Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006 • Danny Brown signs letter of intent 

Publisher’s note: This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006, edition of the Lassen County Times.

Danny Brown, of Lassen Community College, signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Oklahoma State University on Wednesday, Nov. 8.

The signing, which took place in Lassen Community College President Homer Cissell’s office, was the first for the baseball program this year.

Brown, who is originally from Chehalis, Washington, is in his first year at Lassen Community College after spending one year at Centralia College in Centralia, Washington.

During the last few months, the Cougars have participated in a fall baseball league, exposing Cougar players to many universities and professional teams from around the country.

Brown is a sophomore third baseman for the Cougars, and he said he is very excited for the opportunity to go to a division one school and play baseball.

“This has been my goal since I was a freshman in high school, to play baseball at a D1 school,” Brown said.

Being an excellent student helps expose athletes to major universities, assistant coach Steve Avala said.

Oklahoma State, which is in Stillwater, is part of the Big 12 conference. Other schools that are members of the conference are Baylor, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

“This is the goal of every student athlete, and I’m proud to be part of this process,” head baseball coach John Bentley said.

Brown said he is looking forward to going to Oklahoma State next fall to play because of the great baseball history at the school.

“Lassen College has opened up so many doors that would not have been possible anywhere else,” Brown said.

LCC President Cissell said he is proud of the success his students are having and it is his goal to help students move on to the next level, whether it is with academics, athletics or both.

Oklahoma State currently has eight alumni in Major League Baseball and many more in the minors. Former stars of the Cowboys include Mickey Tettleton, Robin Ventura, Jeromy Burnitz and Pete Incaviglia.

“This was the best-fit baseball wise and academically for me,” Brown said.

Brown said he plans to enjoy his last year at the junior college level before moving to Oklahoma to continue his education and baseball. He also is looking forward to meeting new people and gaining more experience in life and in baseball he said.

Oklahoma State won the national championship in 1959 and has won 23 conference championships. The Cowboys won a national record 16 consecutive conference championships from 1981-1999. They have been to the NCAA Tournament 25 times and have made it to the College World Series 19 times.

“Danny came with a gift to play baseball and take care of business in the classroom. He has the physical and mental ability to succeed not only on the field but in academics at the next level,” Avala said.