Shane Sieben will step down as the head coach of the Junction City Brigade summer collegiate

baseball team. But he will remain with the program as a Director of Player Development where he will help acquire players for the team.

Seth Wheeler is being promoted from assistant coach to head coach for the Brigade.

The announcements were made by General Manager Cecil Aska during a Brigade dinner in Junction City Thursday night.

Sieben told JCPost.com he will be around as much as possible next summer. “But the big thing for me, I’ve got a son now that’s seven playing a little baseball, football, basketball, doing it all. Last year when he played T-ball I think I made two of the nine games that he played in, and it was tough being away.”  Sieben will now be able to spend more time with his family.

Wheeler served as a catcher for the Brigade in their inaugeral season two years ago, and as

assistant coach in 2014.   He plans to take a positive approach for the Brigade. He feels the first step is to earn the respect of the players. “Really I just try to keep the energy up and stay positive with the guys, especially in summer ball because it’s an absolute grind over the summer. And these guys have been playing since February, it’s 100 degrees outside, so you just have to keep the energy up somehow and stay positive.

The Brigade won the championship in the first year of the Mid Plains League this past summer. In 2015 the conference will expand by one team to seven teams. A squad from Liberty, Missouri will join the Mid Plains League.

Junction City will be the host site for the League all-star game for the second consecutive year. Instead of playing the entire League tournament in Junction City, it will be moved to multiple locations with games played at the site of the higher seeded teams.