Northview Baseball To Host Coed Softball Tournament
July 19, 2017
The Northview Baseball team will be host a coed softball tournament July 29 at Bradbury Park (NWE).
Entry fee is $200 per team and each team must have a minimum of three females. Rules will be based on USSSA rules. This is a two loss elimination tournament, so each team is guaranteed two games.
To participate or donate, call (850) 232-3205.
Tate Aggies Kick Off Youth Football Camp, Still Time To Join
July 18, 2017
Monday was the first evening of the Tate Youth Football Camp at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The camp continues 5-8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. According to organizers, there is room for more participants. To join the camp, be at the stadium at 5 p.m. Tuesday to register.
The camp is beingdirected by Tate football coaching staff with assistance from Tate football players. It is an opportunity for youth to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team. No football equipment will be needed. Cleats are recommended, but not required.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wahoos Beat Mississippi On #TeamBarrow Night At The Ballpark
July 18, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos Josh VanMeter and Shed Long both belted pitches from Atlanta Braves top pitching prospect, Kolby Allard, out of Blue Wahoos Stadium to left field.
It was #TeamBarrow night for the Wahoos to benefit the Barrow family. The Barrows recently experienced the loss two family members to cancer — mother Joanna Barrow died on January 30 and son Zachary Barrow passed away on February 8. Monday night at the Wahoo’s game, Holly Weaver performed the national anthem, while first pitches were tossed by Ryne Barrow, Kevin Barrow and Lauren McCall. The Wahoos also presented a $1,000 donation to Byrneville Elementary School.
The long balls in the second inning Monday ignited the Blue Wahoos lineup that scored five runs or more for the first time in nine games to beat the Mississippi Braves, 5-2, in front of 4,363 on its home field. Pensacola also hit two homers in a game for the first time in 10 games.
In a series that has featured two 2-0 games, a 2-1 game and a 4-3 game, the live bats were welcomed by Pensacola manager Pat Kelly and nail-biting Blue Wahoos fans. The Blue Wahoos earned 10 hits and six walks.
“Those two lefties (VanMeter and Long) were the key,” Kelly said. “Long and VanMeter did a great job taking Allard the other way and were very successful.”
Left fielder VanMeter and second baseman Long, who are both left handed hitters, launched homers to the opposite field to put Pensacola ahead, 2-0.
VanMeter, who was 3-3 with a double, walk, run and two RBIs, has four home runs this season and leads Pensacola with 38 RBIs. He also had his 22nd multi-hit game this year.
Long, who has struggled at the plate hitting .162, has two home runs with Pensacola and 15 on the year counting his stint with the High-A Daytona Tortugas. Long recorded his first multi-hit game with Pensacola, going 3-3 with a double, walk, two runs and one RBI for seven on the season.
“He’s seeing better pitching every night,” Kelly said about Long’s slow start at the plate. “As much as you don’t want to admit it, they’re pretty good. I think it humbled him a little bit.”
Long said it humbled him enough to seek out Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and star outfielder Eric Davis to help him this past week to start swinging the bat again like he was when he was in Daytona. He said their advice was invaluable.
“They’re a big part of my life, especially in baseball,” Long said. “It doesn’t get better than those guys. I was doing the same thing in Daytona and I’m starting to get that feeling back. That’s an awesome feeling. I just need to keep it going.”
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan scored on a two-out wild pitch by Allard and VanMeter hit a bullet to right field that drove in Blue Wahoos first baseman Gavin LaValley to put Pensacola ahead, 4-0, after three innings.
Mississippi got a home run of its own when third baseman Austin Riley smacked his first Double-A homer for his first RBI on a solo shot to right center in the fourth inning to trail Pensacola, 4-1.
Pensacola got the run back to go ahead, 5-1, when pitcher Jose Lopez hit a slow roller to second base that allowed Long, who doubled to left center, to score from third base. It was the first professional RBI for Lopez.
Making his seventh start, the 23-year-old Lopez pitched his third straight solid outing, working six innings, giving up two hits, including Riley’s homer, walked one and struck out two. He improved to 4-1 with a 3.19 ERA.
“He was great,” Kelly said. “He’s throwing strikes and going after hitters.”
The right-handed Lopez pitched eight scoreless innings in his July 6 start and one run in seven innings in his July 11 start, while striking out a career-high 11. Over his last three starts, he has allowed two runs on eight hits and three walks in 21 innings and struck out 20. He has a 0.86 ERA and WHIP of 0.52 and limited opposing hitters to a .121 average against him.
Meanwhile, Allard, the 14th overall pick in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft by Atlanta and the organization’s No. 3 ranked prospect, dropped to 5-8 with a 3.31 ERA. The 19-year-old is 0-3 against Pensacola and has struggled in his last two starts giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 17 hits in 10 innings.
Pensacola third baseman Nick Senzel’s hitting streak ended at 16 games Monday when he went 0-5. He tied Jackson General’s second baseman Kevin Medrano for the longest hitting streak in the Southern League this season.
Meanwhile, Pensacola is 31-18 at home this season and 13-12 in the second half to regain first place in the Southern League South Division over the Mobile BayBears. The South Division first half champions improved to 53-42 overall.
Photos by Barrett McClean/Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Football Youth Camp Begins Tuesday
July 17, 2017
Northview Football Youth Camp begins Tuesday, and there is still time to register.
The camp will be held July 18 and 20 from 5-7 each evening for players entering kindergarten through the eighth grade. Players will receive instruction from Northview High School Chief players and coaches. Participants will be coached in offensive and defensive position groups. There will also be daily drills and competitions.
Camp fee is $25; all participants will receive a camp t-shirt.
Click here for a registration form (pdf).
For more information, contact Coach Marshman at (850) 377-2504.
Wahoos Tie Series With Mississippi
July 17, 2017
Nick Senzel smacked his first walk-off base hit in a Pensacola Blue Wahoos uniform, when he hit a sharp single back up the middle to score Joe Hudson with the winning run.
Senzel, the top prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization, said he was “lucky” to hit the fourth straight slider he saw from Mississippi Braves reliever Devan Watts that gave Pensacola a, 4-3, victory Sunday in front of 4,123 at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
“I wanted to put a good at-bat together,” Senzel said. “They were all sliders. The best pitch I got to hit was his first one. That’s his go-to pitch. The last one, I put the barrel on it and luckily it went through.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly felt comfortable having the Blue Wahoos’ hottest hitter at the plate with the outcome of the game on the line. His 22-year-old third baseman Sunday tied Jackson General’s second baseman Kevin Medrano for the longest hitting streak in the Southern League this season with 16.
“The right guy was up at the right time,” Kelly said. “Watts has good stuff. He had four tough sliders. That last one was up and Senzel got it through that hole.”
The second walk-off this series, after Tyler Goeddel hit one Friday, and fifth this season tied the five-game series, 2-2, with the final game played at 6:35 p.m. Monday.
“This has been a fun series,” Senzel said. “That’s a good club on the other side and they will be ready to play every day and so will we.”
The ninth inning rally started with a sizzling ground ball single to right field by left fielder Josh VanMeter with one out. Hudson followed with a walk and then centerfielder Tyler Goeddel drilled the first pitch into center field to score VanMeter and tie the game, 3-3.
It was the fourth time since Tuesday that Goeddel, who is hitting .249, has come through with a clutch hit. He has two-game winners and two hits that have tied the game against the Chattanooga Lookouts and Mississippi.
Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan followed Goeddel with a walk to bring up Senzel. The second overall pick in the 2016 draft is hitting .383 (23-60) during his hitting streak with four doubles, two home runs and 12 RBIs.
Mississippi loaded the bases in the seventh inning on Pensacola middle reliever Alex Powers, who threw a wild pitch with two outs that allowed center fielder Connor Lien to score and put the Braves on top, 3-2.
In the eighth inning, Hudson kept Mississippi off the bases when he fired to Blue Wahoos first baseman Gavin LaValley to pick off Braves left fielder Tyler Neslony at first after his base hit. Mississippi second baseman Travis Demeritte reached first on an error by Trahan, Pensacola’s shortstop, but was gunned down by Hudson. This year, Hudson has thrown out 16 of 39 runners, or 41 percent, trying to steal on him this season.
Another big hit in the game came when Pensacola right fielder Gabriel Guerrero hit a two-out, line drive double to the opposite field in right that drove in Trahan and third baseman Senzel to tie the game, 2-2, in the sixth inning. Guerrero hit 3-4 for his 27th multi-hit game and it is the sixth time this season that the 23-year-old Dominican has had three hits total. He leads the ballclub with a .272 batting average.
Kelly said that Mississippi was trying to keep Guerrero from getting a pitch to hit.
“I don’t think you can pitch around Guerrero,” Kelly said, chuckling. “That ball was a foot outside and he hit it to right field.”
Mississippi scored two runs in the fourth to go up, 2-0. Neslony doubled to the wall in right center to drive in third baseman Austin Riley. Demeritte hit a high fly ball to right field that allowed Braves first baseman Joey Meneses tag up from third and score.
In the third start for Rookie Davis in Pensacola, who started the season in the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation, he pitched his most innings (five) and threw his most pitches (85).
Davis stood in the tunnel leading to the Blue Wahoos clubhouse after the game and gave all of his teammates a high-five. A Pensacola starter last season, he is 0-0 with a 4.61 ERA. Davis has pitched 13.2 innings total and allowed 12 hits, seven earned runs, walked six and struck out 11.
The 24-year-old retired 10 of the first 11 Mississippi batters he faced before running into trouble when he gave up two runs on four hits, including three in a row in the fourth inning. Davis, who has filled a void as one of Pensacola’s five starters, retired the side in the fifth inning.
“He’s getting better,” Kelly said. “It still comes down to fastball command. For him to be effective, he’s got to get the ball down.”
Pensacola evened its record at 12-12 in the second half. The South Division first half champions are 52-42 overall. Mississippi fell to 6-17 in the second half and 40-53 overall.
Molino’s Gindl Has Contract Purchased By The San Francisco Giants
July 16, 2017
The San Francisco Giants have purchased the contract of Caleb Gindl from the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers.
Gindl, 28, was batting .281 with nine home runs and 47 RBI in 71 games played this season. The Molino native also contributed 15 doubles and two triples. He had slugged four homers, including a game winner at Long Island, and knocked home 10 runs in the last eight games prior to the Atlantic League All-Star break.
The left-handed hitter was spending his second year with Lancaster. He batted .295 with 10 home runs and 72 RBI for the Barnstormers in 2016 and was named to the Atlantic League’s year-end All-Star Team. He was also the MVP of the 2016 Atlantic League All-Star Game, held in Lancaster.
Following the season, Gindl was signed by the Chicago White Sox. He was released by Chicago near the end of spring training
Gindl has prior Major League experience with the Milwaukee Brewers. He batted .242 with five home runs and 14 RBI for Milwaukee in 2013, hitting a walkoff home run against the Miami Marlins.
“Caleb was a very valuable player for us on the field and in the locker room,” said Barnstormers manager Ross Peeples. “We will miss him, but he deserves this opportunity.”
The Lancaster Barnstormers are an American professional baseball team based in Lancaster, PA. They are a member of the Freedom Division of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball.
Mississippi Beats Pensacola
July 16, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos starter Deck McGuire turned in what is becoming a normal start for him this season.
Mississippi scored one unearned run off McGuire in his seven innings of work and went onto win, 2-0, in front of a sellout crowd of 5,038 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. It was Pensacola’s 13th sellout this season.
So far this series, Pensacola has won once, 2-1, and lost twice to Mississippi, 2-0.
“I was joking with Derrick Lewis, their pitching coach, that the first one to two (runs) wins,” said Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly. “It’s worked out that way all three games.”
McGuire threw 23.1 scoreless innings this month and has allowed just four earned runs in his last 45 innings for a 0.80 ERA.
The 6-foot-6 McGuire, a former first round pick in 2010, earned the hard-luck loss and is 8-7 with a 2.61 ERA. He entered the game 2-0 against Mississippi this season, pitching 13 innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out 18.
Good news for Pensacola was Nick Senzel extending his hitting streak to 15 games when the Cincinnati Reds top prospect hustled for a double on a blooper to left center to start the seventh inning.
The 22-year-old, who had one of Pensacola’s three hits in Saturday’s game, is one game shy of tying Jackson General second baseman Kevin Medrano for the longest hitting streak in the Southern League this season.
“He keeps swinging it,” Kelly said. “I wish I had a couple more of him. We might score some more runs.”
The M-Braves scored in the fifth inning to go up, 1-0, when Braves first baseman Jonathan Morales reached first on an error by Pensacola shortstop Blake Trahan. He then scored from first when center fielder Stephen Gaylor ripped a sharp line drive that landed just inside the left field foul line for a double.
The Braves got another run in the eighth on Blue Wahoos reliever Carlos Gonzalez to take a 2-0 lead when center fielder Stephen Gaylor singled to start the inning. He then raced to third just ahead of Pensacola right fielder Aristides Aquino’s throw after Aquino fielded a Tyler Neslony ground ball single. It was his first hit in Double-A after going 0-8 in his first two games in the Southern League. Gaylor finally scored when Mississippi right fielder Keith Curcio grounded out into a double play.
Mississippi looked like it would score in the first inning, too, after back-to-back singles by right fielder Keith Curcio and shortstop Dylan Moore. But McGuire then struck out the next three batters and proceeded to have seven Ks for the game.
Meanwhile, Braves starter Wes Parsons shut down the Pensacola lineup. Normally a reliever, Parsons had a no-hitter for 4.1 innings before Blue Wahoos second baseman Shed Long hit a grounder past the first baseman into right field for a base hit.
In his sixth spot start this season, the 24-year-old Parsons pitched seven scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and struck out a season-high eight batters.
Pensacola dropped to 11-12 in the second half. The South Division first half champions are 51-42 overall. Mississippi improved to 6-16 in the second half and 40-52 overall.
Photo by Barrett McClean Photography/Pensacola Blue Wahoos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Register Today For Tate Football Camp
July 16, 2017
A Tate Youth Football Camp will be held 5-8 p.m. July 17-19 at Pete Gindl Stadium.
The camp will be directed by Tate football coaching staff with assistance from Tate football players. It is an opportunity for youth to work on fundamentals, practice agility, run through drills and learn about being part of a team. No football equipment will be needed. Cleats are recommended, but not required.
The camp fee is $65 preregister online at tatehighfootball.com by midnight Sunday or $75 first day of camp (checks made payable to Tate Quarterback Club). Each camper will receive a camp t-shirt, daily snack and drink and a pizza party at the end of camp.
To download a camp brochure and registration form, click here (pdf).
To register online, visit https://www.tatehighfootball.com/shop by midnight Sunday for the discounted rate.
Wahoos Top Braves
July 15, 2017
Pensacola Blue Wahoos left fielder Tyler Goeddel smacked a double into the left field corner to score shortstop Blake Trahan for the first walk-off hit in his six-year professional career.
The run gave Pensacola a 2-1 victory Friday over the Mississippi Braves in front of 4,221 at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The five-game series is tied, 1-1.
“That was nice,” Goeddel admitted, as his teammates mobbed him at second base. ”My previous at bat, he attacked me with a lot of fastballs. I wanted to be aggressive early in the count.”
Goeddel ripped the ball into the left field corner where Mississippi’s Tyler Neslony picked it up and rocketed it to the cutoff man who dropped the ball allowing Trahan to score from first base. It was the Blue Wahoos fourth walk-off this season.
Goeddel has been the batter Pensacola wants at the plate with the game on the line. He drilled a double to center field Tuesday against the Chattanooga Lookouts that propelled the Blue Wahoos to victory. The next day the 24-year-old smoked a line drive over the left field wall to tie the score, 3-3, to lead off the seventh inning. It was his fifth homer of the season.
He has seen his batting average plummet from a high of .292 to a low of .247 in the opener of the five-game series Thursday against Mississippi. Despite going 9-45 in July and 5-33 in his last 10 games, Goeddel said he feels comfortable at the plate. That would explain his two home runs and seven RBIs this month.
“This is the first slump in my life where I still feel good at the plate,” Goeddel said. “I’m just missing pitches. I hope to get a nice streak to finish (the season) off.”
Pensacola manager Pat Kelly said Goeddel was one of the best hitters in the Southern League two years ago when he played for the Montgomery Biscuits, hitting 12 homers, driving in 72 RBIs and batting .279. Last year, Goeddel played 92 games with the Philadelphia Phillies and hit .192 in 213 at bats.
“Tyler is a good hitter,” Kelly said. “He’s been going through a tough stretch…but got that big hit tonight.”
Pensacola right-hander Jesus Reyes also came through for the Blue Wahoos Friday in his first Double-A start. The 24-year-old Dominican worked five scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked two and struck out five.
In 15 starts this season for the High-A Daytona Tortugas, he compiled a 6-5 record and 3.78 ERA. This month, Reyes was 0-2 for the Tortugas but posted a 2.13 ERA.
“I was really impressed,” Kelly said. “His first time out in Double-A, I thought he would be a little anxious and nervous. But he had a good three-pitch mix.”
Mississippi threatened to blow the game wide open in the eighth inning when it loaded the bases with no outs against Pensacola middle reliever Robert Stock. However, Stock got Braves third baseman Austin Riley to ground out into a double play. Mississippi center fielder Steven Gaylor, who lead off the inning with a ground ball past the second baseman into center field, scored to knot the game, 1-1. Stock then struck out first baseman Joey Meneses, who entered the game hitting .298, to end the inning.
“To get out with one run, that was super,” Kelly said.
Pensacola went ahead, 1-0, in the fifth inning when catcher Joe Hudson scored on third baseman Nick Senzel’s chopper to third base that didn’t draw a throw and was ruled a single. Senzel, that MLBPipeline.com ranks as the Cincinnati Reds top prospect, extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
Although Mississippi left-handed starter Tyler Pike walked seven batters, he had not allowed a base hit until Trahan laced a single to left field in the fifth inning. Pike walked a career-high eight in 2.1 innings against the Chattanooga Lookouts in his June 28 start.
Trahan went 3-4 in the game and scored the winning run. Kelly said Trahan has worked hard on his hitting with Cincinnati Reds roving instructors Hall of Famer Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. The 23-year-old is batting a career-low .218.
“Blake did a really good job,” Kelly said. “I’m pleased he took what he learned into the game.”
Pensacola evened its record at 11-11 in the second half. The South Division first half champions are 51-41 overall. Mississippi is 5-16 in the second half and 39-52 overall.
Chiefs End ‘Turbulent Thursday’ With Trip To NAS Museum
July 14, 2017
The Northview Chiefs capped off a great week of workouts with “Turbulent Thursday” with a trip to the Naval Air Museum. The players learned about the history of aviation and the military, the Blue Angels and more. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
