Sunshine, Pennant Races and A Week To Go

Hooray!  Sunshine and maybe a little warmth for the last week of regular season play.

Big Games

Two Huge games this week.  But first there's a game that may spoil the party:

Monday

Marist, 4-5 in the MWL, beat Toby Woods and North  by a score of 11-5 in the first round. The Spartans will face Woods again, and I expect Marist to throw Malik Evans. The much improved Spartans will make it difficult for North to pick up their 7th MWL league win.  North's defense has been stellar the last four games, but the North bats barely did enough to get three wins in those four outings..... A Highlander victory would make North 7-1 in league - tied with Churchill for first.

Tuesday

Dave Bellamy earns my
'Where'd this guy come from?'
Award of the Week



Thurston is 5-1 in Special District play, while Sheldon is 3-2.  Sheldon can earn a share of the 6A league title by beating Thurston on Tuesday at Sheldon and then taking the first game of a twin bill against Redmond on Friday.  Those two wins would end league play for Thurston and Sheldon at identical 5-2 league records and a split in their head to head.  Maybe as important as the 6A league finish, is determining who the best team in the Eugene-Springfield is.  Thurston is 7-2 against Eugene-Springfield teams, while Sheldon is 8-3.  Who is top dog around here?  Curious minds want to know!  Maybe it's not Thurston or Sheldon alone.  If Churchill gets on  a run, and gets a break or two, the Lancer's could end up tied for 'best of Eugene-Springfield'.  The Highlanders will have some input, though, when they tackle Churchill.....

Wednesday

Potential MWL title game between North Eugene and Churchill at Swede on Wednesday. Churchill will go into the game 7-1 in the MWL, while North has to get by Marist on Monday at Marist for the Highlanders to reach 7-1. It's going to be Moore versus Lessel unless the sky falls from the heavens.  Unless  your son is a senior playing a game on a 'senior night', you'll be tempted to slip out of whatever game  you're at and sneak over to Swede.  I'll have a bunch of fake prescriptions to take home and show your family that you had to go see a doc.  The prescriptions aren't very expensive.  Think about it.... don't you really want to see seniors Chase Kearney and Jake Dezarn try and tee off of Beaver Believer Andrew Moore?  Don't you want to see Jake Lessel take on the Highlanders at Swede?  In the sun?  Curly Fries? No guts.  Oh, well. Coach Hoberg will probably order them to squeeze bunt and you won't have missed anything.

Once we are past those games, most games will be notable only if there is an upset.  That's with the exception of a couple of 6A Special District games on Friday -- Redmond coming to Sheldon and Grant at South Eugene.  One or both of these games could determine whether the Irish or Axemen get to skip the play-in game.

Current Play Off Status

5A
The top 16 teams from the 'Southern Division' play each other in a play-in game.  The other 3 'Southern Division' teams are eliminated.  Currently, our teams are ranked in the Southern Division as follows:
4  North Eugene (6th overall, 564 RPI)
5  Churchill         (7th overall, 546 RPI)
12 Willamette     (19 overall, 505 RPI)
15 Marist           (26 overall, 425 RPI)
17 Springfield     (32 overall, 392 RPI)
19 Marshfield     (36 overall, 364 RPI)

That means a home play in game for North and Churchill...  away play in games for Willamette and Marist.  The Millers are currently 0.33 RPI points behind South Albany (33 hundredths of a point).  Springfield's RPI is likely to rise over the next week as they play Thurston and Churchill.  The Millers also play Marshfield, which will pull down the Miller RPI a little, but South Albany plays Woodburn (2-20) three times next week.  It's too close to call whether or not Springfield gets into the play in round.  Note that Springfield and South Albany are scheduled to play each other May 14th in a game that will count towards their RPI's.

6A Who avoids the play-in games?

The top three teams (out of six) based on league wins and losses automatically advance to the 32 team bracket.  As of Sunday night the top four spots are:

1. Thurston 5-1        (#2 RPI)
2. Redmond 4-2      (#11 RPI)
3. Sheldon 3-2         (#12 RPI)
4. South Eugene 3-3 (#13 RPI)
Thurston had a berth into the 32 team bracket clinched a week ago.  Sheldon can catch Thurston in the final league standings.  First, Sheldon has to beat Thurston to reach 4-2 in league.  The Colts would end league play at 5-2, putting Sheldon a half a game out of a first place tie.  An Irish win would set up a game to determine the league co-champ next Friday between Sheldon and  Redmond, which already is 4-2.  The winner would finish league at 5-2 and be tied with Thurston, which only happens if the Colts lose to Sheldon.... A way South could earn a bracket berth, and avoid a play in game, is to beat Grant while Sheldon loses to both Thurston and Redmond.  If that happens, Sheldon would have to play a play in game. 

In other words, it's a very exciting pressure packed week for Sheldon and South Eugene.

Great Action Last Week

The level of play certainly has improved a lot in the last four weeks.  The South-Sheldon game last week was a doozie.  Pitching was more than solid, and neither team was using their ace.  Irish junior Mike Ralston and Axeman soph Cameron Jack looked great, and they'll have to continue to be great if either team is to get far in bracket play.  Defense was outstanding on both sides, and it was nice to see a catcher (Bellamy) step in for the Irish and have a great game in a pressure situation.  Coaching strategy was in play and the kids were executing plays- like South's catcher Ben Giland nailing the Irish at second on a first-third delayed steal and getting out of the situation without yielding a run - that just a few  weeks ago teams around the league were routinely botching . 



#6 Jake Dezarn is
Mr. Round Tripper this year.
But can it last four more weeks?

Rain sent me chasing North to Sheldon and back to Swede in a game that was rained out.  I was going to head home, but I thought, "Well, that Marist club has been improving and maybe it's time for The Big Surprise.   And it almost was.  Spartan junior pitcher Grant Jamieson, who has been getting better each time I've seen him, had the Lancers worried for four innings as Marist jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the top of the second and a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth.  The big question that developed was whether or not Jake Lessel would recover from Levi Yarborough's 2 run smash.  Lessel recovered, as a vet should, and Churchill put on a offensive show in the fifth and sixth inning, laying down perfect bunts with men on that ended up in  hits, and then powered on with Chase Kearney and Jake Dezarn going yard.  (Dezarn should send me a check.  I've seen him hit three homers and blast a double off the fence in the few times I've seen him.  Watty (4 bagger) and Moore (2b) took two of those four shots.  Or maybe North should pay me not to show up at the North - Churchill game Wednesday).

Overall, I think the big improvements have been in the number two pitchers on staff.  Helping out the pitchers have been at least two newbie varsity catchers really growing their game.  Teams are laying down their bunts much more often now.  Players aren't missing signals and  getting picked off as much - but still a little too much in close games. With all of this improvement it must be playoff time.....
 
I might change my mind at the last second on Monday's game; but, eat your heart out, here are the games I plan to see this week.

Monday - Thurston at Churchill - Both teams probably will save their aces for Tuesday and Wednesday, so these two hard hitting teams could burn out the score board.

Tuesday - Thurston at Sheldon - My one and two picks for the hybrid title at the beginning of the season.  They've lived up to my expectations. I think Thurston is a tiny bit better on D.

Wednesday - Churchill at North Eugene.  If the Highlanders get by Marist Monday, this is a sportswriters dream.  Moore versus Lessel.  Power hitters Kearney and Dezarn.  Great coaching.  Natural Rivalry.
On and on...

Friday - Redmond at Sheldon or Grant at South Eugene.  Depends on who is likely to pitch and the results of the Sheldon-Thurston game.

Fantastic Week.

Good Luck Seniors!!!!