Waterloo, IA – The Waterloo Bucks have announced that Tony Manville will return for his second year as the team’s pitching coach. Manville
joins field manager Travis Kiewiet and coaches Pat Casey and Brandon Hunt on Waterloo’s coaching staff for the 2014 season, the 20th year of Bucks baseball.
Manville, who is currently in his second season as the pitching coach at Robert Morris University in Chicago, Illinois, oversaw Waterloo’s pitching staff last year during the team’s Northwoods League playoff run. Under Manville’s tutelage, the Bucks finished with a 3.59 ERA, the best in the North Division. The staff’s 571 strikeouts were the most in the NWL.
"I could not be more excited to return to Waterloo this summer,” said Manville. “I believe we have the right guys to have another tremendous year. The Bucks are a class act organization and I am ecstatic to have the opportunity to return and build on what we started last summer."
As an athlete, Manville was a pitcher at both the University of Iowa and Northern Illinois University. Born March 29, 1989, Manville played for the Hawkeyes from 2008-2009 before transferring to NIU before the 2010 season. For the Huskies, Manville was an All-Mid-American Conference second team honoree in 2011 and was named to the 2012 All-MAC Pre-Season second team.
During his collegiate career, Manville played summer ball with the NWL’s Mankato MoonDogs in 2009. With Mankato, Manville went 2-2 with a 3.95 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 20 appearances.
“Managing a pitching staff in the Northwoods League is unlike any experience that many college coaches have had,” said Kiewiet. “The college season normally has three weekend starters and a pieced together staff for midweek games. In the Northwoods League, playing 72 games in 76 days, to say that being a pitching coach is stressful would be an understatement. Tony did an outstanding job with our pitching staff last year and was able to keep the staff energized for the grind the season brought. His knowledge of pitching as well as having played in the league showed throughout the season. The respect and rapport that Tony developed with our players was also a major contributor to the success that we had last summer. Having Tony back for another year is huge for our coaching staff and the Bucks organization.”
A native of New Lenox, Illinois, Manville attended Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago. There, Manville was a two-time first team All-Conference honoree, finishing with a 27-8 career record with eight saves.
The Bucks will open the 2014 season on the road versus the Rochester Honkers on May 27, but return to Waterloo for their home opener versus Rochester on May 28. Season tickets and group outings 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.
The Waterloo Bucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.waterloobucks.com.
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