Younkin prepared to fly even higher as GM of Stealth

By DAVE RASBACH
Valley Press Staff Writer

Lancaster JetHawks President Mike Ellis announced Thursday that Younkin, who has served as the JetHawks' assistant general manager the past two seasons, will be the first general manager of the Lancaster Stealth of the California Fall League.

"I'm real excited about this," Younkin said. "It's a great opportunity for me. It will give me some new responsibilities and allow me the chance to work with some areas I haven't focused on as much, such as the budget."

Younkin will continue to fulfill his assistant general manager duties with the JetHawks during the Cal League season. Once the inaugural California Fall League campaign begins Sept. 23, he will work closely with JetHawks Vice President and General Manager Matt Ellis in the day-to-day operations of the Stealth.

"Kevin has been an integral part of the Lancaster JetHawks organization from its inception and deserves this opportunity to be general manager of the Stealth," Mike Ellis said in a press release. "He is one of the bright managerial stars of the future in professional baseball and we feel lucky to have him on our management team."

Younkin, 29, joined the organization in 1995 as an intern for the Riverside Pilots. When the franchise moved to Lancaster, he was asked to move with it and served as the account executive for group sales in 1996.

Younkin then became the director of ticketing in 1997 before his promotion to assistant general manager for the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

"It's been great working with the Ellises and learning the right way to run a minor league franchise," Younkin said.

Now he will get his chance to try his hand at it during the fall league.

"We're going to do a lot of the same things we do with the JetHawks promotion-wise," Younkin said. "But we're going to try to put more of the focus on the play on the field and the caliber of play."

Uploaded August 6, 1999