Our Daily Show! With Cj FT: OSF, Alton River Dragons, and More!
ALTON - The Alton River Dragons are gearing up for the final few weeks of their season.
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Pitcher Joe Falkowski and Assistant Coach Mateo Okimoto stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with CJ Nasello to reflect on the season and the team. They noted that even though the River Dragons’ record is not what they hoped it would be, it has still been a great season of playing together and enjoying the experience.
“We are a losing team. We get that,” Falkowski said. “But at the end of the day, personally, being in the dugout, in the bullpen, it’s still fun.”
This is Falkowski’s first year playing in the Prospect League. He has spent the entire season playing for the River Dragons, and he has enjoyed getting to know his teammates and building friendships.
Okimoto traveled from Northern California to join the River Dragons two weeks ago. He has loved being a part of the team and enjoys the Alton community.
“It’s been nothing but great,” Okimoto said. “All the guys have been really respectful towards me, and the community as well. Getting to know everyone, it’s been just an awesome journey and one I won’t forget.”
Okimoto hopes to join the team again next summer as an assistant coach. Falkowski will return to his college in a few weeks and play fall ball. Both are eager to see what happens next in the Prospect League.
As a coach, Okimoto noted his goals for the remainder of the season. He acknowledged that pitchers like Falkowski need to be “more fiery” while other positions remain “even-keeled.”
“I think we’re just trying to figure out baseball as much as we can, just learning the game, learning how to play the game and figuring out, what is this pitcher trying to do to me? What are they trying to do to get me out? And adjusting from there,” he explained. “That’s what we’re trying to do and just stay loose, stay relaxed, and not be in fight or flight. That’s the biggest thing from the offensive standpoint.”
While the team hopes to win in the coming weeks, both Okimoto and Falkowski agree that the experience has been about more than the scoreboard. They are grateful for the relationships they’ve developed. Falkowski added that Coach Andrew Olney often stops by the players’ house, and they have a lot of fun.
“We all get along,” he added. “When Coach is there, we all just laugh. We have a great time. I know we kind of just got our teeth kicked in, but it’s like, at the end of the day, you guys are building a team. You guys are friends. These are memories that you’re not just going to throw away. There’s not many kids who can say, ‘Hey, my coach came over to my house and we laughed our ass off.’”
Okimoto and Falkowski hope to welcome many Riverbend residents and visitors to their remaining home games, most of which are themed. For more information about the Alton River Dragons, including how to purchase tickets, visit their official website.
This featured article is sponsored by the Alton River Dragons. To get your business or organization featured on www.RiverBender.com, contact us at sales@riverbender.com.
