La Crosse, Wis. - After finishing a very strong season, which included competing for the Midwest Collegiate Conference title until the final regular season game, the Viterbo University baseball team will have significant representation among several of the top collegiate summer baseball leagues.

Viterbo Baseball Head Coach Chad Miller was recently named as an assistant coach of the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. Five members of Coach Miller's V-Hawk program will also play collegiate summer baseball. This includes Brandon Buelow (Jr. - Milwaukee, Wis.), Joey Bergeles (Jr. - Geneseo, Ill.), Drew Farrell (Jr. - Middelton, Wis.), Howard Heinrich (Jr. - Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.), and Brett Rettenmeier (Jr. - Cedar Rapids, Iowa).

"We are thrilled these guys have been given the opportunity to compete against a high level of competition this summer," commented Coach Miller. "In addition to the high level of competition, they will be receiving quality coaching in an environment conducive to continued development. Great college baseball programs have players who are eager to get out and work on their game in the summer and this only confirms the positive direction our program is going."

Miller joins the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod League, which is widely known as the premier collegiate summer baseball league in the United States. In 2009, 217 Cape League alumni played Major League Baseball. Miller's last stint coaching summer ball came in 2005 when he led the Thunder Bay Border Cats to the Northwoods League Championship and received the league's Field Manager of the Year award.

Known as the Hyannis Mets through 2009, the Hyannis ball club is coached by current MCC foe Waldorf College Head Coach Chad Gassman who is entering his second season as the manager of the Harbor Hawks.

"Coaching in the Cape is an opportunity to not only help some of the best college players in the country continue their development," commented Coach Miller. "It is also an opportunity to continue learning as a coach and to ideally bring a few things back that I can implement in our program in the fall to help our players prepare to win an MCC Championship next year.

Buelow is playing his summer ball for the Martinsville Mustangs of the Coastal Plains League. Through five games, Buelow has started all five in the outfield for the Mustangs and is batting .238. As a V-Hawk this past season, Buelow led the team in almost every offensive category this season including batting average (.388), hits (66), homeruns (11), and runs batted in (43). The eleven homeruns was the third most in a single season by any V-Hawk. He also had a 100% field percentage which helped him land one of three outfield spots on the MCC Gold Glove team.

Bergeles will start the summer playing for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League. The Rafters are the newest expansion team of the Northwoods League as they enter their first season. Bergeles finished his junior season with the V-Hawks with a .241 batting average. He was used a lot this past season as a pinch runner as he finished with ten runs scored. Farrell will join Bergeles on the Rafters this season as a pitcher. Farrell finished his season with the V-Hawks making the second most appearances on the mound with 14. He finished with a team best 3.97 ERA in 45.1 innings and also recorded 34 strikeouts.

Heinrich will spend his summer playing baseball for the Cheyenne Grizzlies of the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League. A left handed pitcher, Heinrich was one of the top pitchers this past spring for the V-Hawks. He tied with Farrell with 14 appearances for the V-Hawks and finished the season with a 5-6 record. He pitched two complete game shutouts and recorded a season high 65.2 innings pitched. He also led the V-Hawks with 53 strikeouts on the year as well.

Rettenmeier will travel the shortest distance to play as he will play locally for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods league. The starting shortstop for the V-Hawks was a MCC honorable mention all-conference selection this past spring. He finished the season batting .348 and drove in 27 runs. He also scored 32 runs which was the third most on the team for the V-Hawks.

Coach Miller is confident that having these guys playing at such a high level this summer will transfer into another successful season for the V-Hawks in 2011.