UNDERDOG BITE: Doenges Boys look to lash out at Musial WS
On any given night, the Bartlesville Doenges Ford Indians might be the most dangerous U19/college league baseball team in the ballpark — regardless of the team inhabiting the other dugout.
But, there’s a couple of caveats. The Indians can always count on — well, 99 percent of the time — parsimonious pitching and dependable, even dazzling, defense.
The ‘X’ factor in the Indians’ chances for wins or losses is offense.
The Bartlesville squad will look to put the jolt back in its sticks when it opens play Wednesday in the AABC Stan Musial World Series in the Oklahoma City area.
Game times for the Indians (23-12-1) on Wednesday are 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., both at Rose State College.
The Bartlesville Indians are hardly the favorite — they are seeded No. 12 out of 12 teams.
For the Bartlesville boys, it boils down simply to this: When they score at least five runs their record is 17-2.
When they generate only four runs-or-fewer they are 6-10-1.
And, they’ve suffered through a lot of low-scoring games the second half of the season.
In their last 15 games they have recorded a decent record (9-6) but have averaged only 3.6 runs per game.
In the previous 21 games, the Indians hammered out a 14-6-1 record while averaging 8.05 runs.
This has been going the long ways around the corner to make the point the Indians’ fate in this week’s wood bat world series tourney.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, they take on No. 10 Boa Bat Company. Bartlesville and the No. 11 Diamond Prospects team collide at 1 p.m.
On Thursday, the Indians play at the main tourney site, University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond), against the No. 9 OKC Sandlot.
Indians’ manager John Pannell told the E-E he’ll likely start Ryan Jones in the 10 a.m. game and Bradee Rigdon in the afternoon tilt on Wednesday.
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Tupa haiku:
Seizin’ the moment
Big World Series underdogs
One chance: Bite makes right
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Jakob Hall could be the Indians’ mound starter on Thursday, if he doesn’t see substantial action Wednesday, Pannell said.
The Indians have two chances to advance to Friday’s semifinals — either win their pool (C) or earn the only wildcard spot.
The list of teams are:
Pool A: No. 1 Oklahoma Drillers, No. 2 Homezone Furniture, No. 3 Lonny Cobble Baseball Camps and No. 4 TBT Baller Texas Collegiate Team.
Pool B: No. 5 Woodward Travelers, No. 6 Kingdom Insurance, No. 7 Vintage Motors and No. 8 Oklahoma Lookouts.
Pool C: No. 9 OKC Sandlot, No. 10 Boa Bat Company, No. 11 Diamond Prospects and No. 12 Bartlesville Doenges Ford Indians.
Friday’s semifinal times are 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The championship game is slated for 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
The semifinals and finals both will be played in Edmond.
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Indians pitching
As mentioned, the Bartlesville squad has plenty of mighty arms, including some college-experienced arms.
Jones pitched last season at Northeastern Junior College in Colorado and struck out 33 batters in 34.1 innings.
Hall turned in a very successful freshman campaign on the bump for Oral Roberts University.The Indians have other college throwing experience, mostly in jayvee play.
The Indians also boast some outstanding high school pitching from Rigdon, Daniel Barham, Cole Hancock, Matt Winters, Josh Weber, Haden Fiddler and Hayden Catlin.
Alan Covarrubias, who was part of the Oklahoma Wesleyan University baseball program last year has provided the Indians some important outings.
Myson VanWinkle also spent last college season with OKWU. He won in his most recent outing with the Indians.
Pannell has spread the innings out liberally among his deep staff.
The busiest hurlers have been: Winters (12 appearances, 42.0 innings, 5-3), Weber (13 appearances, 26.2 innings, 3-0), Barham (nine appearances, 29.0 innings, 2-1) and Covarrubias (eight appearances, 28.0 innings, 2-2) and Hancock (eight appearances, 13.2 innings, 1-3).
Rigdon has seen limited games with the Indians but has a shutdown machine for opponents. He has made four appearances, recorded a 2-0 record — and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 18.0 innings. He has struck out 34 batters.
Winters leads in wins (five) but is 0-3 in his last four starts. He has the potential to be an effective weapon this week, either in relief or as a starter if the Indians make it into the later rounds.
As for Pannell, he’s excited the Indians enjoy an opportunity to finish on a big stage.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win some games,” he said, adding hitting the ball with regularity will be a keep.
“We’ve been blessed with really good pitching and really good defense,” he added.
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Road conquerors
The Indians have been just as successful on the road (12-6-0) as at home (11-6-1).
When playing away from home, the Indians strength has been their pitching staff and defense.
In their 12 away wins, eight opponents have scored only four runs or less.
Offensively, the Indians have averaged between six to seven runs scored per road game.
Doenges Ford baseball 2022 road scores
Game 6: Elk City Mud Cats 10, Indians 2
Game 7: Indians 13, Sheridan (Ark.) 9
Game 8: Indians 3, Fort Smith (Ark.) Sportsman 0
Game 9: Three Rivers 5, Indians 4
Game 12: Indians 9, Mountain Home 4
Game 13: Indians 9, JC Blazers 4
Game 14: Indians 8, Forsyth 5
Game 15: Indiana 8, Hollister 7
Game 16: Indians 12, 17U Kickapoo 8
Game 19: Paragould (Ark.) 4, Indians 1
Game 20: Indians 10, NC (Ark.) Thunder Monkeys 1
Game 21: Indians 11, Eureka (Mo.) 6
Game 22: Indians 5, Diamond Dogs 1
Game 23: SWAT Academy 8, Indians 5
Game 26: Indians 7, OKC Travelers 1
Game 27: Indians 6, OKC Travelers 1
Game 32: Marucci Midwest 15, Indians 0
Game 33: Oklahoma Drillers 6, Indians 0
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Doenges Ford Indians take aim on Stan Musial World Series
