Saints Baseball 2009!

Coaches Celebrate Sweep

2009-06-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

Coach Hastings, Coach Lakey, Coach Overstreet and Coach Walk are all smiles after both GSL teams swept their Jamboree doubleheaders. (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Break Out the Brooms!

2009-06-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Saints complete the two-game sweep at the ESCRA Jamboree.

The Ringers

2009-06-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Since the James Gang was playing short-handed due to vacation schedules, a couple of Hubermen helped us fill out the lineup -- including J.D. and Avery, seen here with Coach Huber. (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Coach's New Fungo

2009-06-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

Every coach needs a fungo bat! (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Coach Celebrates Birthday

2009-06-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Saints surprised coach with a birthday party in between Jamboree games. (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Game Ball

2009-06-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Saints present the coach with a game ball signed by all the studs! (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Batting Champ

2009-06-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

Owen is all smiles after going 5 for 5 with two home runs in the Jamboree twin bill. (courtesy of Becca Howell)

Taking a Breather

2009-06-08T07:34:00.000-07:00

Some of the Saints take a break in between Jamboree games. (courtesy of Becca Howell)

How Sweep It Is

2009-06-06T23:08:00.000-07:00

The Saints wrapped up the 2009 season in grand fashion by sweeping a doubleheader Saturday afternoon with a 10-1 romp over Grace Evangelical and a 7-3 grinder against Holy Communion.

The stud among studs for the day was Owen, who went 5 for 5 with two home runs and six RBI in the split twin bill played at Holy Communion.

The noon game was no contest as Grace Evangelical struggled to put metal on the ball, striking out eight times in the three-inning game. The Dragons only managed to put five balls in play.

The Anchormen had no such trouble. Nino got things started with a bleeder to second, and the Reds jumped out to an early lead when Owen stroked his first dinger of the season to straight-away center. Whit grounded out to the shortstop on a bang-bang play, and T-Dog legged out anubber to the pitcher. After Brian popped up to the mound, Berent brought his three-at bat hit streak to the dish and smashed a RBI double to right. Eubank whiffed to end the inning.

The Dragons whiffed their way out of the first.

Khalid fanned to start the Saints' half of the second and Avery -- on loan from the Hubermen -- beat out a grounder to short for an infield knock. Nino nubbed another one to second that he beat out while the second baseman tried unsuccessfully to tag the speedy Avery. Owen hit a shot to third base that resulted in an overthrow at first, scoring Avery, moving Nino to third and allowing Owen to stroll to second. Whit scooted one by the first baseman for a RBI single. Walk whiffed and Brian stroked a single to center, scoring Owen. Berent extended his hit streak by legging out a slow roller to the pitcher. Eubank popped up to the pitcher for the final out.

The Dragons threatened to get something started when their first two lumbermen got base knocks, but the next three batters fanned.

Khalid led off the top of the third with a K and J.D. -- another loaner who replaced Avery in the lineup -- pounded a double to left. Nino scorched one to short and beat it out for his third infield hit of the day. Owen stroked another one to third, and then took second on an error by the first baseman. Whit dumped a RBI single into center and after Walk whiffed, Brian hit his second consecutive RBI single to center. Berent kept the rally going with his sixth consecutive hit, scoring Whit. Eubank whiffed to end the inning.

With the score 10-zip, the Dragons had been slain. But they took their final at-bat and bravely started a rally. They started the inning with yet another K, but the No 2 hitter swatted a double to left, stunning the Anchormen momentarily. Brian botched a grounder at second, but he hung tight and atoned for the sin on the very next batter with a strong 4-3 putout, which scored Grace Evangelical's only run. The game ended, appropriately, with a strikeout.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

With the next game an hour away, the Saints surprised the coach with a birthday cake, an autographed baseball and a fungo bat. After stuffing their faces with cake and ice cream, the studs christened the fungo with a very productive practice before the back-end of the doubleheader.

The final game of the season pitted the Saints against the Holy Communion team that they had beat 8-0 in the second game of the season.

The game started ominously when Holy Communion's first batter put the ball in play and Nino booted it at second. T-Dog pounced on a roller to the mound for a 1-3 putout that moved the runner to second. Another roller to second was bobbled and the runner took home aggressively while the batter remained at first. The next batter smoked one to Whit at shortstop and he raced the runner to second, making the putout despite a textbook take-out slide by the Holy Communion speedster. After a hard shot to third put runners on first and second with two outs, Whit scooped up a grounder and fired to first for the third out.

But the Anchormen had been put on notice: Holy Communion was going to hit and run aggressively and play a hard-nosed brand of baseball.

As usual, Nino got things started with a shot to third that he legged out for his fourth infield hit of the day. Owen, who was really on top of his game, erased the 1-0 deficit with a two-run dinger to center, his second of the day. Whit followed that with a stroke to center. Walk K'd but Brian dumped another one in center. And Berent extended his at-bat streak to seven with a RBI single to center. The rally ended with Ks by Eubank and Khalid.

Holy Communion led off the top of the second with a K, but their No. 8 hitter slugged one to center that scooted by the defending Angel in the outfield for a home run, making the score a very uncomfortable 3-2. But two Ks sandwiching an infield single ended the inning.

With a 3-2 lead, the Anchormen realized they were in for a dog fight. And when Jack -- the third loaner from the Hubermen -- was robbed on a liner to second, the fun and games came to an abrupt halt on the Saints' bench. Nino went to work with a single to center and Owen tapped one to second that he legged out for a base knock. With runners on first and second and a frightening one-run lead, Whit relieved his teammates, coaches and fans with a bases-clearing three-bagger to center. Walk ended his mini-slump by legging out a roller to the mound, scoring Whit. Brian imitated Walk with another tapper to the mound.Berent ended his seven-at bat hit streak with a whiff, but Eubank picked him up with a slow roller to second that scored Walk. Khalid's struggles continued with a K.

The 7-2 lead was better than 3-2 but was not secure by any means. A six-run mercy rule inning by the hot-hitting Holy Communion batsmen could end the Anchormen's season on the sourest of notes. And when the leadoff batter smoked a double to center, followed by a infield hit to second and a line drive single to left by the third hitter of the inning, it was suddenly nail-biting time again. But a K, a 1-3 putout and another K ended the game.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

Thus, the Saints finished a splendid season at 8-1. A season nobody wanted to see come to an end. It was a scrappy team that always played hard, continued improving throughout the season and displayed the best of sportsmanship in the face of some lopsided victories. The one loss of the season was arguably the best game the studs played because they showed a never-say-die attitude that fans on both sides of the diamond were forced to notice and admire.

A tip of the hat and a wink of the eye to these boys of summer. Great things will surely follow them in seasons to come.

Go Saints!

A Crooked Number in the W Column

2009-06-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

The Saints improved to 6-1 with an 18-12 win over Holy Communion -- the same team that dealt the Anchormen their lone defeat of the season. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Uh oh. Loose Ball!

2009-06-02T23:03:00.001-07:00

Three infielders struggling for the egg never leads to anything good -- and it didn't here in the fourth inning. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Whit Digs Out Dinger

2009-06-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

Whit rounds third on his two-run bomb in the second. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Eubank Brakes!

2009-06-02T22:57:00.001-07:00

After slamming a double to left, Eubank skids to a stop. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Berent Rides Hot Streak

2009-06-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Berent bumps his average up to .625 with a 3 for 3 game with 2 runs, a double and a ribbie. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Grand Salami

2009-06-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Zach jacks the Anchormen's first slammie of the season while his teammates rush to congratulate him on achieving every ballplayer's dream: a home run with the bases juiced! (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Grand Salami Routs Holy Communion

2009-06-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

Hot, tired and generally lethargic, the Saints arrived at Holy Communion Tuesday afternoon only to be confronted by those early season purveyors of anguish: the Coach Cox-led Holy Communion team that inflicted the 11-10 Heartbreaker at Snowden Field back in early May.

Resolved to the avenge their lone defeat of the season -- the one blemish standing between them and a perfect regular season record -- the Anchormen did what they have done all season: wielded the lumber with malicious intent.

Nino the Firestarter did what he always does: got the rally started out of the gates with a seeing-eye grounder past the pitcher. Owen followed with an infield knock to short. With the bases getting cluttered, Whit scooted one past short for the inning's third consecutive single. With Sonny menacingly pounding the plate with his Thunderstick, clearly intent on mauling whatever pitched ball tried to sneak by him, everybody in the park was paying attention.

But Sonny just missed his pitch and legged out an RBI-single to short. As Sonny took his place at first, the Holy Communion bench sighed in relief, fully aware that that transaction could have proven far more costly than it did.

Then Zach strode to the plate, straddled the batter's box and went salami -- the Anchormen's first grand slam of the season. It was a no-doubter on contact: he slapped a hard liner down the first base line and well past the right fielder. Owen could walk home, and Whit only needed a light jog. But Sonny had to hoof it hard to stay ahead of Zach, whose long-legged strides had him rounding third before the right fielder had run down the ball.

T-Dog whiffed on some beautiful cuts, but Brian cranked a hard one to short for an infield hit. Berent drove home the mercy rule-inducing sixth run of the inning with a smoking double to left.

In a rosin bag, that is the story of the James Gang's year at the plate: the sluggers have mashed 131 hits in 199 at-bats for a .658 average while outscoring their opponents 90-39 -- a per-game run differential of 13-6. So while their lumber has been an awe-inspiring weapon, their leather has not been too shabby as they have held their opponents to 51 fewer runs than they've scored.

But when Holy Communion came to the plate in the first inning, the Saints were flashing back to May 14 when the Cox Nine whiffed a mere two times while methodically adding crooked numbers to the scoreboard on a barrage of singles and GSL fielding errors. The Anchormen were determined not to let that happen again.

Nino fielded a hot shot at second but had to put it in his pocket. After an untimely K by the No. 2 hitter, the No. 3 hitter stroked a ball that scooted by T-Dog in center for an RBI-double. After a shot to right skipped past Khalid for an RBI-single, the Saints recorded another Whit-to-Owen, pitcher-to-first putout. Then Owen scooped up a slow roller for the third out of the inning.

While pleased with only allowing two runs, the Saints' halos were chapped by two errors that led to two runs. It is a law of baseball physics: errors lead to runs.

With the bottom of the lineup at the dish in the top of the second, Eubank got another rally started with a shot to left that put him on the keystone thanks to some good hustle. Nino got a rare RBI from the one-hole with a double to right that scored Eubank. Owen hit another shot to left, scoring Nino on a single. And then Whit stepped up and launched a beautifully-arched, two-run rainmaker, his second dinger of the year.

After scorching one just foul of third base, Sonny poked one to right for a single -- a beautiful job of hitting. With two strikes, he shortened his swing and took it the other way. Zach experienced the humbling nature of this game when he whiffed unceremoniously just an inning after hitting the jackpot amid hoots and hollers. And don't talk to T-Dog about humbling -- despite some textbook cuts at the ball, he whiffed for the second consecutive time for the third out of the inning.

At 10-2 heading into the home half of the second, it was perfectly clear what the Saints had to do: catch the ball, throw the ball. But they weren't given the opportunity as the Holy Communion team that only whiffed twice during the entire four innings on May 14, whiffed three times in the first eight batters. Whit snagged a soft grounder for the third out, and the Saints notched a shut-out inning -- every bit as important as its polar opposite, the six-run mercy rule inning.

Finally being able to breathe easy with a 10-2 third inning lead, the Saints immediately began staging another offensive rally with singles by Brian, Berent and Khalid sandwiching a whiff by Eubank. Nino recorded a productive ground-out to first by driving in Eubank -- for another rare RBI from the No. 1 slot. Owen tapped one past the pitcher that scored a hustling Berent. But Whit suffered a painful 7-pitch whiff.

A 12-2 lead in the bottom of the third spawned a false sense of security among the sunflower seed-obsessed Anchormen. When the baseball gods peer down on one of their magnificent diamonds (or even one of their not-so-magnificent diamonds), they are quick to notice any disrespect of the game. And hell hath no fury like a baseball god disrespected.

The Saints took the field in the third frame under an ominous sign -- the coach inadvertently fielded the fourth-inning defensive unit instead of the third-inning squad, on oversight that disrupted the team's karma. Five fielding errors and six runs later, the stunned Saints were huddled dazed and confused on the first base line as the coach pleaded for the Anchormen to focus on catching the ball and throwing the ball.

12-8 was clearly unacceptably close, and the baseball gods -- apparently satisfied with the mercy-rule spanking handed to the chastised Saints -- blessed the Good Guys with Sonny Thunderstick leading off the inning. When Sonny steps to the plate and pounds the dish with that threatening grimace , mothers in the stands twitch with a protective urge to fetch their sons from any potential path No. 52 may choose to send his rocket launches.

Having sprayed the ball all over the field thus far, Sonny locked in left field for his fourth-inning scorcher. When the smoke cleared and Holy Communion still had 10 relatively unharmed boys in the field, mothers exhaled in relief.

While Sonny carries a big stick, he also tends to clog the bases -- but Zach had an answer for that in the first with his slammie. Now, in the fourth, he looked to ease Sonny's path home again, this time by belting a triple to right field.

T-Dog took the dreaded hat trick with his third whiff of the game, and his evident disgust was in danger of spreading along the bench. But Brian picked up his teammate with a timely, beautiful stroke to center to score Zach. At 14-8 the Saints were butter -- they were on a roll. Both Berent and Eubank legged out bleeders to second with Eubank scoring Brian. Khalid whiffed and Nino continued making the case that RBI from the one hole are not that rare after all with a two-run triple to left. Owen triggered the mercy rule with an RBI-single to center.

At 18-8 in the home half of the final inning, Holy Communion was batting for pride because there would be no winner, winner, chicken dinner for them on this night. And with no way to lose the game, the Saints lollygagged the final frame by giving up four runs on five hits and an error. It appeared that the only thing that would stop the Holy Communion bats was the mercy rule, but they stopped themselves with two more Ks to end the game.

It started with a bang, was full of moments of brilliance and was marred by its share of blemishes, but it was a game in which each of the 10 Saints battled heat and exhaustion, man upped for four innings against a scrappy baseball team and reached deep for that little extra something to finish the regular season on a high note en route to a 6-1 record.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

Game Leaders:
Owen: 4/4, 4 runs, 3 RBI, 2 putouts, assist
Sonny: 3/3, 2 runs, RBI
Brian: 3/3, 3 runs, RBI
Berent: 3/3, 2 runs, double, RBI
Nino: 3/4, 3 runs, double, triple, 4 RBI, assist
Zach: 2/3, grand slam, triple, 5 RBI, 2 runs, putout
Whit: 2/3, 2 runs, 2-run homer run, 2 RBI, 2 putouts, assist

Man of the Hour

2009-05-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

A very happy Khalid relaxes with a snack after his big game Thursday. He went 2 for 3 with a run and a ribbie. (courtesy Becca and Lang Howell)

Snacks After a W!

2009-05-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Harris and Brian enjoy after-game snacks. (courtesy Becca and Lang Howell)

Another W for the Saints!

2009-05-28T22:57:00.000-07:00

The Saints take their record to 5-1 with a 16-10 romp at First Evangelical. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Textbook Relay

2009-05-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Leftfielder Sonny fields a grounder and throws a strike to second sacker Brian, who was alertly covering the bag for a perfect relay. Awesome play, fellas!

Patrolling the Daisies

2009-05-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Shortstop Zach retreats as leftfielder Wendell makes a play on a ball in the second inning. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

The Slugger

2009-05-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sonny extended his hit streak to 12 consecutive at-bats before grounding out to the pitcher in his final trip to the dish Thursday. His streak had him hitting clean-up and he made good: 2 for 3 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

A Three-fer

2009-05-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Berent gets love from Coach Morad as he notches one of his three hits Thursday. Berent was perfect on the evening, going 3 for 3 with two ribeyes. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Coaching, Counseling and Cajoling

2009-05-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Coach explains some of the nuances of the coach-player relationship to Owen, who had a stellar day going 3 for 4 with a two singles, a double, three runs scored, two putouts and three assists. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Another Dinger for Nino

2009-05-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Nino celebrates his team-leading third home run of the season. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet and Jennifer Balink)

Khalid Slays Slump!

2009-05-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

Khalid scorched one to center for his first knock of the season, putting a horrendous 0 for 10 slump out of its misery. Khalid went on to go 2 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet and Jennifer Balink)

Missed Tag

2009-05-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Nino fielded a ball cleanly at second with two outs and went for the runner instead of getting the easy out at first. Missed him by that much, as Maxwell Smart would say. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Whit To Owen Putout

2009-05-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

Whit at pitcher and Owen at 1B is turning into a deadly 1-3 combination. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Eubank: Down But Not Out

2009-05-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

The Saints wanted to win No. 5 for Eubank, who took a nasty tumble in the kitchen just before the game and needed a few stitches. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

You Did What?

2009-05-28T22:07:00.000-07:00

Eubank explains why needed to be rushed to the ER for stitches to his coconut. (courtesy Aubrey Overstreet)

This One Was For Eubank!

2009-05-28T21:37:00.001-07:00

With news of their fallen comrade circulating the bench, the Anchormen (4-1) went to work at First Evangelical Thursday night wanting to win No. 5 for Eubank.

Money took a nasty spill in the kitchen just prior to the game and had to be rushed to the hospital for a few stitches in his melon. After a "One, two, three - Eubank!" cheer, the Saints grabbed their lumber and proceeded to bang out 23 hits in 32 at bats, plating 16 runs while allowing 10 and stretching their win streak to three games.

And while Eubank is proving to be a hound for headlines, this day belongs to Khalid Morad, who soundly slayed his slump by going 2 for 3 with a run scored and a ribbie, polishing off his fine performance at the dish with a critical stop in centerfield that held the damage to two runs scored in the bottom of the fourth when First Evangelical had unleashed their rally monkeys in a valiant effort to narrow the deficit.

With Eubank on their minds, the Saints led off the game with an absolute barrage of batted balls, spraying the outfield and infield with shots that eventually activated the 6-run mercy rule and sent the shell-shocked First Evangelical defenders to their bench wondering if it was still Thursday, May 28, 2009.

Nino led off with one of his signature clotheslines to center, Owen scorched one to short that was way too hot to handle cleanly and Whit cleaned the bases with a two-strike, two-RBI double to left. Sonny, whose red-hot stick has him moved into the cleanup spot, stayed hot by launching a two-sacker to left that scored Whit easily. Zach topped one to the mound, but legged out a base hit and caused the pitcher to make an errant throw, allowing Sonny to score and Zach to trot to second.

Wendell dug out a grounder to third, moving Zach to the hot corner. Then, after staying alive with a couple of fouls, Harris whiffed for the first out. But Brian was there to pick up his teammate with a beautiful stroke to center for an RBI single. With Wendell on second and Brian on first, Berent made amends for his 0fer against the Hubermen with a RBI-single to center. That scored the 6th run of the inning and when the Saints grabbed their gloves and hats to defend the diamond, Eubanks was there showing off some stitch work that would make the skilled baseball stitchers in Costa Rica envious.

First Evangelical's lead-off hitter tapped a grounder to the mound, resulting in the seemingly unstoppable Whit-to-Owen 1-3 putout combination. The No. 2 hitter rolled a softy to second - but Nino booted it, lost it and put it in his pocket for an E4. The No. 3 hitter rolled another grounder to Whit, who fired to Owen at first for the second out and it looked like it was time to polish the lumber for another bombardment. But First Evangelical smoked a ball to center and then legged out a bleeder to the mound that Whit and Owen just missed combining for the putout. After another scorcher to Brian in center, Nino snagged a pop-up for the final out. Two runs scored, but the Saints defense stranded First Evangelical's runners at second and third.

Khalid led off the second by ending a 0 for 10 dry spell, hitting a dart to center that brought cheers to the bench and stands alike. After a pop-up to the mound by Nino, Owen stroked another single to center. With runners on first and second, Whit pounded a single to left, juicing the bases. Sonny -- riding an 11-at-bat hit streak -- stepped up and smashed one to center for a two-RBI double. Sonny is so hot with the stick that if this game was kid pitch, he would be drawing intentional walks.

Zach kept the rally going with a two-run single to left. Wendell moved him over to the keystone on a soft grounder to second. And Harris atoned for his 1st inning K with a RBI-single to left. Brian whiffed and Berent smoked another to left, scoring Wendell for the 6th run of the inning.

After a couple of miscues in the first, the Saints tightened their D in the second and put First Evangelical down in order with two grounders to second that resulted in Owen-to-Whit putouts with a whiff in the middle.

Up 12-2 after two innings, the Anchormen were in no mood to toy with the opponent and instead went for the jugular by continuing their offensive assault unabated. Khalid took a tough K to the bench and Nino immediately lifted everybody's spirits by ordering a Jack, straight up, to right. Before First Evangelical could recover from the homer, Owen smashed a double to left. Inspired by the slug fest, Whit ripped an opposite-field triple to right that put him a dinger away from a cycle.

With a HR, double and a triple already in the scorebook, the Saints needed a single to complete the team cycle in the inning. And this beautiful game saw fit to bring Sonny and his 12-at-bat hit streak to the dish. Alas, Sonny grounded out to the pitcher on a slow roller that he nearly legged out, ending his streak. Zach got the team its cycle with a single to right, and Wendell whiffed on a high one for the third out. No 6-run mercy rule, but an effective barrage nonetheless as First Evangelical was certain that the Saints could not be stopped, only contained.

Down 15-2 and coming off a 1-2-3 second, First Evangelical could have mailed the rest of the game in. To their credit, they cowboyed upped and started to grind it out. Owen and Sonny helped them out with errors on the mound and at second to put the first two hitters on base. Then Owen fielded a slow roller and was just a hair too late to get the runner at first, loading the bases. Whit and Brian worked out their communication issues from last game as Brian stepped back to let a hard-charging Whit field a pop up for out No. 1. Owen fielded a roller to the mound and fired to Zach at first for putout No. 2.

Just when it looked like the Saints were going to escape the bases-loaded jam, a ball was hit sharply to first, hit the bag and ricocheted into right. That scored two and Wendell inexplicably threw the ball to first, sending the third runner across the dish and the hitter to second. Then a ball was hit to left and Nino inexplicably threw the ball to first, allowing the runner on second to score and the hitter to take second on the throw. The only thing between the Saints defense and a 6-run, mercy-rule inning was an untimely whiff by First Evangelical's No. 9 hitter.

Up 15-6, the Anchormen were rattled. With a possible two innings left to play and First Evangelical's sticks coming alive and the Saints' defense coming undone, a laugher was suddenly in doubt. Harris led off with his second K of the day and Brian stroked a single to center. Berent - with two hits under his belt already - hit a bullet to third and beat the throw out for an infield single, capping a 3 for 3 day. With runners on first and second, Khalid sent a daisy cutter to second for his first RBI of the season. With the thump of the lineup coming up, the Saints were ready to end the game once and for all. But Nino grounded out to third on a bang bang play that could've gone either way and Owen popped out to the pitcher.

Down 16-6 with possibly two at-bats left, First Evangelical put their rally caps on and went to work. An E4 on Brian put their lead-off hitter on first. A pop out to Zach on the mound should have resulted in a double play as the First Evangelical runner took off for second, leaving him a sitting duck. But Zack froze, scrambled around and before he could gather himself to throw to first, the runner had scurried backed.

In baseball, if you give your opponent an extra out, the baseball gods invariably make sure you pay the toll. Such was the case Thursday as the next four batter stroked the ball to left, center and right fields, respectively, followed by a shot between first and second, scoring four runs in the process. Zach fielded the next ball cleanly, fired to Harris at first for the second out. And another untimely K saved the Saints from anymore fielding miscues.

With the Saints on the feel-good end of a 16-10 line, time had run out on First Evangelical. And Saints fans exhaled. Another romp in the field could have been disastrous.

But the Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

Batting Order, Fielding Assignments vs. First Evan.

2009-05-28T12:49:00.001-07:00

Batting Order:

1 - Nino
2 - Owen
3 - Whit
4 - Sonny
5 - Zach
6 - Wendell
7 - Harris
8 - Brian
9 - Berent
10 - Eubank
11 - Khalid
(Walk absent)

Fielding Assignments:

1st Inning
P - Whit
C - Sonny
1B - Owen
2B - Nino
3B - Harris
SS - Zach
LF - Wendell
CF - Brian
RF - Khalid

2nd Inning

P - Nino
C - Eubank
1B - Whit
2B - Owen
3B - Zach
SS - Harris
LF - Berent
CF - Wendell
RF - Sonny

3rd Inning

P - Owen
C - Khalid
1B - Zach
2B - Sonny
3B - Brian
SS - Whit
LF - Eubank
CF - Berent
RF - Wendell

4th Inning

P - Zach
C - Berent
1B - Harris
2B - Brian
3B - Wendell
SS - Nino
LF - Sonny
CF - Khalid
RF - Eubank

5th Inning

P - Harris
C - Brian
1B - Whit
2B - Nino
3B - Zach
SS - Owen
LF - Khalid
CF - Wendell
RF - Sonny

Catching and Throwing

2009-05-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

One of the authorities on youth baseball is Cal Ripken (and his lesser known brother Billy). In fact, they have developed a highly-respected system for preparing kids for years of baseball enjoyment.

If you are interested in helping your baseball studs really learn the fundamentals of the game, you should add them to your list of resources: http://www.ripkenbaseball.com/

Here's the latest article from their Web site:

By Bill Ripken

I’ve said it before, and I know if you are familiar with our articles and instructional products that you’ve either read it or heard it come out of my mouth on more than one occasion: The better we play catch, the better we play baseball.

It’s very simple. Defense is a huge part of the game, and when you really break defense down, every play that is made on the diamond involves a catch and a throw. Even the most complicated plays such as relays and double plays are comprised of a series of catches and throws.

A double play, for instance, includes a catch of the initial batted ball, a throw to the player covering second, a catch and throw by that same player and a catch by the first baseman.

Likewise, when a relay situation arises, the outfielder must either catch a ball that is hit and still rolling or pick up a ball that has stopped rolling and throw it to a relay person who has to catch the ball and then throw it to either another relay person or the base where the lead runner is heading. So, in its simplest form, defense really consists essentially of catching and throwing.

In baseball, like in most sports, defense often is overlooked or at least somewhat taken for granted. The reality, however, just like in other sports is that a strong defensive team can win a championship. To understand this, I’ll break it down a little further. If your team is really powerful offensively but can’t make routine plays, you could lose a lot of 13-11 games. If your team really battles to score a even a few runs a game, but your pitchers throw strikes and you are sound defensively, you have a chance to win every game. You can be competitive every time you take the field with that formula. And if by chance your team is an offensive powerhouse and you play good defense, look out! You definitely have the makings of a championship club.

Look at the Colorado Rockies of two years ago and their surprising run to the postseason. They emerged as the best defensive team in baseball and rode that all the way to a National League title. Our 1989 “Why Not?” team in Baltimore was very similar. Our pitchers were always ahead of the hitters and we were very strong defensively – up the middle and in the outfield particularly. Other than Cal we really didn’t have a bona fide power hitter or even an offensive star in the lineup, but we were able to score enough runs to come within one game of winning our division.

Another observation that I make all the time is that I can almost always watch two youth or high school teams play catch before a game and tell you which team s going to win that day. The team that plays catch the best, and by that I mean throwing and catching with a purpose – catching the ball with two hands out in front, throwing over the top using a four-seam grip, turning the front shoulders, stepping toward the target and working on good footwork – will win almost every time. The group that is lazy and clanging every second or third throw off of the fence … not so much. In my opinion the worst sound in baseball is the sound of a thrown ball hitting a fence.

I’ve never taken this belief to the extreme of turning it into a scientific study, but I don’t have to. I’d bet this is the case at least nine times out of 10 without a doubt, so in my mind there’s no need to validate the theory.

Despite the importance of throwing and catching to overall team defensive success – and ultimately wins and losses – the portion of practice devoted to warming up and playing catch often is ignored. Even high school players are still in their developmental stages, so it is important to understand that the more your team practices certain motor skills incorrectly, the more apt their bodies are to respond incorrectly under the stress of a game situation. Dad always said that perfect practice makes perfect. Well, sometimes I prefer to flip that around by saying, “If you practice like a moron, you’ll play like a moron.”

The problem is that younger players don’t necessarily understand the value of approaching everything they do in practice the same way they would in a game. Once they get beyond the fear of the ball and catching becomes more second nature, playing catch gets boring to them. So, with that in mind, here are a few ways to make things more interesting for players of any age and to help them improve at the same time.

Play 21
Twenty-one is a game that is played by baseball players of all ages. It promotes focus, concentration and proper mechanics while placing players in a situation in which there is at least some pressure to perform in a more competitive setting. Once your players are warmed up, have them stand anywhere from 60 to 100 feet apart. Ask them to play catch, but have them compete against their partners. Any throw that arrives at a player’s head level scores two points for the player throwing the ball, while throws that arrive at chest level are worth a single point. The first player to 21 wins. See who wins the head-to-head competitions and which player is the first on the team to get to 21.

Quick Hands/Quick Feet
Ask your players to stand between 60 and 90 feet apart, depending on their age and the distance between bases for their age group. You should have two lines of players playing catch, so make sure that all of the balls are held by players who are in the same line. At your command to start, the players in one line shuffle their feet and throw using as quick of a release as possible to the other line. Players in the other line catch the ball with two hands out in front of the body, funnel the ball to the center of the body, turn to shuffle their feet and make a quick throw back to the player in the other line. Throw for 30 seconds. Any pair that misses a ball or makes a bad throw sits immediately. The other players should count how many successful throws and catches they complete in the allotted time. The pair that records the most successful throws and catches in 30 seconds wins. Establish a team record and see if it can be broken every practice.

Around the Horn
Another game that promotes quick feet and a quick release as well as accuracy is a game that we play with the teams during the Cal Ripken World Series skills contest called Around the Horn. Place players at each base and home plate. The player at home starts with a foot on home plate and a ball in his or her glove. This is a timed contest. Start the clock when the first throw is released. The player at home shuffles and makes a quick throw to first. The player at first must catch the ball and tag the base before shuffling and making a quick throw to second. The ball continues in this manner until it comes all the way around to home plate. Once the player who started the series of throws receives the ball at home, he or she throws back to third and the ball goes back around the horn in the opposite direction. If players are pulled off the bag they must go back and touch the base before throwing to the next base. Place an extra ball near each base so that if there is an errant throw the player on the base can go and pick up the extra ball before running back to touch the base and making the throw to the next base. Players do not chase bad throws. The team with the fastest time wins. Again, have your team establish a record time and try to beat it every time you play this game.

Bunt-Run-Throw Game
This game is great because it allows your pitchers to work on fielding bunts and throwing to batters at the same time that your hitters get to practice bunting and baserunning and your defense works on throwing and catching under pressure. The pitcher delivers the ball and the batter lays down a sacrifice bunt. The pitcher fields the ball, with the initial throw going to first base. Once the ball is bunted, the batter runs all the way around the bases, making proper turns, no matter what happens in the field. The first baseman catches the first throw and throws to the catcher at home. The catcher throws to the second baseman, who is covering second and then throws the ball to third after receiving it. Once the third baseman receives the ball, he or she throws it to first, where the first baseman relays it to the shortstop covering second. At this point the runner should be rounding third, and if everything has gone well defensively there should be a close play at the plate if the shortstop can make a strong and accurate throw to the catcher. Players should come off of their bases to receive errant throws (they do not have to go back and tag the base), and they must chase down any ball that gets away and complete the drill no matter what.

Fun and Games

2009-05-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

The boys celebrate a thrilling 6-4 win. While the mantra up until now has been "Have fun!", these boys are now of the age in which having fun strongly correlates with having success. As Ebby Calvin "Nuke" Laloosh said: "I love winning... It's like, you know, better than losing." And given the opportunity, these boys will rise to the level of the competition. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Snacks!

2009-05-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

Of course, snacks are good, too. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Working the Kinks Out

2009-05-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Khalid is working super hard to get out of his slump. Here he is hitting the stick before his turn at the plate. (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Cool Hand Luke Play

2009-05-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Whit and Brian have a failure to communicate on a pop up with the score knotted at 3 and runners at first and second. The look on Zach's face says it all! (courtesy of Aubrey Overstreet)

Huge Putout in the Third

2009-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

While Brian and Whit botched the fly ball, Whit quickly snapped up the egg and tagged the runner trying to get to third for the second out of the inning. Brian then followed up with an excellent unassisted putout to end the inning. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Big Bat

2009-05-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Sonny has been swinging a red-hot stick, including this RBI triple in the first inning Tuesday night. (courtesy Aubrey Overstreet)

Edge of the Seat

2009-05-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Saints fans were treated to an excellent display of baseball Tuesday night as both Saints teams showed off their skills in a 6-4 game. (courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Big RBI for Brian

2009-05-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Brian knocks in his first RBI of the season -- a big one in the first on a sharp grounder to short that he beat out by running through the bag. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

First to Third

2009-05-26T21:08:00.000-07:00

Nino goes from first to third on Owen's single in the first inning. Nino went on to score the team's first run.

Popular 1-3 PO

2009-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Owen catches one of three 1st inning 1-3 putouts from Whit. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Focus!

2009-05-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

To stay in the game with a team as talented as the Hubermen, the Saints would need to focus, focus, focus. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Saints Teams Put on Clinic

2009-05-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

Two GSL teams met at Snowden Field Tuesday night and proceeded to treat their fans to an absolute baseball clinic as The James Gang squeaked past the Hubermen in a 6-4 nail-biter that featured a combined 15 putouts in the field and only 9 strikeouts at the plate.

After losing four of five scrimmages to their intra-school rivals, Overstreet's Saints were not exactly brimming with confidence when Huber's Saints arrived at the park with an unblemished 4-0 league record -- unquestionably the class of the East Shelby Church Recreation Association.

Avery led off the game with a scorcher to center, which was followed by Grant's grounder with eyes through second. Jack grounded out to the pitcher as Whit fielded it cleanly and fired a strike to Owen at first. But JD cashed in with a two-run single to right and it looked like it could be a long night for the Home Nine. Will topped one to Whit, who tossed it to Owen for the second out. Charles stroked one to left for an RBI single and Joseph hit a dribbler to Whit for the third 1-3 putout of the inning. Good defense held the Hubermen to three runs on four hits in the inning.

Nino led off the bottom of the first with a shot to right that you could hang clothes on, and Owen followed up with a bleeder that scooted by the second sacker, putting runners on first and third on Nino's heads-up baserunning. Whit hit a weak cue shot to first for the unassisted putout, but Nino scored. After Zach grounded out to first, red-hot Sonny squared one up and sent it flying over the left fielder's head for a stand-up, RBI triple. Wendell ended the inning with a liner to second.

On the wrong end of a 3-2 score, the Anchormen needed a stop in the bottom of the second and they got some help from the Hubermen. Tyler and Baker whiffed and Louis grounded out to the pitcher for the fourth 1-3 putout of the game.

Harris led off the bottom of the second with a hard-hit infield single to shortstop. Berent moved him over to second on a ground-out to first and Brian drove him home with a single to center -- senior circuit small ball at its finest. Eubank and Khalid whiffed to end the inning with the score knotted at 3.

As is often the case in well-played baseball games, one inning was the difference -- in Tuesday's tilt, it was the third.

With Huber sending his big bats up to the plate in a 3-3 tie, the James Gang needed a shut-down inning. Avery lined a single to left and Grant moved him to second with a single to center. Jack whiffed for the first out and JD popped one to short. A miscommunication between Whit and Brian resulted in a dropped ball, but Whit alertly picked it up and tagged Avery as he ran for third for the second out. With runners on first and second in a tie game, Will drilled one to third that Brian snagged and made the unassisted putout at third to shut the Hubermen down again.

With a huge defensive stand under their belt, the Anchormen picked up their sticks with malice. Nino led off the bottom of the third with a sharp grounder to the pitcher that was then thrown over the first baseman's head. Trying to take the extra base on the overthrow, Nino was caught by the equally speedy Avery. Runners advance at their own risk on overthrows at first, and the Saints have been running like a toddler's nose so far in ESCRA. But the Hubermen don't give up bases easily -- as the Saints discovered on this play. Owen then grounded out to the pitcher and it looked like the Saints were going to go down quietly.

But Whit mowed the grass with a hard grounder to short that was smothered by Jack, who recovered nicely and made the throw to first just a nanosecond too late. After legging out the infield single, Whit moved from first to third on Zach's single to center. And man-of-the-hour Sonny stepped to the plate, cashing in yet again with a RBI single to left. Wendell snuck one by the shortstop, scoring Zach, and Harris legged out a soft grounder to the pitcher to score Sonny. Berent hit a fielder's choice to third that resulted in an unassisted putout. But the Saints put up a 3 spot and took a 6-3 lead going into the top of the fourth.

After Charles struck out to lead off the top of the fourth, Joseph grounded a ball to second that Sonny fielded cleanly and threw to first. But the Speed Merchant beat it out for an infield single. Tyler K'd for the second out, and then the wheels fell off the defense for first time all night when Baker hit a slow roller to second that went right through Sonny's legs and into right field. Eubank fielded the ball, but instead of throwing the ball to second, he air-mailed it over the first baseman's head. Joseph scored on the errors and Baker moved to second. Louis K'd to end the inning. Disaster averted -- barely.

In an attempt to get 5 innings in, the Home Saints batted in the bottom of the fourth despite holding a 6-4 lead. The Hubermen set them down in order with Brian grounding out to short, Eubank grounding out to the pitcher and Khalid striking out.

While both Saints teams were eager to keep locking halos -- and with the top of both orders due up in the fifth, it would have certainly been a fantastic finish -- time had run out on arguably the best played baseball game of the ESCRA season.

The Hubermen made 9 putouts. The James Gang made 6 putouts. There were 9 strikouts in the game -- 6 by the Hubermen and 3 by the James Gang. The two teams have averaged better than 13 runs a game so far this season, so the 6-4 game is a testament to how skilled these two teams are.

And maybe they will meet one more time when it counts: June 6.

Wendell Digs It Out

2009-05-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Wendell legs out a base hit during the scrimmage on Sunday. (Courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Charging the Ball

2009-05-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Brian and Whit charge a grounder that eventually escaped both of them in the scrimmage Sunday.

Letting It Rip

2009-05-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

T-Dog was stroking the ball hard to left during the scrimmage on Sunday. (Courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Staying Down on the Ball

2009-05-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Avery gives a textbook example of how to field a grounder: knees bent, butt down and watching the ball into his mitt. (Courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Throwing the Ball

2009-05-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Khalid makes one of several nice plays in the field Sunday.

Fielding the Hop

2009-05-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Harris fields a tough up during our scrimmage on Sunday. (Courtesy of Jennifer Balink)

Three Amigos

2009-05-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Zach, Sonny and Owen have helped fuel the Saints' offense, which has scored 50 runs in four games.

Rally Monkeys

2009-05-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Just prior to two-out, five-run inning that fell just short in the Holy Communion loss. (Courtesy Becca Howell)

Good Times on the Bench

2009-05-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

The water cooler was a popular place for the Saints to talk about their offensive explosion during the Lindenwood game. (Courtesy of Becca Howell)

Joy of Keeping Score

2009-05-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Coach scores the offensive outburst against Lindenwood. (Courtesy Becca Howell)

Practice Plan for Saturday

2009-05-22T20:24:00.001-07:00

Keep your fingers crossed that the rain holds off.... practice at 8:30 a.m. Wrap it up at 10 a.m.

We have a couple fun drills -- football baseball and perfect innings -- and we'll get some BP in.

We will be without four of our comrades: Wendell, Zach, Owen and Nino.

Pre-practice Warm-ups
5 minutes: Throwing and catching
5 minutes: Stretching
5 minutes: Running

Team Drills/Batting Practice

60 minutes: Football Baseball, 15 minutes; Perfect Innings, 15 minutes; Team Cutoff/Batting Practice, 30 minutes (10 minutes per group in BP)

Practice Wrap-up

15 minutes: Baserunning (Run through 1B; 1B to 3B; Home to 2B; 2B to Home; Home Run, finishing with a slide)

Drills:

Football Baseball

Goal: Fun time

Procedure:

Divide team into two groups
Set up cones in the general shape of a football field
Four players on each team move to opposite ends of the field (two subs)
Play the game similar to flag football, except use a softie instead
Start the game at the "20 yard line"
Each member of the Defensive Team holds two balls in their glove
The Offensive Team have empty gloves so they can catch the tennis ball
When the player on the Offensive Team catches a pass, players on the Defensive Team must tag the player
If one of the balls fall out of his glove, the play continues until another player can make a successful tag
The Offensive Team has 3 plays to score a touchdown
When a team scores, the other team begins at the 20-yard line
Coach is the referee (have a whistle)

Key Points:

Emphasize the need to squeeze the balls tightly in the glove

Perfect innings

Goal: To develop defensive proficiency by using game situations

Procedure:

Two teams compete against each other: one on defense, one running the bases.
Coach hits the ball wherever he wants.
A team must make nine consecutive outs.
Any mistake pulls the team off the field and the other team goes on defense.
Try to simulate all routine situations that come up in a game.

Team Cutoff

Goal: To teach outfielders how to properly field the ball and then throw it to the appropriate cutoff man.

Procedure:

Split the team into 3 groups with two groups in the field, one group to the batting cage.
Position three fielders in the OF, two/three at SS, 2B and P
Hit fly balls and line drives into the outfield.
Relay the throw from OF to 2B to P.
Rotate the groups, giving each group a chance at each spot.

Saints Unleash Lumber

2009-05-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Owen chats with teammates before leading off a 20-hit, 16-run assault on the Lindenwood Lasers Tuesday night. (Courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Nino Goes 3 for 3

2009-05-19T22:21:00.000-07:00

Nino smells his second homer of the season and ends the game a triple short of the cycle. (Courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Home Run Derby

2009-05-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

The Saints spent a lot time Tuesday celebrating home runs as six jacks were recorded -- including two by T-Dog. (Courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Eubank Gets Off the Snide!

2009-05-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

Eubank ends his 0 for 6 slump by pounding the radish Tuesday night with a triple and an Earl Weaver Special -- a three-run homer -- as a proud dad watches from the stands. (Courtesy Jennifer Balink)

A Piece of Cake with a Shot of Confidence

2009-05-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

After a week that featured the Heartbreaker at Snowden Field on Thursday and the Scrimmage Stomping on Sunday, Tuesday night's 20-hit, 16-run cakewalk against the Lindenwood Lasers was enthusiastically embraced by the shell-shocked Saints -- particularly fan-favorite Thomas Eubank, who broke free of his season-slump by going 2 for 2 with a triple and a 3-run dinger.

The Lasers may have been out-gunned in all phases of the game, but the Saints know that all the sunflower seeds in baseball cannot mask the bitter taste still lingering from last week's 11-10 loss to another "out-matched" team. So pardon the Anchormen if they aren't exactly sorry for Tuesday's blitzkrieg; they understand better than most that anybody can beat anybody anytime -- a baseball truism that always bites the hardest when experienced for the first time.

So the Saints went to work tonight with focus and intensity, pounding six home runs, launching 13 shots into the outfield for extra bases and batting a season-high .741. In fact, seven of the Home Twelve batted 1.000 tonight -- by far the highest number this season. And while the team's two 1.000 hitters fell from the ranks of perfection, the game's natural balance was achieved with Eubank's strong batwork.

But the splinters have been splendid all year; the leather has been the bugbear. Not tonight -- the Saints converted five putouts in six attempts. That's a fielding percentage that wins jamborees.

The game started ominously when Zach fielded a daisy cutter cleanly but Knoblauched the ball over Owen's head at 1B, resulting in the base runner moving to second on an E5. Whit picked up his teammate and showed strong situational awareness by making a textbook play on a soft grounder to SS -- he attempted to tag the runner moving to third on the hit, but alertly fired to first to get the sure out when the runner avoided the tag (most likely by illegally running outside the baseline). A bang-bang play that would have been called a double play in a more competitive environment.

Nino and Harris paced the defense in the second inning with a nice Barnes-to-Tennyson 4-3 putout, and Harris took care of business with a unassisted putout for the third out. Whit made an unassisted putout on a nubber in the third, and Harris snagged a can of corn in the fourth for the fifth put-out of the game.

After a game and a scrimmage in which the glovework was lacking, this game could prove to be a turning point for the young fielders.

While the field work began on dubious note, the stick work did not -- Whit stroked a rainmaker to left that had "jack" stamped on it from the ping of the metal. His first big fly of the season put a charge into the dugout as all the Saints erupted in cheers.

Little did they realize it was a scene that would be repeated five more times.

After the home run, Nino, Zach and Sonny ignited a rally that was only snuffed out by a unassisted double play by the Lasers' first baseman on a pop-out by Harris.

T-Dog lead off the second by jerking a ball to deep left, racing around the bases for an easy home run. Again, the bench was supercharged, but eyebrows were being raised: after one home run in three games, two had fallen in their laps in two innings of the fourth game?

After a whiff by Berent and a solid double to left by Brian, Wendell hammered a line drive to center that got behind the fielder and rolled a long, long way. In fact, Wendell missed third base while motoring around the bases, had to re-tag the base and still made it home before the ball reached the infield.

Then Eubank stepped to the plate and yanked a three-bagger to left -- possibly the most gratifying hit of the season. A proud father breathed a sigh of relief in the stands, and an equally relieved ballplayer was cheered by a bench of players out of control with delight. Definitely a memorable moment of 2009.

Owen ended the inning on a very close play at first.

In the third, Coach Barnes made a Svengali pass in front of Whit's lamps and he carved three nicks in the weather; in other words, Whit whiffed -- ending his quest to bat 1.000. (It's an admirable strategy: shoot for the moon and if you fall short, you're still among the stars.)

Whit whiffing did not silence the bats -- Nino drove a double to center, Zach sliced a homer to right, Sonny smashed a long ball to left (watching Sonny motor around the bases was testimony to the distance of his shot), Harris scorched an infield single to SS, T-Dog jacked his second homer of the day, a two-run shot to left, and Berent drove one past the center fielder for the third homer of the inning and the fourth of the day. The six-run mercy rule ended the inning.

The fourth was more of the same as Brian jacked his second double of the game to left, Wendell bounced one off the pitcher for an infield single and Money stepped to the dish for his second at-bat of the game. After going 0 for 6 with 6 Ks in the first three games, Eubank went yard with a deep drive to center that brought in three ribbies. As Whit said after the game, it was the most exciting hit of the game.

Owen followed it up by driving a double to right -- particularly gratifying to the Big O since he had whiffed and grounded out to first in his first two ABs. After Whit blooped one to the pitcher that was dropped for an infield hustle hit, Nino joined the Home Run Derby by jacking one to center. The six-run mercy rule ended the inning.

While lacking the drama of the 11-10 gut-wrenching loss to Holy Communion, the victory was precisely what the Saints needed to steady the apple cart heading into the team's bye on Thursday.

Saints win! Saints win! Saints win!

Fielding Assignments vs. Lindenwood

2009-05-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

1st
P Nino
C Berent
1B Owen
2B Harris
3B Zach
SS Whit
LF Brian
CF Sonny
RF Walk

2nd
P Whit
C Eubank
1B Harris
2B Nino
3B Owen
SS Zach
LF Walk
CF Wendell
RF Khalid

3rd
P Wendell
C Sonny
1B Whit
2B Zach
3B Brian
SS Owen
LF Khalid
CF Berent
RF Eubank

4th
P Walk
C Khalid
1B Sonny
2B Wendell
3B Harris
SS Nino
LF Eubank
CF Brian
RF Berent

5th
P Whit
C Wendell
1B Owen
2B Nino
3B Zach
SS Harris
LF Walk
CF Sonny
RF Brian

Battng Order vs. Lindenwood

2009-05-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

80 Owen
44 Whit
28 Nino
42 Zach
52 Sonny
41 Harris
43 Walk
65 Berent
53 Brian
77 Wendell
82 Khalid
48 Eubank

Controversy at Third!

2009-05-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

Brian tosses the ball back to the pitcher after chasing JD out of the baseline. After some discussion among the coaches, JD was called out.

Eubank Prepares To Let It Rip

2009-05-17T19:04:00.001-07:00

Eubank is close to getting out of his early-season slump, taking some great cuts at the ball.

Owen Into Third

2009-05-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Coach Tennyson guided Owen safely into third in the Saints' big first inning.

Zach Digs It Out

2009-05-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Zach got us started with a single in the first en route to a 6-run inning.

Team Photo

2009-05-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our official team photo.

Crazy Faces

2009-05-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Saints loosen up those facial muscles before the big team photo shoot.

Great scrimmage; Game Tuesday

2009-05-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

The Saints wielded red-hot sticks again today -- unfortunately, they brought their concrete gloves to the diamond. Let's throw those bad boys to the bottom of the sea.

We'll keep working on that fielding. Plus, the Hubermen are a great team. There's no shame in losing to that bunch at all, so keep those heads high.

Focus points:

1) Stay down on grounders and watch the ball into the glove -- mom and dad in the stands should see the button on the top of your ball cap when you field a grounder. Remember: glove on the ground, butt down and button on the cap showing to all the coaches and fans.

2) Step and throw to the target. When we do field the ball, we must get better at stepping toward the target and throwing to the target. Remember: Don't throw from your knees. The only way to make an accurate throw is to STEP and throw. You can't step from your knees.

3) Catch the ball. When the ball is above your belly button, fingers up; when the ball is below your belly button, fingers down . Watch the ball into your glove and use two hands so that ball doesn't pop out.

Hitting Highlights:

Everybody is looking very strong at the plate, with Zach, Whit, Owen, Nino, Sonny, T-Dog and Harris going 12 of 16 with all 11 runs scored. That's awesome stick work, fellas.

Kudos to Khalid who has been putting in extra BP for the past couple of days -- he smoked one to first today that was an out, but was well hit. Hang in there, Khalid -- I smell a hot streak coming.

And Eubank's swing is coming along nicely -- he made several beautiful cuts at the ball, solidly foul tipping one of them. Keep swinging, Eubank. Keep swinging.

Fielding Highlights (yes, there were a few):

Owen made a nice play on a pop up at pitcher, trapped it and quickly threw to 1B. The runner on first, thinking the ball was going to be caught in the air by the pitcher, was frozen. Whit tagged the runner but was unable to get to first in time for the double play on the hitter (a very speedy Tyler). Very close. Heads up play by both Owen and Whit.

Whit did pull off an unassisted double play in the third. Not often we'll see this one -- Whit caught a pop up on the mound and the runner on second was running to third; Whit -- taking no chances with our throwing and catching -- raced the runner back to second and got there first for the DP.

Hang in there, guys. We're getting better every day.

Game Tuesday at Holy Communion -- Walnut Grove and Perkins -- at 5:30 p.m. Please be there no later than 5:15 p.m.

Batting Order, Fielding Assignments

2009-05-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Here's the batting order we'll use for tomorrow's scrimmage:

42 Zach
44 Whit
80 Owen
28 Nino
52 Sonny
43 Walk
41 Harris
65 Berent
53 Brian
82 Khalid
48 Eubank
77 Wendell

And here's how we'll defend the diamond for five frames:

1
P Owen
C Berent
1B Whit
2B Nino
3B Zach
SS Harris
LF Brian
CF Sonny
RF Walk

2

P Zach
C Eubank
1B Owen
2B Harris
3B Whit
SS Nino
LF Khalid
CF Walk
RF Wendell

3

P Whit
C Sonny
1B Zach
2B Wendell
3B Brian
SS Owen
LF Eubank
CF Berent
RF Khalid

4

P Sonny
C Khalid
1B Harris
2B Walk
3B Nino
SS Berent
LF Wendell
CF Brian
RF Eubank

5

P Nino
C Whit
1B Sonny
2B Berent
3B Owen
SS Zach
LF Walk
CF Harris
RF Brian

Photos, Scrimmage

2009-05-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

Great practice today, guys. You did well at both the Steal the Bacon and Hole in the Diamond drills. Remember: pick the ball up with your bare hand, not your glove.

Team photos are tomorrow at 1:50 p.m. at Snowden Field.

Coaches, please plan on posing with the team -- all of you are instrumental to our success and your participation should be captured for posterity.

Following the team photos, we will have a full uniform, "live" scrimmage against the Hubermen. So come baseball ready!

See you tomorrow,
James

Bare-hand the Ball!

2009-05-16T14:00:00.001-07:00

Whit and Berent go for the "bacon." (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Back to the Line!

2009-05-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Owen chases Nino in Steal the Bacon -- a tall order for anybody. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Steal the Bacon!

2009-05-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Nino "steals the bacon" while Zach attempts to make the tag at practice Saturday. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Practice Plan for Saturday

2009-05-15T20:28:00.000-07:00

Pre-practice Warm-ups
5 minutes: Throwing and catching
5 minutes: Running
5 minutes: Stretching

Team Drills

60 minutes: Steal the Bacon, 15 minutes; Hole in the Diamond, 15 minutes; 5x5 Scrimmage, 30 minutes

Practice Wrap-up

15 minutes: Baserunning (Run through 1B; 1B to 3B; Home to 2B; 2B to Home; Home Run, finishing with a slide)

Drills:

Steal the Bacon

Goal: Develop ball handling skills, particularly picking the ball up with the bare hand

Procedure:

Divide the team into two groups and number the players in each group
Coach puts the ball between the two groups and yells out a number
Both players with the number run toward the ball and try to grab it, or steal the bacon
When one of the players picks up the ball, the other tries to tag him with the glove
The player who gets the ball tries to run back to his line without getting tagged
Award one team a point if its player gets back to the line without being tagged
Award the other team a point if its player makes the tag before the runner reaches the line
No points are awarded if the runner drops the ball

Key Points:

Emphasize that the boys need to squeeze the balls in their gloves

Hole in the Diamond

Goal: To teach fielders keep hard hit balls in front of them

Procedure:

Divide the team into four groups of three
One team spreads out between 3B and 2B; another team between 2B and 1B; third team in the outfield backing up 3B-2B team; final team in the outfield backing up the 2B-3B team
Coach hits baseball to the team on one side of the diamond, trying to get the ball to the outfield grass
The infielders must stop the ball from getting to the grass
If the ball reaches the grass, the team on the other side of the diamond gets a point
After four grounders to each team, the outfield teams move to the infield, and the infield teams to the outfield

Key Points:

Explain that fielding the ball doesn't necessarily mean making a clean catch
Emphasize keeping the ball in front of the body
Watch the ball into the glove

Play Hard!

2009-05-15T00:13:00.000-07:00

The Saints get stoked for what turned out to be a thrilling game against Holy Communion. While the Good Guys ended up on the wrong end of a 11-10 score, their never-say-die attitude was awesome. GSL should be proud of these boys.

Web Gem!

2009-05-15T00:09:00.000-07:00

Brian isn't giving up this ball after making a remarkable inning-ending catch at 3B -- stopping the bleeding in a 4-run frame that was starting to get out of control.

Zach Hustles Home

2009-05-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

Zach caps off a big night with the 8th run of the game as he keeps his Saints alive.

We'll Get 'Em Next Time

2009-05-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

Harris and T-Dog wonder what could have been....

One Run Losses....

2009-05-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

fall on the coaching staff.

Gutting It Out

2009-05-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

Khalid and Eubank are mired in awful slumps, but they are really toughing it out with great attitudes. Hang in there, boys. Baseball is a humbling sport, but it will reward patience handsomely.

Owen Scores!

2009-05-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

Owen was studly again Thursday, going 3 for 3 with 2 runs a ribbie. Here he is keeping the last-inning rally going.

Stud of the Game

2009-05-14T23:42:00.000-07:00

Berent came through in the clutch, smoking two doubles -- and making two amazing slides to avoid outs at 2B and 3B in the thrilling final inning.

Nino Tees Off

2009-05-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

Nino drove in 2 runs and made a putout.

Whit Connects

2009-05-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

Whit went 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored in the tough loss Thursday night.

Tough Night for the Saints

2009-05-14T23:33:00.001-07:00

Sonny had a stellar game, going 2 for 3 with two ribbies -- including the 10th run in the heartbreaking 11-10 loss to Holy Communion.

Holy Communion Heartbreakers

2009-05-14T23:23:00.001-07:00

Despite a thrillingly desperate two-out, five-run rally in their last at-bat of the game, the Saints fell short in a gut-wrenching 11-10 loss to Holy Communion at Snowden Field on Thursday night.

Holy Communion came west, packing leather and lumber, and dealt the Anchormen their first loss of the season -- one of those defeats that sinks the stomach and jerks the moisture from the tear ducts. But it was also one of those character-revealing games that test the mettle of every boy on the field, whether they were sporting blue uniforms or the home-school red.

This four-frame tilt featured a Holy Communion team that only struck out twice, yet only managed a .393 team batting average. The Anchormen mashed .586, despite putting a 10 spot under the K column. While Holy Communion managed to bat five balls out of the infield, the Saints smashed 11 balls into the outfield, including five extra-base hits.

The Saints made 10 putouts -- including three truly remarkable plays at third base and an incredible unassisted double play. But the Good Guys also committed eight errors. They made the hard plays look easy and the easy plays look hard.

Indeed, baseball games are lost, not won, and this one held true to that adage as errors and untimely whiffs did the Saints in.

The Saints started the game shaky, committing two errors in the first two at-bats. Holy Communion's No. 3 hitter made them pay for their mistakes with a two-run single to left field. Zach, manning the mound, tried to right the ship by throwing out the No. 5 hitter. But a double and single later saw the Saints down four-zip before the first mosquito bite. Whit made an unassisted put-out at first and Harris ended the inning by stabbing a line drive and absolutely robbing Holy Communion of at least a double and probably more.

The home half of the first started off promising as Owen, Zach, Nino and Whit all ripped doubles to center, plating two runs in short order. After a strikeout by Harris, Sonny smoked one to second that was scooped up just as Whit was trying to sneak past the second sacker, who alertly applied the tag for the second out of the inning. Amazingly, Brian poked one to second with the exact same result -- the second baseman tagged Sonny, who was barreling into the keystone. In fact, Sonny -- who fully fills out a uniform -- knocked the ball out of the second baseman's glove. But the Holy Communion fielder, not to be denied, quickly picked up the ball and reapplied the tag.

Still, the Angels were feeling fortunate to be down 4-2 when Holy Communion brought the lumber out again in the top of the second. A dribbler to the mound was fielded cleanly by Whit, but he rushed the throw and overthrew Owen at first, moving the runner to second. The next batter hit another dribbler to the mound that Whit booted but pounced on and alertly tagged the runner trying to sneak into third. Holy Communion must have thought they had found a hole in the defense because the third batter hit one to the pitcher, but Whit had had enough of that nonsense and fielded it cleanly and made a perfect throw to first for the second out.

Having seen that the pitcher had steadied himself, the next two batters decided to smoke balls to center -- a single and a triple and three runs across the dish. The next one ripped one down the third base line and Nino smothered it for an infield hit. With three runs in and a runner at first, Nino followed Harris' first inning web gem at third with one of his own, snagging a line drive and ending the inning.

Down 7-2 with the struggling bottom of the order due up, T-Dog got things rolling by stroking a double to center. Berent -- who has been slumping hard in the first two games with three whiffs in four at bats -- was undaunted as he belted a two-strike double down the left field line, plating T-Dog. After back-to-back Ks by Eubank and Khalid, Owen ripped one to center, scoring Berent from second and narrowing the deficit to 7-4. Zach whiffed to end the inning.

As the home team took the field in the top of the third, everybody in the ballpark could sense the skittishness of the boys wearing the leather and the confidence of the boys wielding the sticks. Sure enough, Brian got a hot shot at third, bobbled it and put it in his pocket -- the right play. Then Holy Communion decided to test the mound again by tapping three consecutive rollers to Owen, resulting in three errors and three runs. Owen pulled himself together and made a clean put-out on the next batter, but booted the next one. And then Brian decided not to be outdone by his predecessors at third and snatched a line drive for another inning-ending web gem.

Down 11-4 in the bottom of the third with the 3-4-5 hitters due up, the Saints seemed poised to snap out of the funk. Nino -- who has been one of the hottest hitters on the team, batting 1.000 on the season -- whiffed. You could fill the air let out of the Saints dugout. Whit did his best impression of the Federal Reserve and tried to re-inflate the bubble with a scorching double to left. But Harris K'd for the second out. Sonny stroked one that finally ate up the second sacker, and Whit was not going to stop until he was either out at home or plating the fifth run. Thankfully, it was the latter. Brian stroked a single to right. With runners on first and third and T-Dog up, the Saints came alive again. But like Mudville's mighty Casey, T-Dog struck out.

Taking the field in the top of the fourth down 11-5, the Studs knew they had to buckle down because one run scored would put the game out of reach due to the mercy rule that only allows a team to score six runs in an inning. But Holy Communion had put up crooked numbers of 4,3,4 in the first three frames. Shutting down this team would require some miraculous glovework.

And it didn't look good for the Anchormen when Holy Communion's first batter went to the well once again and hit the ball to the bump. This time Sonny was there, fielded it cleanly and made a nice throw to first -- but Harris dropped it! The next batter tapped one to third and T-Dog scooped it up and made a brilliant effort to get the lead runner at second -- but Khalid dropped it!

The Saints needed that miracle now, and Harris decided to give that walking on water thing a try. After the third batter whiffed, the No. 8 hitter blooped it to first and Harris tried to squeeze it for an out, but he dropped it! Rather than panic, he picked up the egg, tagged the confused runner stuck between first and second and then raced to first for one of those rare unassisted double plays.

Down 11-5, coming off their first shut-down inning in the field, the Saints were buzzing in the dugout. But baseball has a way of creating obstacles for teams that are backed into a corner and desperately trying to steady themselves. And this game was no different -- the struggling bottom third of the order was due up. Up to this point in the season, the 10-11-12 hitters were a combined 2 for 15 with 13 Ks. One of them had to squeak out a base hit to turn it over to the top of the order.

Berent strode to the plate, cool as the other side of the pillow -- or nervous as a canary in a cage full of cats, it was hard to tell. He swung and missed at the first two pitches and on-deck hitter Eubank was inching closer and closer to the dish to begin taking his hacks. After taking two pitches, Berent smoked one to left again, but this one was fielded cleanly on a hop by the left fielder. First base Coach Morad was in do-or-die mode and sent Berent racing to second. The throw to second was on a line and in time, but Berent made a textbook slide, avoiding the tag -- and the Saints' dugout erupted with a roar that startled Holy Communion's fielders and had their coaching staff begging them to pay attention to the game and not the maniacal boys on the opposing bench.

And, sports fans, the smile Berent wore while standing safely at second is what baseball is all about.

Eubank and Khalid gave it their all but fell just short with back-to-back Ks. They got swift pats on the butts as their teammates told them to shake it off; the top of the order was certain they could plate six runs and tie the game.

Owen stroked one to third that was fielded cleanly. The fielder alertly saw Berent trying to advance to third and went for the tag. But Berent was having none of it, making another awesome slide. But he came off the sack and had to quickly slap his hand back on it before the third baseman could try for another tag.

If you were spectating and didn't choke on your peanuts during that play, you need to pay closer attention to the game.

Zach, looking to make amends for his inning-ending K in the second, belted one to center, easily scoring Berent and getting Owen -- who ran out of his helmet -- from first to third.

The rally was taking on a life of its own, and everybody in the park could feel the effort being made by the Boys in Red. Nino, also looking to atone for a K in the third, grounded one to third, scoring Owen and moving Zach to third on the late throw to first.

With runners on the corners and down 11-7 with two outs in the final inning of the game, Whit started toward the plate and stopped. He looked at the coach and said, "I'm nervous." Coach lied like a rug and told him there was nothing to be nervous about; just relax and take your hacks.

After taking an ugly swing at the first pitch, Whit let the next one go by while he composed himself. On the third pitch, he drove a hard grounder to third, running to first like his butt was on fire and his shaggy hair was catching, scoring Zach and moving Nino to second.

Harris took one from Holy Communion's playbook and tapped one to the mound, scoring Nino from second when the pitcher made an ill-advised throw to first.

Down 11-9 with runners on the corners, Sonny showed no fear in stroking a ball to left, scoring Whit.

11-10 with two outs and Brian stepped to the dish.

Alas, sports fans, all rallies must come to an end, and this one was no different. The 10th K of the game snuffed it out.

In every one-run game, you lose sleep thinking about the what ifs, could've beens and had onlys. Again, baseball games are not won, they are lost. A booted ball, a base running gaffe, an untimely whiff. That's baseball in all its glory. If the fans in the stands did not see the stunning beauty of this game tonight under the lights of Snowden Field, they weren't paying attention.

Baseball reveals character, it does not build it. And let it be known that these boys on this night on this field showed a character that we all should be proud of.

Good night, Saints. See you at 8:30 a.m Saturday, weather permitting.

Game Today!

2009-05-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hey studs,

Keep those fingers crossed, do your Sun dances and pray for the rain to go away long enough for us to get our game in tonight.

See you at Snowden Field no later than 5:15 p.m. Game starts at 5:30 p.m. We play Holy Communion (Van Hooser).

Batting Order:

80 Owen
42 Zach
28 Nino
44 Whit
41 Harris
52 Sonny
53 Brian
77 Wendell
43 Walk
65 Berent
48 Eubank
82 Khalid

Fielding Assignments:

1st
P Zach
C Brian
1B Whit
2B Nino
3B Harris
SS Owen
LF Sonny
CF Wendell
RF Walk

2nd
P Whit
C Berent
1B Owen
2B Harris
3B Nino
SS Zach
LF Walk
CF Eubank
RF Khalid

3rd
P Owen
C Sonny
1B Zach
2B Berent
3B Brian
SS Whit
LF Eubank
CF Khalid
RF Wendell

4th
P Sonny
C Eubank
1B Harris
2B Khalid
3B Walk
SS Nino
LF Wendell
CF Brian
RF Berent

5th
P Nino
C Whit
1B Sonny
2B Wendell
3B Zach
SS Harris
LF Owen
CF Walk
RF Brian

Paparazzi!

2009-05-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

When the papazzi are around, it's hard to concentrate on the game. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Who's in the Hole?

2009-05-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Figuring out who is on deck and who is in the hole is something the boys are still struggling with. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Shagging Balls

2009-05-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Whit and Wendell shag balls during pre-game BP. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Protect Those Pearls

2009-05-13T08:13:00.003-07:00

Berent is not taking any chances with his choppers. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Back to the Pitcher!

2009-05-13T08:11:00.001-07:00

Coach urges the boys to get the ball back to the pitcher. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Saints Fan Club President

2009-05-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Brian's little bro comes to the games prepared. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Water Break

2009-05-13T08:08:00.001-07:00

The boys quench the thirst before heading back out into the field. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

In the Dugout

2009-05-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Dugout etiquette is improving by the game! (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Aggressive counseling

2009-05-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

Coach explains the nuances of playing hard, always being baseball ready and never ever ever walking on a baseball field. (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

Getting the gear on

2009-05-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Catching is a thankless job. But it's gotta get done! (courtesy Jennifer Balink)

T-Dog Slides into 3B with a Triple!

2009-05-12T20:37:00.000-07:00

After a bleeder to second for a fielder's choice in the first frame, T-Dog came up to the plate in the third like a man on a mission. He ripped a ball to center and hustled in with a nearly picture-perfect slide into third for the season's first triple -- the most exciting play in baseball, sports fans. (courtesy Heather Savage-Erickson)