Lewin Diaz Continues To Sizzle As Blue Wahoos Newcomer
June 23, 2019
Six seasons and six teams within the Minnesota Twins organization have provided Lewin Diaz a chance to make a steady progression.
Three games into his level climb with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Diaz has accelerated the impact.
Diaz, 22, a first baseman, signed by the Twins as a teenager in 2013 out of the Dominican Republic, continued showcasing his potential. He went 3-for-4 Saturday night with an RBI, during the Blue Wahoos 3-2 loss against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Diaz, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound player, has been a mid-season all-star the past three years, including the past two with the Fort Myers Miracle in the High-A Florida State League. He has shined since being promoted to the Blue Wahoos.
He’s produced seven hits in 13 at-bats for a .533 average with two doubles and three RBI.
And the one at-bat Diaz had Saturday when he didn’t produce a hit was just as impressive.
In the ninth inning, after Ben Rortvedt led off with a walk, Diaz worked a 3-2 count and fouled off four pitches against reliever Brett Graves before slashing a line drive into second baseman Justin Twine’s glove.
That became a defining moment in the game, especially with Rortvedt on second base after a throwing error on a pickoff attempt.
Caleb Hamilton followed Diaz by also working a 3-2 count against Graves before a swinging strikeout. Mark Contreras grounded out to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos (40-33, 2-1 second half) will get their second attempt to clinch the series on Sunday with Jorge Alcala (5-4) going against Jacksonville’s Cody Poteet in a 2:05 p.m. game in Jacksonville.
The teams will close out the series on Monday night (6:05 p.m.) and the Blue Wahoos will travel back to Pensacola to begin a nine-game homestand on Tuesday.
Saturday night, a crowd of 8,261 in Jacksonville watched a crisply-played game with strong pitching on both sides. The Jumbo Shrimp (30-43) had ace pitcher Sixto Sanchez, 20, the top prospect in the Miami Marlins organization and No. 27 overall by MLB Pipeline, deliver another quality outing.
Sanchez worked seven complete innings, yielding seven hits and two runs in the fourth inning. He struck out nine and did not allow a walk.
The Blue Wahoos’ Charlie Barnes worked into the fifth inning, allowing seven hits, two runs, no walks and six strikeouts.
In the fourth inning, the Blue Wahoos had their best at-bats against Sanchez. Travis Blankenhorn led off the inning with a single. Alex Kirilloff followed with a double to put runners on second and third.
With one out, Diaz singled to right field to score Blankenhorn. Hamilton followed with a single to score Kirilloff. But Sanchez ended the damage by striking out Contreras and Joe Cronin.
The Jumbo Shrimp tied the game in the fifth on three consecutive singles. After a wild pitch by Barnes put runners on second and third, Riley Mahan’s one-out single tied the game.
The Jumbo Shrimp scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning when J.C. Milan homered off reliever Anthony Vizcaya.
A pivotal sequence happened in the top of the seventh after Cronin hit a one out triple. Michael Davis hit a fly out to right fielder Stone Garrett, whose throw to the plate nabbed Cronin who was trying to score on a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, Kirilloff hit into an inning-ending double play and Jacksonville sealed the game in the ninth.
It was the first loss for fill-in manager Steve Singleton, the Blue Wahoos hitting coach, who is handling the managing duties this weekend while Ramon Borrego takes an extended vacation with his family in Fort Myers.
Borrego will join the team in Pensacola when the Blue Wahoos open a five-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers, the first half Southern League South Division champs.
Dependable Dobnak Guides Blue Wahoos Past Jacksonville
June 22, 2019
Randy Dobnak had few college offers in high school and hasn’t been anointed among anyone’s list of top prospects.
But what he’s done is become the Pensacola Blue Wahoos most consistently effective pitcher.
Dobnak, 24, followed a season-best outing eight days ago with one better Friday night, after working seven complete innings and leading the Blue Wahoos to an 8-1 victory against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
Amid a crowd of 7,351 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville on a post-game fireworks night, Dobnak (3-0) sparkled by scattering seven hits, allowing no walks and striking out seven. In his previous start, he worked 6.2 innings at Blue Wahoos Stadium in a no-decision June 13 against the Tennessee Smokies.
The righthander shrugged off a booming, first-inning home run by Jumbo Shrimp second baseman Riley Mahan, to work in precision the rest of the game.
He had plenty of run support. Three Blue Wahoos had multiple hits, including newcomers Lewin Diaz and Aaron Whitefield, both of whom joined the team earlier this week on promotions from the Fort Myers Miracle, the Minnesota Twins’ High-A affiliate. The duo also had two RBI apiece Friday.
All of it equated into another enjoyable night for Steve Singleton, the Blue Wahoos hitting coach, who is the acting manager in this five-game series. Singleton is the substitute skipper while Ramon Borrego is on an extended vacation from the all-star break with his family.
The Minnesota Twins allow their minor league coaching staffs to take a five-day break during the season and Borrego chose to pair his vacation around the Southern League All-Star break. This is Singleton’s first time as a Double-A level manager.
The Blue Wahoos (40-32 overall, 2-0 second half) have responded for him in both games with strong pitching and timely hitting.
Borrego will be back when the Blue Wahoos begin a nine-game homestand on Tuesday night in Pensacola.
The Blue Wahoos took advantage of three Jacksonville errors, one apiece in the first three innings, to produce runs.
In the first inning, Travis Blankenhorn, who went 2-4 with two walks, led off by reaching on Mahan’s fielding error. He moved to second on a wild pitch, then to third on a ground out and scored on Diaz’ two-out single.
In the second inning, after two out, Joe Cronin singled and Blankenhorn walked. Alex Kirilloff, who rejoined the team Thursday after missing the last two weeks of the first-half schedule, produced an RBI single that became a two-run play after a fielding error.
Ben Rortvedt followed Kirilloff’s hit with a walk. Diaz and Whitefield then hit back-to-back, RBI singles to give the Blue Wahoos a 5-0 lead.
In the third inning, Jordan Gore reached on an error and scored on Blankenhorn’s two-out double. Blankenhorn had a second RBI in the fifth inning when he singled home Mark Contreras.
Whitefield, who finished 3-for-5, completed the scoring with an RBI double in the eighth inning.
Dobnak, meanwhile, retired the Jumbo Shrimp (29-43), the Miami Marlins affiliate, in three out succession during the second, fourth and fifth innings. He threw 91 pitchers in the seven-inning start, giving way to Tom Hackimer, who pitched the final two scoreless innings.
Dobnak grew up in Pittsburgh and played college ball at Alderson Broaddus (W.Va.) University, an NCAA Division II athletic member. The Twins signed him in August 2017 from an Independent League team in the United Shore Professional Baseball League, based in Michigan.
Since Dobnak rejoined the Blue Wahoos earlier this month, following four starts for the Rochester (N.Y.) Red Wings, the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, he has come back even stronger.
In two starts, he’s worked 13.2 innings, allowing just two runs with 12 strikeouts and one walk.
The Blue Wahoos and Jumbo Shrimp will play the third game of their season Saturday night.
Tate Aggies Youth Football Camp
June 21, 2019
The Tate High School Aggies Youth Football Camp is June 24-26 from 5-8 p.m. daily.
The cost is $75 for each attendee in grades 2-8. Registration includes the three day camp, event t-shirt and a pizza party on the last day of camp.
Register online at tatehighfootball.com or on the first day of camp.
Wahoos Beat Jacksonville In Second Half Opener
June 21, 2019
The Blue Wahoos revamped their roster for the second half schedule, then reproduced elements which brought so much early-season success in a 4-3 road win Thursday night against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.
They received a strong pitching performance from Bryan Sammons, a late addition in the first half, played flawless defense, and got all their runs in the fifth inning from home run blasts.
Just as the Blue Wahoos opened the season in April with a road win, they started the Southern League’s second half division race in a desired way.
A crowd of 7,704 at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, watched the Blue Wahoos beat the Jumbo Shrimp for the ninth time in 11 games. It’s the first time the Blue Wahoos have played this season in Jacksonville, the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate.
Prior to the game, the Blue Wahoos made 11 roster moves during the league’s all-star break, including reactivating Alex Kirilloff, the Minnesota Twins No. 2 overall prospect and top 10-rated player by MLB.Pipeline, after he was on the injured list for the final two weeks of the first half.
Among the newcomers welcomed was first baseman Lewin Diaz, 22, a 6-foot-4 native of the Dominican Republic, who made his Double-A debut Thursday by going 2-for-4 in the game.
Diaz, the No. 9 rated first baseman prospects by MLB.Pipeline, batted .294 in the first half for the Fort Myers Miracle (High-A), smashing 13 homers and 36 RBI in being named to the Florida State League All-Star team.
Also joining the Blue Wahoos was relief pitcher Hector Lujan, who had six saves and a 2.18 for Fort Myers. He did not pitch Thursday.
The Blue Wahoos started Thursday’s game with Twins reliever Adalberto Mejia working a scoreless first inning on his injury rehab assignment. Sammons followed and earned his first Blue Wahoos win by going six innings, allowing four hits and two runs with eight strikeouts.
Jeff Ames pitched a scoreless eighth inning and Sam Clay got his six save in the ninth, after allowing a run. Clay got out of a two on, none out jam in the ninth by getting J.C. Millan to hit into a double-play, scoring a run. He then struck out Stone Garrett to end the game.
The Blue Wahoos run support was supplied in three swings, after two outs. Trailing 1-0 into the fifth, Brian Navarreto homered over the left field wall for the team’s first run. Travis Blankenhorn followed with a home run to right field.
After Kirilloff drew a walk, Ben Rortvedt hit a two-run, two-out homer to right center for the decisive runs.
Those three shots were three of the team’s seven hits. Rortvedt went 2-for-3 in the game. Blankenhorn went 2-for-4. Centerfielder Aaron Whitefield, an Australia native, who was signed by the Twins in 2015, made his Double-A debut and was 0-for-4 in the game.
The Blue Wahoos and Jumbo Shrimp will play four more times in the series. The Blue Wahoos will then return home Monday night to begin a five-game series on Tuesday against the first-half South Division winner Biloxi Shuckers.
West Tops The East In All-Star Baseball, Softball Games
June 20, 2019
The West teams from Escambia County beat the East teams from Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties Wednesday night in the 20018-19 Subway High School All-Star Series at the University of West Florida.
The West Girls beat the East Girls 10-6. Northview’s Tori Herrington was named the West Softball MVP, and the EAST MVP was Alicyn Grete of Choctaw High School.
The West Boys beat the East Boys 8-5. East Boys MVP was Trevor Flowers of Jay High, and Tate’s Trey LaFleur was the West Boys MVP.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NEP Gold Wins Gospel Projects T-ball World Series; Molino Gets Historic Second Place Finish
June 20, 2019
The NEP Gold 6-year old team won the Gospel Projects T-Ball World Series Wednesday evening, while the Molino All-Stars finished as runner-ups. The Molino team was the first Molino team to place in the World Series since it began in 1970.
Molino team members are Hayden Hollingsworth, Wyatte Golson, Brooklyn Hommerbocker, Jaxton McDaniel, Tyson Brown, Caden Mandel, Jaidyn McCants, Samuel Drysdale, Brantley Pangburn, Keaton Walker, Jayce Wilson and Ansley Morgan. Coaches are Jimmy Morgan, Luman Wilson, Ronnie Pritchett, Jeff Hommerbocker and Derrick McDaniel.
(NEP Gold team member names were not submitted.)
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Former NBA Coach To Lead Bratt Basketball Camp
June 19, 2019
The First Baptist Church of Bratt will host a basketball camp with a former NBA, college and high school coach.
The camp for children ages 8-14 will be held June 26-28 at the church. Coach Roger Dutremble of Global Sports Outreach will teach kids the fundamentals of basketball and Biblical awareness.
Dutremble is a a retired coach and member of the International Basketball Hall of Fame. He career includes coaching at every level from high school to the NBA, and into international arenas, with a lifetime coaching record of 687-117 and seven national championships. He was selected “Coach of the Year” six times, and served as national team head coach to Belgium, Scotland, and Jordan. He was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, serving under Paul Westhead and Pat Riley, from 1979-83 and helping the team to three NBA championships with players like Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
““He is a devoted Christian man that has a unique ability to deal with children, and his love for them is evident,” FBC Bratt Youth Pastor Tim Hawsey said. This is the eighth year the church has offered the camp.
The cost is $45 per student with a limited number of scholarships available. The funds are used exclusively to purchase shoes and basketballs for needy children in other countries where Dutremble conducts camps.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt is located on Highway 4 just west of Northview High School.
All children participating in the camp will receive a certificate of completion and a t-shirt from Dutremble. For registration information, call (850) 327-6529, or stop by the church Monday through Wednesday mornings.
Pictured: Students that participated in a previous basketball camp at the First Baptist Church of Bratt. Inset: Coach Roger Dutremble of Global Sports Outreach. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Tri-County Softball All-Stars Claim District Championship, Headed To State
June 18, 2019
The Tri-County Little League Minor Softball All-Star team claimed the District 1 Championship this past week. This win also clinched the Sectional Championship, advancing them straight to the state tournament beginning July 5 near Ft. Myers.
The team is looking for sponsors to help defray costs. Tax deductible donations can be made to Jay Recreation Association, PO Box 241 Jay, FL 32565. In the check memo field, notate Softball All-Stars. For more information, contact Jay Rec/Tri-County President, Tony deGraaf at (850) 698-0735.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay High Names Mike Roberts As New Head Baseball Coach
June 18, 2019
Jay High School has named Mike Roberts as the new head baseball coach for the Royals.
Roberts brings several years of head coaching experience to Jay, including six playoff appearances at Central High School and a trip to the FHSAA Final Four in 2016.
Photo courtesy Jay High School for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Smokies Top The Blue Wahoos
June 17, 2019
The difficult finish to their first half season left the Pensacola Blue Wahoos ready to embrace the all star break.
In a game Sunday which characterized a rough, past couple weeks, the Blue Wahoos were unable to generate offense in the early innings, then couldn’t produce a bigger rally at the end, resulting in a 3-2 loss against the Tennessee Smokies at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
It left the Blue Wahoos (38-32), who had started the year with a franchise-best eight consecutive series wins, having dropped eight of their last 10 games and five of their last six series matchups. They finished three games behind first place Biloxi (41-29) in the Southern League South Division.
“The roster we have, the players are doing their best, but baseball can just happen like that,” said Blue Wahoos manager Ramon Borrego.
After 70 games, mixed with just four days off, the Southern League season takes a three-day pause for all teams before the second half starts on Thursday with reset records back to start point and a new playoff chase.
“Everybody is waiting for this,” said Borrego, as his players quickly dressed to exit for various destinations. “It’s three days break.. Our bullpen will be fresh now. We will have five starters (pitching rotation). For the coaches, too, it will be good to refresh, regroup.”
The Southern League All-Star game is Tuesday night (6:35 p.m.) at MGM Park in Biloxi, Miss, hosted by the Shuckers, whose turn to host the game happened to fall this season.
Three Blue Wahoos players, leading hitter Travis Blankenhorn, right fielder Jaylin Davis and versatile infielder-catcher Caleb Hamilton will be playing in the game.
Borrego said Blankenhorn and Davis will also participate in Monday’s Home Run Derby at MGM Park.
“I’m so excited for them. They earned that,” Borrego said.
Three other Blue Wahoos players, pitchers Griffin Jax, who worked into the fourth inning as Sunday’s starter, along with injured pitchers Brusdar Graterol and Ryan Mason, were named to the South All-Stars, but won’t play due to their health status.
The all-star break is affording Borrego a chance to return to his home in Fort Myers where his wife and children reside. It will be an extended break for Borrego and Justin Willard, one of the team’s two pitching coaches, both of whom are utilizing the Minnesota Twins minor-league staff option to take five additional days off as vacation.
Hitting coach Steve Singleton will manage the team when the second half begins Thursday with a five-game series on the road against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Cibney Bello, the Blue Wahoos, other pitching coach, will be helping as the assistant manager in that series.
Borrego and Willard will resume their roles when the Blue Wahoos return to Pensacola on June 25 to begin a nine-day, two-opponent homestand that ends July 3.
“You get the five days (vacation) and the organization said you can take it any time,” Borrego said. “My plan was to make to the playoffs, go on vacation and have a good time.
“We had chances (to win first half), but we still have the chance now with second half. We will try to get the second half, get in the playoffs and go try to win the (Southern League) championship.”
Borrego said the roster will be bolstered by the return of Alex Kirilloff, the Twins’ No. 2 overall prospect, who joined the team May 2, then went back on the injured list June 3.
“He’ll be ready for that first game (Thursday) back,” Borrego said. “He had live BP (batting practice) yesterday and he looked good, so he will be ready.”
In addition, Borrego expects the return of third baseman Brian Schales, who played only 18 games at the beginning of the season, batting .241, but with 13 RBI and three homers. The Blue Wahoos also figure to have a set pitching rotation, following Griffin Jax’ solid outing Sunday and the boost provided by Brian Sammons and Charlie Barnes, elevated in late May from the Fort Myers Miracle.
And there may be a couple other players added from Fort Myers, the Twins’ High-A affiliate, who led that team to the first half Florida State League division crown.
“We’ll be a different team,” Borrego said. “We’ll be able to build with different players.”
The Blue Wahoos were hoping to finish with a series win Sunday, amid a sun-splashed crowd of 4,348 which pushed the team’s first half attendance past 148,000 – third best in the Southern League behind much larger Jacksonville and Birmingham.
The game was scoreless until Tennessee (33-36) pushed across a run in the fourth inning off Jax, the Air Force Academy graduate, who had his longest outing since May 16. With two runners on, none out, Jax got the next two batters out, then Andro Cutura, a spot starter, followed by ending the inning on a strikeout.
“I am so happy for him. I like what I saw,” said Borrego on Jax’ outing. “We missed this guy in the first half with a couple outings, because of injury. But I think he’s back, so I was glad to see him pitching really well and we will be fine with him for the second half.”
The Smokes scored two runs in the seventh inning off Cutura on Roberto Cara’s two-run single.
But in the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Wahoos loaded the bases with one out. Jordan Gore drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Tanner English hit an RBI single. But the inning ended when Blankenhorn struck out.
The Blue Wahoos had two runners on in the eight with one out, but Smokies reliever Tommy Nance ended the inning by getting Jimmy Kerrigan and Michael Davis to fly out.
In the ninth, the Blue Wahoos went down in order against Nance.
“We’re trying to put the offenses together in these last couple games, but it didn’t happen,” said Borrego, whose team lost 2-1 Saturday night. All five games in the series were decided by one run and the first three games went into extra-innings.
English and Randy Cesar both had two hits apiece for the Blue Wahoos, who had only six in the game.