Clarinda A's Baseball

Clarinda A’s 52nd season has ended and saw the team post a 37-14 record with a very young squad. They put together two impressive win streaks, 11 in the early part of the year and 13 heading into the NBC World Series.

“ If there was anything I was disappointed in,” manager Ryan Eberly said, “it was our performance in Wichita. We had played so well the last two weeks of the season and should have come into the tournament with more focus and enthusiasm.” “ As a young squad,” he continued, “I felt we made many strides during the year with our pitching staff rising to the occasion and improving as the season progressed. We out hit our opponents with a team average of .304 to their .233 which says a lot about our pitchers. As a staff they had an ERA of 3.61.

In MINK League play the A’s finished one game out with a 16-8 record behind the Chillicothe Mudcats who took the title at 17-7 and were the only two teams to complete the entire league schedule.

With three wins and no losses the A’s took the NBC Central USA Regional tournament championship.

Just before the regional tournament, the A’s lost one of their leading offensive players, veteran starting catcher John Brummett, when he joined the Oakland A’s rookie team in the Arizona League. Leading the team’s offense this season was Adam Muenster (Kansas State) with a .380 average. He was followed by Brendan Rubenstein (Wright State) at .367; Jon Masch Texas State),.342; Brooks Kimmey (Temple), .333 and John Brummett (Pittsburg State), .324.  Dylan Libadisos (Highland CC) scored the most runs with 36, followed by Scott Talbert’s (Jefferson College) 35; Mike Gray (Cal State Dom Hills), 30 and Brummett, 27. RBI leader was Scott Talbert (Jefferson College), Brummett, 34; Gray, 26; Libadisos, 24. Brummett led in doubles with 15, followed by Talbert’s 12 and David Van Ostrand (Allan Hancock) 11. Rubenstein and Muenster led in stolen bases with 12 each.

Top pitching performances were Grant Campbell (Angelina College) at 5-0, 2.92 ERA and 40 strike outs in 74 innings; Zack Golden (Sam Houston State) 5-1, 1.83 ERA, 31 SO in 39.1 innings; Andrew Cashner (Angelina College) 6-2, 3.47 ERA, 44 SO in 59.2 innings. Todd Vogel (Kansas State) who was a starter and also worked in relief was 4-1, with one save, 4.94 ERA, 32 SO in 47.1 innings. Middle reliever Tyler Shaddy (Arizona Western) was also 4-1, 3.72 EAR, 28 SO in 29 innings and closer Frank Zenisek (Barton County CC) was 1-1 with 8 saves, 0.51 ERA with 23 SO in 17.2 innings.

“Without the strong support of the community the A’s could not exist,” Manager Eberly stated, “and I want to thank everyone who helped in any way – especially the board and auxiliary, house parents,  gate keepers, concession workers, press box personnel -  to make this season a success. I felt like attendance was better this season and particularly want to thank the local fans, house parents and players families who followed us at the tournament in Wichita.”

“Next season will be upon us sooner than we think and I hope we can count on the continued interest, financial support and people opening their homes to the ‘boys of summer’ again in 2007,” he concluded.