Baseball Release - Joe Dooley Signs (7/18/02) - Guilford College

• GUILFORD'S DOOLEY SIGNS WITH FRONTIER LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM

Greensboro, NC (07/18/02) -- Former Guilford pitcher Joe Dooley (Chantilly, VA/Chantilly) signed a free-agent contract with the Gateway Grizzlies of the Frontier League Wednesday. Dooley suited up right away for the independent club and pitched three innings in the Grizzlies' 10-4 loss to Rockford Wednesday night.

Dooley becomes the third former Guilford standout to play professional baseball this season. Tony Womack '92 plays shortstop for the defending major-league champion Arizona Diamondbacks and pitcher Chad Coward '00 leads the Orlando Rays of the Double-A Southern League with a 7-2 record this season.

Dooley concluded a brilliant college career in May after leading the Quakers to a 30-14 record and second place in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). The right-hander became Guilford's first All-American baseball player since 1968 when he earned second-team American Baseball Coaches Association laurels this year. Dooley led NCAA Division III with 12 wins in 2002, which tied Guilford's 26-year-old school record for victories in a season. He posted a 12-3 mark with a 3.10 earned run average and four saves. A first-team all-region and all-conference pick, he struck out an ODAC record-tying 118 batters in 95 2/3 innings. His 118 strikeouts stand second on the school's single-season list while his 11 complete games set a new Guilford standard.

After pitching his first two seasons at Guilford, Dooley transferred to Division I George Mason for his junior season where he went 3-1 with a 4.85 ERA in 13 relief appearances. He returned to Guilford for his senior year and recorded a 19-11 record in three seasons with the Quakers. His 19 career victories stand sixth all time at Guilford, while his 10.19 strikeouts per nine innings ratio ranks first. He also places among the Quakers' career leaders in saves (2nd, 9), appearances (5th, 56), and strikeouts (4th, 223).

The Grizzlies, located east of St. Louis in Sauget, IL, are one of 12 teams in the independent Frontier League. Now in its 10th season, the league features clubs from seven predominantly Midwestern states. Six Frontier League alumni have reached the major leagues, while more than 200 FL players, coaches or trainers have signed with major-league organizations.