Ogden Raptors begin quest for elusive title

OGDEN — They always lead the Pioneer League in attendance, and show fans a good time at home games at Lindquist Field.

The Ogden Raptors are also usually competitive, but they still have yet to capture a league championship. Not since the Ogden Dodgers (who were managed by Tommy Lasorda) won the Pioneer League championship in 1969 has Ogden been able to celebrate a minor league baseball title.

The Raptors, now in their 16th season, hope to change that in 2009.

"We're coming here to try and win a championship," said first-year Ogden manager Damon Berryhill. "We're going to get our work in, we'll be here at the field early, and we'll work on mechanics. When we get between the lines, we're here to win games. Our goal is to win a championship."

Ogden, which plays its season opener against Orem tonight, seems to have a good mix of returning players, recent draft picks and solid arms to contend for the Pioneer League title.

Leading the way for the Raptors this season is first baseman Kyle Orr, a Dodgers fourth-round draft pick in 2006. He only hit .225 last season in 45 games in Ogden, but he had 24 RBIs and hit five home runs.

Orr is one of six players returning to Ogden this season. The others are catchers Austin Yount and Keyter Collado, and pitchers Javier Solano, Daigoro Rondon and Elisaul Pimentel.

Berryhill said his team doesn't have a lot of speed but will play good defense and has some power potential. Fans would love to see the Raptors crush as many home runs as they did last season, when they put 89 over the Pioneer League fences.

"It's a solid group," Berryhill said. "We'll wait and see how the season goes and how these guys develop. But there should be an opportunity to put some runs up in this ballpark and other ballparks."

Outfielder Mario Angelo Songco, a fourth-round pick in the Major League Baseball first-year player draft earlier this month, is expected to boost Ogden's home run totals. He hit .360 with 15 home runs, 17 doubles and 63 RBIs for Loyola Marymount during the 2009 college season.

Songco is the highest of the Dodgers' draft picks to sign with the franchise so far. He is one of 10 of Los Angeles' 2009 draft selections in Ogden.

Pitcher Greg Wilborn, an 18th-round pick, is one of the more intriguing players on the roster. Wilborn had Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in 2008, and didn't have spectacular numbers at Louisiana-Lafayette during the 2009 college season. But his hard stuff was clocked in the mid-to-low 90s.

Berryhill's job this summer will be to develop the young talent and give the players experience. He knows what it takes to get to the big leagues, as he had a 10-year career as a catcher with five different MLB teams. He says winning, which sometimes can be overlooked in the minors, will be an emphasis.

"I think winning is a big part of development," he said.

E-mail: aaragon@desnews.com