As the 2011 season churns forward and Elk Grove Babe Ruth's 50th season moves into its second full month of spring baseball, the standings begin to reflect some separation between teams. Hot starts become the fuel and momentum for extended runs; stumbles out of the gate force teams to reflect and work toward better days. Thus, looking to this Saturday's fourth Game of the Week, it might seem that the two opponents, the Volcanoes and the Redwings, are heading in completely different directions. But, although the standings belie the early dominance and struggles, respectively, of the two clubs, both enter Saturday night confident that better days are ahead.
 |
| Jacob Schanning has 22 K across 15 IP for the Volcanoes. |
"The key to their success is the tremendous ability to throw strikes, pitch to contact, and limit the number of pitches. Both are averaging about 12 pitches per inning," said Coach O'Brien. "[They] have proven to be a dynamite 1-2 combo on the mound."
Along with their pitching excellence early on, the Volcanoes also sport a potent offense littered with highly-skilled sluggers. At the heart of their attack is the intimidating Dominic Munoz, a powerful lefty who leads the club with a .626 average and 12 RBIs and who represented the team in last weekend's Len Willeford Home Run Derby. Setting the table for Munoz have been Schanning, who has scored 11 runs from the lead-off spot, and O'Brien, who is hitting .500 but has worked 7 walks for a gaudy .652 OBP. In addition to that strong trio, late addition Gyovanni Hernandez has also brought a lot to the table, joining a month late but contributing a .643 OBP that has been vital to their offensive success.
Coach O'Brien also noted the strong defensive performances of EGBR rookie Jacob Pensa, who has been a standout at second base all year, and Mason Splinter, one of the squad's Tyler Routt Mid-season All-Stars who, according to the coach, "works extremely hard in the outfield."
Battling the Volcanoes Saturday night will be the Redwings, sponsored by Gormley's Retirment Home and managed by Scott Gormley. Although their squad has had an extremely slow start to the season, there have been highlights and things are definitely looking up.
 |
| Coach Gormley talks strategy during a mound visit. |
"We have a great bunch of kids who are playing the game for the right reasons. We have come a long way since game one and we continue to improve," said Coach Gormley. "The first half has been tough due to our cold bats and a thin pitching rotation, [but] extra work and trial by fire have shown great improvement...The second half of the season should pay dividends."
Offensively, two of the Red Wings' bright spots have been 13-year-old Denis Delic and 15-year-old Jacob Medina. Delic is batting a robust .500 on the season and reaching base at a .670 clip to lead the team, while Medina has found a rhythm recently at the plate, crushing a triple and driving in 4 as part of a close 10-7 loss to the Beavers. Medina leads the team with 6 RBIs.
On the mound, Delic has also been a stalwart, throwing 14 innings and striking out 26 batters in the first half of the season. Tyler Lantsberger has also provided valuable innings for the Red Wings with 14 of his own to go with 18 strikeouts, stepping up on the mound after making only limited appearances on the hill last year.
"Both are young...and learning how to pitch at this level," noted Gormley. "But each game they get better."
In addition to the contributors above, the Red Wings are lead by Willie Gormley, who has recently been fighting through a chest injury while contributing excellent defense at second base. Gormley also has hit .600 this past week, and he has been crafty and effective on the mound when called upon. Defensively, Tristen Poston has been playing a dynamite centerfield and hustling, David Bustamante and Daniel Duhig are both growing into reliable targets at first base, and Isaac Lopez continues to hone his craft behind the plate.
"He takes a beating behind the plate but remains positive and gets better," said Gormley of Lopez.
Fans on Saturday night will be treated to a contest with many exciting questions to be answered. What kinds of fireworks can the Volcanoes offense provide? Might Munoz take advantage of the fierce winds at Bartholomew and put out the season's first Game of the Week round tripper? Can the Red Wings reverse their fortunes and claw out a win on the big stage under the lights? How will the pitching hold up?
