Titans’ Top Ten CPBL Performances—Week 5

The Titans Baseball Club jumped into June with some excellent individual offensive, defensive, and pitching performances. 18U Graham Sim’s pitching and hitting prowess earned him accolades as our top performer in Navy and Orange for Week 5 in the CPBL.  Also noteworthy was Kai Hernandez setting a new season-high strikeout total for Titans pitchers in 2022. The 16U Titan starter whiffed 11 Toronto Mets in a sparkling CG performance that ended in a 5-5 tie.  Here are our Top Ten performances (June 4-5): 

Graham Sim (18U)—Head Coach Denis Bailey summarized Sim’s success on the weekend: “Graham contributed offensively and defensively. He played very well at third base and was exactly what we needed on the mound.” The future Mott Community College Bear went 3 for 9 and scored 2 runs. Most importantly, Sim gave the 18U Titans a quality start—going 5 innings, surrendering only one hit, and zero earned runs to earn a much-needed win for his ball club.  

Kai Hernandez (16U)— In his best start of the season and arguably the best start by a Titans’ pitcher in 2022, Hernandez threw a complete game versus the Mets.  The 16U starter struck out 11 and yielded only 4 hits in his seven innings of work.  Head Coach Eddie McKiernan was impressed:  “Kai was a bulldog. He made big pitches when he needed to. He kept a good hitting Mets team off-balance.”

Giancarlo Bernardo (18U)—The veteran CPBL catcher went 4 for 8, scored 3 runs, and accrued 3 RBI.   Head Coach Denis Bailey praised the future Division 1 Rend Lake College Warrior for both his offensive and defensive play:  “Giancarlo was a timely hitter all weekend. He seemed to know exactly what we needed and when we needed it.  His play behind the plate was also stellar as he controlled our pitching staff extremely well.”

Nate Windle (16U)—Windle—batting a torrid .429 for the season-- followed up an excellent Week 4 performance by collecting 3 more hits, earning 3 walks, and wearing 3 hit by pitches to boost his OBP. Head Coach Eddie McKiernan felt that “Nate continued to stay hot at the plate and has sustained his hitting success.” 

Ricardo Lora (15U)—According to Head Coach Nick Dimpfel, Lora “caught an exceptional three games this weekend”, threw out a runner at second base, and blocked virtually all baseballs.”  In addition to his catching prowess, the 15U Titan hit his first career home run.

Tyler Pridham (16U)—According to Head Coach Eddie McKiernan, “Every at-bat by Ty this weekend was a quality at-bat.  Tyler was very productive for us. He batted .400 with 2 hits, 7 walks, 3 RBI, and 4 runs scored.” 

Brennan Hedrick (17U)—Hedrick appears on the Titans Top Ten List for the fourth time this season by going 3 for 5, with 1 double, 2 runs, and 2 RBI to lead the 17U Titans.

Luke Adams (15U)—Adams pitched a “great game in Game 4 and kept us in the game,” according to Head Coach Nick Dimpfel. “Luke got into the 4th inning against a very good OBJ team.”   Coach Dimpfel also praised Adams’s defensive play:  “Luke played a solid CF and RF all weekend.” 

Caden Reed (18U)—The soon-to-be University of British Columbia Thunderbird hit his first home run of the season. 

Austin Sherman (15U)—Head Coach Dimpfel praised Sherman for “working 4 walks in 5 plate appearances where it was tough to get anything going against tough OBJ pitching.”