FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHICO HEAT HIRE LOCAL PLEASANT VALLEY GRADUATE

CHICO, CA JANUARY 26, 2017 - The Chico Heat of the Great West League continue their determination to hire local talent to help run their organization by adding Ryan Lauer to their coaching staff.  With the recent departure of Anthony Espita, Lauer will fill the role of assistant coach for Heat skipper Fred Ludwig. The addition of Lauer will make for a clean sweep of Chicoan’s on the Heat coaching staff.  Lauer will be joining head coach Fred Ludwig who was a First Team Academic All-American at Chico State, pitching coach Reece Borges, a former Chico Heat alumni and resident, bench coach Joe Garcia, an assistant baseball coach at Pleasant Valley High, and bullpen coach Kurt Laver, born in Chico and a former Chico State Wildcat baseball player.  Lauer or “Lau” as everyone calls him, will be the 3rd base coach and work specifically with catchers and hitters.

“We are excited to have Ryan join us. He’s got local ties and brings a ton of energy to the yard” said coach Ludwig.

Coach Lauer is entering his first season with the Chico Heat after spending the last 6 years coaching college baseball throughout the Midwest and New Mexico.  Ryan is a native of Chico and graduated from Pleasant Valley High School in 2005.  Lauer grew up playing in the Chico American Legion program, while having playing stints at Butte College and Feather River College and was a standout for the NorCal Pirates summer collegiate team from 2008-2011.  In the summer of 2015, Lauer was the Head Coach of the Springfield Sliders in Springfield, Illinois which is a summer collegiate team that plays in the Prospect League.

Heat GM Hunter Hampton said, “Having Lau return to his hometown, the place where he grew up and learned the game of baseball, is a big deal. He now has an opportunity to share his experience and knowledge with these kids while at the same time giving back to the community where he was raised.”

Ryan is currently living in Chico and working towards a Master’s Degree in Coaching and Athletic Administration.  His father Jim and his mother Deedee have worked at Butte College and Enloe Hospital for over 30 years and his younger sister Alexis works as a preschool teacher in Chico.

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About:
Chico Heat: AFFORDABLE, FAMILY FUN is our highest priority. Fans can receive more information about the team by calling 530-725-5444, by visiting the team website at www.ChicoHeat.com or visiting the team’s retail office at 1722 Mangrove Ave, Suite 24.

The Great West League is one of the premier summer collegiate wood bat leagues in North America, providing a professional, minor league-like atmosphere for top college players seeking professional baseball careers, while providing affordable family entertainment and enriching the quality of life in its member communities.

Media Contact:
Hunter Hampton Chico Heat GM
530-725-5444 | chicoheatgm@gmail.com