Rex anticipating returning to competition
May 13—Rex Baseball begins its 11th season in the Prospect League in two weeks, and both the Rex and the league itself are excited about resuming play after last summer's lost season.
Not only has the league survived without playing in 2020, it has expanded, with 16 teams in seven states now under its banner.
And fan response in the Wabash Valley has been good, Rex general manager Bruce Rosselli said earlier this week, with most of the 2019 season ticket holders already re-upped.
"A lot of the people we've talked to can't wait for baseball, and can't wait just to get out," Rosselli said. "They're starting to feel more comfortable [being out in public], especially if they've been vaccinated."
The local team is no longer officially the Terre Haute Rex, by the way. Rosselli explained that a rebranding of the franchise to "Rex baseball, Wabash Valley's own" has been made to keep some of its supporters and sponsors happier. "There are half a million people in a 40- to 50-mile radius [of Terre Haute]," he pointed out.
The Rex roster has not been finalized because of the uncertainty of upcoming college tournament play.
"We're looking for arms," Rosselli said. "We leave some spots open [for players who might become available], and some players are not available right off the bat."
The roster will include four Indiana State players — outfielders Tyler Nelson and Will Goebel, pitcher Joey Hurth and catcher Kyle Harbison — plus five Valley high school graduates. Brayton Reed (Olney Central) and Benji Downs (Butler) are Terre Haute South graduates, Kaleb Hannahs (Valparaiso) is a West Vigo graduate and Alex Reinoehl (Franklin) played for Northview's 2018 state champions. And with 2021 college graduates eligible for the Prospect League this year, Indiana lefthander Braden Scott (Shakamak) will also join the Rex.
Manager A.J. Reed (South) and coach Jacob Harden (Northview) are also locals, of course.
"We've been fortunate to have local guys who have played and been drafted or played in the majors [Brian Dorsett, Tyler Wampler, A.J. Reed to serve as managers]," Rosselli said.
The Rex compete in the East's Wabash River Division along with the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp (based in Peru, Ill.), the Lafayette Aviators and their traditional rival, the Danville Dans. The Rex and the Dans meet 14 times this summer, including six consecutive days in July.
The other division in the East is the Ohio River Valley Division which includes the Johnstown Mill Rats, the West Virginia Miners, the Chillicothe Paints and the Champion City Kings. The expanded lineup of teams, incidentally, means every team won't play every other one, and Rosselli didn't sound disappointed that his team will avoid six-hour trips to Beckley to play the Miners.
West teams compete in the Great River Division (Clinton LumberKings, Burlington Bees, Quincy Gems and Normal Cornbelters) and the Prairie Land Division (Cape Catfish, Springfield Sliders, O'Fallon Hoots and Alton River Dragons). Clinton and Burlington were among the minor league teams cut loose by Major League Baseball, although they won't appear on the Rex schedule this season either.
Opening day is May 27 at O'Fallon, with a game at Alton the following day. Then comes the first trip to Danville on May 29 prior to the home opener May 30 against Illinois Valley.
All Rex games will be available on radio at WMMC-FM 105.9 this summer, with Jerry Arnold back for the play-by-play he also does for the league's webstreaming service, Rosselli said.
Increased social media presence is also planned, he added, and the team has an arrangement with DoorDash to deliver the team's concession offerings to fans who aren't able to attend the games in person.
No limits are planned for spectators, Rosselli added. "We'll follow normal Indiana guidelines," he said. "There's plenty of space to seat people away from each other if they want." A new league sponsor, Clear Gear, will be used to sanitize surfaces (and will be given away in some of the in-game promotions).
"We're happy we're gonna have baseball again," Rosselli concluded.
