Game 2 Preview - Rockhounds vs. Sand Gnats, 4/16/2011

After a coach's hectic schedule and early Spring Break vacations put the game status in jeopardy for a few days, two of Elk Grove Babe Ruth's hottest teams will indeed square off on Saturday night, as the hard-hitting Rockhounds will take on the Nissan of Elk Grove Sand Gnats in the second Game of the Week.

 

Yancy Portis leads the Rockhounds' offensive attack

Although the season is still in its infancy, it's safe to say that the Rockhounds have the potential to be an offensive juggernaut--if they're not already. Coming into the second week hitting a robust .362 as a team with 28 runs scored, the Rockhounds, Coached by Rodney Portis, have feasted on opposing pitchers. Leading the offensive attack has been Yancey Portis, a 2010 14-Year-Old all-star who has become a devastating speed and power combination for his squad. Portis is hitting .571 with 6 RBI already, consistently driving the ball with authority, while also wrecking havoc on the basepaths with 6 stolen bases. Unfortunately for opponents, Portis isn't the only threat, as Terrell Turner (.500, 3B, 4 RBI), Angel Carerra (.740, 4 SB), and Travis Lang (.500, 5 SB) all sport gaudy numbers early as well amid an offensive lineup that also features contributors up and down the order, including 2010 13-Year-Old all-star Anthony Mejia who went 2 for 3 in a big win over the Knights, and Joshua Richmond, whose big two-RBI triple delivered his team a 4-2 lead and subsequent victory over the Hooks.

Backing up that awesome lineup have been an enviable cast of hurlers. Righties Kyle Ducay, Portis, and Carrera have teamed up with crafty southpaw Matthew Flores to form a strong staff that has helped propel the Rockhounds to the torrid 3-0 start. In game 1 it was Ducay and Flores teaming up to take down the Beavers; in game 2 it was Portis and Carrera with the tandem-takedown of the Knights, and in game 3, Flores contributed 3 sharp innings, and a bullpen of Turner, Carrera, and Portis held down the Hooks in a tight 4-4 contest that will be finished at the end of the season. Despite this strong collection of arms, Coach Portis was decisive in talking about his pitching for the big game. "Kyle Ducay will get the start...and Yancey Portis will close."

On the other side of the field are the Nissan of Elk Grove Sand Gnats who have reversed course after a tepid start to the year against a loaded schedule. After back-to-back losses to open the season against two elite squads in the Hooks and Volcanoes, the Sand Gnats, coached by 2010 13-Year-Old all-star coach Eric Van Houten, righted their ship on Tuesday with a solid win 8-5 against the Storm. Backed by solid pitching from 2010 14-Year-Old all-star right-hander Dakota Lockhart and reliever Andrew Gale, the Sand Gnats were able to hold off the Storm in an otherwise tight contest.

In addition to Lockhart and Gale, the Sand Gnats have gotten pitching from up and down their roster so far this year. On opening night it was Jordan Driebe, 2010 13-Year-Old all-star Ricky Van Houten, and Gale firing strikes against the Hooks, while their second game brought the season debut of former River Dogs' hurler Austin Carr on the mound versus the Volcanoes. The Sand Gnats have not yet announced their pitching staff for Saturday night, with games still to be played in the interim, but fans can expect to see a variety of styles and sizes on the mound trying to suppress the Rockhounds' offense.

On the offensive side, the Sand Gnats feature a number of offensive weapons hoping to give Ducay and Portis fits. Lockhart has tremendous power and pure hitting ability, Van Houten knows how to handle the bat and run the bases, and Tanner Smith, a former River Cat that played in the championship game last year, is an extra-base hitting machine. 

Although the game looks to be a classic, circumstances were such that the game was in limbo early in the week. But, thanks to some re-scheduling and furious work on the telephone, both teams should be good to go. "I will be there," said Coach Van Houten. "I wouldn't feel right not coaching my boys."

In addition to the great baseball, fans will be treated to the National Anthem being performed by local singer Alyssa Lumba, a two-time Franklin Idol runner-up.