[batted balls]

June 1, 2006

Bristol, Conn.--Ivy first baseman Lou Gehrig is using his bat the way Rambo uses a machine gun--with lethal authority.

Gehrig's red-hot bat has become the most feared by East division pitchers. The Ivy stalwart has taken over the division batting race with a .361 batting average. He continues to lead the division in OPS (1.079) and stolen bases (10). In addition, Gehrig is second in home runs (9) and RBIs (47). As a result, Gehrig (shown below) was named East Player of the Month for May.

"It's an honor," said the soft-spoken Gehrig. "It's important that we keep winning."

Ivy has kept winning. The Eagles, 37-20, continue to lead the East. Florida State, 35-22, is two games out. Michigan, winners in seven of its last 10 games, has moved into a third-place tie with Illinois. Both teams are 32-25.

East Standings
Ivy 37-20 --
Florida State 35-22 2
Illinois 32-25 5
Michigan 32-25 5
Notre Dame 29-28 8
Miami 28-29 9
Mississippi State 28-29 9
Michigan State 25-32 12
Louisiana State 24-33 13
Minnesota 15-42 22

Player of the Week: John Wasdin, Florida State
Player of the Month: Lou Gehrig, Ivy
Pitcher of the Month: Ed Hobaugh, Michigan State
Stat of the Week: How bad is Minnesota? Golden Gopher closer Gregg Olson has just two saves this season.

Team-by-Team May Review
Ivy: Balance has continued to be the key for the Eagles. Lou Gehrig is tearing up division pitching. He hit .370 with five home runs and 22 RBIs in May. Teammate Sam Mele (.312) leads the East with 48 RBIs. Hughie Jennings (.324-1-25) has a 12-game hit string. Starting pitchers Jim Beattie (8-1, 1.91 ERA), Ted Olson (6-3, 2.85), Ron Darling (4-0, 2.89) and John Milligan (7-4, 5.01) are the division's best.
Florida State: The Seminoles have kept up the pressure on Ivy. Manager Mike Martin's club features strong pitching and timely hitting. Starters John Wasdin (7-2, 2.49 ERA), Richie Lewis (6-3, 2.90) and Bruce Tanner (6-3, 2.42) are backed by closer Craig Skok (16 saves, 1.48). Offensively, catcher Terry Kennedy (.298-2-31) has slipped a bit. However, outfielders Mark Gilbert (.301-5-35) and J.D. Drew (.290-4-25) have picked up the slack. Short stop Dick Howser (.295-2-18) has provided leadership and defense.
Illinois: Short stop Lou Boudreau (.286-10-32) and outfielders Hoot Evers (.307-9-31) and Don Lenhardt (.268-9-25) are the cogs in the Illini attack. Pitchers Fred Beebe (8-4, 1.83 ERA) and Carl Lundgren (7-4, 2.83) head the mound corps. Marv Rotblatt (3-1, 2.43) has begun to emerge while Tom Fletcher has been brought up from the minors.
Michigan: The Wolverines have clawed their way into the East race. Lary Sorensen (6-3, 3.62 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Stopper Steve Howe (12 saves, 2.76) appears to have hit his stride. It's been the offense, however, that has sparked Michigan. The heart of the order consists of Ted Sizemore (.328-0-21), Barry Larkin (.294-4-26), Leon Roberts (.260-4-29) and Chris Sabo (.240-2-31).
Notre Dame: The Irish are hovering around the .500 mark. Cap Anson (.356-0-21), Red Murray (.304-5-25) and Carl Yastrzemski (.301-6-32) are the offensive leaders. Starters Ed Reulbach (7-3, 2.05) and Norwood Gibson (6-3, 1.77) remain difficult to hit. Reliever Brad Lidge (2-3, 5.97) has been roughed up.
Miami: The Hurricanes have struggled of late. Manager Ron Fraser's team is just 3-7 in its last 10 contests. Starter John Fulgham (5-5, 3.99 ERA) has lost four straight decisions. Alex Fernandez (6-4, 4.04) has been up-and-down. Orlando Palmeiro (.276-3-30) has cooled off substantially from his early season success. Catcher Jorge Fabergas (.312-5-27) and short stop Bobby Hill (.259-6-21) have been defensive liabilities.
Mississippi State: Manager Ron Polk's Bulldogs are 7-3 in their last 10 games. Only one regular--Adam Piatt at .307--is batting above .300. Converted reliever Ken Tatum (4-4, 2.09 ERA) has helped to shored up the starting rotation. Bobby Thigpen (2-3, 7 saves) has adjusted to the closer role.
Michigan State: The Spartans are last in team batting (.222) and runs scored (180). Rick Miller (.300-6-29) and Steve Garvey (.276-1-22) are the only hitters producing. Robin Roberts (3-9, 4.03 ERA) has lost the No. 1 starter slot to Ed Hobaugh (3-5, 2.68). Hobaugh, May's Pitcher of the Month, posted a 0.55 ERA for the month yet only garnered two victories due to poor offensive support.
Louisiana State: The Tigers are perhaps the most disappointing team in the East. Losers in seven of its last 10 games, LSU has turned to its future. Ben McDonald (1-1, 3.67 ERA) and Paul Byrd (3-1, 2.23) have moved into the starting rotation. Lefty Mike Sirotka (4-4, 3.50) returns as ineffective Clay Parker (0-5, 4.56) goes to the bullpen. Joe Adcock (.340-5-28) remains as the offense's best performer.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers may be the game's worst team. Minnesota is batting just .227 as a team, while opponents are hitting at a .275 clip. Bryan Hickerson "leads" the pitching staff with a 2-8 record while the rest of the starters are a combined 4-20. Dave Winfield (.227-5-21) and Paul Molitor (.250-3-24) are the best of the anemic offense. Short stop Jerry Kindall has seven home runs but is batting a paltry .198.