Klamath Falls Gems (collegiate wood bat baseball)
The Klamath Falls Gems were a collegiate wood bat baseball team based in Klamath Falls, Oregon. They began as an expansion team in the West Coast League in 2011 and played their home games at Kiger Stadium, which is also the home of the Oregon Tech Owls. They were named after the former Class-D Far West League affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies that played from 1948 to 1951. They previously played in the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League from 2016 to 2017 and were members of the Great West League, having joined that league in October 2017 and played during the 2018 season.[1] They were without a league as the GWL suspended operations on October 4, 2018, and have eventually ceased operations themselves without notice. The owner Joe O'Connor was being given until December 31, 2018, to renew the lease or the team will be considered defunct.[2][needs update] There was no response and the franchise was officially considered defunct.
| Klamath Falls Gems | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Location | Klamath Falls, Oregon |
| Ballpark | Kiger Stadium |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Folded | 2018 |
| League championships | 0 |
| Division championships | 0 |
| Former name(s) |
|
| Former league(s) |
|
| Colors | Black, Dark Green, Old Gold and White |
| Mascot | Tater |
| Ownership | Joe O'Connor |
| Manager | Nick Gauna (head coach) |
| Media | KLAD-AM (radio, internet) Herald and News (newspaper) |
| Website | http://www.kfallsgems.com |
History edit
The Gems were founded in 2011 by a group of local sports personalities including longtime Oregon Tech Owls men's basketball coach and athletic director Danny Miles, Howard Morris, Don Gresdel and Eric Baker. [3] They named Chuck Heeman as the team's inaugural general manager. [4] They were named for the original Klamath Falls Gems that played in the original Far West League from 1948 to 1951. [5]
Front office staff edit
- Joe O'Connor - Owner
- Nick Winstead - Assistant General Manager
- DJ Harryman - Marketing Intern
Broadcasting edit
All games, home and away, were broadcast live on KLAD-AM 960 & FM 99.3 ESPN Radio and streamed live at the station's website.
Year-by-year records edit
West Coast League edit
| Year | League | Affiliation | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | West Coast League | none | 19-35 | 4th, West | N/A | missed playoffs |
| 2012 | West Coast League | none | 26-28 | 4th, West | N/A | missed playoffs |
| 2013 | West Coast League | none | 25-29 | 3rd, South | Mitch Karraker | missed playoffs |
| 2014 | West Coast League | none | 15-39 | 5th, South | Mitch Karraker | missed playoffs |
| 2015 | West Coast League | none | 15-41 | 5th, West | N/A | missed playoffs |
Golden State Collegiate Baseball League edit
| Year | League | Affiliation | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Golden State Collegiate Baseball League | none | 17-27 | 5th | N/A | missed playoffs |
| 2017 | Golden State Collegiate Baseball League | none | 24-20 | 5th | Daulton Hanks | missed playoffs |
Great West League edit
| Year | League | Affiliation | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Great West League | none | 20-34 | 5th | Nick Gauna | missed playoffs |
References edit
- ^ GWL WELCOMES KLAMATH FALLS GEMS, GWL website, October 17, 2017
- ^ Will the Gems play in Klamath Falls again?, Brian Schnee, KTVL.com, December 14, 2018
- ^ Local Ownership of the Klamath Falls Gems, Gems website at Wayback Machine, Retrieved September 3, 2021
- ^ Front Office, Gems website at Wayback Machine, Retrieved September 3, 2021
- ^ History, Gems website at Wayback Machine, Retrieved September 3, 2021
External links edit
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