(Mankato, MN)–On Wednesday, January 25 the MoonDogs received word that Ryan Hedwall, an intern for the 2005 season, had accepted a position as the head athletic trainer for the Elizabethton Twins, the rookie league affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. This was the third such call the MoonDogs had received since the end of the 2005 season, as two other former interns had continued their careers in professional sports. Both Justin Ramquist and Susan Engel also accepted positions in professional baseball.
Hedwall is finishing graduate school at MSU this year where he is obtaining his master’s degree in Sports Administration while also serving as a trainer for MSU. He said he was elated at the opportunity to join a major league franchise.
Having already spent one other summer in minor league baseball where he worked as part of the medical staff at the Epicenter, which is the home of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Hedwall knew this was a great opportunity for him to begin his career as an athletic trainer.
"I can’t wait to get down there and start,” Hedwall said. "It was a surreal experience for me. This is something that I have always wanted to do and then to have an opportunity to start at this level is exciting. I also had an offer from another franchise, but I think working with the Twins will be a better fit.”
Ramquist, who served as the media relations intern in 2005, accepted a position in minor league baseball working with the Frisco RoughRiders, the class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers in October. As a Group Sales Coordinator working in Dr. Pepper/Seven Up stadium in Frisco Texas, which was voted best new ballpark in 2003, Ramquist is relishing in the opportunity to see how the front office of another franchise works.
"There isn’t even a word that could describe how valuable my internship with the Mankato MoonDogs was in preparing me for a career in sports. It’s not everyday the opportunity comes up to learn from a front office as successful and dedicated as the MoonDogs. Not only did I come out of the internship with a great job (that Joe, Kyle and Mike all went out of there way to help me obtain) but I also came out with some great friends and connections throughout the sports world,” Ramquist said.
Engel, another intern from the 2005 staff, continued her career in professional sports when she joined the Minnesota Twins organization in November as an inside sales representative. Prior to joining the MoonDogs she had previously worked with the Minnesota Timberwolves/Lynx in the summer of 2004, and used that experience along with her summer in Mankato to further her career.
"After working in basketball and then spending a summer in baseball, it was an easy decision for me to know that staying in baseball is what I wanted to do. I think my experience with the MoonDogs really solidified that for me,” Engel said
Other former MoonDogs interns have also continued on in the sports world. 2004 interns Jeremy Sullivan and Ben Nelson are now working with the Minnesota Timberwolves and at the Blaine Sports Complex, respectively.
The MoonDogs are currently accepting résumé’s for available intern positions for the 2006 season. Please send all pertinent information to kyle@mankatomoondogs.com or call the MoonDogs Ticket office at 507-625-7047 with any other questions.
Mankato MoonDogs– Baseball Unleashed!