Two Arizona State Sun Devils baseball recruits will be spending their summer in the Great White North.
The Okotoks Dawgs recently announced the signing of Arizona State outfielder/pitcher Trever Allen and outfielder Kasey Coffman for the 2011 Western Major Baseball League season.
The chance to play with the Dawgs was an opportunity too good to pass up for the Sun Devil freshmen.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for me to go over and play in a different country,” Allen said.
For Coffman, the summer in Okotoks will be his first foray out of the United States.
The big-hitting outfielder said he is eager to experience the great outdoors and all the Foothills of southern Alberta has to offer.
“I’m really excited. I’ve never been out of the country,” Coffman said. “I heard it’s an outdoorsy place… I’ll be going hiking, it’s going to be fun.”
The Dawgs were pleased to bring blue-chip prospects like Coffman and Allen to Okotoks for the 2011 Western Major Baseball League season.
The fact they come from a major U.S. collegiate institution only enhances the credibility of the Dawgs program said Okotoks coach Brandon Newell.
“Having two players from a great program like ASU only can help us this summer,” he said. “They are ranked in the top 10 every year, and are a staple in the College World Series.”
With the ASU freshman paving the way, Newell expressed the hope the new recruits would be the first of many from that program to play for the Dawgs.
The Okotoks manager said he was pleased he was able to reap the benefits of his connections from his playing days.
Newell’s college coach at the University of Washington, Ken Knutsen, is currently the pitching coach at ASU.
The Sun Devils’ recruiting coordinator, Travis Jewett, also coached at Washington while Newell played with the Huskies.
“I have known both of them for a long time, and hopefully this will be the first of many ASU Sun Devils to come to Okotoks for the summer,” Newell said.
For both of the Dawgs’ newest recruits, the chance to play for Okotoks is expected to be a mutually beneficial partnership.
With Coffman and Allen expected to anchor the Dawgs’ outfield, the players will also gain valuable playing experience not available to them in their first season in Tempe.
Being stuck behind several draft-eligible players at ASU was somewhat frustrating for both players.
“It’s been a tough year,” Allen said. “We’ve just got to keep working hard and learning from everyone else.”
The ASU recruits will be given ample opportunity to carve out an important role on this year’s Dawgs squad, Newell indicated.
“All the players that attend ASU are special players, and both of these guys are no different,” he said.
As a multi-position threat, Allen said he hopes to play a big role in his first season with Okotoks.
The 5-foot-11 184-pound outfielder boasts an incredibly strong arm that will not only be a weapon in the outfield, but he’ll also use it to bolster the pitching rotation.
“(Trever) will pitch and play the outfield,” Newell said.
“Being a two-way player, we have to protect his arm as much as we can, but he is a special athlete and he is looking forward to joining the 2011 Dawgs.”
Allen said he is planning to carve out a role as a starting outfielder and he is excited to showcase his skills.
Coffman also spoke glowingly of his ASU teammate.
“He’s got a cannon. He’s probably got the strongest arm on our team from the outfield,” he said. “He’s going to be a pretty good pitcher too.”
Coffman is also expected to make an impact in his first WMBL season.
The towering 6-foot-3 outfielder will be counted on to bolster Okotoks’ offense.
“We expect that (Coffman) will be a run producer along with the rest of the middle of our lineup,” Newell said.
The Phoenix-native will bring his track record of winning to Seaman Stadium.
Coffman was a member of the 2009 Don Mattingly World Series champions as a high school Junior and also claimed the Connie Mack State Tournament championship in 2010.
Coffman said he would do his best to fit in with the Dawgs’ winning tradition — which included a three-peat as WMBL champions from 2007-2009.
“I’m excited for that,” he said.
After playing against him in high school, Allen said Okotoks fans would be pleasantly surprised by what Coffman brings to the table.
“He’s an animal, just a beast on the field (and) plays hard all the time,” he said.
The Sun Devils will form what looks to be a hot young corps of Dawgs.
