joining the Commodores as a sophomore for the 2008-2009 school year.

Mustangs to Host Aquafina Pitch, Hit & Run Competition

MARTINSVILLE, VA --- The Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plain League in partnership with Patrick Henry Community College Baseball will host a free Aquafina Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run Competition for area youth. The event will be held on Saturday, May 10 at 11:00 AM at Hooker Field, home of the Mustangs and Patriots Baseball on Commonwealth Blvd.

Pitch, Hit, & Run is the Official Skills Competition of Major League Baseball. This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball skills.

Competitors are divided into four age divisions: 7/8 year olds, 9/10 year olds, 11/12 year olds, and 13/14 year olds, and have a chance to advance through four levels of competition, including Team Championships at Major League ballparks and the National Finals at the 2008 MLB All Star Game in New York City at Yankee Stadium.

The individual Pitching, Hitting, and Running Champions, along with the All-Around Champion in each age group at the Local Competition will be awarded and advance to the Sectional Level of Competition. The contest is open to boys and girls and participation isn’t based on location, however each participant may only compete in one local competition. Violation of this rule will result in disqualification.

All participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate and fill out a registration/waiver form prior to the start of the competition. For questions concerning the competition, please contact local administrator, Doug Gibson, General Manager of the Martinsville Mustangs at (276) 632-9913 or mustangsgm28@aol.com. Gibson will be assisted at the Competition by members of the Patrick Henry Community College Baseball team and staff.

“We are very excited to be chosen to host the MLB sponsored competition for our area youth,” said local administrator Doug Gibson. “This is an excellent opportunity for young boys and girls to showcase their baseball talent on the local level and the winners will have a chance to advance to sectional competition and beyond in hopes of earning a trip to a Major League stadium or the finals at Yankee Stadium in New York for the All Star Game,” added Gibson.

Every Thursday Home Game is Budweiser/Coors Light Thirsty Thursday @ Hooker Field
$1.00 Draft Specials All Night Long!!