Bombers ownership on Prospect League upgrade: ’It’s a big deal’
The prodigal club returns…to the Prospect League.
After more than a decade of summer collegiate baseball in the Ohio Valley League, the Dubois County Bombers are leapfrogging into an esteemed arena of action.
The Bombers’ previous bid in the Prospect League capped in 2012.
This kind of talent is what owner and team president Justin Knepp is envisioning landing with the team’s “significant investment” of moving into the Prospect League.
In the league release from Sept. 20, announcing the Bombers joining the ranks, it was noted that 800 players went pro since its inception in 1963. According to the league website, 175 have become Major Leaguers.
Dylan Dodd, Austin Nola, Mike Brosseau, JT Brubaker, Nick Maton and David Bednar, the list of MLB sluggers and hurlers on recent Opening Day rosters from this developmental league is lengthy.
It even includes former Bomber and Prospect League Hall of Fame pitcher, Sean Manaea. The lefty was twirling masterpieces inside of League Stadium two summers before the club dropped out of the league. The former Indiana State competitor went on to be the No. 34 pick by the Kansas City Royals. He’s been a Big League fixture. Seven years ago, he no-hit the Boston Red Sox and is currently taking the mound for the New York Mets.
Knepp envisions stocking his ball club with players of this ilk in years to come.
“It is going to allow us to put the best possible talent on the field for our fans and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
The current regime of owners, Knepp, Ara Knepp and Barton Lewis, approach a decisive Year two.
“Simply put, three words — it’s a big deal,” Justin said. “The Prospect is nationally known, nationally followed.”
The Bombers will christen a revamped League Stadium on Tuesday, May 28, against the Terre Haute Rex at 6:30 p.m.
“They are a great organization, first and foremost, usually have some really great players and being so close we are thinking this could blossom into a nice little rivalry, which would be fun for the fans,” Knepp said.
The Rex are just more than 100 miles away and a two-hour drive.
“It’s the first game of the season, it’s like walking under uncharted waters,” Rex owner Bruce Rosselli said of the lack of rapport for new teammates from the jump.
The Rex went 23-33 to finish in the bottom of the Wabash River Division of four teams.
This year’s five-team Central group will be made up of the Rex, Bombers, Normal CornBelters, Danville Dans — the reigning division champs and Full Count Rhythm.
The Bombers will be a part of an 18-team league — formerly 11 squads in 2012.
“Dubois County is going to be the smallest market by a long shot, in this league,” Knepp said. “I’m embracing it. I think it gives us a little bit of an underdog mentality. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
All games are slated to be accessible for streaming on prospectleague.com. Pricing for the season for the entire league, team only and day pass range from $7.99 to $125.
“The biggest difference is stadiums are bigger and the players are better and the national appeal is higher,” Justin said.
The Bombers squad is spruced up with homegrown prospects. See full roster here.
Mick Uebelhor is overfamiliar with the League Stadium grounds — it’s where he pitched for home games with Southridge (2023 graduate). The son of the former Bombers owners is coming off a sterling year at Oakland City.
In his first year with Oakland City University, he had a 2.05 ERA, a 4-1 mark in 14 appearances and seven starts, 44 innings, 25 hits, 10 earned runs, 17 walks and 61 fanned batters.
Clayton Weisheit, who graduated from Forest Park last year, worked the mound at Southern Indiana University with a 4.05 ERA, made a start, logged 40 innings and produced 28 strikeouts.
Last summer, ahead of his freshman year, he pitched briefly for the Rex in an abrupt call-up when their arms were dwindling.
Uebelhor and Weisheit will likely be throwing to another Dubois County native. Drew Bradley, a Jasper alumnus — one of four catchers on the roster.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Bomber is coming off a freshman campaign at Rend Lake College, where he batted .247, was plated 24 times, drove in 13 runs, hit a pair of homers, swiped two bases and had 126 plate appearances.
He earned a .971 fielding clip on 93 putouts and six assists in 102 attempts.
The team is laden with Division I talent and one intriguing narrative that will shine a national spotlight on the Bombers.
Olivia Pirchardo has been turning heads nationwide as a pioneer for women in baseball. Two years ago, she was recruited as a walk-on at Brown University.
In her freshman year, the Queens, N.Y., native became the first woman to register an at-bat on March 17, 2023, against Bryant.
This year, Pirchardo, who has played for the United States women’s baseball team and threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, recorded a run after being hit by a pitch in a 17-8 loss to Princeton University, April 6.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch her play,” Knepp said.
“For anyone who says this is some type of [publicity] stunt, that’s not the case, she can absolutely play,” Knepp added. “She is doing a lot for women in baseball.”
On the spectacle side, the organization has continued to do more than just touch up the stadium since Day 1 of this era.
“The stadium looks amazing, we’ve made some significant changes to the stadium,” Knepp said. “This brand new social area in the concessions area is going to look very different.”
There are railings and high-top tables for indulging in alcoholic beverages. He described it as festive, where a fan can still take in the action from the spot.
Another addition is Flyboys & Whiskeys, a brand new liquor bar at League Stadium, which will make its debut at the start of the 2024 season and will feature a small but well-curated menu of thoughtful liquors and cocktails.
And, Oink Inc Smokehouse & Southern Kitchen is the freshly minted concessions partner.
“We had such a successful season last season off the field with the things we did and some of the unique things we were doing,” Knepp said. “We caught the attention of a lot of people, including the Prospect League.”
