SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Three more pieces of the championship puzzle fit together with the Schaumburg Boomers in 2014 as the Frontier League Organization of the Year announced today that 1B Brian McConkey agreed to terms on a new contract and pitchers Preston Hatcher and Matt LaMothe have elected to play out the option on each of their respective contracts.

McConkey, 25, was a fixture in the heart of the order during the 2013 season and posted a .246/.323/.380 stat line in his first season in Schaumburg. McConkey added 22 doubles, six homers and 46 RBI in 90 games for the Boomers in the regular season and it was in the post-season where the first baseman did a ton of damage at the plate including a number of memorable moments. The lefty batted .318/.400/.500 during the six-game sweep through the playoffs and accumulated a double, a homer and six runs batted in.

In the deciding game of the Semifinal Series against the Florence Freedom, McConkey not only kicked off a rally to erase a three-run deficit in the ninth with a two-run homer, but he also smacked a base-hit an inning later to knock in the winning run and send the Boomers to the Championship Series. In Game One against the Lake Erie Crushers, it was McConkey’s two out RBI-single in the eighth that gave Schaumburg a 6-5 victory.

Hatcher, 22, joined the Boomers in mid-June and immediately added another reliable arm out of the bullpen for Frontier League Manager of the Year Jamie Bennett and the Boomers. Hatcher went 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings for Schaumburg. The right-hander allowed just 22 hits and racked up 22 strikeouts in 2013 in his first professional season.

LaMothe, 24, comes back to the Boomers after signing with the squad on August 15, 2013. The right-hander appeared in just six games with Schaumburg but provided valuable innings during his rookie campaign. LaMothe went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in 14 innings pitched for the Boomers while also racking up eight strikeouts in one start and five relief appearances.

With McConkey, Hatcher and LaMothe officially added to the 2014 roster, Schaumburg has nine players officially signed to contracts for the upcoming season. The latest additions join pitchers Dexter Price and James Bierlein, infielders Jordan Dean and Ryan Normoyle as well as outfielders Justin Vasquez and Bobby Martin on what will be a maximum 34-man roster when Spring Training begins in late April at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg.

Boomers Holiday Packs featuring tickets to ANY 2014 Boomers game are the perfect gift for this Holiday Season and are available now! Complete with the most affordable prices, free parking and the only source for Championship Baseball in the Chicagoland area, the Schaumburg Boomers are the ultimate summer family destination. For more information, log on to www.boomersbaseball.com or give us a call at 847.461.3695 today!

COMPLETE PLAYER BIOS 

IF Brian McConkey

McConkey, 25, was a fixture in the heart of the order during the 2013 season and posted a .246/.323/.380 stat line in his first season in Schaumburg. McConkey added 22 doubles, six homers and 46 RBI in 90 games for the Boomers in the regular season and it was in the post-season where the first baseman did a ton of damage at the plate including a number of memorable moments. The lefty batted .318/.400/.500 during the six-game sweep through the playoffs and accumulated a double, a homer and six runs batted in.

In the deciding game of the Semifinal Series against the Florence Freedom, McConkey not only kicked off a rally to erase a three-run deficit in the ninth with a two-run homer, but he also smacked a base-hit an inning later to knock in the winning run and send the Boomers to the Championship Series. In Game One against the Lake Erie Crushers, it was McConkey’s two out RBI-single in the eighth that gave Schaumburg a 6-5 victory.

The 6-foot-3 slugger signed with the Miami Marlins as a free agent in 2010 and exploded for an immensely successful season for Miami’s Rookie League affiliate in the Gulf Coast League. The 6-foot-3 infielder, who played primarily first base during his pro career, batted .304 with 14 doubles, and 30 runs batted in to go along with his stellar .390 on base percentage in 2010.

McConkey completed his college career at the University of California at Riverside. In two years as a member of the Highlanders baseball team, the Santa Maria native appeared in 95 games and amassed 45 RBI and 95 hits including 20 doubles, 6 triples and 2 home runs. McConkey earned a .277 batting average at UC-Riverside and reached base on 57 free passes against 54 strikeouts.

Prior to joining UC-Riverside, the left-handed batter played for two years at Cuesta Junior College where he was named a First-Team All-Conference selection in 2008 as a sophomore.

McConkey was a four-year letter winner in baseball, three-year letter winner in basketball, and a two-year letter winner in football at St. Joseph High School. In high school, McConkey also earned Los Padres First Team in baseball in both 2005 and 2006.

RHP Preston Hatcher

Hatcher, 22, joined the Boomers in mid-June and immediately added another reliable arm out of the bullpen for Frontier League Manager of the Year Jamie Bennett and the Boomers. Hatcher went 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings for Schaumburg. The right-hander allowed just 22 hits and racked up 22 strikeouts in 2013 in his first professional season.

An alum of Western Carolina University and a Southern Conference First-Team All-American, Hatcher made appearances on the hill as a starter and a reliever in his time with the Catamounts. Hatcher racked up 129 strikeouts in his four years with Western Carolina, going 15-9 with a 4.63 ERA and 24 saves. The right-hander’s best campaign came during the 2011-12 season, when Hatcher earned a 1.73 ERA en route to a 6-2 record with 10 saves. That effort put the Atlanta native on the map, as he was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award watch list.

RHP Matt LaMothe

LaMothe, 24, comes back to the Boomers after signing with the squad on August 15, 2013. The right-hander appeared in just six games with Schaumburg but provided valuable innings during his rookie campaign. LaMothe went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in 14 innings pitched for the Boomers while also racking up eight strikeouts in one start and five relief appearances.

The 6-foot-1 slinger finished his collegiate career with the Georgia College Bobcats, where he spent two seasons striking out batters in an impressive career. During LaMothe’s senior campaign, he racked up 100 punchouts en route to a 9-4 record and 4.23 ERA in 117 innings. That mark followed up a junior season in which he went 4-1 with a 2.65 earned run average and 38 strikeouts in just 34 frames.

Before attending Georgia College, LaMothe pitched two seasons for Oakland University, where he totaled 107 K’s against 75 walks as a freshman and sophomore.