SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The Schaumburg Boomers return three more key components of a successful 2012 squad in catcher Mike Valadez, OF Sean Mahley and catcher Ty Nelson, Manager Jamie Bennett announced today.

“Having Mike back behind the plate will be great for our club,” Bennett said. “He is one of the best defensive catchers I have seen and his leadership in the clubhouse and with our pitching staff is very important to the success of the Boomers.” Valadez was behind the plate 75% of the time (72 games out of 96 total) and led all Frontier League catchers in assists with 69 in 2012. The strong-armed catcher also cut down an impressive 36.2% (25 out of 69) of would be base-stealers. At the plate, the Boomers backstop posted a solid .254 average to go along with 11 doubles and 29 runs scored.

The Boomers selected the versatile outfielder Mahley in the second round of the 2012 Frontier League Draft. “We were very fortunate to get Sean in last year’s draft” said Bennett. “He is a very mature player and should be a major contributor both at the plate and in the outfield. I look forward to having him back and watching him grow as a player.” One of ten Boomers representatives on the Frontier League All-Star team, Mahley finished with a .246 batting average in 82 games during the Boomers Inaugural Season with 11 doubles, three triples and three home runs.

“We are extremely happy to have Ty back with us as he serves a very important role for this club.” Bennett said of Nelson. The first-year player in 2012 appeared in 41 games in a Schaumburg uniform and filled in nicely as the club’s number two catcher. The Knoxville, Tennessee native earned a .232 batting average adding 13 runs scored, 11 runs batted in and 16 walks. “It takes the right person to do what Ty does and his commitment to this team is very important to me,” Bennett added.

With the additions of Valadez, Mahley and Nelson, the Schaumburg Boomers officially have eight players signed to 2013 contracts as the three latest additions join infielders Gerard Hall, Steve McQuail and Frank Pfister; and pitchers Cody Griebling and Joe Parsons on the Schaumburg roster. The Boomers will begin Spring Training on Thursday, May 2 with a roster of up to 34 players who will be vying for a spot on the 24-man final roster when Schaumburg opens the 2013 season at beautiful Boomers Stadium against the Windy City ThunderBolts on Thursday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Season Tickets, ticket packages we call Boomer Bundles and great Group Discounts for parties of any size and budget are available now by calling 847.461.3695. For more information, log on to www.boomersbaseball.com.
 

MIKE VALADEZ - C

Valadez, 26, enters his second season with the Boomers after spending 2010-11 with Boomers owners Pat and Lindy Salvi’s other minor league baseball club, the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association.

In 2012, Valadez was a mainstay behind the plate catching 75% of the games (72 out of 96) for Manager Jamie Bennett. Valadez led the Frontier League catchers in assists with 69, 25 of which came from cutting down would-be base stealers. The Boomers backstop threw out an impressive 36.2% (25 out of 69) of runners attempting to steal against him during his first season as a member of the Boomers. At the plate, Valadez bounced back from a tough year with the RailCats to post a solid .254 batting average with 65 hits in 256 at-bats. The 6-1 catcher also tallied 29 runs scored and collected 11 doubles, a homer and 28 runs batted in.

Valadez joined the independent ranks in 2010 after signing with the Tucson Toros of the Golden League and joined the RailCats after a midseason trade. Valadez got off to a slow start with the RailCats but found his rhythm during a red-hot month of August, which saw him post a sparkling .341 batting average in 16 games. Valadez was even more efficient in games at U. S. Steel Yard in 2010 batting .400 in 12 games with an outstanding .471 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. Valadez struggled at the plate in 2011 but still appeared in 93 games, which demonstrated his value as a defender as he helped the club earn a 67-52 overall record in games that he participated.

Originally selected in the 26th Round of the 2007 Major League Entry Draft by the Cleveland Indians, Valadez was the first member of the Boomers to have been previously drafted by a Major League Baseball organization. Valadez hit .240 in 27 games for the Indians New York-Penn League affiliate in 2007, and split time between Mahoning Valley and Lake County (South Atlantic League) from 2007-09.  Valadez put up the best power numbers of his career in 2009, cracking four home runs and piling up 24 RBI in 52 games at Lake County (A).

In three seasons with the Indians organization, the highly skilled defensive catcher brought with him a right arm that cut down more than a third of the runners trying to steal against him in three affiliated seasons and he threw out 54-of-135 (40.0%) runners from 2008-09.

Valadez attended NAIA Lee (Tenn.) University where he helped the Flames to the NAIA World Series as a senior. Valadez makes his offseason home in Los Angeles, Calif.

SEAN MAHLEY - OF

Mahley, 24, returns for his second season in Schaumburg after a solid rookie campaign as a regular in the outfield for Manager Jamie Bennett in 2012. The Cambridge, Ohio native posted a .246 batting average in 82 games during the Boomers Inaugural Season with 11 doubles, three triples and three home runs. Mahley was a tough out in the lineup drawing the same number of walks as strikeouts with 39. A strong defender who covered a lot of ground in the outfield, Mahley was one of 10 Boomers representatives at the 2012 Frontier League All-Star Game and owns the first pinch-hit in Boomers history.

As a rookie with the Boomers in 2012, Mahley posted solid numbers in college at the University of the Cumberlands, an NAIA school, where he improved each season. Mahley led Cumberlands with a .378 batting average as a senior, stealing 14 bases while drawing 25 walks and striking out only nine times in 45 games. 

After transferring from Marietta College, the left-handed hitter was named to the All-Mid-South Conference Team three times. Mahley batted .331 as a sophomore with 14 doubles, three triples, seven homers, 48 RBIs, and 17 stolen bases. The numbers only improved for Mahley during his junior season as he batted .347 with 13 doubles, four triples, seven homers, and 24 steals. 

TY NELSON - C

Nelson, 24, re-signed with the Boomers on January 25 and will once again be counted upon behind the plate in 2013. As a first-year player, Nelson appeared in 41 games in a Schaumburg uniform and filled in nicely as the club’s number two catcher. The Knoxville, Tennessee native earned a .232 batting average adding 13 runs scored, 11 runs batted in and 16 walks. 

Nelson arrived in Schaumburg as a rookie following a pair of solid seasons at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Nelson batted .345 as a junior in 2009. Nelson improved for his senior campaign, ranking among the national leaders with a .395 batting average, earning Second Team All-Conference honors in the Ohio Valley Conference. Nelson led the team in average while also posting 20 doubles, four triples, and 19 stolen bases to go with eight homers and 45 RBIs.