The Mountaineer League - Quarter Point Report
Current Standings
Here are the Mountaineer League season standings through 35 games:
Code:
Blue Division W L PCT GB
Beckley Bears 23 12 0.657 --
Parkersburg Patriots 22 13 0.629 1
Kanawha Valley Vipers 16 19 0.457 7
Huntington Hawks 15 20 0.429 8
Bluefield Bullfrogs 12 23 0.343 11
Gold Division W L PCT GB
Fairmont Engineers 25 10 0.714 --
Clarksburg Cardinals 19 16 0.543 6
Morgantown Monsters 16 19 0.457 9
Martinsburg Spirit 15 20 0.429 10
Wheeling Owls 12 23 0.343 13
League Leaders
Below are the current Mountaineer League statistical leaders in selected categories:
Code:
Batting Average:
0.442 D. Lowry, Fairmont
0.386 J. Rogers, Bluefield
0.380 J. Acord, Kanawha Valley
0.375 G. Rice, Parkersburg
0.374 S. Hutton, Parkersburg
Homeruns:
11 F. Cardinales, Martinsburg
11 J. Rogers, Bluefield
10 K. Bennett, Beckley
10 M. Weaver, Fairmont
Runs Batted In:
45 M. Weaver, Fairmont
42 D. Thacker, Kanawha Valley
32 G. Rice, Parkersburg
31 S. Hutton, Parkersburg
30 C. Bagnold, Parkersburg
Wins:
7 O. Pérez, Parkersburg
7 J. Williams, Parkersburg
6 S. Parrish, Clarksburg
6 D. Slater, Morgantown
ERA:
0.94 D. Slater, Morgantown
2.24 C. Swank, Kanawha Valley
2.33 O. Pérez, Parkersburg
2.34 J. Williams, Parkersburg
3 K. Aniya, Huntington
Strikeouts:
99 D. Slater, Morgantown
69 O. Pérez, Parkersburg
53 J. Williams, Parkersburg
49 E. Davis, Clarksburg
48 R. Coster, Martinsburg
Owls Losing Their Hoot
WHEELING, WV - The Wheeling Owls, defending Mountaineer League champions, are struggling, mired in last place in the Gold Division with a 12-23 record. They are showing no signs of turning it around any time soon, and currently sit 13 games back with a little more than a quarter of the season behind them.
The Owls problems stem from two key areas - offense and pitching. They are currently 8th in the ML in runs scored, 7th in slugging percentage, and 8th in homeruns. Their starting pitching is currently ranked 9th in ERA, and their team ERA of 4.96 is only good for 8th in the 10-team circuit.
Last years Triple Crown winner,
J.W. Casto, while not playing poorly, is not producing at the rate he did last year. His .287-6-17 numbers are respectable, but far off last season's torrid pace, and the entire Owls offense has seemed to follow suit.
In Their Own Words
"I don't think we're finished by any stretch, but right now we're embarrassing ourselves."
-- Wheeling Owls catcher, J.W. Casto, regarding the Owls performance through at the quarter mark of the season
"A 16-19 record doesn't make what I'm about to say make much sense, but I really think this team has a chance to go all the way this year."
-- Kanawha Valley Vipers 2B, Dickie Thacker
"In the end, I can't say that the attention concerning my recent play hasn't been nice, but let's be honest here. I'm just a kid from Buckhannon who dreamed of playing baseball. I'd lay awake at night in the bed I shared with my three brothers and sisters, dreaming of hitting homers or making diving catches in the outfield. We'd huddle around the fire in the winters, wrapped in blankets as the snow blew through the gaps in the siding. My mother and father would scrap together enough money to buy me a glove or cleats when I needed them, and then we'd go without meat for a week or two as I practiced. But God they loved to see me playing baseball! They really sacrificed so that I could be standing here today . . . Nah, I'm just playing around with you. My family did alright, and I was an only child. Hell, if anything my father thinks I'm crazy for playing baseball when I could be working in his law firm."
-- Curt Bagnold, streaking Parkersburg Patriot third baseman commenting to reporters on his journey to the Mountaineer League