Saipan Tribune

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Pitching leaders hang on; Dela Cruz tops batting

The pitching pacesetters in the 2012 Saipan Major League Baseball Association-Division of Youth Service's 18U Triple A Championship Youth Baseball League remain unscathed, while the batting race has a new leader.

The Orioles' Frankie Camacho and Reds' Kanoa Wanket preserved their perfect 0.00 Earned Run Averages, as the former increased his overall workload to 17 innings compared to the latter's 20.

While they remain the only two pitchers left with perfect ERAs, the O's Mike Muna is sitting incredibly strong in third place. Muna improved his ERA nine points since the previous statistics were released for a rock solid 0.27 ERA mark through 25 and 2/3 innings. His seven unearned runs are four fewer than Wanket, and the former has also given up one less hit than his rival's 15 despite having almost six more innings of work under his belt.

The Reds' Lancaster Secharmedal (0.69ERA/20.1IP) resides in fourth place and dipped a little, while Rockies' Leroy Regis (1.05/26.2), Orioles' Jake Santos (1.06/26.1), Dodgers' Joseph Atalig (1.45/19.1), Reds' Peter Lieto (1.62/17.1), Keene Guerrero (1.68/16.2), and Rockies' Brett Halstead (1.75/20), rounded out the Top 10. Lieto still leads the strikeout race with 35 and fronts Regis (30), Secharmedal (28), Muna (23), and Atalig (21).

In pitching, the Rockies' Ricardo Dela Cruz switched place with Secharmedal. Dela Cruz boasts 15 hits in 36 at bats for a .417 batting average and he is the only player with at least 30 at bats swing above .400.

Coming in at second is Muna (.387), followed by Secharmedal (.382), Lieto (.382), Orioles' Jun Rabauliman (.378), Regis (.333), O's AJ Lizama (.316), Reds' Ian Rogolifoi (.314), and the Orioles' Poland Masaharu (.282) and Camacho (.282).

Rogolifoi still heads in runs batted in with nine, but Dela Cruz (7) kept pace and Dodgers' Anthony Guerrero (6) rose from a cluster of notables to third place. Guerrero passed Camacho, Muna, Rabauliman, and Jake Flores, who have all batted in a handful of runs thus far.

In addition, Dela Cruz and Guerrero each cranked a triple recently, which gave the Dodgers' Alex Mongkeya some company. More contenders were added to the doubles race, as Dela Cruz and Rabauliman had to welcome Muna and the Dodgers' Brian Camacho. The foursome has tallied three doubles apiece and leads a handful of others by one.

Rabauliman's 14 runs still lead the category, but he is still feeling heat from teammate Masaharu (13), Secharmedal (12), and Frankie Camacho (12).

Meanwhile, team standings show the Orioles comfortably in first place with their 10-3 record, while the Reds (8-6) are in second, ahead of the Dodgers (5-6), and the Rockies (2-10) bringing up the rear. Organizers are hoping to start the playoffs on Oct 20.

Games are played at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield at 6pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays with weekly double headers on Saturdays starting at 4pm.