SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Frontier League Manager of the Year Jamie Bennett and the 2013 Organization of the Year Schaumburg Boomers announced the signings of the first two players for the 2014 season with the return of INF Jordan Dean and the addition of fellow infielder Ryan Normoyle.

Dean, 23, returns to the Boomers after coming to Schaumburg as a key mid-season pickup during the title run. The Boomers went 34-16 in games Dean started in 2013 as the 5-foot-9 infielder earned a .275/.344/.325 stat line as the primary second baseman. The Michigan native collected a pair of game-winning hits in the regular season with a 2-run single to knock off Gateway on July 27 and an RBI walk-off single to defeat Rockford on August 15. In the playoffs, Dean batted .296 (8 for 27) with a double, a triple and four runs batted in.

Normoyle, 23, led the Roswell Invaders to the Pecos League Championship in 2013 during his first season as a pro after a stellar collegiate career at Division III Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Normoyle posted a .372/.440/.596 line for Roswell and finished tied for third in the league with 103 hits. At Washington College, Normoyle set numerous school records while pacing the Shoremen to a Centennial Conference Championship for the first time in school history in 2012.

Dean and Normoyle are the first two players under contract for Bennett’s 2014 edition of the Boomers. Up to 34 players will be on the roster when Spring Training begins at Boomers Stadium in late April as Schaumburg looks to defend its 2013 Championship in the 14-team Frontier League, the longest tenured Independent professional baseball league in the country.

Holiday and Season Ticket Packages are available now from the local leaders in fun and affordable family entertainment complete with affordable prices, free parking and the only source for Championship Baseball in the Chicagoland area! For more information about the Schaumburg Boomers, log on to www.boomersbaseball.com or give us a call at 847.461.3695 today.

FULL PLAYER BIOS

INF Jordan Dean

Dean, 23, returns to the Boomers after coming to Schaumburg as a key mid-season pickup during the title run. The Boomers went 34-16 in games Dean started in 2013 as the 5-foot-9 infielder earned a .275/.344/.325 stat line as the primary second baseman. The Michigan native collected a pair of game-winning hits in the regular season with a 2-run single to knock off Gateway on July 27 and an RBI walk-off single to defeat Rockford on August 15. In the playoffs, Dean batted .296 (8 for 27) with a double, a triple and four runs batted in.

Dean spent the beginning of 2013 primarily as a middle infielder with two teams in the Tigers organization, tallying a .250 batting average with a pair of doubles and two RBI in just seven games in 2013. During his first year of professional baseball, the 5’9” right-hander knocked in 15 RBI for the Connecticut Tigers, stealing 11 bases and hitting a trio of doubles and triples en route to a .200 batting average.

Hailing from Central Michigan University, Dean was one of the top hitters in the country as a senior, posting 96 hits in his final year with the Chippewas, good enough for a .487 batting average and the second best single-season mark in school history. Dean started all 120 games during his final two years at CMU, ending his college career as a .424 batter.

INF Ryan Normoyle

Normoyle, 23, joins Schaumburg after an outstanding season with the Roswell Invaders of the independent Pecos League where he posted a .372/.440/.596 line in 64 games and added 17 doubles, 13 home runs and 77 runs batted in. The 6-foot-2 infielder led the way to the Pecos League Championship in 2013 finishing tied for third in the league with 103 hits and fifth in runs batted in with 77.

A three-time All-Centennial Conference Selection at Division III Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, Normolye capped off a stellar senior season in 2012 as the Conference’s player of the year and earned a spot on the D3Baseball.com All-Mid-Atlantic Region Third Team. The Mount Laurel, N.J., native boasted a .403/.471/.651 line in 40 games while also leading the Shoremen to the Centennial Conference Championship for the first time in school history in 2012.

The middle infielder broke the single-season school records for runs (46), hits (60), total bases (97), stolen bases (40), and tied the single-season school records for triples (six) and at bats (149). He led the Centennial Conference in triples, total bases, and stolen bases in 2012 while also leading the team in hitting (.403), runs, doubles (16), home runs (3), slugging (.651), and on-base percentage (.471) and tying for the team lead in RBI (38).

Prior to his record-breaking senior season, Normoyle played for the Elmira Pioneers in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, a wood-bat summer league featuring mostly Division I players. The 6-foot-2 shortstop hit .379 to share their league's batting crown, was named a starter for the West Division in the league's All-Star Game, and earned first-team All-League honors.