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Show TUESDAY JULY 26, 2016 7 Raptors pitcher takes a Major step By BROOKE FACER News Reporter For many young athletes, a chance to play in the Major Leagues is the dream. But for one Raptors pitcher, it’s a dream set on two continents. Dean Kremer, a lanky, right-handed pitcher from Stockton, California, has dual citizenship with Israel because his parents are both Israeli citizens. Kremer started playing ball for San Joaquin Delta College and worked his way up to playing for the University of Las Vegas. He also plays for the Israel National Team. “I’ve been doing it for the past three years, every summer — It’s pretty fun,” Kremer said. “It’s an honor to be on the team. I go back there every summer to visit family.” Last year, Kremer was picked up by the San Diego Padres in the 38th round of the draft, but he turned it down, saying he wanted to stay in Las Vegas and gain a little more experience before taking professional baseball by the horns. “I transferred to Las Vegas, and I played there for a year and got my feet wet,” Kremer said. “I wanted to face better hitters, I wanted to get bigger and stronger, and I wanted mainly to mature as a person, live outside the house because I didn’t MICHAEL GRENNELL | The Signpost Dean Kremer (center) heads to the dugout with teammates Ibandel Isabel (left) and Jordan Paroubeck (right). feel like I was ready.” After pitching for another year at UNLV, Kremer’s practice paid off. In early June, Kremer was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round, a huge jump from his previous placement in the 38th round. He has agreed to play for the Dodgers, feeling more comfortable this year than he had before. “Last year, I didn’t want to go, not WSU takes Las Vegas By HARRISON EPSTEIN Assistant Sports Editor With the Orlando and Utah Summer Leagues already done, all eyes in the NBA world were on Las Vegas. It was a packed 11 days with 67 total games played between rosters made up of 23 NBA teams and a team of NBA D-League players. Despite only two Wildcats being on Summer League rosters, there were four who entered the spotlight throughout the tournament. On the rosters were 2016 second-round pick Joel Bolomboy with the Utah Jazz and former Weber State point guard Davion Berry playing for the Toronto Raptors. Cheering on his Portland Trail Blazers and watching his fellow Wildcats was Damian Lillard. Former assistant coach Phil Johnson was honored with the National Basketball Coaches Association Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award. Johnson was an assistant coach under Dick Motta from 1964-1968 before becoming Weber State’s head coach. “It is truly an honor,” Johnson said. “Three men chose me to be their first assistant: Dick Motta, Frank Layden and Jerry Sloan. We were more than co-workers. We were teammates, teach- “To be able to be ... successful in the NBA and make people take notice of Weber State, to open that door up for Joel and Davion ... I’m happy that I can play that part.” DAMIAN LILLARD WSU Alumnus ers and, ultimately, friends for life.” The No. 1 seed in the tournament was the Raptors, who utilized Berry for picking up minutes off the bench. Berry is back looking for a roster spot after spending last season with the Changwon LG Sakers in South Korea and several NBA D-League teams. With one former teammate being an NBA superstar and another being an incoming rookie this year, Berry is somewhere in the middle. “I’m happy for Joel, man, I’m proud of Joel,” Berry said. “I remember when we used to throw him the ball and he couldn’t do [anything] with it, and now look at him, making a statement and proving that he’s more than worth a second round pick. I’m happy for Joel, and of course I’m happy for Damian. He’s like family.” The youngest Wildcat at the Summer League this year was Bolomboy. Over the six games in Las Vegas, Bolomboy scored 57 points and collected 45 rebounds while starting in four games, including the July 10 game when he picked up a double-double. “Coach told me I would be starting since they were going to rest Trey, and I just try to take advantage of it,” Bolomboy said. “You know I’m always ready to play even if I’m not playing, like these past games I was on the bench cheering on my teammates and just having energy.” During Bolomboy’s double-double game, the Portland Trail Blazers started preparing for their next matchup which left Lillard watching as Bolomboy dunked and rebounded up and down the court. Lillard said he was grateful “to be able to be such a high draft pick and be successful in the NBA and make people take notice of Weber State; to open that door up for Joel and Davion and guys like that— I’m happy that I can play that part.” Follow Harrison on Twitter @harrisonepstein WILDCAT VILLAGE because of the team or anything. I just didn’t feel like I was ready quite yet,” Kremer said. “I just wanted to make sure that I was completely ready for pro ball. This year, I felt like I was a lot more ready, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.” Working his way up through the minor leagues, Kremer has been honing his skills with the Ogden Raptors before he moves up to play for the Dodgers. “I have been playing for the Raptors — two starts — and pitching limited innings because I threw a lot in college,” Kremer said about his time in Ogden. This year, Kremer feels more confident heading into the Major Leagues. “I definitely feel a lot more prepared ... I’m not nervous anymore,” Kremer said. “Wherever I go, I just feel like I’m going to compete the best that I can.” Kremer also plans on continuing to play for the Israel National Team. “What I’ve understood is that if you have an international commitment to a team, most organizations will let you go play,” Kremer said. “We have the WBC qualifier in late September, and I plan on playing in that team for Israel.” Keep your eyes peeled for Dean Kremer as he launches an exciting baseball career through continuing with Team Israel and joining ranks with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com WSU SPORTS in brief Wildcat football picked On July 19, the Weber State University football team was picked to finish sixth overall in the Big Sky Conference in the preseason media polls. In an interview with the Standard Examiner, Idaho State head coach Mike Kramer said, “One of the best teams in the conference this year is getting no respect from anybody, and that’s Weber.” Weber State had a total of 174 points in the preseason pull — 83 of them being coaches’ votes. In the 2015-16 season, the Wildcats concluded its season with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-3 record in conference play. This was Weber State’s first winning season in the past five years. This was also the second year in the tenure of head coach Jay Hill, who will return as the head coach for his third year. Northern Arizona was chosen to finish first in both the media and coaches polls. The University of Montana was picked second in the media poll and tied with Portland State University for second in the coaches poll. Portland was picked fifth by the media poll. Eastern Washington was picked third in the media poll and fourth in the coaches poll, while North Dakota was picked fourth in the media poll and fifth in the coaches poll. Weber State will start its 2016-17 season on the road September 1 as they take on Utah State University in Logan at 6 p.m. The Wildcats will play their first home non-conference game on September 17 against Sacramento State at 6:00 p.m. at Stewart Stadium. Beehive Classic features On July 21, Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment announced the creation of a new men’s college basketball showcase to take place at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Beehive Classic, presented by Zions Bank, will feature Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, Utah State University and We- ber State University. “This is really exciting for us to be a part of the Beehive Classic,” said Weber State Athletic Director Jerry Bovee during the post-announcement press conference. “There is a rich history of college basketball in the state of Utah, and our fans and alumni always look forward to playing teams from the state.” Wildcat village is the place to live for convenience to classes and social events on campus. Plus, there is lots of parking! 3 new facilities provide the latest amenities in on campus living. Made to order restaurant, convenience store, gym, volleyball court, outdoor fire-pit, meeting hall, printer station and much more. For more information: Stop by the Stewart Wasatch Hall housing office Visit us at www.weber.edu/housing Call 801-626-7275 The four in-state teams will rotate opponents over the next three years in the showcase, playing on the second Saturday in December. Weber State will take on BYU in 2017, Utah State University in 2018 and the University of Utah in 2019. Weber State will also continue to play other in-state teams throughout those years. Each school will have 4,500 tickets to sell that will give access to both games of the evening. “Playing in-state games is very important to our program,” said Weber State head coach Randy Rahe. “This will be a great opportunity for our program to face a quality in-state opponent each season. The in-state games are always exciting for our team and our fans, and we look forward to this new showcase.” Follow Cydnee on Facebook @CydneeGreenWSU |