Sports Briefs: Former Vaquero Gailen signs with Dodgers

Glendale Community College standout heads back to pros

It’s a step up in professional baseball for Glendale Community College baseball product Blake Gailen.

The outfielder, who last played for the Vaqueros in 2005, signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday and was assigned to double-A affiliate Tulsa.

“Proud and humbled to announce that my contract is being purchased by the LA Dodgers,” Gailen noted on Instagram. “Excited to start this new chapter of my career!”

Gailen spent parts of the past three seasons playing independent baseball for the Lancaster Barnstormers in Indiana, while he was also a player on Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic.

“Blake has been very valuable to us from day one,” stated manager Ross Peeples in a Lancaster Barnstormers press release. “We are proud of him, but we will miss him. He is well deserving of this opportunity.”

Through 54 games this season with the Barnstormers, Gailen batted .323 with 62 hits, eight homers, 14 doubles, 30 runs batted in and 39 runs.

Gailen will be returning to the minor leagues with previous stops with the Los Angeles Angels (2011, 2015) and Toronto Blue Jays (2013) organizations. The 32-year-old also spent time in the Mexican League.

Passarella offers summer camp

Glendale resident Tony Passarella will offer a 10-week basketball/fitness camp that will be held Thursdays through Aug. 24.

The camp, geared for ages 5-10, will be held at Pacific Park Community Center’s gymnasium, 501 S. Pacific Ave., Glendale.

The cost is $100 per person. The sessions will run from 4 to 4:50 p.m. (ages 5-7) and 5 to 5:50 (ages 7-10).

For more information, contact Passarella at (818) 548-4098 or at coachtonyshoops@gmail.com.

Glendale seeks JV girls’ tennis coach

Glendale High is seeking a junior varsity girls’ tennis coach for the upcoming season.

The season runs Aug. 10-Nov. 1.

For more information, contact coach Tom Gossard at tgossard@gusd.net or at (818) 425-7508.