| < Week 2 | Week 4 > |
| The Drey | Frenchtown Field | Manchester's Field | |||||||
| 5/12 | 5/12 | 5/12 | 5/12 | 5/12 | |||||
| CC | 0|0 | DK | 0|3 | CC | 3|3 | DK | 3|3 | WA | 1|2 |
| FS | 11|4 | FS | 1|5 | WD | 0|0 | WD | 0|0 | MP | 0|3 |
| Probable Starters: | |||
| Game 1: | Austin Bischoff | vs. | Evan Bortmas |
| Game 2: | Justin Hughes | vs. | Sam Hatt |
This one has been anticipated for a long time; ever since both squads began to show interest in playing with WSEM the idea of this match-up has excited. These two teams share a lot in common: they are considered rookies in WSEM, but have been playing Wiffleball for years in their respective leagues: Manchester Wiffleball Association and Whiteford Wiffleball Association; both rosters are young (okay, Manchester is a few years older than Whiteford, but they are still young when it comes to energy and agility); and both lineups bring a ton of talent to the field. Whiteford has jumped out to a 9-1 start on the year already, and jumped up to the #12 rank in the NWLA with their previous 4-0 record. This series will be Manchester's debut in WSEM league play, but they won the first April satellite tournament in impressive fashion.
Photo Credit: Joe SetoThe first thing that jumps out about both teams is the biggest tool in the game: pitching. Whiteford and Manchester both have deeper talent on the mound than is demanded by our pitching rotation. The Aces have already thrown three perfect games in 2012, and they have come from three different arms. Evan Bischoff and Justin Hughes threw theirs on Opening Weekend to start the season with a bang. Hughes has not seen the mound again since, however, Evan has seen action in two games since and has carried a 0.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and has 19 K to 7 BB (three of which came in his jittery first start of the season against the Donkeys). Austin Bischoff, who you expect to be the perfect game dealer, added his this past Sunday against the Mattseals in an extra long seven inning spectacular. In 23.1 IP Austin has given up only one run and one hit this year - a solo HR hit by Joe Seto Saturday at Poolside Park - while racking up 63 K to only 7 BB. Joel Crozier may not have thrown a perfect game (yet?), but he has a 0.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 41 K in 18.2 IP.
photo credit: Joe SetoManchester may not have any stats on the book yet, but their pitching in April was enough to leave an impression. Evan Bortmas and Sam Hatt, who we saw pitch that day, have more movement from more directions than you will see from any other pitchers in this league. When you think of risers in WSEM, the go-to guy is Chris Lewis; Hatt, however, features a 'screwball riser' that dances even more than Lewis' already bewitching number. The pitch that stood out the most from Bortmas was most often identified as a slurve, but I think a better name is simply "hammer": it starts out cocked up, then snaps down sharply. Depending on the placement it can have you swinging over it, looking silly, or watching it smack off the board, looking silly. These guys may not be full throttle with the velocity like Pearson or Bischoff, but they can still bring it at a pretty good clip. The Punchouts have also let it be known that we may not have seen their number-one pitcher as of yet. Needless to say, the pitching wordplay in the team names is a very apt fit for both.
Neither team is one-dimensional, either. The Punchouts displayed good power and contact throughout their four-man lineup in April. Logan Zigila earned many nicknames (the Silver Surfer, Godzilla, Beast, Wolverine, etc.)for the long-ball show he put on. Craig Spring also showed great extra-base power to the pull-field, and the speed to expand that even further. Spring is the same sort of player as DeLano: if the ball is on the ground, he is good as safe; but if you creep in, he can rip it over your head and run all day.
The Aces' offense is anything but a slouch, as well. Through their ten games played Whiteford is batting .335 as a team, which leads the league. They are also second in the league in SLG% with a .470. Of six players who have played in at least four games five are hitting over .300, and four of them are hitting over .350.
This highly anticipated series is going to be played under the lights to open Manchester's field Saturday night. There could not be a better stage for what is bound to be an excellently played pair of games between teams expected to play for the Ringler Division crown and ultimately a good shot at the WSEM Championship. On one hand, I expect a lot of strikeouts as pitchers dial it up to have their team seen as the best of the "rookies"; on that same hand, I count lots of extra innings as a real possibility. On the other hand, I would not be surprised to see a series of hits strung together at any moment by either team to take control of a game. Luckily I have a third hand, because having been on fields with these guys, mostly I guarantee we are going to get plenty of good-natured chirping and "nice play" congratulations back and forth between the dugouts.
Photo Credit: Joe SetoThe first thing that jumps out about both teams is the biggest tool in the game: pitching. Whiteford and Manchester both have deeper talent on the mound than is demanded by our pitching rotation. The Aces have already thrown three perfect games in 2012, and they have come from three different arms. Evan Bischoff and Justin Hughes threw theirs on Opening Weekend to start the season with a bang. Hughes has not seen the mound again since, however, Evan has seen action in two games since and has carried a 0.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and has 19 K to 7 BB (three of which came in his jittery first start of the season against the Donkeys). Austin Bischoff, who you expect to be the perfect game dealer, added his this past Sunday against the Mattseals in an extra long seven inning spectacular. In 23.1 IP Austin has given up only one run and one hit this year - a solo HR hit by Joe Seto Saturday at Poolside Park - while racking up 63 K to only 7 BB. Joel Crozier may not have thrown a perfect game (yet?), but he has a 0.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 41 K in 18.2 IP.
photo credit: Joe SetoManchester may not have any stats on the book yet, but their pitching in April was enough to leave an impression. Evan Bortmas and Sam Hatt, who we saw pitch that day, have more movement from more directions than you will see from any other pitchers in this league. When you think of risers in WSEM, the go-to guy is Chris Lewis; Hatt, however, features a 'screwball riser' that dances even more than Lewis' already bewitching number. The pitch that stood out the most from Bortmas was most often identified as a slurve, but I think a better name is simply "hammer": it starts out cocked up, then snaps down sharply. Depending on the placement it can have you swinging over it, looking silly, or watching it smack off the board, looking silly. These guys may not be full throttle with the velocity like Pearson or Bischoff, but they can still bring it at a pretty good clip. The Punchouts have also let it be known that we may not have seen their number-one pitcher as of yet. Needless to say, the pitching wordplay in the team names is a very apt fit for both.
Neither team is one-dimensional, either. The Punchouts displayed good power and contact throughout their four-man lineup in April. Logan Zigila earned many nicknames (the Silver Surfer, Godzilla, Beast, Wolverine, etc.)for the long-ball show he put on. Craig Spring also showed great extra-base power to the pull-field, and the speed to expand that even further. Spring is the same sort of player as DeLano: if the ball is on the ground, he is good as safe; but if you creep in, he can rip it over your head and run all day.
The Aces' offense is anything but a slouch, as well. Through their ten games played Whiteford is batting .335 as a team, which leads the league. They are also second in the league in SLG% with a .470. Of six players who have played in at least four games five are hitting over .300, and four of them are hitting over .350.
This highly anticipated series is going to be played under the lights to open Manchester's field Saturday night. There could not be a better stage for what is bound to be an excellently played pair of games between teams expected to play for the Ringler Division crown and ultimately a good shot at the WSEM Championship. On one hand, I expect a lot of strikeouts as pitchers dial it up to have their team seen as the best of the "rookies"; on that same hand, I count lots of extra innings as a real possibility. On the other hand, I would not be surprised to see a series of hits strung together at any moment by either team to take control of a game. Luckily I have a third hand, because having been on fields with these guys, mostly I guarantee we are going to get plenty of good-natured chirping and "nice play" congratulations back and forth between the dugouts.
Elsewhere in WSEM:
- The Commandos and Donkeys will make the same road trip a couple hours apart: stopping off first in Romulus for Opening Drey to face the (#31) Squirrels, then heading down to Frenchtown to take on the (#23) DeLoppes. It will be the only series of the year for both the Squirrels and DeLoppes with the Donkeys; these are also the only inter-division series on the schedule in Week 3. The Squirrels and Commandos will finish off their season series, while the DeLoppes and Commandos are coming together for their first meeting of 2012.
Unavailable Pitchers:
One Game: Comstock (WD), Hewlett (JM)*, Mushinski (KF)*, Nagorski (TD)*, Crozier (WA), Egan (CC)
Two Games: N/A
* Team not scheduled this week. Will carry over to Week 4.
