Game 3 Preview - Owlz vs. Beavers: 4/30/2011

Among a season celebrating the tradition and history of Elk Grove Babe Ruth, this Saturday’s third Game of the Week could not be more exciting as two league mainstays with playoff aspirations and veteran managers, the Routt Roofing Owlz and The Sports Shop Beavers, do battle in a scrap for early season supremacy—and bragging rights—at Bartholomew Sports Park.

In the first base dugout Saturday night will be the Routt Roofing Owlz, helmed by an accomplished coaching staff including Rick Venegas and Randy Kennicutt, both coaching stalwarts throughout the past seven years, a potent pair that guided the 2006 13-Year-Old all-star team to a District Championship, and Regan Roselli, Venegas' partner with the playoff-participant River Dogs last season. Sponsored by Routt Roofing’s Dave and Kathy Routt, two longtime supporters of the league and the parents of the late Tyler Routt, for whom the midseason all-star classic is named, this year’s Owlz squad features a star-studded rotation, a timely offense, and contributors up and down the lineup.

Sam Aragon has produced  in the lead-off spot.

At the plate, three Owlz truly stand out. EGBR rookie Austin Archuleta leads the team in hitting with a robust .455 average that includes a double and triple, but fellow rookie Michael Chappelle is not far behind with a .445 mark of his own. As well, sweet-swinging lefty Jack Roselli also is above .400, but has also shown tremendous discipline at the plate in drawing 6 walks, setting the table for the Owlz lineup en route to scoring a team-leading 7 runs.

Despite that potent trio of sluggers, though, the Owlz have also seen two other players in particular step up offensively so far this season. “Ethan Moreno…has demonstrated great fundamental skills…and…come up with key at-bats,” said Coach Venegas of yet another of his talented rookies. Another major force has been 15-year-old Sam Aragon, who has earned his way into the key role of table-setter. “Sam has stepped into the lead-off position, getting on base and driving in runs,” said Venegas. “[He] has stepped up his game.”

Ace Jacob Taylor features electric stuff on the mound.

Not to be forgotten, the Owlz also feature a deep and extremely talented pitching staff headed by returning all-stars Jacob Taylor and Roselli. Taylor, a right-handed flame-thrower that Venegas tabs as his team’s ace and who threw high-leverage innings for the Trojans as a rookie, has been extremely hot of late, striking out 8 hitters across 3 shutout innings. The southpaw Roselli has been the Owlz “consistent work horse” according to his coach, eating innings and keeping the team in games. And, last but not least, Chappelle has also been a huge asset on the hill, including 4 shutout innings in his last start. All three hurlers are expected to see time on the mound on Saturday.

Matching up with the Owlz are the The Sports Shop Beavers headed by Doug Penney in his tenth year as a key part of the Elk Grove Babe Ruth organization, along with his son, former EGBR all-star Donny Penney, and Brent Tetlow, a former East Sac Babe Ruth player himself. Although the Beavers’ season has featured some ups and downs in the early going, there is no doubt that their talented cast of players with awesome nicknames is on the verge of greatness.

The Bull takes a big cut against the Storm.

Offensively and defensively, any Beavers-centric conversation begins with the man known to most as The Bull: Salvador Martinez, the all-star slugger that has made a splash yet again for the boys in orange. So far this year, Bull is doing his thing at the plate with a .429 average and 8 RBI, while continuing to look sharp on the hill—in no game more than his last outing. In a game for the trivia books against the Volcanoes on April 27^th, the Bull threw 3 strong innings and struck out 10 batters, as he K’d the side in the first and second before punching out four in the third with one reaching on a wild play. His ERA sits at a microscopic 0.05 along with 31 strikeouts in just 14 innings of work.

"Rocket" Sutherland delivers a strike.

But, despite being a strong force, the Beavers are the farthest thing from a one-man show, as they feature a laundry list of strong performers. On the hitting side, rookie Ryan “”Rocket” Sutherland is hitting .615 early on, buoyed by a recent 5 for 5 evening against the Sand Gnats. Pesky contact artist Sean “Irish” O’Sullivan is at .571 himself with a few stolen bases, returning Beaver Greg “Spider” Teague has a .429 average of his own an 5 swipes as the team’s new lead-off man, and lefty clean-up man Brandon “Bash” Smith has bashed his way to a .562 average and 6 RBIs himself. In addition, rookie Walker Brown has been a terror on the bases en route to leading the team in steals, and Anthony “Sparky” Rivett has done the same, already having escaped three pickles without getting caught. Among the Beavers’ remaining hurlers, Sutherland has showed strikeout stuff early in the season with 11 in 8 innings pitched to go with a 4.37 ERA inflated by one subpar outing, and O’Sullivan has yet to be scored upon as the team’s closer and has hawked a relief victory already this year.

Although the Beavers are starting to find their stride, the early season has been rough due to the injury bug striking early and often. “The team [had] a tough start to the season when we had nine players…and [were] missing key guys,” noted Coach Penney. “We have bounced back, [but] now we want to show what a full team can do versus a good team. We are pointing to this as a special game.”

Propelled by an excellent match-up of two teams raring to go and priming themselves for playoff positioning, there will be something to watch for in all aspects of the game—pitching, defense, hitting, and coaching. And, with two well-known personalities at the helms, fans should expect quite the Saturday night treat.

“This is a classic matchup,” said Coach Venegas. “Two well-coached teams with aggressive styles of play.”

“The guys are jazzed about the ‘Game of the Week.’” said Penney. “We really have a point to prove on the big stage.”

Rockhounds Ride Potent Offense to Big Win Over Sand Gnats

 (Preview / Box Score)

Coming into Saturday night's contest between the Rockhounds and the Nissan of Elk Grove Sand Gnats, one knew that the Rockhounds' offense had the potential to turn any game into a blowout. But, on a night when a rookie hurler had their number early, it was actually a ten-run inning of wildness and bad hops that propelled the Rockhounds to a resounding 19-0 victory over the Sand Gnats.

Gregory Valencia delivers a first inning strike.

On a night when two of their key cogs, cleanup hitter Tanner Smith and ace Andrew Gale, were unavailable, the Sand Gnats were left in dire need of pitching, so Coach Eric Van Houten turned to original starting third basemen Gregory Valencia, who had not taken the mound before, in an effort to patch together a staff. What Valencia lacked in experience, though, he made up for with moxie and an effective fastball that kept the Rockhounds swinging and missing and generally looking uncomfortable at the plate. In the top of the first, Valencia took a few batters to get adjusted, walking lead-off man Matthew Flores and third place hitter Travis Lang before Yancey Portis began a huge night with a two-run double. But Valencia immediately settled down, striking out Angel Carrera and inducing a two-hop groundout to shortstop to strand Portis in scoring position. In the second, he was even better, surrendering only a bloop single to Joshua Richmond and a few walks, while benefiting from some excellent defense including a highlight-worthy running catch by centerfielder Jordan Driebe and another great throw from shortstop Dakota Lockhart. Richmond would score in the inning on the tail end of a double steal, but Valencia's outing was phenomenal, as he held the high-powered Rockhounds to just three runs in two innings.

Portis went 5 for 5 with 3 doubles and 6 RBI in the rout.

Unfortunately, when Valencia exited in the third, things quickly took a turn for the worse, as the Rockhounds batted around and tallied a ten-run inning that immediately took a 3-0 up for grabs game and transformed it into a rout. The inning began with Portis hitting his second double in as many ABs, before three of the next four batters reached via free passes. With the bases loaded, the ninth place hitter, Tanner Morrison, then brought bats back into the equation with a sharp two-run single to left that plated Terrell Turner and Anthony Mejia making it 7-0. After a pitching change, Flores clobbered a crisp RBI single to right, and then the Rockhounds' offense kept firing as dribblers and grounders alike found holes to keep the runs coming. Lang drove in two with a chopper just through the infield, Portis hit his third double--and second of the inning--for another run, and Turner drove in the final run of the frame with a fielders' choice to Lockhart at short. All in all, the inning featured seven hits, four walks, a hit batter, five passed balls, three errors, and an obstruction call that left the Sand Gnats on defense for over 35 minutes.

Ducay got the W with 4 shutout frames.

On the receiving end of that offensive support was young ace Kyle Ducay, who was sharp early to earn the win on the mound. Ducay struck out a pair in a nine pitch first inning but was otherwise in command without strikeout stuff across four shutout innings of work. In the second, he surrendered a line drive single to Jason Visesratana, but he escaped when Morrison made a great catch and throw double play from rightfield to double off Visesratana. After a 1-2-3 third inning, Ducay pitched around a sharp one-out single by Ricky Van Houten and Austin Carr's plunking to strand both in scoring position with his final strikeout of the night. Ducay needed only 46 pitches and faced only two batters over the minimum in an impressive day on the mound.

The Sand Gnats threatened in the last of the fifth, when Driebe walked, moved to third on an error by the pitcher, and Austin Aguiar walked and stole second base. But, as was the case for much of the day, the bounces didn't go the Sand Gnats' way and a wild pitch caromed neatly off the backstop to the new catcher Mejia, who caught Aguiar advancing to third after Driebe was forced to hold, defusing the threat and ending the contest.

For the Rockhounds, the star of the show was Portis, who produced a gaudy, video game worthy stat line. Including his three doubles in the first three innings, Portis was 5 for 5 with 6 RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base, proving an unstoppable force out of the cleanup spot. Morrison was 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs and two stolen bases, Kevin Brase scored twice, Lang had two hits and four RBI, and Richmond finished 2 for 4 himself. In addition, Ducay crossed home four times on a night when every Rockhound player reached base and scored a run for the Rockhounds.

Although they were shutout, the Sand Gnats were plucky and positive, providing a rousing sing-along to Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" in addition to their work between the lines. Lockhart played superb defense at shortstop and pitched a solid fifth inning, Van Houten struck out a pair in 1 2/3 innings of much needed relief--in addition to collecting one of the team's two hits--and, moving behind the plate for the final two innings, Timothy Sanborn had the crowd cheering his name with some excellent blocking while showcasing a contagious passion for the game. 

After taking a week off for Elk Grove Unified School District's Spring Break, the Game of the Week will return in fifteen days with an exciting match-up of teams that have recently found their stride as the TPC Law Beavers will square off against the Routt Roofing Owlz in a battle of teams with playoff aspirations. As always, we hope you will join us for another night of great baseball and a playoff-atmosphere as we celebrate 50 years of Elk Grove Babe Ruth!

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.

River Cats Run Wild, Top Raptors 8-4

 ( Preview / Box Score )

The River Cats' Ben Moore gets a big lead at first.

On a frigid night at Bartholomew where icy winds were blowing out, one might have expected offensive fireworks to warm things up a bit. But, although the first opening day game had the potential for a power display, it turned out to be dominant pitching and aggressive base-running that stole the show and propelled the Valley Farm Transport River Cats to an 8-4 victory over the Raptors Saturday night.

Despite both teams riding the momentum of big wins on their respective opening days, it was the River Cats who stayed hot in the early going with a patient approach at the plate and the opposite on the bases. In the top half of the first alone, the River Cats set the tempo for the contest by drawing four walks and swiping five bases against the Raptors' hard-throwing southpaw starting pitcher Jeff Roberts. The base runners and their penchant for stealing early and often worked to perfection, as it put pressure on the Raptors defense (leading to three miscues) and allowed the River Cats to plate four runs in the frame despite Roberts striking out the side.

The Raptors' Jeff Roberts looks to pick at first base.

"Early in the season its important to build confidence in a young team," said third base coach Doug Scott. "We felt that the Raptors have a great pitching staff...[but] if we could put pressure on their defense, we could steal a few runs. Kind of a throw back."

In the second, it was much of the same, as the River Cats chased Roberts by opening the inning with three walks and a hit batsmen, setting the table for cleanup man Thomas Marini who greeted righty reliever Andrew Davidson with a two run single to center that made the score an imposing 7-0. After allowing a sharp single to Nate Haley, Davidson did settle the Raptors down and keep them within striking distance, allowing only a single run (on a third inning double by Christian Scott) while striking out two over 1 2/3 solid innings of relief.

Winning pitcher Thomas Marini delivers a pitch in another dominant start.

Unfortunately for the Raptors, Davidson and fellow right-hander Ethan Roberts, who spun two hitless innings with four punch-outs himself, had entered too late, as the River Cats' lead proved insurmountable thanks to their own strong performance on the mound. After drawing the opening day start and leading his team to victory on Thursday, southpaw Thomas Marini picked up right where he left off with a pair of scoreless innings. In the first, Marini struck out a pair of lefties and benefited from Roberts getting caught trying to steal home, but in the second, the lefty did it all himself by tying the all-time baseball record with four strikeouts in the inning, pitching around two walks and a wild-pitch strikeout to strike out the side and prevent the Raptors from closing the gap by even a run. The dominant outing pushed Marini's season line to eye-popping levels: in five innings pitched, he has yet to allow a hit or run while striking out thirteen hitters.

Relieving Marini was Christian Scott, who moved over from shortstop to take the hill and finished the game. After starting the third inning with a punchout, Scott got into a little trouble, as Ethan Roberts clobbered a triple to center field for the Rapters' first hit, before wildness ended the shutout bid as three walks and a hit batter brought two runs across and left the score 8-2. But, with the bases loaded and two outs, Scott buckled down and got the big strike out he needed to keep his team in control. Scott then carried that performance into the fourth inning which saw him strike out the side in order, including the last two looking.

In the fifth, though, with the time already expired, the Raptors clawed back and looked poised to make a game of it when Jeff Roberts hit a two run single off Scott that closed the deficit to four and left the tying run only a few hitters away. But, that momentum swing was short-lived, as Jimmy Roberts roped Scott's next pitch to first base, where the River Cats' Jared Lugo snared it and alertly stepped on first base for a double play that dashed the Raptors' comeback hopes.

Jared Lugo takes a big turn while Michael Reese waits for the cutoff throw.

For the River Cats, Austin Magdaleno was a dynamic force from the two-spot in the order with a single, three walks, and five stolen bases en route to scoring twice, while catcher Jake Pfau and second basemen Justin Blanton also swiped a pair of bags each. Jared Unmacht, Ben Moore, Marini, and Scott all scored runs as well, with Pfau crossing home twice himself.

The Raptors' offense was less productive than their opponents', but it nevertheless had its highlights. Shortstop Michael Reese worked two walks (including a marathon nine-pitch AB in the fifth), stole two bags, and scored twice, while Wesley Carpenter was a pitcher's nightmare himself in walking twice, including an RBI free pass and a stolen base. The Roberts brothers collected both Raptors hits, with Ethan scoring twice and Jeff driving in a pair late, and Ethan played great defensively in centerfield, gobbling up a trio of high shallow pop ups in the middle innings.

In our second Game of the Week on April 16th, fans will be treated to an exciting match-up as the explosive offense of the Rockhounds squares off against a feisty Sand Gnats squad. We hope to see you out there!

Game 1 Preview - River Cats vs. Raptors: April 9, 2011

With the 2011 season only days old, Elk Grove Babe Ruth’s initial Saturday night Game of the Week nevertheless promises an exciting match-up as the Valley Farm Transport River Cats square off against the Raptors at Bartholomew Park.

The River Cats, helmed by two-time championship coaches Joe Matlen and Rodney Osborne, are looking to start the season a sparkling 2-0 despite the injury bug striking early and often in this young season. On Thursday, the River Cats handled the Thunder 9-4, but the strong performance came in spite of a decided numbers disadvantage, as the team had only eight healthy players due to recent injuries to Benjamin Pigg and Ben Moore. This left the team undermanned but not overwhelmed by any means, as the strong pitching of southpaw hurlers Thomas Marini and Austin Magdaleno made their season opener successful. Marini was particularly impressive in drawing the opening day start, striking out seven Thunder hitters over three hitless innings. Marini also collected a trio of hits at the plate in as many at-bats, helping pace an offense that also saw contributions from Christian Scott, who went 2/2 with a double, and Magdaleno, who notched a pair of hits himself.

Looking to Saturday, Coach Osborne spoke about his team’s ability to rebound and handle adversity. “We lost our last scrimmage game 18-0 and came back with determination and won Thursday's night game…with only 8 players,” said Osborne. “I am looking forward to the game!”

Coach Matlen agreed with his partner's assessment while lamenting the circumstances that will keep him away from Bartholomew Park. “I can only say that I am bummed to miss the game; [I’m] attending a cheer-leading tournament in Anaheim this weekend with my wife and daughter, who is competing.”

In the other dugout, the Raptors are guided by rookie skippers Jeff Hansen and Ryan Hall, both EGBR alumni, and they have also started their season on a strong note, taking their opener 15-1 with a decisive victory over the Red Wings. Hard-throwing lefty Brandon Malonson went three strong innings to lead the Raptors on the hill while backing an offense paced by the Roberts brothers, Ethan, Jeff, and Jim, returning traveling all-stars Andrew Davidson and Michael Reese, and impressive EGBR rookie Jacob Alvidrez, among others.

Both squads are playing things close to the vest and not tipping their hands to Saturday strategy, but the match-up should be an exciting one to kick off the season!