Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks, members of the Northwoods League, have announced the hiring of Pat Casey as a coach for the 2013 season.  Casey returns to Waterloo for his second year after acting as a coach for the team last season.

 

Casey spent five years as a coach at the University of St. Thomas from 2008-2012.  During that span, the Tommies posted a 179-59 record including an 83-15 mark in conference play. In the fall of 2012, Casey was selected by the Minnesota Twins to attend the Major League Baseball Scouting and Development School in Phoenix, Arizona.  Upon graduating from Scout School, Casey will be working as a pro scout in the Midwest for the Twins in 2013.

 

"The Waterloo Bucks are unquestionably the best organization to work for in the Northwoods League,” said Casey. “The tremendous facilities, organizational staff, and mostly the Buck fans made it all the more easier for me to jump at the opportunity to return to Waterloo for the 2013 season.  The Bucks have a greatly passionate fan base and the city of Waterloo is one of the best baseball towns in the Midwest.  I look forward to building on our success from last season and attaining our goal of bringing a Northwoods League Championship back to the City of Waterloo for our fans!  I want to thank Manager Travis Kiewiet and General Manager Dan Corbin for the opportunity to return to the Waterloo Bucks for the 2013 season."

 

Casey was a three-year letter winner as a catcher at the University of North Dakota, playing there from 2005-2007. He played three different positions for the Sioux and posted a .995 career fielding percentage, having played catcher, second base and outfield. Casey graduated from St. Thomas with a bachelor’s degree in English, Literature Arts with an emphasis in writing.

 

Born April 19, 1985, Casey comes from a baseball family. His grandfather, the late Bob Casey, was the Hall of Fame public address announcer of the Minnesota Twins from 1961-2005.  His father, Mike, lettered for the Tommies in baseball from 1972-1975 and was a part of the 1972 MIAC Conference Championship team while also serving as a professional scout for the Twins from 1980-1987.

 

“Having Pat return for a second year to Waterloo gives me a great sense of excitement,” said Kiewiet. “In the Northwoods League, any time an organization has an individual, whether it is a player, coach, or front office personnel, return for another year is huge because the experience from the previous season can be directly applied to the upcoming season and Pat did a tremendous job working with the players in 2012.  His knowledge of the game and desire to make each player reach their potential goes without question.  at will definitely be a difference maker for us in terms of coaching and I’m happy that he will be part of our run for the Northwoods League title in 2013.”

The Bucks will open the 2013 season at home versus the St. Cloud Rox on May 29. Season tickets, group outings, and single-game tickets are currently on sale. For more information, call the Bucks’ Ticket Line at 319/232-5633. Fans are encouraged to stay in touch with the Bucks in the off-season by utilizing their website at www.waterloobucks.com.