Rayburn to sponsor SW Elite baseball team

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

Baseball fans in Nevada and the surrounding areas will have a second option this summer if they want to watch a local collegiate-level team.

Jim Rayburn recently announced that he and Danny Pennington will be sponsoring and coaching the Southwest Missouri Elite baseball team, with most of its home games being played at Champion Diamonds. The team will play a couple of home games at Neosho High School, where Pennington coaches.

"There are a lot of players who would like to play, but are not yet to the level of the teams like the Griffons, Springfield Generals or the Joplin Outlaws," Rayburn said.

"I look at this like a farm club for the Griffons. Our season ends in mid-July ... By the time we play another 30 games, some of them may be able to fill some holes in the Griffons roster late in their season."

The Elite will be playing several teams familiar to Nevada baseball fans. Rayburn's squad will open its season May 29, in El Dorado, Kan., against the Broncos. During the season, the Elite will play other teams like the Griffons, Ozark Generals, Midwest Nationals Blue, Chillicothe Mudcats and Kansas City A's, plus a tournament, which is scheduled to be played at Champion Diamonds, June 22 and 23.

Rayburn said the players will all be within driving distance of Nevada, which is important since they are not providing housing for players here and are not seeking any sponsorship for the team. The players will all pay a fee to play.

While most of the players are from the Carthage, Joplin and Webb City areas, Rayburn said he is expecting to have seven players from the Nevada area, including two 2013 Nevada High School graduates. So, Nevada baseball fans will have an opportunity to see how some of their favorite NHS players have matured.

Colby Shepherd, Jefferson County, Corey Kerbs, Hesston College, Ross Wolfe, SBU, and Bubba Banes, who will be playing at Labette County (Kan.) Community College next year, as well as Lane Ketterman and Grant Wolfe -- both of whom are currently uncommitted -- will be playing for Rayburn. Pittsburg State University's Grant Davis -- who played for the Red Sox AAA team for several years -- will also be on the SW Missouri Elite.

Rayburn said the admission for home games will be $4 for adults, $2 for children 12 years old and under and no charge for children 6 and under.