By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

It was an exciting week at Capital One Park. There were walk-offs, great events, and the Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, threw out the first pitch on July 4th. We were honored to have Governor Youngkin at the park, and he was gracious enough to meet players, parents, coaches, and interns. July 4th also brought two great games – a big Chili Dogs win, and the Bunt Cakes won their second game of the season. Looking at the week ahead, West Springfield and Central Springfield Little League night is on Monday July 10th and First Responders Night is on Wednesday July 12th. The baseball action will also continue to heat up as we get closer to the playoffs. Now, let’s look at this week’s rankings:
 
#7 Hot Wings
           
The Hot Wings are unfortunately, very cold right now. With the worst record in the league at 2-8, the second worst batting average in the league at .209, and the second worst run differential as well, the Hot Wings are not meeting expectations. On paper this looked to be a top team, but, right now, they aren’t playing like it.
 
#6 Gators
 
            The Gators have had their ups and downs throughout the first half of the season, but did not end week 3 on a high note. Tying with the Yard Dogs and losing to the Bunt Cakes were definitely deflating. The Gators have the worst batting average in the league at .202 and are average on the mound. The Gators need to improve on offense and defense to get a top 4 seed in the playoffs, because right now nothing seems to be going right.
 
#5 Bunt Cakes
 
            THE BUNT CAKES. Why all caps? Because the Bunt Cakes are flaming hot right now. Four wins in a row means that the Bunt Cakes are now sitting at number 5 in the standings. A switch flicked and the Bunt Cakes are firing on all cylinders. Marcus LeClair leads the team in batting average and his return seemed to turn this team around. I expect this team to continue their winning ways going into next week.
 
*For now I will be referring to the Bunt Cakes as the Hot Cakes (no jinx, no jinx)
 
#4 Red Foxes
 
            The Red Foxes have cooled off in the past week. Getting beat 12-0 by the Rough Riders, and going 2-2 on the week, the Red Foxes have not played great baseball. Spirits seem to be low in the Foxes dugout and one of their key players, Dominick Proctor, is missing. The Red Foxes still have the second-best record in the league, but, again, things are looking more negative than positive.
 
Something to point out: The Red Foxes are last in the league in stolen bases, with 7 as a team. They are separated by 35 stolen bases from the closest team in the standings, the Chili Dogs. As we have seen so far, stolen bases are key in winning games, and the Red Foxes have not shown the ability to swipe bags this season.
 
#3 Yard Dogs
 
            The Yard Dogs have a solid record at 6-4-1 and have the league’s second highest batting average at .230. Christian Carver continues to impress as one of the best hitters in the league. The Yard Dogs have also gotten major support from their pitching staff with a 2.78 ERA. The team has had some up and down moments, but are still a dangerous team, especially on the basepaths.
 
#2 Rough Riders
 
            Next, we have the Rough Riders. The Rough Riders are playing amazing baseball right now. On Friday, the Rough Riders destroyed the Red Foxes in a 12-0 mercy; And, the next day, the Rough Riders beat the Yard Dogs 3-1. This is a fun team to watch – they are second in stolen bases, have the lowest ERA in the league, and are led by Cole Snead and Ryan Dudak on the mound. The bullpen will be key for the Rough Riders success in the next few weeks, but the league should be watching this team closely.
 
#1 Chili Dogs
           
            The Chili Dogs have finally earned the number one spot in the power rankings. With the best batting average, highest OBP, most stolen bases, and highest OPS, the Chili Dogs have proven they are an excellent hitting team. However, the Chili Dogs are not only great at the plate, but they have excelled on the mound as well. Led by Carson Estridge, Cooper Charneco, and Josh Gjormand, the Chili Dogs are keeping runs and hits to a minimum.
 
Player Spotlight: Clay Clarke is the league leader in 6 offensive categories: Avg., OBP, OPS, SB, Hits, and Runs. Clarke is an exciting player to watch and won’t be slowing down anytime soon. As the Chili Dogs best hitter through week 3, Clarke is on pace to be league MVP.

By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

            July is upon us, which brings Independence day, fun events, and great baseball at Capital One Park. The second week of the Potomac League season was competitive to say the least. We have multiple teams tied at the top of the standings and a few others right behind. Before I reveal this week’s power rankings, let’s look at a few key events coming up at Capital One Park.
 
Independence Day at The Ballpark:
            On July 4th, there will be two games played at Capital One Park – Chili Dogs vs. Gators at 9:30am and Hot Wings vs. Bunt Cakes at 12:30pm. Before the second game, Virginia Governor, Glenn Youngkin, will be on hand to throw out the first pitch! Get ready to see our Governor and enjoy a variety of Independence Day games and prizes!
 
Little League Nights:
            Throughout the month of July, multiple area little leagues will be invited to the ballpark to watch the games and enjoy Capital One Park! Make sure to check out the “Special Events” tab to find when your little league night is.
 
First Responder’s Night:
            On July 12th, Capital One Park and the Potomac League will be celebrating the men and women who protect us every day. All first responders will have free admission and will be recognized throughout the night!
 
These are just some of the many events coming up at Capital One Park this July. Make sure to check out our social media feed, @potomacleague, and the “Special Events” tab to keep up to date on the exciting things happing at the ballpark.
       
 
Now, to the power rankings.
 
#7 Bunt Cakes
       Last week, I said if the Bunt Cakes can turn things around and win a few games, then their dreadful start to the season would be solved. However, this did not happen. The Bunt Cakes lost 4 more games, which puts their record at 0-7. The Bunt Cakes have the lowest batting average in the league at .143 and the highest ERA in the league at 6.05 – not a good combination for winning games.
           
            The Bright Side: The Bunt Cakes have mostly been in close games and have Marcus LeClair, the Virginia Tech committed 1st basemen, back for the remainder of the season.
 
#6 Hot Wings
            The Hot Wings have not lived up to their pre-season expectations and it is obvious that the Coach Spencer lead team, has not been firing on all cylinders. Only a few key players are performing, such as Jake Slade and Brendan Cecka, but that is not enough for the Hot Wings to win many games.
           
            The Bright Side: The Hot Wings’ 2-5 record does not necessarily tell the whole story. The Hot Wings have a run differential of only -5 and haven’t had a terrible loss yet. Coach Spencer and his team are holding others close and in due time, it will pay off.
 
#5 Rough Riders
            The Rough Riders have a good record, but are sitting in the bottom in terms of statistics and have not yet shown to be consistent in any facet of the game. Furthermore, the Rough Riders record is inflated by playing lesser competition so far.
 
            The Bright Side: The Rough Riders are absolutely a team to watch out for down the line. Why? The Rough Riders have shown to play deep into games and have a dominating presence on the mound.
 
#4 Gators
            The Gators are sitting at .500 on the season and show some signs of greatness, but overall have not yet gotten hot offensively. The Gators have the second lowest batting average in the league, at .174, but have managed to win games with great pitching, with a league-best ERA of 1.54. Beating a scrappy Rough Riders team and having a run differential of 0 puts the Gators at #4 this week.
 
#3 Chili Dogs
            The Chili Dogs will remain in their #3 position. It was a good week for the Chili Dogs, going 3-1, but in that span have played the Hot Wings twice and Bunt Cakes once. For as good as the Chili Dogs are, their defense is still lacking, and their pitching has some work to do. The Chili Dogs own the number two position in walks and hit by pitches, but make up for it by having the highest team batting average in the league, at .271.
 
            The Bright Side: The Chili Dogs are probably the most talented team in the league, have star players all around the field, and most likely, will gain the bat of Campbell Charneco off the injured list soon.
 
#2 Yard Dogs
            The Yard Dogs have shown the ability to play the game the right way, by making the least number of errors in the league. Good defense comes at a premium in this league and the Yard Dogs know how to play it. Carson Carroll has built a winning team, that cares about the game, and has fun while doing it.
 
            The Bright Side: If the Yard Dogs continue to show class on the baseball field, they will be in a good spot come the end of the season.
 
#1 Red Foxes
            Although the Red Foxes went .500 on the week, they remain the #1 team. Why? The Red Foxes continue to show that they are the most well-balanced team in this league. Sitting at #2 in batting average and team ERA, and #1 in fewest walks given up, the Red Foxes are in an amazing spot. Led by Dominick Proctor and Rixon Webb at the plate, and 3 different pitchers with 0 ERA’s, the Red Foxes look to continue their winning ways in week 3.

By Evan Blair, Operations Intern

The first week of the Potomac League brought great baseball and a lot of rain to Capital One Park. Games were delayed and postponed, but with the help of some creative scheduling, all games were completed. Previously, I ranked the Gators #1 in the preseason poll and the Bunt Cakes #3. Let’s look at how things have changed in the power rankings at the end of week one.
 
 
#7 Bunt Cakes
     
      Unfortunately, the Bunt Cakes could not figure out their offense or defense this week as they went 0-3. The team has a batting average of .135 and an OBP of .256. Last week I said speed, coaching, and young energy would lead to this team’s success, but none have proved to play a big role in the Bunt Cakes’ short season, so far.
 
The Bright Side: The coaching for the Bunt Cakes is a combination of fun, teaching, and a serious desire to win. These are all factors that are necessary to win a long summer league, filled with hot games and rain delays. If this team can stay positive and keep a winning mentality, there is no doubt the Bunt Cakes will end up a top seed in the tournament.
 
#6 Rough Riders
 
       Although the Rough Riders have had a great start to the season at 2-1, their success will not last for long. The Rough Riders are a solid team with good arms and a decent offense, but in the coming week it will be tough to maintain their positive start to the season. The Red Foxes, Yard Dogs, Bunt Cakes, and Gators are all lined up to play the Rough Riders. They would have to outperform multiple top teams to win more than 1 game in the coming week.
 
            The Bright Side: The Rough Riders have great arms in Ryan Dudak and Cole Snead, as well as a hot bat in JJ Mulhern. Any team can get hot, but if the Rough Riders start a winning streak, the rest of the league should be on the lookout.
 
#5 Hot Wings
 
            The Hot Wings have had an at best, okay start to the year. The hitting has been shaky, and pitching has been good, but the Hot Wings have struggled to piece it all together. After losing today to a great Gators team, the Hot Wings dropped to 1-2.
 
The Bright Side: The Hot Wings do not fall any further because of their great lineup, led by Brendan Cecka and Jake Slade. The Hot Wings are led by Morgan Spencer, a great coach with a long history of winning, so it won’t be long until the Hot Wings start to catch fire.
 
#4 Yard Dogs
      
            A great start to the season has Coach Carroll’s squad at 2-2. The Yard Dogs have had massive help from their pitching, but have also been aided by other teams’ blunders. The Yard Dogs will need to pick it up offensively, but otherwise, the team has been solid all-around.
 
            The Bright Side: The Yard Dogs are a scrappy team and one that could be in contention come playoff time. Carson Carroll has a knack for winning and a great pitching staff. If the hitting can continue to be consistent and the pitching stays dominant, the Yard Dogs will make a postseason run in late July.
 
#3 Chili Dogs
 
            With a record of 2-1, better than the Yard Dogs and Gators, the Chili Dogs only move up one rank. Why? The Chili Dogs are a good team, but need to find a way to win games without Carson Estridge on the mound. Once the games get tight the Chili Dogs will need to find a way to step it up defensively and start batting more runners in.
 
The Bright Side: Josh Gjormand, the star utility player for the Chili Dogs, is back from injury and will be a key player and leader for this team down the line. The Chili Dogs have talent all over the field, multiple hitters batting .400 or above, and a great coaching staff that seriously wants to win.
 
#2 Gators
 
The Gators record does not necessarily represent how good of a team they are. The losses come from struggles on the mound and at the plate, getting shutout by the Red Foxes in Saturday’s affair and losing 3-2 in their second game today. The Gators definitely were disadvantaged by the rain, with delays forcing them to play 3 games in two days, all against good teams.
 
The Bright Side: Although, the Gators have dropped 2 games in as many days, there are signs that the Gators will be a solid team down the road. With a strong, veteran filled lineup, the Gators are in a good spot to win multiple games this upcoming week.
 
#1 Red Foxes
 
The Red Foxes have had a perfect start to the season. With a 1.67 ERA and an 11-run differential during week 1, the Red Foxes are now the clear #1 team. Rixon Webb leads the offense in average, OPS, and stolen bases and plays a key role in this team’s success. On the mound, the Red Foxes have proved to be amazing. Four pitchers have ERAs of 0.00 and WHIPs of 1.00 or below. The Red Foxes will continue to have success if their pitching staff keeps up the excellent work.

By Josh Belanger

Six different players hit home runs and Jared Dingus recorded a six-out save, escaping from a bases-loaded jam in the top of the eighth to lead the Night Owls to a 9-6 win over the Sliders in the inaugural NVCL championship game at Waters Field. 

The Night Owls faced an early deficit for the third straight game after Tyler Casagrande (Arizona) put the Sliders ahead with a two-run home run in the first inning off starter Randy Prosperi (William & Mary). Prosperi would allow a third run on a bases loaded walk to Dominic Ragazzo (West Virginia) but avoided further damage with a ground out in the first. 

Michael Grupe (Virginia Tech) made his sixth start of the summer for the Sliders and held the Night Owls scoreless in two of the first three innings. Lucas Donlon (Virginia Tech) started the long ball parade for the Night Owls with a solo shot to lead off the second. Carter Cunningham (East Carolina) followed with another solo homer later in the inning, his ninth of the season. 

After the Sliders added three runs on RBI from Casagrande, Justin Ritz (Mary Washington) and Ben Williamson (William & Mary), the Night Owls answered with three runs of their own on a two-run shot from Rob Weissheier (Hofstra) and an RBI from Ethan Rothstein (James Madison). Weissheier was the league’s most dangerous hitter all season long, finishing with 15 home runs and 36 RBI with a .431 batting average in 20 games.

Yareb Martinez (Georgetown) and Austin Gauthier (Hofstra) both hit solo homers in the fifth to give the Night Owls a 7-6 lead. The home run from Gauthier was his fourth in as many games and the final pitch for Grupe, who was relieved by Braden Mack (Cornell). Mack allowed two runs on three hits with five strikeouts in 3.1 innings out of the bullpen. 

“We have been down these whole playoffs and we never give up,” Martinez said. “Sal has made that our mentality. We don’t swing for the fences but we sure hit a lot of home runs.” 

Reliever Danny Checkosky (Roanoke), who entered the game in the fourth for the Night Owls, allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings. After Checkosky hit the lead-off man in the eighth, Dingus (Potomac State) came on in relief and proceeded to allow a hit and a walk after a strikeout to load the bases. Facing the top of the Sliders’ lineup with the game on the line and one out, the right-hander retired Willamson on a line out and Casagrande on a ground ball to end the inning. 

“Great players step up when they need to,” coach Sal Colangelo said. “It was a total team effort.” 

The Night Owls picked up a couple of insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run shot from Matt Thomas (William & Mary). The home run was the Night Owls 39th hit this summer. 

Dingus came back out for the ninth and retired three of four batters to put the finishing touches on the Night Owls’ championship win. The Night Owls won eight straight games to close out an 18-2 season.  

Photos of Lucas Donlon & Night Owls courtesy of Fred Ingham

By Andrew Cooney

​The Sliders staged two separate rallies and held off the Hot Wings in the seventh inning to win 10-9 in an NVCL semifinal matchup yesterday at Madison High School. The win sends the Sliders to the championship game on Saturday against the top-seeded Night Owls. The teams split their two regular season matchups.
 
The Hot Wings got on the board first with a long three-run home run to center field by Avery Neaves (Chesapeake) in the top of the first inning. The Sliders responded in the bottom half putting up two runs of their own as Donovan Burke (JMU) of the Hot Wings had trouble finding the strike zone early. Conor Hartigan (JMU) hit a two-run homer for the Hot Wings in the top of the third inning to extend the lead to 5-2. The score would remain until the bottom of the fourth when the Sliders got two runs back on a two-run single from Tyler Casagrande (Arizona) off Hot Wings reliever Patrick Burke (Mount St. Mary’s).
 
Leading off the bottom of the fifth, Scott Morgan (George Mason) and Tyler DeMartino (West Virginia) hit back-to-back home runs to stake the Sliders to their first lead of the game, 6-5. The home run by Morgan was his second in as many games. The Hot Wings responded immediately in the top of the sixth on a three-run shot to right field by Ryan Dooley (VMI) that gave the Hot Wings the lead right back at 8-6.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Sliders rallied once again, scoring four runs against reliever Pete Nielsen (George Mason), punctuated by a two-run double from Jack Hoeymans (Undecided) and a two-run single from Morgan (George Mason).
 
“[Scott] has just been seeing the ball well, he puts good swings on balls, he’s not trying to do too much,” said Sliders coach Dan Ritz.
 
Avery Neaves (Chesapeake) made things interesting in the top of the seventh, hitting a solo shot out to left field for his second home run of the game and narrowing the gap to 10-9. However, Sliders reliever Michael Schultz (College of Charleston) would retire two  of the next three batters to end the game.
 
“This is the best we’ve swung the bat all year,” said Morgan. “If we keep pounding the zone and swinging the bats like we have been we’re a tough team to beat.”
 
When asked about Saturday’s championship matchup with the Night Owls, Ritz said, “It’s going to be a tough game, they can swing it one through 10. For us, it’s all about throwing strikes. When we throw strikes, stay ahead of batters, we’ll be able to stay in the game. We are going to have to keep fighting offensively like we did tonight. We had a lot of big at bats, key situations, down in the count, and they battled through and just found a way to get it done.”
 
 
Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for Waters Field with a time to be set due to incoming weather. The Night Owls and Sliders have been the top two teams in the league all season and will now get a chance to battle for the title in the inaugural NVCL season.

Photo of Scott Morgan courtesy of Fred Ingham

By Josh Belanger

No team hit more home runs than the Night Owls this season. In fact, no team hit more home runs than the 23 hit by Austin Gauthier, Carter Cunningham and Rob Weissheier. All three hit home runs again in yesterday’s semifinal to help the Night Owls erase a four-run deficit and knock off the Bunt Cakes, 11-7, to advance to Saturday’s NVCL championship. 

Jack Cone (William & Mary) could not have given the Bunt Cakes a better start, hitting a home run on the first at-bat of the game and then shutting down the Night Owls in order in the first inning. Jay Cassady (Christopher Newport) would follow with a two run homer in the second to stake a 3-0 lead for the Bunt Cakes. 

The Night Owls got the board in the bottom of the second on a heads up hustle play from both Aiden Tierney (Longwood) and Cunningham (Florida Southwestern State). After Cunningham singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs, Tierney beat out a slow ground ball to the shortstop and allowed Cunningham to score from second. 

The Bunt Cakes would add two more runs in the third on RBI from Alex Lemery (Marymount) and Will Bean (West Virginia). Lemery finished the season on fire, hitting safely in 10 of his last 11 games (including postseason) and ending the season with a .432 batting average. 

Trailing 5-1, the Night Owls offense came alive for six runs in the third behind a two-run shot from Gautheir (Hofstra) and a three-run bomb from Cunningham that grabbed the lead. Gauthier would extend the Night Owls lead in the fourth on a sacrifice fly. 

Cone hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot that landed high in the tree past the center field fence, to bring his team within a run. But, the bats for the Night Owls remained relentless, answering yet again with a two-run homer from Weissheier (Hofstra) in the bottom half. Garrett Riley (Potomac State) added on with an RBI in the sixth.   

“We just told them to play every pitch, every inning, every at-bat,” said Night Owls coach Sal Colangelo. “This [summer] is about getting better. It’s about working on your craft, perfecting your craft and having a good time and having some memories forever. That’s what we instill in them. They are not going to quit. They could be down 20 on Saturday and they are not going to quit. I won’t let them quit, that’s not in our nature.”

Jack Braley (Christopher Newport) started for the Night Owls and battled over four innings despite not having his best stuff. The right-hander allowed five runs through the first three innings but provided a scoreless fourth inning on the heels of the Night Owls six-run third that proved to be the turning point in the game. Jarrod Schmitz (Marymount) tossed the final three innings for the Night Owls, allowing just one run on three hits. 

“It wasn’t one of [Jack’s] best outings but he competed for us,” Colangelo said. “We felt if we could get Cone’s pitch count up and keep it close, whoever they were bringing in we could score five, six, seven runs. That has been the strategy.” 

The Night Owls will take on the Sliders in the NVCL Championship on Saturday. Both teams finished atop the NVCL standings and split their two games during the regular season. Randy Prosperi (Williamd & Mary) and Jared Dingus (Potomac State) are the likely pitchers for the Night Owls. 

Photo of Carter Cunningham courtesy of Fred Ingham

By Josh Belanger

Kyle Novak and Conor Hartigan (James Madison) both delivered clutch hits in the bottom of the seventh inning to cap a three-run rally and advance the Hot Wings to the NVCL semifinals after a 4-3 victory over the Rough Riders in yesterday’s quarterfinal matchup at Madison High School. 

The Hot Wings were down to their final three outs and needed two runs to keep their season alive. After a fielder’s choice brought home a run, Novak tied the game with his third hit of the game. Tre Dabney (James Madison) followed with a walk then Hartigan worked a 3-2 count to allow Novak to break on the pitch. A ground ball in between the third baseman and shortstop allowed Novak to easily score and provide the game-winning run. 

O’Kelley McWilliams (Wofford) started for the Rough Riders and held the Hot Wings to one run on three hits over 3.2 innings. Everett Catlett (Georgetown) went for the Hot Wings and allowed an unearned run while striking out six over 2.2 innings. Robert Kelley (Potomac State) ended up with the win after tossing two scoreless innings in relief for the Hot Wings. 

Brendan Albrittain (Radford) hit a solo home run to put the Rough Riders up 3-1 in the fifth inning. Ethan Martoske (Lynchburg) also added an RBI double for the Rough Riders. 

Quarterfinal #2 - Sliders 11, Yard Dogs 2

Michael Grupe (Virginia Tech) and Braden Mack (Cornell) combined to allow just one run on six hits over seven innings while Jack Hoeymans (undecided) and Scott Morgan (George Mason) each homered and drove in a pair of runs to lead the Sliders over the Yard Dogs. 

The Sliders pounded 15 hits as both Tyler Casagrande (Arizona) and Griffin Boone (VCU) each added three hits. Derek Furr (Christopher Newport) also had a three-run double that broke the game open in the fifth inning. Brendan Hall (Washington University, MO) collected two of the six hits for the Yard Dogs. 

The Hot Wings and Sliders will square off at 6 PM today for a chance to advance to Saturday’s championship game. The teams split their two games this season, with the Sliders winning the first game 6-1. The Hot Wings took game two, 11-3. 

Garret Newsome (William & Mary) for the Sliders and Donavan Burke (James Madison) for the Hot Wings are the likely starting pitchers. 

Quarterfinal #3 - Night Owls 7, Child Dogs 6

The top-seeded Night Owls avoided an early departure from the NVCL tournament by scoring seven runs over their final three frames to beat the Chilli Dogs, 7-6. Yareb Martinez (Georgetown) had the go-ahead RBI while Jonathan Fisher (Christopher Newport) added a critical insurance run with a base hit in the bottom of the sixth. 

The Chili Dogs wouldn’t go quietly, getting an RBI on Ben Koomey’s (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) second hit of the game. The tying and go-ahead runs would eventually reach scoring position but reliever Randy Prosperi (William & Mary) was able to come on and get the final two outs of the game.

Aiden Tierney (Longwood) added an RBI double and two hits while Austin Gauthier (Hofstra) hit his fourth home run of the season, his second in two games. Brady Harju (James Madison) collected four hits while Jack Fitzgerald (George Mason) hit a three-run home run for the Chili Dogs. 

Quarterfinal #4 - Bunt Cakes 9, Gators 1

Jay Cassidy (Christopher Newport) struck out five over 5.2 innings and allowed just one run on three hits to guide the Bunt Cakes past the Gators and into the semifinals. Jack Cone (William & Mary) and Nathan Cmeyla (Dartmouth) each homered and combined for seven RBI to power the Bunt Cakes.

The Bunt Cakes will face the Night Owls in the first semifinal game at 3:30 PM at Waters Field. The Night Owls went 3-0 against the Bunt Cakes this season. Jack Braley (Christopher Newport) for the Night Owls and Cone for the Bunt Cakes are the likely starting pitchers. 

Photo of Kyle Novak by Josh Belanger

​