Minutemen acquire notable rookie in Gillean

MILL CREEK --St. Joe High School assistant football coach Tyler Gillean will be joining the

Mill Creek Minutemen for the 2011 Old Republic Wiffle Ball League season. Franchise owner Matt Gard was very excited about the acquisition, stating that he has lofty expectations for his team this year. "We really believe we got a steal in Ricky Dunfee last year. No doubt in my mind he was the rookie of the year even though it was never voted on. "What we see in Gillean is the Bryce Harper to Ricky's Stephen Strasburg. And we expect improvements this season." The Minutemen, though historically ranked at the bottom of the heap in ORWBL, are making strides. In their first season as the Big Uglies in 2007, they went 1-8. After a one-year hiatus, the team returned with a new name, the Marmosets, and a few more wins on the way to an 8-34 mark in 2009. This past season, under an additional name change, the Minutemen went 13-29. "You know what, it wasn't a great season, but we were excited about those 13 wins," Gard said. "We were excited about getting better. Now thanks to this acquisition, we think we can get even more. "Ricky is from LaPorte. We made sure the Sox didn't get a hold of him. Tyler is from South Bend. We made sure the defending champions did not get him. A huge credit to our scouting. Matt Mender is a big part of that. He really knows how to reel these dudes in."