LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Rockford RiverHawks' top base-stealing threat is coming back for another season.

The team announced Monday that it had re-signed infielder Jono Brooks. Brooks, a Bridgewawter College graduate, stole a team-high 30 bases and batted .221 with seven home runs and 27 RBI during the 2009 season with Rockford. Brooks was caught stealing just four times, a success rate of 88 percent, second in the Frontier League.

"Jono's always been one of my favorite players because he's real consistent with what he does," manager Bob Koopmann said. "He wants to play every day and he's in the lineup every day."

Brooks has been the team's starting shortstop since July 2007. In that time, he has a .948 fielding percentage. Brooks missed more than two weeks because of injury in 2008. Despite playing in seven more games in 2009, he committed six fewer errors and a career-best .961 fielding percentage. Brooks made just two errors in the season's first six weeks and committed a total of 16 for the season.

During his first season with Rockford, Brooks hit for a .299 average. In 2008, he finished with a .259 batting average.

"His defense has improved every year he's been with us," Koopmann said. "I'm real glad that he's going to be back as a part of our ballclub."

This year, the Riverhawks will be playing their first season in the Northern League.

- Courtesy of Rockford Riverhawks Website