By Paul Gotham
ROCHESTER, NY – In less than a week the Rochester Ridgemen have nearly doubled their win total. Such is life in a summer collegiate baseball league.
It’s not so much that the Ridgemen have gone from five wins to nine in six days (with a break for the league All-Star Game included), it’s how they have done it.
The team with seven one-run losses has outscored opponents by a combined score of 39-14 during their current four-game winning streak, a fact that is not overlooked by Ridgemen head coach Taylor Hargrove.
“It’s nice to be on this end of the Ws with all those close games,” Hargrove said after Rochester’s 12-2 drubbing of Niagara Wednesday night. “If you sow the truth about baseball, if you go about it the right way, if we can win every inning, we’re going to win the game. I’m very pleased with them not stopping.”
At the center of the Ridgemen streak is Josh Davis (Whitworth), the catcher/ third baseman in his second season with Rochester.
“Josh Davis is swinging the bat really well right now,” Hargrove said. “When he meets the ball in front of his hip, he crushes the ball. He’s got all the tools both as a catcher and third baseman. He’s got five tools. I don’t know about a big league level, but he’s definitely got tools that are superior at a college level.”
Davis started the New York Collegiate Baseball League season with two hits in his first 12 at bats. He managed a three-hit night versus first-place Olean, but followed that going one-for-nine. During the current four-game streak Davis has seven hits including six for extra bases. Of Rochester’s 39 runs, Davis has driven in seven and scored five.
“I just started getting in the groove,” Davis stated. “I’ve been seeing the ball really well and seeing the fastball well.”
Davis made the slightest of adjustments at the plate, and the results jump out of the box score.
“I changed up my stance a little bit and changed up my hands a little,” Davis explained. “I moved them closer to my body. It gives me more bat speed and just a quicker reaction.”
The Ridgemen dispatched of Geneva Red Wings team that was making its own run up the standings. The denizens of McDonough Park had won seven of ten to get within sniffing distance of first place. Then the Ridgemen swept a three-game set.
With a nod to Monsters, Inc. Hargrove credits his team’s resolve.
“We got a bunch of Wazowskis, a bunch of grinders,” Hargrove said referring to the protagonist of the Pixar film.
That number of grinders will grow by two in the coming days as Spencer Ansett (Whitworth) and 2012 NYCBL All Star, Joel Belk (Azusa Pacific) will rejoin the team. Ansett recently completed internship hours needed for his degree.
Belk plans to visit his host family from last year. After going 3-3 on the mound and hitting .364, Belk struggled through an injury-plagued college season. With injuries behind him Belk adds a reliable arm and stick to the Rochester lineup.
“I’d take a million Belks,” Hargrove said. “Whatever we get out of him will be nice.”
Belk and Ansett could be the difference as the Ridgemen attempt to erase the four-game difference between them and the sixth and final playoff spot.
“All those one run ball games, we know what it’s like to lose those games and what we’re not doing when we lose those games,” Hargrove reflected. “It’s nice to see guys not give the other team a chance. We got to learn how to take a game away from somebody. We’re not going to give up games anymore.”
Leave a Reply