Bangert Signs with Windy City Thunderbolts

Former Bradley DH becomes the 11th former Brave among active pro players

Brendan Dougherty, Luke Mangieri and Derek Bangert

Mark Schrimmer

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 7/27/2018 4:23:00 PM

CRESTWOOD, IL – Former Bradley Baseball slugger Derek Bangert (Lockport, IL/Lockport Township H.S./Heartland C.C.) became the program's latest pro player when he signed with the Frontier League's Windy City Thunderbolts Friday.

Bangert, who belted 23 home runs during his 2-year Braves career, earned All-Missouri Valley Conference second team honors in 2018 after pacing Bradley (32-19) with nine homers and 40 RBI's. He becomes the third member of Bradley's 2018 squad to launch his professional career this summer, following juniors Boby Johnson and Luke Mangieri, who were selected in last month's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.

Aligned with the Independent Professional Baseball Federation, the Frontier League is made up of 12 teams, including the local Normal Cornbelters. Bangert is expected to be available for Windy City when the Thunderbolts open their weekend series at Lake Erie Friday night.

#ProBraves Round-Up (through games of July 26)
Elliot Ashbeck (2013-15), RHP, Lake Elsinore Storm (SD), Class A Advanced California League
Ashbeck continues his stellar bullpen work for the Storm, having allowed just five earned runs in his last 12 appearances and no more than three runs in any of his 33 appearances this season. In those last 12 outings, dating to June 15, Ashbeck has recorded 21 strikeouts against just one walk. For the season, he is 4-2 with four saves and a 2.31 earned run average.

Derek Bangert (2016-18), DH, Windy City Thunderbolts (IND), Frontier League
Bangert became Bradley's 11th active pro when he signed with Windy City Friday morning.

Joe Bircher (2009-12), LHP, Lincoln Saltdogs (IND), American Association
Traded to Lincoln from Sioux Falls earlier this month, the Omaha, NE native has made two starts for his new club with mixed results. He allowed just one earned run in his Lincoln debut, an 8-7 victory against Wichita July 17. In 12 combined starts for Sioux Falls and Lincoln, Bircher is 3-5 with a 5.25 ERA.

Matt Dennis (2014-16), RHP, Lansing JetHawks (COL), Class A Advanced California League
Dennis continued to excel in his road work for the JetHawks, earning his seventh win of the season last Friday at Stockton by allowing three runs on eight hits in his 6.2 innings en route to a 5-3 victory. Although suffering from a 1-8 home record, Dennis followed up the win at Stockton by allowing just one run in 4.2 innings during Wednesday's wild 17-11 win against Lake Elsinore. In 21 starts to date this season, Dennis is 7-10 with a 5.45 ERA.

Boby Johnson (2018), RHP, Boise Hawks (COL), Class A Short Season Northwest League
Johnson has been lights out in his first 10 appearances as a pro. Yet to allow more than one earned run in any of his first 10 relief outings, Johnson is 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA, boasting 14 strikeouts against just one walk in his 14.1 innings. He has struck out 12 batters since issuing his last walk July 1.

Jason Leblebijian (2010-12), 3B, Buffalo Bisons (TOR), Triple-A International League
After starting the Triple-A All-Star Game, Leblebijian went on the disabled list after just one game back with the Bisons, but he was re-activated Wednesday at Louisville. Though his average has dropped to .231, Leblebijian has reached base safely via a hit or walk in each of his last seven games.

Luke Mangieri (2016-18), 1B, West Virginia Black Bears (PIT), Class A Short Season NY-Penn League
Mangieri extended his hitting streak to five games by going 1-for-3 with a walk Thursday night against Aberdeen. In his first 31 games as a pro, Mangieri is batting .259 with eight doubles, one home run and 11 RBI.

Max Murphy (2012-14), OF, St. Paul Saints (IND), American Association
Murphy is on a hot streak for the Saints, raising his season batting average to .313 and extending his hitting streak to 10 games by going 2-for-4 in Thursday night's 3-2 win against Wichita. Murphy has banged out two hits in six of the 10 games during his streak.

Cameron Roegner (2012-16), LHP, Carolina Mudcats (MIL), Class A Advanced Carolina League
After earning a spot start for Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate Colorado Springs July 15 at New Orleans, Roegner has resumed his sterling Carolina League season with two more scoreless efforts. He worked 5.0 scoreless innings Saturday at Lynchburg and followed up with 5.0 more shutout innings in a winning effort Thursday night against Myrtle Beach. Now 9-5 with a 2.16 ERA for Carolina, Roegner has not allowed a run in 10 of his 19 starts for the Mudcats. He leads the Carolina League in ERA, ranks second with 108.1 IP and tied for second with a 1.15 WHIP.

Rob Scahill (2006-09), RHP, Charlotte Knights (CWS), Triple-A International League
After appearing in two games during Charlotte's midweek series against Indianapolis, Scahill is tied for second in the International League with 39 pitching appearances to date this season. He is 2-3 with a 4.30 ERA, touting 52 strikeouts against just 19 walks in his 44.0 IP.

Mike Tauchman (2010-13), OF, Albuquerque Isotopes (COL), Triple-A Pacific Coast League
Tauchman saw his on-base streak reach 17 games (18 if you count the Triple-A All-Star Game) before an 0-for-4 outing ended the streak Wednesday night at Oklahoma City. During a 6-game hitting streak from July 17-22, Tauchman was 12-for-22 (.545) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI's. Through Thursday's action, Tauchman is the second-leading hitter in the Pacific Coast League with a .344 average in his 77 games and he also ranks second with a 1.031 OPS.

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Players Mentioned

#42 Derek Bangert: 1B; 6' 3"; Senior; R/R

#17 Luke Mangieri: IF; 6' 3"; Junior; L/R

#22 Boby Johnson: RHP; 6' 1"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#42 Derek Bangert
: 6' 3"; Senior; R/R
: 1B

#17 Luke Mangieri
: 6' 3"; Junior; L/R
: IF

#22 Boby Johnson
: 6' 1"; Junior; R/R
: RHP

Bangert Signs with Windy City Thunderbolts

Former Bradley DH becomes the 11th former Brave among active pro players

Players Mentioned

#42 Derek Bangert

#17 Luke Mangieri

#22 Boby Johnson

Players Mentioned

#42 Derek Bangert

#17 Luke Mangieri

#22 Boby Johnson