The Daily Oklahoman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma • 24

THEOKLAHOMAN NEWS0K.COM 2C I TUESDAY, JUNE 14, 2005 Bob Hersom Tuning Page 2 bhersomoklahoman Contact Bob Hersom at (405) 475-3313 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 6 p.m. St. Louis at Toronto Cox 7 KREF-AM 1400 FSNSW (Cox 37) WGN (Cox 72) On watch National, future prospects and attendance 7 p.m. WKY-AM 930 National prospect watch Future RedHawk watch MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL 7 p.m. Omaha at Oklahoma BOXING 9 p.m.

N. Campbell vs. F. Lorenzo RedHawks crowd watch The RedHawks are seventh among the 30 Triple-A teams in season attendance. Through 27 home dates: Lexington Legends lefthander Troy Patton, 19, has not allowed a run in his last five starts, over 30 innings.

Overall, the Houston Astros prospect is 4-0 with a South Atlantic League-best 0.98 ERA. Today in Oklahoma Six players from Texas' Double-A team at Frisco were picked for the Texas League All-Star Game: designated hitter Jason Hart, second baseman Drew Meyer, third baseman Seth Taylor, center fielder Ruddy Yan and pitchers Josh Rupe and Wilfredo Rodriguez. Rupe is with the RedHawks now and Rodriguez is expected to join the team Wednesday. Year Total Average 2005 188,233 6,972 2004 152,190 5,637 2003 129,035 4,779 2002 157,230 5,823 2001 156,216 5,786 2000 167,171 6,192 1999 176,650 6,543 1998 191,785 7,103 MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Tulsa at Wichita, 7 p.m.; Omaha at Oklahoma, 7:05 p.m. BY MICHAEL DOWNES, THE OKLAHOMAN Former RedHawk Jason Hart was one of several Frisco players selected for the Texas League All-Star game.

Next three Coming up for area sports of interest Oklahoma Sooners (800) 456-4668 11 a.m. Sept. 3 11:30 a.m. Sept. 10 2:30 p.m.

Sept. 17 FB: TCU FB: Tulsa FB: at UCLA KOCO-5 (Cox 8) Oklahoma State Cowboys (877) 255-4678 David Purcey: Successful beginning On the fast track Ex-Sooner stars in Blue Jays' system Yard Dawgz (800) 511-1552 7 p.m. Saturday 7:30 p.m. June 24 3 p.m. July 10 at Bossier City vs.

Memphis at Amarillo KEBC-AM 1340 KEBC-AM 1340 KEBC-AM 1340 Oklahoma RedHawks (405) 218-1000 7:05 tonight 7:05 p.m. Wednesday 7:05 p.m. Thursday vs. Omaha vs. Omaha vs.

Omaha WKY-AM 930 WKY-AM 930 WKY-AM 930 Did you know? RedHawks statistics David Purcey has firm footing on the mound. His shoes are size 18, and his fastball was clocked at 97 mph twice last year. 3B HR RBI Jason Botts -I Meet the RedHawks Name: Robert Allen Dickey Position: Pitcher Born: Oct. 29, 1974, in Nashville Hometown: Nashville School: University of Tennessee Q. What do you drive? A.

2004 white Toyota Sequoia. What baseball player of all-time would you like to be? Roger Clemens. What's the best baseball movie ever? The Natural. What job would you have if you weren't a ballplayer? High school teacher and coach in Nashville. What's the first thing you'd buy if you won a lottery? A home.

What's the best concert you've attended? There are two: Mercy Me and Natalie Merchant. Who would you like to meet that you haven't? Jesus Christ. What was your favorite major league team growing up? Chicago Cubs. Who was your favorite ballplayer growing up? Roger Clemens. Adrian Gonzalez 184 29 53 6 0 9 27 Ian Kinsler 223 39 56 14 1 11 44 Jason Conti 243 36 60 8 3 10 37 Rashad Eldridge 117 26 28 10 1 2 9 JoseVeras 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Team Totals 2261 388 654 127 23 85 364 Stolen Bases: German 17, Alexander 13, Laird 8, Kinsler 5, Conti 3, Richard 2, Allen 1, Eldridge 1.

BB SO W-L 7 17 0-1 12 12 2-2 Player Michael Tejera Kelvin Jimenez Jose Veras Justin 18 16 27 35 12 10 8 17 40 37 35 47 So far, David Purcey's pro pitching career has been full speed ahead, with only a couple of small speed bumps along the way. Purcey, the Toronto Blue Jays' No. 1 draft choice out of the University of Oklahoma last June, has a 5-3 record and 3.13 in his first 16 pro starts. "It's been a learning experience, even though it seems like I've been pitching pretty well," Purcey said from Dunedin, where he's pitching for the Blue Jays' Florida State League team. "I've just been having to work with less pitches than I did at OU.

As opposed to getting 120 pitches in college, they're giving us a 90-to-95-pitch limit that they want us to do the same amount of work in." Purcey, who turned 23 in April, signed with Toronto last July 24. He then sailed through three New York-Penn League games, going 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA. in his first pro season. He allowed only two runs on six hits in 12 innings. He also got off to a super start this year in the tougher FSL.

He was 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA after eight games. Then came trouble, in the form of two bad starts May 20 and 25. Purcey was pounded for 13 runs (11 earned) in 72A innings. The most shocking stat that day: he gave up five home runs. Purcey has allowed only one homer in 61 Vs other pro innings.

"We have a small field here and the wind was blowing out," Purcey said, "but I just left a couple of balls over the middle of the plate and with this level of hitters, they're going to hit it." Even when Purcey seemed to be pitching well in his first eight games, he wasn't satisfied, because he had walked 25 in 37 Vs innings. "I was pitching well, but my control wasn't exactly where I wanted it to be," he said. "So then I started trying to fine tune it and basically started going more over the middle of the plate." a real fun experience just to see other players in the league and enjoy going out and playing for people just for fun." Purcey credits his OU pitching coach, Ray Hay-ward, and his Dunedin pitching coach, former Oakland As starter Rick Langford, with helping him get to where he's at in his pro career. "Coach Hayward mainly helped me nail down my mechanics," Purcey said. "He helped me with getting all the grips on the pitches, and on the mental side of pitching.

"Coach Hayward really did a good job of explaining how to pitch, and I've gotten more information here. It's just a long learning process for me because I'm learning how to pitch more efficiently. I guess the best way to sum it up is that I learned how to pitch in college and I'm learning how to pitch effectively here." Pitching effectively, Purcey explained, "is forcing contact within three pitches to stay in the game for seven, eight innings on 95 pitches as opposed to 120 in college. You've got a little bit more room for error in college." Josh Rupe 122 R.A. Dickey 1' Matt Riley Team Totals 567' Saves: Veras 7, Snare 11 11 7 15 0-1 8.25 302 281 234 425 37-27 4.46 1, Pote 1, Tejera 1.

Where are they now? Locals In the majors Then: John Mayberry is one of the greatest home run hitters in Oklahoma City baseball history. He played in four 89ers seasons, 1968-71, hitting .297 with 47 home runs and 161 RBIs in 281 games. Mayberry was a through 13 starts for Dunedin, Purcey has a 4-3 record and 3.47 ERA. He has been picked to play in the Florida Tulsa native Cory Sullivan, who missed all of last season after undergoing elbow surgery, has come back strong for Colorado. The Rockies named him their spring training MVP and he's batting .330 this season, his first above Class AA.

He hit .300 for Tulsa in 2003. first baseman, though he also played some second base for the Niners in 1969. He was promoted to the major leagues all four years he played in Oklahoma City, and he finally stuck with Houston in 1971. Mayberry hit 255 homers in 15 major league seasons. State League All-Star Game on Saturday.

"I'm really looking forward to that," Purcey said. "I think it'll be John Mayberry Now: John, 56, and his wife Janice are retired in the Kansas City area. He works with the Royals alumni association, plays in fantasy camps and gives batting lessons. He also plays a lot of golf. And a second John Mayberry may someday be playing baseball for Oklahoma City.

John Mayberry a Stanford junior, was the Texas Rangers' first-round draft choice and the 19th pick overall last Tuesday. 'Hawks vs. Wood? jlp PHOTO BY TY RUSSELL, Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood is scheduled to begin a string of two or three starts for the Iowa Cubs on Monday. The RedHawks play a four-game series June 21-24 at Iowa. If Wood makes three Iowa starts, they would presumably come June 13, 18 and 23.

Letters: A message from Greg Biagini's son ASSOCIATED PRESS Tulsa native Cory Sullivan is having a breakout year with the Colorado Rockies. He was named the Rockies' spring MVP and is batting .330 this season. Contact In the minors Tanner Biagini, son of the late 89ers and RedHawks manager Greg Biagini, recently e-mailed The Oklahoman's Bob Her-Bob, "I don't know if you remember me or not because I was only 9 when I left Oklahoma. My dad was Greg Biagini and he managed the RedHawks. I am now 16 and a rising senior at D.

H. Conley High School in Greenville, N.C. "Last night, my high school baseball team won the state 4A championship in baseball in North Carolina. It hasn't quite sunk in yet but all through the series I can remember being with my dad in the dugout with the 89ers and the RedHawks and being around the excitement of winning a championship. That experience helped me throughout our run for the state title.

"There was an article in the paper one time on Father's Day with me and my dad sitting in the dugout and I know you used to write for the RedHawks. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I said that I wanted to be just like my dad and play third base. I played third base this year and that plus the state championship was a dream come true. "Our local newspaper is The Daily Reflector which is out of Greenville, N.C, and today there is a picture of us on the front page. "As I enjoy this moment I want to thank you for all the support you gave my dad while he was in Oklahoma City.

Again, that experience helped me and in turn my team as we won our state title." Thank you, Tanner Biagini The Oklahoman Sports Department P.O. Box 25125 Oklahoma City, OK 73125 (405) 475-3313 (800) 375-6397 ext. 3313 Fax: (405) 475-3315 NewsOK.com sportsdeskoklahoman.com Mike Sherman, Sports Editor (405) 475-3164, mshermanoklahoman.com Center fielder Matt Kemp of Midwest City ranks eighth in the Florida State League with eight home runs. He has 11 homers and 29 RBIs in 38 games, and he's raised his batting average 28 points, to .252, in the last three weeks..