BNN Report
News from the CBO, Minors, College, and Youth Leagues
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
1 September 2308
The September Super Post
CBO Statistical Leaders
NCA Hitter - 3B Plain Morris, The Slog - Leader in: HR (38), SLG (.656), SF (8), XBH (62), ISO (.359)
SCA Hitter - 1B Barker Cocoa, University Point - Leader in: OBP (.493), OPS (1.143), WAR (7.1), R (92), BB (112), OPS+ (191), WPA (6.68), wOBA (.476)
NCA Pitcher - SP Beachboy Nut, Nordhagen Beach - Leader in: ERA (2.38), WAR (8.2), IP (211.2), K/BB (3.3), BB/9 (2.0), FIP (2.61), ERA+ (190), rWAR (9.1), Win% (.789), QS (23)
SCA Pitcher - SP Emperry Alizm, Oberland - Leader in: ERA (2.68), W (t-1st, 17), WAR (6.7), SHO (6), WHIP (0.95), FIP (3.01), ERA+ (170), rWAR (7.4), BABIP (.236), Opp Avg (.194), QS (20)
CBO Players of the Month
NCA Hitter - Baktu DaWell battered North Charles Association pitchers all August and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award.
"I've been around Commonwealth Baseball Organization long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 26-year-old DaWell told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month."
In 22 games, DaWell hit .377 with 7 home runs, 19 RBIs and scored 19 runs.
This season DaWell has hit at a .361 clip with 79 RBIs, 26 home runs and 94 runs scored. He has played in 105 games.
SCA Hitter - When Diamond Ball stepped up to the plate in August he did it with confidence, and today he was honored with the South Charles Association Batter of the Month award.
The young Spectacle Island third baseman posted a .477 batting average with 8 home runs, 21 RBIs and scored 18 runs. Ball also worked pitchers for 8 walks to post a .515 on-base percentage.
So far this season Ball is batting .374 with 34 home runs, 87 RBIs and 83 runs scored. He has 155 hits in 414 at-bats, 51 walks and a .442 OBP. Ball has played in 105 games.
NCA Pitcher - August was a very good month for Jaa Thirtysix of the Salem Witch Hats. He held opposing hitters for a .152 average and took home the North Charles Association Pitcher of the Month award.
In 6 starts he claimed a 4-1 record as he put up a 1.34 ERA and struck out 48 in 47 innings.
This year Thirtysix has a 12-5 record with a 3.45 ERA.
SCA Pitcher - There was little doubt around the South Charles Association that Wilson Beachball would be awarded Pitcher of the Month honors for August. Today, they made it official, naming the 31-year-old University Point Deathclaws starter the latest honoree.
He thoroughly dominated the hitters who stood in against him, holding them to a .173 batting average while fashioning a 1.76 ERA in 5 starts. His record for the month was 5-0 in 41 innings of work.
This year Beachball has posted a 11-5 mark in 26 starts and has a 4.47 ERA.
NCA Rookie - Brian DeLong's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Salem right fielder has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.
In August he was voted the Rookie of the Month.
During the month he hit .318 with 6 doubles, no triples and 7 home runs. DeLong also scored 19 times and drove in 13 runs.
This year DeLong is hitting .280 with 20 home runs.
SCA Rookie - One of the hottest hurlers in the South Charles Association last month was Admiral Kelm of the Egret Ninjas. He caught the attention of everybody in the league with some solid stats, good enough to win the SCA Rookie of the Month.
In August Kelm starred with an impressive 3 and 1 record. In 6 starts he gave up 37 base hits and struck out 39 in 48.1 innings with a 2.79 ERA.
This season Kelm has compiled a 12-9 record with a 5.07 ERA.
MML Analysis
The MML enters its final week this week as the Legends League pretty much has its playoff matchup while we will have to see what happens in the final week for the Stars League.
The Abernathy Adamantium have already clinched the Wade Boggs Division, and the Everett Mutant Hounds have a Magic # of 1 in the Matt Mutagh Division, meaning those two teams are likely to represent the LL in the playoffs. Meanwhile, both divisions have a tie for 1st place and three teams alive. In the Ted Williams Division, the Needham Archers and Providence Warlocks are locked up with the Worcester Cannons just a game back. In the Carl Yastrzemski Division, the Warwick Mirelurks and Braintree Robobrains are knotted up with the Brookline Bandoliers sitting three games back.
MML Players of the Month
LL Hitter - Tim Connecticut is not used to being associated with Batter of the Month-caliber players, but today the Abernathy third baseman joined that select company when the Legends League announced the results of August's voting.
Connecticut totaled 31 hits, 9 walks, 13 home runs, 29 RBIs and 18 runs scored last month to put together a .388 batting average and .449 on-base percentage.
In his season totals Connecticut has 36 home runs and a .270 batting average.
SL Hitter - Warwick right fielder Nate Eiland took home the Stars League Batter of the Month Trophy for August.
He put up some solid numbers, including a .400 batting average and .481 on-base percentage with 36 hits, 10 home runs, 19 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Eiland is swinging at a .361 pace on the year with 14 home runs, 31 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He has played in 33 games.
LL Pitcher - Exec Horton of the Lynn Fortune Finders strung a bunch of high quality starts together in August to earn the Legends League Pitcher of the Month trophy.
For the month he finished with a superlative 5 wins and no losses and a 1.91 ERA. The Lynn star started 6 games, pitched 47 innings and struck out 39.
So far this season Horton has compiled a 13-5 record with a 3.06 ERA.
SL Pitcher - It was a monstrous August for the Stars League Pitcher of the Month award winner, Brahmin Lover Beardman of the Brookline Bandoliers. He put up some mighty scary numbers.
Beardman recorded 5 wins and no losses in 5 starts. Throwing a total of 38 innings, he yielded 33 hits, mowed down 45 on strikes, gave up 22 walks and put up a solid ERA of 2.84 in a stellar month on the mound.
This year Beardman has posted a record of 13 wins and 6 losses with a 3.64 ERA. He has appeared in 22 games and struck out 158 in 158.1 innings.
BMU Playoffs
CA
It's a sweet sweep for the Mystic Pines Raybathers and they have won the Association Championship. The Taffington Boathouse Spy Hunters were not able to keep pace with the Raybathers and dropped the series in short order, losing 10-5 in the deciding game.
"This wasn't really the effort we hoped for," said Taffington Boathouse manager Frank Hermit.
It's now on to the Boston Minor Series for Mystic Pines after their 2-0 series win.
Leading the way for the winners was center fielder Nate Ransom, who was named MVP. For the series, Ransom hit .375 with a .375 on-base percentage. He had 2 home runs, drove in 3 RBI and scored 3 runs.
The Mystic Pines Raybathers don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Neponset Park Criticals - Forest Grove Pugilists series. That series has not started yet. The Boston Minor Series schedule will be announced after the Association Championship finishes.
MA
In a series that had a little bit of everything, the Forest Grove Pugilists have edged the Neponset Park Criticals.
The two rival clubs went the distance in the tightly-contested Association Championship, with a 4-3 win in the clincher being the difference for Forest Grove and giving them the ticket to the Boston Minor Series with a 2-1 series triumph.
"We never stopped believing in ourselves. When push came to shove we were going to get it done," said Tuck Wilson, who was named series MVP.
For the series, Wilson hit .375 with a .545 on-base percentage. He had 2 home runs, drove in 3 RBI and scored 5 runs.
The Forest Grove Pugilists will play against the Mystic Pines Raybathers in the next round. Mystic Pines won their series against the Taffington Boathouse Spy Hunters 2 games to 0. The Boston Minor Series schedule will be announced after the Association Championship finishes.
GBRL Playoffs
NL
The Lynn Woods Bloatflies have swept the Nuka Express Chrono Cowboys and are on to the Rookie Series. Lynn Woods won 13-0 today at Road Warriors Park to clinch the League Championship.
"We're happy to have put the dagger in when we had the chance," said Lynn Woods second baseman Writey Thomassen, who was named MVP for the series. "It could have been a tough series to finish if we let them start winning."
Thomassen won the award with a .667 batting average and a .667 on-base percentage. He had 0 home runs, drove in 3 RBI and scored 1 runs.
The Lynn Woods Bloatflies don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Greater Mass Vans - Park Street AntAgonizers series. That series has not started yet. The Rookie Series schedule will be announced after the League Championship finishes.
SL
When the entire season comes down to one game, More Gray said you find out what a team is really about.
As it turns out, the Greater Mass Vans are made of fight and tenacity, as the team got by the Park Street AntAgonizers 13-8 tonight at Kauffman Stadium in order to win the League Championship and book a place in the next round.
"It wasn't hard to get excited for this game," said Gray, whose strong offensive output earned him MVP honors. "Our guys answered the call and proved a lot about what our team is all about."
Gray hit .375 with a .615 on-base percentage. He had 2 home runs, drove in 5 RBI and scored 5 runs.
The Greater Mass Vans will play against the Lynn Woods Bloatflies in the next round. Lynn Woods won their series against the Nuka Express Chrono Cowboys 2 games to 0. The Rookie Series schedule will be announced after the League Championship finishes.
BCAC Playoffs
A celebratory mood filled the air as the Northeastern Huskies closed out the season with a 7-3 victory over the CIT Engineers at Black Diamonds Grounds to capture the College Series, 4-3.
Giving the Engineers credit for a hard-fought series, Huskies players said they believed throughout the postseason that their "destiny" was to be crowned Boston Collegiate Athletic Conference champions.
"We felt like this was our year all season long," said right fielder Ju Ju Luuk, who was named series MVP. "It was our destiny to win it and we did."
It was the 1st in franchise history. During the BCAC South Division regular season Northeastern put up a 50-36 record and finished first.
"They're the champions and they deserve it," said a dejected CIT manager Jose Alvarado. "We played good ball, they just played better than us."
BYDL Playoffs
It's party time in Needham. The confetti is flying and residents are smiling.
The Needham Radstorm have reached the mountaintop, capturing the 2308 Boston Youth Series today. They defeated the CIT Academy Yahoos 3-1 at Rosemary Lake Field to officially wrap up the series 3-1.
Asked how it feels to be a champion, shortstop G.B. Means was to the point.
"It feels great, like a million bucks. I'm so happy right now, not just for me but for all the guys," he said. "We put a lot of work into this and deserve to be champions."
The team is planning a victory parade and fan appreciation day later in the week. Needham finished the regular season 49-27 and claimed first place in the South Region Samuel Adams Division.
