Titans’ Top Ten CPBL Performances—Week 7

Week 7 in the CPBL was the setting for breakout hitting and pitching performances by the Titans Baseball Club—many revolving around its oldest team.  As the regular season drew to a close for Head Coach Denis Bailey’s 18U Titans, the veteran team hit 6 home runs and pitched effectively on its way to a nearly-perfect 3-0-1 weekend versus the Ontario Nationals.  A quartet of Titans led the way. Kirk Gibson and Nolan Thomson spearheaded the offence while Graham Sim and Eric Lanoue provided quality starts on the mound.   Additionally, Tyler Pridham (16U) and Gabe Cheddie (17U) hit ‘out of their shoetops’ on the weekend of June 18-19, accruing remarkable averages of .625 and .667, respectively.  Here are our Top Ten Titans, complemented by Five Fine Honorable Mention performances:

Kirk Gibson (18U)— Gibson, who is committed to the University of Rio Grande Red Storm in Ohio, played the role of lead-off hitter to near-perfection on the weekend.  He scored 8 runs for the 18U Titans and went 7 for 15.  Gibson also delivered power to the plate by hitting a home run and driving in 2 runs.  Head Coach Denis Bailey summed up his lead-off man’s 4-game performance:  “Kirk was the guy who set the tone for us all weekend. Leading off in all our games, Kirk hit everything hard. He was again our spark at the top of the lineup.”

Nolan Thomson (18U)—The veteran Titan batted a sparkling .500 for the 18U squad and continued his torrid pace of production with 5 RBI, 3 runs scored, and 6 hits over 12 AB.  Coach Bailey complimented Thomson’s two-way talent:  “Nolan was a key contributor on offence and defense. He provided timely hits and made some great plays defensively.”

Graham Sim (18U)—Sim jumped back on the Titans Top Ten list with a flourish by providing the 18U Titans with a complete game performance.  The future Mott Community College Bear’s quality start featured seven innings pitched, 2 earned runs yielded, 6 strikeouts, and only one base on balls. Coach Bailey was pleased with his starter’s control:  “Graham had command of 3 pitches and threw all 3 for strikes. He showed a veteran presence on the mound and went the distance for the 1st time this season.”

Eric Lanoue (18U)—Eric Lanoue picked up his fifth win of the CPBL season and hurled another quality start for the 18U Titans. A beacon of consistency and a steady Top Ten Titans performer, Lanoue’s stats line included 6 innings pitched, 3 earned runs allowed, 6 strikeouts, and only one walk.  His pitching performance was a pleasing one for Coach Bailey:   “Eric continued doing what he does best. He created weak contact and his command is what we expect it to be.”

Tyler Pridham (16U) – According to Titans 16U Head Coach Eddie McKiernan, “Tyler was very good at the plate. He was the key to scoring runs and had nothing but quality at bats this weekend.”  Pridham’s impressive weekend stats confirm his coach’s high praise: .625 batting average based on 11 plate appearances, 5 hits, 1 double, and 3 runs scored to pace the 16U Titans’ attack.

Gabe Cheddie (17U)—Cheddie was another Titan that hit over .600 on the weekend. According to Head Coach Lawrence Vera, “Gabe came up clutch in back-to-back games, finishing the weekend hitting .667 with 4 RBI.”

Yiannis Skanderis (16U)- Head Coach Eddie McKiernan was impressed with his catcher’s durability and production:  “Not only did he catch all 4 games due to some injuries on the roster, but he was always on base! In 10 plate appearances, he had 6 walks, one single and 1 double with 3 RB1. Yiannis had a great weekend offensively and defensively.”

Ty Vecchio (15U)—Vecchio “played great defence all weekend,” according to his Head Coach Nick Dimpfel.  “Ty was a leader in centerfield showing great composure.” The Titans outfielder capped off the weekend by going 3 for 3 with 2 doubles and 4 RBIs to beat the Mets in the final game of the weekend.

Brennan Hedrick (17U)-  The hard-hitting, productive Titan finished the weekend  batting .500 with 2 doubles, 4 runs and 3 RBI versus the Nationals.

Noah Durance (16U)—Durance gave the 16U Titans a quality start versus the Ontario Astros featuring 5 innings pitched and only 2 earned runs allowed. Head Coach Eddie McKiernan was pleased with his starter’s performance:  “Noah got the win against a good club. He worked ahead of a lot of batters and did a great job!”

Honorable Mention:

Liam Dupuis-Cundy (15U)—Dupuis-Cundy earned the W in Game 4 of the weekend versus the Mets.  Head Coach Nick Dimpfel offered this assessment of his starter:  “Liam pitched well for 4.2 innings, scattering 5 hits and 5 ER and kept the Mets’ hitters off balance all game. He really did a good job of mixing up his pitches and throwing the right pitches in the right counts. Great work by Tyson behind the plate, too.”

Michael Kennedy (17U)—Head Coach Lawrence Vera was pleased with his starter’s performance versus the Ontario Nationals:  “Michael went 6 innings and  scattered 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 3 while keeping the Nationals in check during his first start of the year.”

Tyson Rozario (15U)—Head Coach Nick Dimpfel praised Rozario’s effective versatility and leadership versus the Mets:  “Tyson was a vocal leader and did it all this weekend:  playing 3rd base, starting a game on the mound, and catching a game. He also had 4 hits and 3 RBIs for the weekend and came up big in the win on Sunday.”

Nolan Keating (17U)—The hard-hitting catcher “stayed hot in his fight with top CPBL players in our league for the batting average crown.  Nolan is sitting at .440 and added another home run this weekend,” according to his Head Coach Lawrence Vera.

Scott Lewis (14U)—The 14U Titan was complimented by interim Head Coach Jesse Barker for his pitching this weekend after hitting .400 the week before:  “I want to compliment Scotty for his pitching performance. He has been working hard and getting extra time in to work on his craft. He executed his pitches well and was able to get lots of ground balls off the bats when we needed them.”