AUBURN - Only the Auburn Doubledays could sneak up the ranks in the Pinckney Division after being rained out two days in a row. After the weather turned Falcon Park into a sloppy mess this weekend, the Doubledays did just that and it's only fitting with how this season has played out thus far.
The Citizen file photo
Auburn Doubledays second baseman Scott Campbell throws out a runner at first in a game on July 18 at Falcon Park. Auburn's Campbell, Ben Zeskind and Zach Dials were named to the New York-Penn League All-Star Team.
Auburn Doubledays second baseman Scott Campbell throws out a runner at first in a game on July 18 at Falcon Park. Auburn's Campbell, Ben Zeskind and Zach Dials were named to the New York-Penn League All-Star Team.
They even sat in first place, for less than 24 hours though, as Mahoning Valley reclaimed the division lead on Sunday with Auburn, at 29-26, sitting just a half a game behind them.
Wait a minute, aren't these the same Doubledays that went 14-15 in July? The same team that held steady at three or four games below .500 for over a week straight in that dismal month?
No, on both accounts.
Just like last season, these Doubledays have been aces in August and are just as capable of making the late push for the division crown yet again.
“At this point in the season, the guys are starting to get it,take it and go with it,” Auburn hitting coach Justin Mashore said. “Some teams go the other way and players get tired and they can't get anything going, but it's different everywhere. Coaching has a lot to do with it, but the guys have to be the ones to put it in action.”
To trace “it” back - the turnaround in the Doubledays' season - isn't so easy. One play, game or series can't be pinpointed as a dramatic momentum-changer.
If it were as simple as that, one could reflect on whatever happened during the club's off day on July 24. After that day, Auburn took two-of-three in a series in Vermont and then went on a winning frenzy against State College that totaled seven wins in nine days.
But it wasn't entirely that.
While winning streaks, late-game rallies and big plays have all highlighted the Doubledays season, Mashore said that the 180-degree turnaround is mostly due to the players themselves.
“There isn't a particular series or moment when all of this happened,” Mashore said. “I think that guys started to get more confidence and once they started believing and feeding off of each other, that is when the team started to take off. It's all starting to come together and if they continue to play well, I'm not going to say that they're the best team in the league, but they're starting to get better. We expect them to keep going this way, but it's all up to them right now.”
Last season after the All-Star break, Auburn won 12 of their last 15 games, including nine straight to clinch a playoff berth. So far Auburn is 2-0 after the break, with at least 18 tough games left to go.
The Doubledays aren't close to being the same team they were in 2005, but that isn't to say that the 2006 squad isn't capable of surprising everyone again by taking the division title.
Manny Sena, the only active Doubledays player that played on both teams, can attest to that.
“It's different now because last year, we had Cory Patton, (Brian) Pettway, Ryan Patterson and all those guys who were hitting the home runs and had a lot of RBIs,” Sena said. “We don't have those kind of power guys this year, but we play the small ball game very well this year. We get the hits in when we need them and score the runs and that has worked for us. We have a shot (at winning the division), we have a pretty good team. We just have to put it together a little more and see what happens.”
The 2006 Doubledays might not have the “Killer P's” on their roster, but their offense is still dangerous. Three players (Jonathan Baksh, Scott Campbell and Ben Zeskind) are currently batting .278 or better.
Even though the three players combine for just three of the Doubledays' 18 home runs (all three by Zeskind), they take up a chunk of the team's total offense with 139 hits and 51 RBI combined.
Catcher/designated hitter Matt Liuzza (.256) and first baseman Luke Hopkins (.247 ) are among the other big threats to crack out key hits.
“Everybody has to put something in, that's part of being on this team. Everybody has to keep playing hard and keep pushing,” Sena said. “It's not only one, two or three players, it's about everyone here. We all have to make the adjustments for us to be good.”
Zach Dials (4-2), Chase Lirette (3-1) and Chris Reddout (2-1) lead a pitching rotation that has had it's ups and downs, but has been solid as of late. Another key to the team's late-season charge is a cutback in defensive miscues. The Doubledays committed 37 errors in July and only 16 through as many games in August.
“When the guys first get here, it takes awhile for them to learn how to play at the professional game and just how to play with each other,” Mashore said. “Now they're starting to gel and you're hoping that all the work you put in early will come out in the end and I think that's what we're seeing now.”
While the Doubledays very much want to win that Pinckney division title for a fifth straight time, they would immediately like to just get back out on a dry field and win more games. That could start today in a doubleheader with the Spikes.
“We aren't worried (about winning the division) right now,” Sena said. “We're just thinking about getting outside and playing hard, day in and day out, no matter what. We just know that if we keep playing hard, we're going to get results.”
Wait a minute, aren't these the same Doubledays that went 14-15 in July? The same team that held steady at three or four games below .500 for over a week straight in that dismal month?
No, on both accounts.
Just like last season, these Doubledays have been aces in August and are just as capable of making the late push for the division crown yet again.
“At this point in the season, the guys are starting to get it,take it and go with it,” Auburn hitting coach Justin Mashore said. “Some teams go the other way and players get tired and they can't get anything going, but it's different everywhere. Coaching has a lot to do with it, but the guys have to be the ones to put it in action.”
To trace “it” back - the turnaround in the Doubledays' season - isn't so easy. One play, game or series can't be pinpointed as a dramatic momentum-changer.
If it were as simple as that, one could reflect on whatever happened during the club's off day on July 24. After that day, Auburn took two-of-three in a series in Vermont and then went on a winning frenzy against State College that totaled seven wins in nine days.
But it wasn't entirely that.
While winning streaks, late-game rallies and big plays have all highlighted the Doubledays season, Mashore said that the 180-degree turnaround is mostly due to the players themselves.
“There isn't a particular series or moment when all of this happened,” Mashore said. “I think that guys started to get more confidence and once they started believing and feeding off of each other, that is when the team started to take off. It's all starting to come together and if they continue to play well, I'm not going to say that they're the best team in the league, but they're starting to get better. We expect them to keep going this way, but it's all up to them right now.”
Last season after the All-Star break, Auburn won 12 of their last 15 games, including nine straight to clinch a playoff berth. So far Auburn is 2-0 after the break, with at least 18 tough games left to go.
The Doubledays aren't close to being the same team they were in 2005, but that isn't to say that the 2006 squad isn't capable of surprising everyone again by taking the division title.
Manny Sena, the only active Doubledays player that played on both teams, can attest to that.
“It's different now because last year, we had Cory Patton, (Brian) Pettway, Ryan Patterson and all those guys who were hitting the home runs and had a lot of RBIs,” Sena said. “We don't have those kind of power guys this year, but we play the small ball game very well this year. We get the hits in when we need them and score the runs and that has worked for us. We have a shot (at winning the division), we have a pretty good team. We just have to put it together a little more and see what happens.”
The 2006 Doubledays might not have the “Killer P's” on their roster, but their offense is still dangerous. Three players (Jonathan Baksh, Scott Campbell and Ben Zeskind) are currently batting .278 or better.
Even though the three players combine for just three of the Doubledays' 18 home runs (all three by Zeskind), they take up a chunk of the team's total offense with 139 hits and 51 RBI combined.
Catcher/designated hitter Matt Liuzza (.256) and first baseman Luke Hopkins (.247 ) are among the other big threats to crack out key hits.
“Everybody has to put something in, that's part of being on this team. Everybody has to keep playing hard and keep pushing,” Sena said. “It's not only one, two or three players, it's about everyone here. We all have to make the adjustments for us to be good.”
Zach Dials (4-2), Chase Lirette (3-1) and Chris Reddout (2-1) lead a pitching rotation that has had it's ups and downs, but has been solid as of late. Another key to the team's late-season charge is a cutback in defensive miscues. The Doubledays committed 37 errors in July and only 16 through as many games in August.
“When the guys first get here, it takes awhile for them to learn how to play at the professional game and just how to play with each other,” Mashore said. “Now they're starting to gel and you're hoping that all the work you put in early will come out in the end and I think that's what we're seeing now.”
While the Doubledays very much want to win that Pinckney division title for a fifth straight time, they would immediately like to just get back out on a dry field and win more games. That could start today in a doubleheader with the Spikes.
“We aren't worried (about winning the division) right now,” Sena said. “We're just thinking about getting outside and playing hard, day in and day out, no matter what. We just know that if we keep playing hard, we're going to get results.”
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