Rasner and Bergman to be honored

Darrell Rasner and Dusty Bergman will become the seventh and eighth players from Carson High who have made the Major Leagues to be honored before today's game between CHS and Reno High at Ron McNutt Field.

Rasner and Bergman, who are both now pitching with the New York Yankees Triple A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, will join six other Carson players who have had their baseballs placed across the centerfield fence. They will join former Carson players John Gamble, Charley Kerfeld, Matt Williams, Donovan Osborne, Bob Ayrault and David Lundquist, who have all made the Major Leagues.

Bergman saw action in one game with the Angels in 2004 while Rasner was called up to the Washington Nationals last September. Rasner's and Bergman's parents, Darrell Sr. and Jill Rasner and Sue Bergman will participate in the ceremony.

CHS players will also participate in the unveiling of Rasner's and Bergman's baseballs on the centerfield fence. Carson's seniors will also be honored before today's game.

The ceremony honoring Rasner and Bergman will take place following the ceremony honoring the seniors before the game, which will begin at 3:30 p.m.

"These are just two outstanding athletes I was fortunate enough to coach here at Carson High," said CHS athletic director and former baseball coach Ron McNutt. "To me it's kind of unique that we have two players from the same high school playing on the same team in Columbus, Ohio.

"Both are just outstanding young me as far as their character. It's just quite an honor to be a small part of their careers along the way."

Bergman, a 6-5 left-handed pitcher and a 1996 CHS graduate, made the Triple A all-star game last season. Last season with the Angels affiliate, Salt Lake, he pitched a season high four innings against Tucson to pick up the win.

In July, he went 4-0 with a 1.38 earned run average in 10 appearances in July, allowing two runs over 13 innings. He finished the season in Fresno after being traded to the Giants. He finished the year with a career high eight wins and eight saves.

In 2004 with Salt Lake, he won in his first appearance of the season at Fresno. In his last 22 appearances with Salt Lake that year, he finished with a 2.27 E.R.A. He split time in the 2002 and 2003 seeasons with Triple A Salt Lake and Double A Arkansas and spent the 2001 season in Arkansas.

He began his professional career with Boise in the Northwest League in 1999 and went on to pitch for Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League in 2000. After attending the University of Hawai'i, he was a sixth round draft choice of the Angels in 1999.

Rasner, a 6-2 right-handed pitcher, pitched with Double A Harrisburg in 2005 before being called up to the Nationals. In his last four appearances with the Nationals, he didn't allow a run over 4.2 innings. At Harrisburg, he finished the year in 10th in the Eastern League with a 3.59 E.R.A.

In 2004 with Class A Brevard County, he had a 2-0 record with a 1.80 E.R.A. in April and in his last five starts went 4-0 with a 1.29 E.R.A. He made the Florida State League all-star game and eventually was called up to Harrisburg.

He finished with a 3.17 E.R.A. in Brevard County and finished the year with a combined 7-6 record and a 2.78 E.R.A. in Brevard County and Harrisburg. He ranked sixth in E.R.A. in the Florida State League and his 2.78 E.R.A. ranked third and his 105 strikeouts ranked sixth among Montreal Expo minor leaguers.

He spent 2003 in Savannah and began his professional career with Vermont in the New York-Penn League.

At the University of Nevada, the 1999 CHS graduate was named all-Big West first team and as a freshman All-American after winning a school record 14 games. He was named to the all-Western Athletic Conference second team in 2002.

His single season strikeout totals of 109, 97 and 96 rank second, sixth and seventh on Nevada's all-time list. He's the schoo's all-time leader in wins (28), innings pitched (341.0) and strikeouts (302). He was chosen by the Expos in the second round of the 2002 draft.