Panthers in the Pros: Updates from the gridiron, hardcourt and diamonds
ORANGE, Calif. – Chapman University’s network of alumni-turned-professional athletes is not only expanding across generations, but it’s gone global. Having almost completed his second professional football season, former Panthers’ quarterback Eric Marty ’09 has quickly built a reputation on the European gridiron as a championship-caliber quarterback.
As an encore to helping lead the Bolzano Giants of the Italian Football League to their first ever Italian Super Bowl championship in 2009, Marty is on the verge of repeating the feat with the Danube Dragons of the Austrian Football League (AFL). The second-year pro has quarterbacked the Dragons to their first Austrian Bowl appearance since 1997 where they will face the Innsbruck Raiders in the championship game on Friday.
His numbers have been impressive to say the least: 1,339 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, against just one interception during the six-game AFL regular season and maintaining an efficiency rating of 171.6. Meanwhile, in three Eurobowl games, Marty completed 76.5 percent of his passes for 618 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception.
The Austrian Bowl can be viewed live from Innsbruck, Austria at: http://www.raiderstv.at/ this Friday, July 9.
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In addition to Marty’s success in Europe, another former Panther, Patrick Carney ’07 just completed his second season playing basketball in Germany. The former Academic All-American has been impressive playing for the Velbert Baskets, averaging 32.4 points per game in 18 games this season. Carney missed the first half of the season because of an injury, but rallied to shoot over 54 percent from three-point range and made 4.6 three-pointers per game. He is poised to return to Germany for a third season this fall.
And Gabe Bonfanti ’05 has made a career of not only playing, but managing in the Italian and Swiss baseball leagues. The former Chapman pitcher is currently playing shortstop and managing the Sissach Frogs in Switzerland after a four-year career in the Italian Baseball League. This summer the Frogs are 8-4 with Bonfanti at the helm and he’s batting .320 with a .520 on-base percentage.
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Four Chapman baseball alumni are still working their way through the minor leagues, including former Division III Player of the Year Kurt Yacko ’09, who has climbed to Class-A Advanced within the Colorado Rockies organization. Here’s a brief rundown on the former Panthers currently playing pro ball:
Yacko, Modesto Nuts (Colorado Rockies, Class-A Advanced) – Yacko ’09 is now in his third year in the Rockies’ farm system having climbed the organizational ranks each year. Serving as a full-time relief pitcher, the right-hander is currently 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA, helping the Nuts place second in the North Division of the California League in the first half of the season. In typical fashion, Yacko’s strikeout-to-walk ratio has been fantastic with 46 Ks and just 9 BBs in 39.2 innings. And during the month of June he was even better with a 2-0 record and 0.73 ERA in 10 appearances.
Matt Irsfeld ’09, Eugene Emeralds (San Diego Padres, Class-A Short Season) – Irsfeld went undrafted in 2009 but signed with the Padres at the end of the summer, eventually landing in his own backyard. The Eugene, Ore. native appears to be getting on track while playing in his hometown. The righty has made seven appearances with the Ems of the Northwest League, six of which have been scoreless one-inning outings. He had one rough outing in June, giving him a misleading ERA of 5.68 in Eugene. In 12 appearances this season (he also made a brief stop at Fort Wayne in the Midwest League) he is 0-3 with an 11.45 ERA.
John Semel ’10, Kingsport Mets (New York Mets, Rookie) – The Mets’ 26th round selection a year ago, Semel has not been quick out of the gates this summer, possibly suffering from the lingering effects of a back injury that kept him from much of his offseason training. The speedy outfielder was reassigned recently to the Mets’ rookie club in Kingsport, Fla. of the Appalachian League and tripled and drove in a run in his first game. However, he is batting just .162 and has yet to steal a base after the first two weeks of the season.
Wayde Kitchens ’09, Oakland County Cruisers (Independent) – The three-time All-American signed a contract with the Cruisers of the independent Frontier League in February coming off a pectoral injury that sidelined him for a portion of this senior year at Chapman. Kitchens has come back healthy and strong as a starting pitcher for Oakland County, posting a 2-1 record with 49 strikeouts in 39 innings. The right-hander has an ERA of 3.69 and has made nine appearances, including seven starts on the mound for the first-place Cruisers.
by Doug Aiken
Sports Information Director