Grand Prairie AirHogs name Ricky VanAsselberg team’s field manager

VanAsselberg has a 19-7 postseason record.

GRAND PRAIRIE — The Grand Prairie AirHogs announced that Ricky VanAsselberg has been named the team’s field manager for the 2011 season. VanAsselberg comes to Grand Prairie after two years as the manager of the American Association champion Shreveport-Bossier Captains.

“I’m thrilled about getting the chance to manage the AirHogs,’’ said VanAsselberg. “I know the folks in Grand Prairie are excited about the 2011 season. It’s a great area for baseball. I think the fans will really enjoy watching this team play.”

VanAsselberg led the Captains to the 2010 American Association title by sweeping Sioux Falls in the finals. The Captains finished the regular season with a 58-37 record. In 2009, VanAsselberg led the team to a 48-48 record – a 22-game improvement from the previous season.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to continue working with Ricky,” said Craig Brasfield, vice president and general manager of the AirHogs. “It is a pleasure to work with a manager who understands what it takes to be successful on and off the field. Ricky has a 19-7 record as a manager in the postseason. He has worked extremely hard to bring a championship caliber club to Grand Prairie and I’m sure the AirHogs will be a very exciting club to watch in 2011.”

Before coming to Shreveport-Bossier, VanAsselberg spent three highly successful seasons managing the Alexandria (La.) Aces of the United League Baseball (ULB). His clubs won back-to-back ULB crowns in 2006 and ’07 and was one win away from capturing a third, falling in the final game of the 2008 Championship Series. In his three seasons guiding the Aces, he posted a 155-114 record during the regular season and a 12-5 record in the postseason. VanAsselberg was named ULB Manager of the Year after both the 2006 and ’07 seasons.

A Gardner, La. resident, VanAsselberg played college baseball at Baptist Christian College in Shreveport, winning back-to-back national small-college championships in 1995 and ’96. He was a two-time small-college all-America selection. VanAsselberg was signed by the Baltimore Orioles organization after his college career ended.

VanAsselberg started his professional playing career in 1996 with the Alexandria Aces.

Source: Grand Prairie AirHogs