05/22/2008
Staff Writer
The Mt. View High School baseball team regularly practices the Maine high school baseball equivalent of scoreboard watching. The Mustangs are fine amateur Heal point calculators, but with their tough luck history, can you blame them?
"Two years ago we missed (the playoffs) by less than a Heal point," Mt. View coach Penson Bartlett said. "We've definitely got our eyes on the Heal points."
The Mustangs were ranked 14th in Eastern Class B in the latest standings, released Tuesday. The standings don't include Monday's win against Lincoln Academy, which was the team's sixth consecutive win (the streak ended with a loss to Camden Hills on Wednesday).
Lincoln entered the week ranked first in Western B, so that victory should vault the Mustangs up a few spots when the updated rankings are released next week.
"That win gives us probably 10 points," Bartlett said.
After starting the season 0-3, Bartlett juggled his defense. With people playing new positions in the field, the bats started to come around, too. The Mustangs scored at least 12 runs in four consecutive games heading into Wednesday's 3-1 loss to Camden Hills. Seniors Derek Keller, Ethan Jean and Tyler Miles have led the offensive charge, Bartlett said.
"We've been really disciplined at the plate, waiting for strikes," Bartlett said.
Miles and junior Cody Raven have been steady on the mound, Bartlett said.
"They've been the most consistent part of the program," he said. "It's pretty nice to have two guys you can rely on."
Mt. View has only one remaining game against a team that entered the week with a winning record, and that's against Winslow. Still, the remaining opponents are all in the same position as the Mustangs, Heal point watching.
"A lot of these teams are fighting for playoff spots," Bartlett said.
• • •
Mt. View isn't the only central Maine team on the playoff bubble. In Eastern A, Lawrence and Messalonskee are fighting for one of the final tournament spots. Even Nokomis, which hasn't posted a winning record since 2000, is a playoff contender, thanks to wins against Mt. Ararat and Messalonskee.
"We're making the routine plays and pitchers are throwing strikes," Nokomis first-year coach Jared Foster said.
Wednesday's 6-5, nine-inning win against Messalonskee was an example of the Warriors doing the little things to win.
After Tyler Wintle led off the inning with a walk, Cody Johndro bunted him over to second. Wintle went to third base on a Derek Amoroso hit, then scored when Justin Downing laid down a bunt for the perfect suicide squeeze.
"(Wintle) got a good jump coming home," Foster said.
The Warriors (2-10) close the regular season with games against Mt. Blue, Lawrence, Hampden and Oxford Hills. Because the victory against Mt. Ararat, 7-4 entering this week, is worth a lot of points, Foster thinks one more win could earn his team a playoff spot.
"The kids are pretty excited," Foster said. "We're getting a little better."
Wednesday's 5-4 loss to Skowhegan was the second consecutive one-run loss for Lawrence, but coach Wally Covell is pleased with his team's improvement. After struggling at the plate at the start of the season, the Bulldogs are swinging the bats much better. Lawrence had eight hits at Skowhegan, including three doubles and a home run.
"We hit the ball well," Covell said. "The hitting is coming around."
The Bulldogs close the regular season with games against Brewer, Nokomis, Mt. Blue and Lewiston.
• • •
You may have noticed more balks called in high school baseball games this season. There hasn't been an emphasis placed on the rule, longtime umpire Chap Nelson said. It's simply that more pitchers are balking.
A balk is an illegal move by a pitcher and can be called for a number of reasons, including failure to stop during the windup, throwing from the pitching rubber to a base without stepping toward the base, or faking a throw to first base from the rubber. Interrupting his pitching motion after beginning the pitch and even dropping the ball while on the rubber are also balks.
"Over the last two or three years, the rules on balks have been simplified," Nelson, the assigner for the Kennebec/Somerset Umpires Association, said.
Nelson feels that with more teams being aggressive on the bases, pitchers have more to consider on the mound, and that can lead to balks. Younger players at the varsity level is also a factor, Nelson said.
"A lot of teams have fewer numbers, and they're playing younger kids. At the sub-varsity level, they're teaching the game and when they balk, umpires warn them," Nelson said. "So when they get to the varsity level, they still do it."
Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
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