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Little has changed in Columbia since Alex Derhak last visited in mid-June as a member of the Florence Freedom, save the makeup of the local nine.

“The (Regency) hotel was right in the middle of downtown,Paris Saint Germain shirt, right in the middle of all the action,” said Derhak, the new Mavericks’ catcher. “I didn’t play when we came here, so I don’t know much about the field. I remember the wind was blowing dead out to right like it is today.”

One of four new players that joined Mid-Missouri over the All-Star break, Derhak batted eighth in Monday’s 5-4 win over Windy City. The game began a stretch in which the Mavericks play 12 of their next 15 games at Taylor Stadium,Lazio shirt, where they stand 7-16.

Derhak entered the game hitting .286 as a Maverick, which included a three-run home run in his first game with the team Friday at Gateway.

He thought Columbia might be a possible destination when Florence released him 10 days ago. An injury forced Matt Oakes to retire and rookie Ryan Kottke was cut after hitting .188 in five games.

“They needed a catcher because Oakes had broke his thumb and had to leave,” Derhak said. “I don’t know who the other guy was, but it didn’t work out.”

He will split the catching duties with Jesse Bogan and try to turn around a pitching staff whose 6.55 team ERA was the worst in the 12-team Frontier League before Monday.

Right-hander Damien Dantibo, 19, made a bid to lower that mark in his first professional start. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.

Dantibo (1-0) started this season pitching for the Golden Golds, a minor league team in Japan where his girlfriend lives.

“I tried out and made it,Football shirts,” he said before the game, his brevity shining through.

He returned home to Oregon last month and signed with the Mavericks five days ago. He said it was difficult to adjust to Japanese culture. One cultural aspect seemed to stay with him: he gave a modest bow after his postgame remarks.

During the All-Star break last week, his agent offered to fly in with Dantibo for a tryout. They would fly back if Mid-Missouri (17-31) manager Jim Gentile was unimpressed.

That wasn’t the case.

“Jim’s real high on him,”second baseman Dusty Hillman said before the game. “He said he’s got good command and throws strikes.”

Those skills weren’t apparent in the early going. Dantibo’s first two pitches were breaking balls that missed on the outside corner to left-handed ThunderBolts leadoff man Doug Scutt.

Though Dantibo battled back to strike out the Windy City (15-34) center fielder and also fanned designated hitter Jason Crosland, his first inning wasn’t flawless. Two walks and a single in the frame led to a run and gave the 719 fans in attendance a first impression of a wild pitcher.

Another new acquisition, left fielder Brian Baker, provided the run support. His three-run home run over the Steak ‘n Shake sign in left center field 370-feet away capped the scoring in the fifth inning.

Dantibo, showing poise typically unbecoming of a player in his situation,Kaizer Chiefs shirt, made it hold up.

“If you’re scared, you’re not going to do very well,” he said. “If I’m nervous that’s going to show in the way I pitch.”