Dan Gakeler, of Lexington, North Carolina, was a pitcher for the Vikings from 1982-84 under Head Coach Butch Miller. Playing for MCCC was just the start. Gakeler went on to a 12-year professional career, including a season with the Detroit Tigers in 1991.
A life-long athlete, Gakeler grew up in Burlington Township, where he played football, basketball and baseball. After graduating from Rancocas Valley Regional High School, he played two seasons for the Mercer Vikings. Even as a student-athlete at MCCC, Gakeler was already drawing attention from Major League Baseball: in 1983 he was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers and in 1984 by the Boston Red Sox.
Gakeler ultimately signed with the Boston Red Sox as a pitcher for its minor league team in Elmira, New York. Over the course of his professional career, he played in the minor league organizations of three MLB teams: the Boston Red Sox, the Montreal Expos, and the Detroit Tigers. In his 1991 Big League season with Detroit, he was a starter and relief pitcher, appearing in 31 games.
After his playing career, Gakeler was a pitching coach for four years before retiring from professional baseball in 1998.
He currently works for AAA as a claims manager. He has two grown daughters, Shelby and Lane, and one grandson, JD.
