Finally, for the first time in 2013, the BTWL was treated to some relatively normal weather. Another rousing batch of games were played, and the previously postponed game from last weekend between the Biscuits and Aces was made up on Sunday. Now each team has played 6 games, so all the stats are on an even scale. 

Jammers 11, Biscuits 8
The first of 3 games for the Biscuits this weekend was merely the first of 3 losses. This one, however, they should have had. Captain Tony Sciaraffa and his league leading 2.40 ERA took the bump for his squad, while Antonio Leatham took the ball for the Jammers. The first runs of the game were courtesy of the Biscuits and some bases-loaded walks drawn by their lineup in the top half of the 3rd inning, taking a shortlived 2-0 lead. The Jammers responded, by working with an extremely wild Sciaraffa who walked 15 on the day, and scoring 3 runs of their own in the home half of the inning. Then the Biscuits erupted for 6 runs in the 4th, courtesy of a pair of RBI singles by Greg Sullivan and some poor defense on behalf of the Jammers. Storming to an 8-3 lead, the Biscuits were in prime position to garner their 2nd victory of 2013. But as the Jammers have so often done this season, they responded immediately. Conor Rogan led the charge with a 3-run blast to left field, his 3rd of the season, and the Jammers continued to battle against Sciaraffa eventually knotting the game at 8. Then in the bottom of the 5th Ty Galicia stepped up and deposited his 3rd home run of the year over the truck in left to put the Jammers ahead for good 9-8. They added two more in the same inning, and Leatham shut down the Biscuits in the 5th and 6th innings to seal the win for the comeback kids in green. 

Blue Rocks 13, Aces 3
The Aces came into this one with a squeaky clean record, but left with a quick reality check from the back-to-back champs of the BTWL. After a Brendan Fitzgerald home run off Dave Pierce in the bottom of the first tied the game at 2, and a homer from Jim Sarkisian tied it again at 3 in the third, the reigning Randiest Johnson regained his form to dominate an Aces lineup that has otherwise been relatively dangerous this season.Sarkisian took the hill for the Aces on this day, and looked more like his 2010 self than the Sarkisian that we had seen earlier in the year. He was bruised and battered, surrendering 20 hits to the Blue Rocks lineup and allowing 2 home runs to Pierce, and another to each Ben Rogan and Paul Latino. Shockingly the only Blue Rock who didn't take Sarkisian yard was the reigning MVP Cayden Bengtson, who still collected 4 hits on the afternoon.

Blue Rocks 11, Jammers 6
Bengtson and Galicia took the hill in the first Sunday game of the weekend, and once again this was a game that primarily featured a lot of offense, and little pitching as the Blue Rocks would eventually move to 4-2 on the year. After some poor defense by both teams helped out the opposing offenses, the Blue Rocks took a 2-1 lead after the first inning which also featured Pierce's 2nd triple of the season, coincidentally the only two triples in the BTWL this season. After hitting around Galicia in the 2nd inning for 4 runs, Pierce then added a little extra insurance with his 4th home run of the season in the 3rd inning, which gave his squad a comfortable 7-3 lead. In typical Jammer fashion, however, they didn't go quietly. Conor Rogan sent his 4th homer of the season over the car wall, climbing his team to within 1. Then in the 6th, Paul Latino hit his 2nd home run in as many games, and was followed by a solo shot from Bengtson who inexplicably tomahawked a knuckleball that over his head over the wall in right. Given some more breathing room, Bengtson retired the side to finish the game for the Bleu Rox.

Aces 13, Biscuits 0 
In what wound up being the marquee individual pitching performance of the season, Keith Leatham lead his team both on the hill and paced them offensively as they routed the Biscuits who simply looked overwhelmed by him. RBI doubles by Eric Norrman and Leatham sprouted the Aces to a quick 6-0 lead in the 2nd inning of this game, and that was more than enough for Leatham who was nothing short of dominant in this one, striking out 6 and allowing two hits and showing that despite the rule changes, a pitcher can still baffle lineups if he finds his groove. On the other side of this was Greg Sullivan, who walked 16 batters for the 2nd time this year and allowed 13 runs (7 earned) on the day. Leatham later added a 2-run shot in the 5th, and Sarkisian blasted his 4th of the season with a 2-run shot of his own in the 6th off Sullivan who struggled mightily once again in the young season. 

Aces 9, Biscuits 5
In the 2nd game of the doubleheader, the Aces once again dominated but in a much more competitive matchup than the first of their affairs. Kyle Reis took the bump for his first start of the season, matched up against Eric Norrman who was also making his 2013 debut on the hill. Norrman quickly helped his own cause, belting a leadoff home run in the 1st off Reis, and later tallying a 3 run shot in the same inning in his next at bat, pitting himself to a 4-1 lead after 1. In the 3rd Reis also helped himself by hitting his 2nd long-ball of the season to right-center, climbing the Biscuits to within 1. Then in the home half of the 3rd, Norrman sent his league leading 5th home run of the year over the fence, but his teammate Jim Sarkisian would quickly tie that league lead by blasting his 5th, a 2-run shot, to left to put his squad up 7-3 after 4. Sciaraffa would eventually hit his 2nd homer of the year as he attempted to rally his troops in a comeback effort, but would ultimately fall short as the Aces added two more in the 5th to take a 9-5 lead and hold the Biscuits at bay for the rest of the afternoon. 

Game Notes
Antonio Leatham got his 10th career win ... He also recorded his 100th career strikeout ... Pierce recorded his 450th career strikeout ... K. Leatham extended his hitting streak to 16 games, 1 shy of tying his own record ... the Aces have scored 45 runs after scoring 44 in all of 2012 ... 7 players have already tied their total, or hit more home runs than they did in 2012 ... Sarkisian broke the record for most hits allowed in a game (20) ... Players of the Week are updated

Career Milestone Watch
Galicia needs 1 RBI for 100 ... A. Leatham needs 5 RBI to reach 100 ... Bengtson needs 1 HR for 50 

-TG 

Only one batch of games were played this weekend, as Sunday's games were postponed due to Father's Day conflicts and other events. Those games will be made up at a later date at the captain's discretion. Now onto the games that were played: 

Blue Rocks 6, Biscuits 0
This game matched up Dave Pierce versus Tony Sciaraffa on the mound, and unfortunately for the Biscuits, was an entirely one sided affair. The Blue Rocks opened the scoring in the home half of the 2nd inning with Pierce hitting an RBI double and Cayden Bengtson, who collected 4 hits on the day, walking in a run on a bases loaded walk to take a 2-0 lead. Later, the Bleu Rox would tally 4 more runs off Sciaraffa courtesy of a Bengtson 2-run single and a Ben Rogan RBI ground out. That would be more than enough for Pierce (2-1, 2.67), as he carried a no-hitter into the 5th inning before surrendering a single to Sciaraffa. He also struck out 6, while issuing only 3 walks and cruising to his 2nd win of the season in dominant fashion. 

Aces 6, Jammers 0
Another matchup of captains saw Jim Sarkisian take the bump versus Ty Galicia, who manned a severely hampered Jammers lineup without the services of neither Jay Vrusho or Antonio Leatham. Eric Norrman quickly got the scoring going with a solo blast to lead off the game, his league-leading 6th of the season, and was followed by Brendan Fitzgerald who blasted a 3-run shot to center later in the inning for his 2nd tater of the season. Galicia would settle down before allowing a 2-run shot to Keith Leatham in the 4th to stake the Aces to a comfortable 6-0 lead. On the other side of the hill Sarkisian (3-1, 4.82) breezed through the punchless Jammers lineup, allowing only one hit on the day to Conor Rogan en route to garnering a win which would keep his squad a game ahead of the Blue Rocks for 1st place in the BTWL. 

Game Notes: 
Tony Sciaraffa's lone hit was good enough for the 200th of his career ... K. Leatham tied his own record for longest hitting streak in BTWL history at 17 games ... Leatham has 8 doubles on the season, next closest player has 2 ... Players of the Week are updated

Career Milestone Watch:
Dave Pierce needs 2 hits for 250 and 1 double for 50 ... Keith Leatham needs 3 doubles for 50 ... Tony Sciaraffa needs 10 strikeouts for 400

-TG

The first Non-Stop Blacktop of 2013 was created this week by Blue Rocks captain Dave Pierce. We hope this is the first of many episodes this season. Check it out!!

Three games were played this weekend, thanks to the Biscuits once again forcing postponements. Still, an entertaining batch of games were played nonetheless. 

Jammers 8, Blue Rocks 2
In a surprisingly lopsided matchup, Antonio Leatham (2-1, 4.00) took the bump against Dave Pierce (2-2, 3.56) and the Blue Rocks, and once again the Jammers knocked around Pierce early and often to steal a win. The game quickly started in the top of the first with Conor Rogan belting a two-run shot off Pierce to start the scoring. Following another lead-off walk to Ty Galicia to begin the 2nd frame, Leatham then took Pierce deep for his first home run of 2013 to give the Jammers an early 4-0 lead. After a Ben Rogan RBI single and a solo HR from Cayden Bengtson to get the Blue Rocks on the board, C. Rogan and Galicia then provided solo shots off Pierce who pulled himself in favor of B. Rogan. The elder Rogan would later allow a homer to his younger brother, Conor's third of the game. Leatham provided a great spark to the Jammers pitching rotation, throwing a complete game, while striking out 7 and walking only 2 in his 2nd victory of the season.  

Aces 5, Biscuits 3 
Due to this being another game in which the Biscuits could barely scrap together a roster, the BTWL saw only the second female ever take the field in the form of Meg Lovely. A scoreless game till the 4th inning, Keith Leatham helped his own cause by providing an RBI double to put the Aces on top 1-0. The very next batter was Eric Norrman who then hit an apparent pop-up that just kept traveling, eventually clearing the wall for a three-run shot for his 7th homer of the season. The Biscuits would get on the board in the 5th, courtesy of a Greg Sullivan RBI single, but then Leatham would later extend the lead with another RBI double, moving the Aces lead to 5-1. Tony Sciaraffa, who was also the Biscuits starting pitcher, then blasted a deep drive for his 3rd homer of the season in the 6th, and pulling his squad to within 2. Leatham (3-0, 2.33) then shut the door on any rally by retiring the side and widening the Aces lead in the standings. 

Jammers 9, Aces 8
In these teams' 4th meeting of the season, the Jammers were hoping to avoid yet another loss to the first-place Aces. Another matchup of captains, Ty Galicia was matched up against Jim Sarkisian. The Aces would take a quick 1-0 lead on a K. Leatham single, but the Jammers would respond in the 2nd inning courtesy of a Jason Vrusho solo home run, his 3rd of the season. Galicia would then give the Jammers a lead with a sacrifice fly to left in the third, and Conor Rogan would extend the lead by doubling in two more runs in the same frame, pitting the Jammers to a comfortable 4-1 lead. But then the wheels would briefly fall off. In the 4th inning two lazy fly balls were hit Vrusho's way, both of which hit the fielders hands and fell to the ground, giving the Aces two extra outs to work with. Norrman would make them pay by blasting a 3-run shot to center, tying the game at 4. Following a Leatham single, Sarkisian then knocked his 6th home run of the season, giving the Aces a 6-4 lead and adding 5 unearned runs to Galicia's stat line. Norrman would later add his second HR of the game in the 5th, padding the Aces lead to 8-4. Then in the bottom half of the 6th, as they so often do, the Jammers stormed back. Rogan got the rally started with his 8th home run of the season, a solo shot to left. Then, following a groundout by AJ Lindstrom, and walks to Galicia and Rogan, Vrusho reached base courtesy of an errant throw by Leatham in left which would have been the final out of the game. With the bases loaded and an extra life, Lindstrom then belted his first home run of 2013, a walk-off grand slam to lift the Jammers past the Aces in a wild back-and-forth affair. 

Game Notes:
Bengtson hit his 50th career HR ... Galicia garnered his 100th career RBI ... C. Rogan surpassed A. Leatham for 3rd place on the career HR list ... Galicia and Sarkisian moved into a tie for most career complete games (44) ... Keith Leatham broke his own hitting streak record, and his streak now stands at 19 games ... 9 games into the season is the longest that a Dave Pierce-led team has yet to sit in first place 

Career Milestone Watch: 
Galicia needs 2 HR for 20 ... K. Leatham and Pierce need one more double for 50 ... Pierce needs two hits for 250 ... Bengtson needs 5 hits for 250, and stands only 3 behind Pierce for most all-time ... Antonio Leatham needs 1 RBI for 100 ... Conor Rogan needs 1 HR for 40

In a shocking and sudden turn of events, the first-place Aces have acquired 6x All-Star and 3x champion Greg Sullivan and a 5th round pick in 2014 in exchange for Kyle Cross and a 2014 2nd round pick. 

The move comes in an effort to bolster an already strong Aces lineup, and perhaps give a bit of a resurgence to Sullivan, who is experiencing one of his worst seasons statistically. Sullivan could also serve as a spot-starter for an Aces rotation that is currently headlined by MVP-candidate Keith Leatham. Sullivan also provides plenty of playoff experience, owning a BTWL-record 3 championships (tied with Pierce and B. Rogan). 

As for the Biscuits, who currently stand at 1-11, this is a move to help the future of captain Tony Sciaraffa. He now has compiled three 2nd round picks in 2014 (both via trades Greg Sullivan was a part of), and is in prime position to build a very solid team going into next season. As for this season, the Biscuits are mere days away from being eliminated from playoff contention and don't stand to lose much for the remainder of 2013. Sciaraffa was quoted as saying, "I'd like to give Greg a chance to compete for another championship." And clearly the Aces have a much greater chance now with the addition of the veteran southpaw. 

Pak Division: 

Conor Rogan (Jammers) - .380, 27 H, 10 HR, 26 RBI, .559/.831/1.390 (6th Selection) 

Ty Galicia (Jammers) - .473, 26 H, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .701/.709/1.410 (8th Selection)

Jason Vrusho (Jammers) - .342, 13 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .511/.684/1.195 (1st Selection) 

AJ Lindstrom (Jammers) - .300, 15 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .508/.380/.888 (2nd Selection)

Tony Sciaraffa (Biscuits) - .296, 21 H, 5 HR, 16 RBI, .467/.535/1.002 (8th Selection) 

JB Division: 

Dave Pierce (Blue Rocks) - .465, 33 H, 8 HR, 29 RBI, .632/.974/1.606 (8th Selection) 

Paul Latino (Blue Rocks) - .420, 21 H, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .603/.700/1.303 (1st Selection) 

Keith Leatham (Aces) - .539, 41 H, 6 HR, 12 2B, 27 RBI, .670/.934/1.605 (7th Selection) 

Jim Sarkisian (Aces) - .339, 21 H, 6 HR, 18 RBI, .545/.645/1.191 (8th Selection) 

Eric Norrman (Aces) - .521, 38 H, 13 HR, 33 RBI, .686/1.151/1.837 (1st Selection) 

Congratulations to the 2013 BTWL Champions!

            WILMINGTON BLUE ROCKS (3rd Year in a Row)

                     - David Pierce (Captain)

                     - Cayden Bengtson (Asst. Captain)

                     - Ben Rogan

                     - Paul Latino

                    - Blais Faulk

____________________________________________________________________________

Another crazy weekend of wiffleball took place down at McCann field this week. Only this week instead of torrential rain and freezing temperatures, it was 90 degrees with sustained winds upwards of 20 MPH. Classic New England. Looks like the BTWL will have to wait another weekend to get some normal weather. 

Jammers 6, Blue Rocks 4

After the Biscuits/Aces tilt was postponed due to the Biscuits inability to field a team (classic Tony), the Jammers and Blue Rocks took the field for Saturday's lone game. Dave Pierce and Ty Galicia each took the bump for their squads, with the Jammers looking for their first victory of 2013 and the Blue Rocks looking to climb above .500. The Blue Rocks were the first to strike, as Cayden Bengtson came to the plate in the top half of the first with the bases full and smashed a grand slam to right-center, his first long ball of the season. Pitting Pierce to a 4 run lead is usually money in the bank, but not on this day. The Jammers climbed back steadily with a solo shot from Conor Rogan in the 3rd, and a 2 run shot from rookie Jay Vrusho in the 4th. With the game standing at 4-3, Galicia came to the plate in the 5th inning and sent a solo shot to left-center for his first of the season and knotted the game at 4. Then following a fly out by Vrusho, and a single by Rogan, Galicia came back to the plate in the same inning and sent another deep drive over the truck-wall in left to put the Jammers ahead 6-4. He also settled down nicely on the bump, only allowing 2 hits after the first inning and earning the win as he worked around a Bengtson base hit to retire the side. 

Blue Rocks 10, Biscuits 9 

This was the first of Sunday's games, and it would be the first 19 runs of a day that saw a combined 43 runners cross the plate on the day. Tony Sciaraffa and Bengtson took the hill, and each struggled with their command, thanks in no part to the 21 MPH winds that were swirling around the field all day long. The Blue Rocks struck early in the first with 2 runs, but the Biscuits quickly responded with 5 runs of their own, keyed by a 2 run single from Kyle Reis. The Bleu Rox then struck hard in the 4th with 7 runs off Sciaraffa, due to a fielding error by Reis that could've ended the inning with limited damage. With the extra life, Pierce stepped into the box and sent his first homer of 2013, a grand slam, over the truck in left. Bengtson then followed with his 2nd of the season, as the Blue Rocks went back-to-back to make it a 10-6 game. The Biscuits mounted another rally, with an RBI from Sciaraffa and a two-run shot from Reis making the game 10-9. But Bengtson retired the side in order in the 6th to hang on for the win and bring the Blue Rocks to 2-2 on the year. 

Aces 13, Jammers 11

The second matchup of the game was another high-scoring homer-fest as the Aces took on the Jammers with their undefeated mark on the line. They got off to a hot start, with Eric Norrman hitting a leadoff home run off Conor Rogan for his first of the season. Following 3 straight singles, Keith Leatham then stepped up to smash a grand slam for his first longball of the season, pitting the Aces to a 5-0 lead in the first frame. Rogan then removed himself from the bump in favor of Vrusho, who got out of the jam in his first BTWL pitching experience. But for the second straight game the Jammers overcame a first inning grand slam by immediately responding. Rogan smashed a 3-run shot off Jim Sarkisian who started the game for the Aces. The rest of the lineup then worked with Sarkisian's wind-aided wildness to walk in two runs to tie up the game at 5 after the 1st. Leatham then had an RBI double in the 3rd, briefly giving the Aces a 7-5 lead, which later became 8-5 in the 4th thanks to a Sarkisian solo shot, his first of the year. Once again the Jammers responded, knotting it at 8 in home half of the 4th. Then in the 5th, Leatham and Norrman each took Galicia deep for solo shots, after Galicia came on in relief of Vrusho. RBI knocks by Vrusho and Galicia then tied it up at 11 in the 5th, before Sarkisian tallied his 2nd longball of the game with a 2 run shot in the 6th. This time, however, the Jammers couldn't finish the comeback, as they left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 6th as AJ Lindstrom grounded into a fielders choice to end the wild back-and-forth affair.

Game Notes:
Cayden Bengtson notched his 150th career RBI, the 2nd player in BTWL history to do so ... Keith Leatham recorded his 100th career RBI ... Jim Sarkisian hit his 20th career HR ... Paul Latino tied the record for walks in a game (7) ... Keith Leatham currently has a 14 game hitting streak dating back to 2012 ... Pierce allowed 6 ER in 54 IP in 2012, but has already allowed 10 in 15 IP this season ... Bengtson allowed 12 ER in 48.2 IP in 2012, has allowed 12 in 12.2 IP this season ... Kyle Reis leads the league in RBI (10) after having only 5 all of last season ... Pierce has also surpassed his 2012 RBI total (7 this season, 6 last) ... 

Career Milestone Watch:
Pierce needs 1 double to reach 50 ... Galicia needs 5 RBI for 100 ... Bengtson needs 2 HR for 50 ... Pierce needs one strikeout for 450

-TG

Pouring rain, wind, 40 degree temperatures. Sounds more like a mid-November NFL gamerather than Opening Day for the BTWL, but it was no issue as weather is rarely a deterrent for the game of wiffleball. As we say, there's never a bad day for wiff, maybe just some less-than-ideal days. On to the games:

Game 1: 

Biscuits 6, Blue Rocks 5
The first game of the BTWL season was held between archrivals Dave Pierce and Tony Sciaraffa. The Biscuits and the Blue Rocks would be the first to play on the newly constructed McCann field, and the first to experience the game with some rule alterations, the biggest of which would be the new 6 ball rule. Immediately the presence of having to throw more strikes was felt, as the Blue Rocks plated 3 runs in the top half of 1st courtesy of a whole bunch of walks issued by Sciaraffa, and an RBI double by Pierce which plated two. TheBiscuits immediately answered in the home half, as Pierce uncharacteristcally walked the first four batters to bring in a run, and later an RBI double by Kyle Reis to give the Biscuits a 4-3 lead. Eventually each pitcher settled down, and the Blue Rocks eventually tied the game at 4 in 4th courtesy of yet another base on balls to Ben Rogan. That would be all the scoring from there, as the game went into extras and eventually reached the 10th innning, forcing each pitcher to exit the game due to innings limits. Greg Sullivan came on in relief of Sciaraffa, and promptly walked his first four batters, plating the go ahead run for the Bleu Rox before eventually getting Ben Rogan to line into a double play to get out of the jam. Last year's MVP Cayden Bengtson came in on behalf of Pierce, and also walked his first four batters, bringing in the tying run. He then struck out Greg, but walked Reis with the bases loaded to bring home the game-winning run and sending the Biscuits to the KBC Finals. 

Game 2: 

Aces 2, Jammers 1
As the rain slowly began to disperse, the Jammers and Aces took the field lead by captains Ty Galicia and Jim Sarkisian as the games starting pitchers. Surprisingly, this game became the days marquee pitching matchup as each pitcher looked strong, with Sarkisian fanning 8 batters, and Galicia issuing a mere 3 walks, by far the least of any starting pitcher on the day. The only run Sarkisian allowed on the day came courtesy of BTWL rookie Jay Vrusho, who took the Aces captain deep on his first career at bat and briefly gave the Jammers a 1-0 lead. The Aces would tie the game in the home half of the 2nd, courtesy of some erratic fielding by the Jammers and an RBI single by Sarkisian. Tied at 1, the game entered the home half of the 6th where some more sloppy fielding loaded the bases for Eric Norrman, who drew a walk to bring in the game winning run from third and send the Aces to their second consecutive KBC Final with a 2-1 victory over the Jammers. 

Consolation Game: 

Blue Rocks 3, Jammers 1
The third game of the day was the consolation game which was a rematch of last years championship round. The Jammers sent Antonio Leatham to the hill to square off against Bengtson. The first run of the game came courtesy of, you guessed it, a bases loaded walk issued to Vrusho in the home half of the first to put the Jammers ahead 1-0. That was short lived, however, as the Blue Rocks notched two runs in the third thanks to some errors, and an RBI single by Bengtson. Later, Paul Latino did what he didn't do once in 2012, and took Leatham deep for a solo shot in the 5th. That would be all the Blue Rocks needed as they avoided an 0-2 hole to begin the season. Lost in all the walks of the game, it was realized that Bengtson pitched his 5th career regular season no-hitter in the process, tying lefty Greg Sullivan for most all-time in BTWL history. 

Championship Game: 

Aces 5, Biscuits 4
In one of the more lackluster games in recent memory, Keith Leatham took the bump against Greg Sullivan and the Biscuits with the 2013 KBC Title on the line. The first run of the game came in the top half of the first, as the Aces walked in a run against Sullivan, who struggled with his command all afternoon. The Biscuits responded by walking in a run of their own, but the Aces would follow with 4 more runs in the third, taking advantage of the wildness of Sullivan, who issued 16 free passes in this one. Tony and his squad would mount a minor comeback by plating two runs in the home half of the third, followed by a Sciaraffa solo home run in the 5th, but it wasn't enough as the Aces held on for the second victory of the day and walked away with the KBC title for the 2nd year in a row. 

Game Notes:
Antonio Leatham was held hitless in both games ... Sullivan is already 1/3 of the way to the all-time single season walks mark ... K. Leatham reached his 40th career double and 20th career win ... J. Sarkisian broke the record for most walks in a game (batting; 7)

-TG

With the 2013 BTWL Season only a few days away, we have our last feature article getting you ready for things to come. These are some bold predictions in order from least bold to the most bold. 

Dave Pierce will hit 10 home runs this season.
The five-time MVP had one of his worst batting seasons, if not the worst, in BTWL history. He batted a dismal .222 with three doubles, one home runs and six RBIs. Yes you read that correctly. This same player hit 15 homers and had 39 RBIs during the 2008 season. Now we don’t think Pierce has lost a step, since he hit three home runs, including a grand slam in the blowout series win over the Biscuits. This season, Pierce will get his swing back and slug over 10 home runs.
BOLD METER: 3/10

The Montgomery Biscuits will have 10 different players dress for them this season
Over the course of the BTWL, captain Tony Sciaraffa has always had issues fielding a team. This season, he is been dealt a tough hand. Tom Sarkisian begins the season on the disabled list and Greg Sullivan is moving 50 miles away to Newton. Sullivan did say that he will play in the games this season, but he will start the season on the wrong foot by not playing in the Kurt Bowes Classic. Therefore, we think that Sciaraffa will call upon a mishmash of players all season to field a team and play the games. Any GAWL players reading this, keep your phone lines open, as you may be getting a call from the two-time* BTWL champion.
BOLD METER: 5/10 

Keith Leatham will win the MVP Award
No one other than Dave or Cayden has claimed the MVP award during the season and rightfully so, as they have been the best players in the game. But this season will bring about a new change. Leatham has shown to be one of the more dominant players in the BTWL and has the ability to hit for average and power as well as hold and ERA under 2.00. The Aces have an above-average offense that will allow Leatham to drive in runners and if he can lead Reno to an above .500 record and challenge the Blue Rocks for first place, then we could have a new MVP on our hands.
BOLD METER: 6/10

Conor Rogan will hit one home run and bat under .250
The younger Rogan brother has been a force at the plate for his whole career with his textbook swing, but this season may prove differently for the 2008 Silver Slugger. Rogan will now be the only real power threat in the Jammers lineup, with Antonio Leatham’s expected absence. The free-swinging Rogan will be not be given as many quality pitches to hit this season, so he may see a higher strikeout total. The last season without A. Leatham in the lineup with him, Rogan batted .141, so we will see if something similar happens this season.
BOLD METER: 7/10

The Blue Rocks will go undefeated this season
WHAT!?!? You must be thinking I’m crazy. However, this is a very real possibility. Bengtson and Pierce are the best two players in the BTWL. If they are both playing at the top of their games, there is no reason why they cannot finish the regular season 18-0 and sweep the championship round for a perfect 20-0 season. Dave’s franchise has never finished lower than first in the regular season over the seven-year history of the BTWL. The pieces will need to fall in place and they will need some luck along the way, but the Blue Rocks are a real threat to have the first undefeated season in BTWL history.
BOLD METER: 9/10

-JS

With the 8th BTWL season set to begin in just over a week, many players will be vying for the individual awards handed out to the best of the best at the seasons close. With that in mind, here's a quick look at the favorites for this year's coveted distinctions. 

MVP 

Favorite: Cayden Bengtson, Blue Rocks. 
After a 2012 season in which Bengtson was nothing short of sensational, he was named the runaway winner of the league MVP. Going into 2013, the obvious choice for the favorite for MVP would have to be the 2x winner. The only player to win this award not named Dave Pierce, Bengtson has turned into a powerhouse in this league. Last year he finished the season with a hearty .505 average to lead the league, smashing the single season record for hits in a season, and proving to be the toughest out in the entire league. But it didn't stop there. Bengtson was also dominant on the mound, posting a 1.48 ERA and 55 strikeouts, both second in the league to his teammate Pierce. In addition to those aspects, Cayden was also the best fielder in the BTWL, committing zero errors in the field and garnering the first ever Defensive Player of the Year award. Simply put, Bengston does it all. The only thing we don't know for sure is if Bengtson has done the impossible and surpassed 5x MVP Dave Pierce as perhaps the most dominant force of the BTWL. 

Strong Candidates: 
Tony Sciaraffa, Biscuits.
2012 was a great individual year for the captain of the Biscuits. Shockingly, Sciaraffa found a power stroke leading the league in home runs for the first time in his career (7), and finishing 2nd in RBI with 20. Less surprisingly, he also was a force on the mound as well finishing third in the league in strikeouts, WHIP and ERA. If Tony can work around the injuries to Tom Sarkisian, and his known struggles to consistently field a team of his own players, Sciaraffa could make a serious case at MVP if he proves to be a leader in guiding the Biscuits to a playoff berth. Having a season like last year, in which Sciaraffa also won a Handyman Award for his excellent fielding, would be a great boost to the Biscuits over the long haul.

Keith Leatham, Aces. 
One of the most reliably consistent players in the league, Keith Leatham has been one of the best players in league history for over 7 years now. Known as a top 3 pitcher, twice winning the Randiest Johnson (formerly Cy Young), Leatham has established himself as a staff ace each and every year. He's no slouch at the plate either, owning a .356 career average and only striking out a mere 88 times in his career, which is by far the lowest total among players with at least 400 career at-bats. When the elder Leatham brother takes the field you know you're going to get a solid performance from one of the best players we have in the BTWL. Always a MVP frontrunner, Leatham should find little difficulty finding himself in that conversation again in 2013. 

Dark Horse Candidate: Conor Rogan, Jammers. 

Randiest Johnson 

Favorite: Dave Pierce, Blue Rocks. 
Speaks for itself, the reigning winner of this award and the 5x MVP, Pierce is far and away the most dominant pitcher to play in the BTWL. Being the career leader in wins, strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, complete games, saves, and innings pitched, Pierce's resume speaks for itself. Theres absolutely no reason to believe Pierce will have a down year at the bump, like he did at the plate in 2012, because he has such command of all of his pitches he practically toys with batters. Surprisingly, Pierce has no career no-hitters, but it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him toss one, or more, in 2013. If Pierce manages to turn around his recent struggles at the plate, which he began to do in the '12 playoffs, he could unsurprisingly catapult himself back into the MVP talks. But until then consider Pierce the easy call for this award in 2013. 

Strong Candidates: 
Keith Leatham, Aces. 
The aforementioned Leatham is an obvious preseason candidate for this award because of his consistency in dominating opposing lineups. He's already won two of these awards with good reason, and he'll be a prime option for his third this upcoming year. Undoubtedly the ace of the aptly named Reno Aces, Leatham will be the choice to lead his team into battle when they need a big performance on the hill. If Leatham can compile a year like he typically does, he'll once again be in the discussion for the best pitcher of the year. 

Cayden Bengtson, Blue Rocks. 
If Bengtson isn't the frontrunner for MVP, in all likelihood he'll be a frontrunner for the best pitcher in the league. The hardest thrower in the BTWL, Bengtson has become known for his flamethrowing abilities, while also being dangerously accurate when he finds his groove. He's already second in career wins and ERA, despite not pitching for nearly 2 years of the leagues 7 year history. If he falls off the pace for MVP, or gets surpassed by someone else, keep an eye on him for this award. 

Dark Horse Candidate: Jim Sarkisian, Aces. 

King of Swing

Favorite: Conor Rogan, Jammers. 
One of the greatest sluggers in this league, and a former winner of this award, Rogan will look to lead the Jammers lineup in 2013 with the possible absence of Antonio Leatham. The owner of 30 career home runs and 107 RBI, Rogan is one of only 5 players in BTWL history to reach both of these career milestones. Known for his ability to hit some of the toughest pitchers in the league, and even take them deep, Rogan is a constant threat at the plate no matter the pitcher or the situation. If he can put together another above-average campaign in 2013, Conor should surely see his name among the frontrunners for this award.

Strong Candidates: 
Antonio Leatham, Jammers. 
Despite the relative uncertainty regarding Leatham's availabilty for the 2013 season, you still have to put his name in this conversation considering his ability to post monster numbers in a short period of time. There's a reason Leatham has won this award 3 years running, as he has crushed BTWL pitching since his re-emergence in 2009, and has made a name for himself as one of the best hitters of all-time. He's catapulted himself to 3rd in career home runs, and 6th in career RBI, despite only playing in 68 career games. He also averages a home run every 10.5 at bats, which is 2nd only to Dave Pierce among qualifying hitters. Even if Leatham manages to play in half of this years games, he's still a viable candidate for this award because he can cause major damage with only a handful of swings. 

Tony Sciaraffa, Biscuits. 
After his power surge in 2012, Sciaraffa made a name for himself as a slugger in the BTWL. Leading the league with 7 HR's and 2nd with 20 RBI, Sciaraffa surprisingly lead his team in most offensive categories despite the presence of Greg Sullivan in his lineup. Tony has quietly gone about his business throughout his career, tied for 5th in career home runs and 3rd in career RBI. If Sciaraffa compiles another impressive offensive outing, he could realistically be a frontrunner for this award if a couple things fall his away. 

Dark Horse Candidate: Dave Pierce, Blue Rocks. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Favorite: Cayden Bengtson, Blue Rocks. 
Spoiler alert: Bengtson is really good. After the introduction of this award prior to the 2012 season, Bengtson went ahead and made sure no one else would even sniff this award. He was 2nd in the league with 50 putouts and had no errors in 18 games played. Making spectacular play after spectacular play, Bengtson showed off his arm, his range, and his general fielding prowess by making sure everything that came his way was an out. On top of this league's award, Bengtson also garnered the Defensive Player of the Year for small leagues as given by the NWLA, beating out everyone else in the country. No one can expect him to keep up this production in the field throughout another season, but his ability makes him the favorite for this award again this year. 

Strong Candidates:
Tyler Galicia, Jammers. 
The owner of 3 career Handyman Awards, Galicia is typically one of the more surehanded fielders in the league. He's also been named to the NWLA's all-defense team in his career and has generally been considered one of the more reliable fielders in the BTWL. If Galicia can have another stellar season in support of his pitchers in 2013, he could be a realistic candidate for the best fielder in the league come August. 

Dave Pierce, Blue Rocks.
One of the more underappreciated aspects of Pierce's game is his consistently excellent defense. Winning 5 career Handyman Awards in his day, Pierce has been a great fielder throughout his career generally making tough plays look easy and being known for nabbing would be baserunners with his gutsy throws between the basepaths. Another steady season from Pierce could result in a DPOY if all goes well. 

Dark Horse Candidate: Conor Rogan, Jammers. 

NAM Resurgence Award

Favorite: Dave Pierce, Blue Rocks. 
In almost comedic fashion, Pierce's struggles at the plate were well-documented in 2012. Comedic because Pierce is constantly one of the best hitters in the BTWL, if not the greatest of all time. The active leader in career home runs, RBI, doubles, total bases, runs, and hits, Pierce resembled nothing of his former self last season. He struggled mightily with a mere .222 average, one lone home run, 6 RBI and 4 extra base hits, while being K'd up a surprising 25 times. If Pierce turns the ship around this season, he should be looked at as the obvious frontrunner for this award considering how low his offensive struggles dipped last season. 

Strong Candidates: Greg Sullivan, Biscuits. 
Another name thats even baffling to mention in this category, Sullivan joined Pierce among the cellar dwellars in certain offensive statistical categories last season, despite typically being among the leaders in most other years. Slugging a mere 3 home runs with 11 RBI, while batting .233 were all career-lows for this southpaw, making people wonder what was in the water that Sullivan and Pierce were drinking from. If Sullivan bounces back like many expect, he'll be great candidate for this award after 18 games. 

Kyle Reis, Biscuits. 
Talk about a sophomore slump. After garnering the Bethelberg First Year Player Award in 2011, Reis took a giant step back in 2012. Not managing to connect for any home runs, while only driving in 5 runs, Reis just couldn't seem to shake out his season long slump last year. He still only struck out 13 times, which was least among those with at least 10 games played, but he just couldn't seem to hit the ball where the fielders weren't. Reis can really only go up from last year, so if he turns it around nicely in 2013 look for him to have a solid offensive output for a team that may need his bat for a playoff push. 

Dark Horse Candidate: Paul Latino, Blue Rocks.

Bethelberg First Year Player Award
There is no way to pick favorites for players that we've only seen play in small doses. This years crop of rookies includes Blaze Falk (Blue Rocks), Jay Vrusho (Jammers), and Jonny Londregan (Biscuits). 

Handyman Award (3 winners)
Favorites: Cayden Bengtson (Blue Rocks), Ty Galicia (Jammers), Conor Rogan (Jammers), Dave Pierce (Blue Rocks), Keith Leatham (Aces), Tony Sciaraffa (Biscuits), Jim Sarkisian (Aces) 

-TG 

Is it wiffleball season yet???? 

Created by Dave Pierce

The 2012 BTWL Champions, the Wilmington Blue Rocks, were selected to finish in first place in the 2013 BTWL preseason poll as voted on by the four league captains. Each captain ranked the teams in order from first to third and did not vote for their own teams.

Wilmington came in with nine total points and three first place votes to lead the pack. The Reno Aces placed in second with seven points and one first place vote. The Montgomery Biscuits came in third with five points, while the Jamestown Jammers came in last with three points.

The Blue Rocks come into the season as the heavy favorite, as the duo of Dave Pierce and Cayden Bengtson have claimed back-to-back championships. Pierce is coming off a rough year at the plate, batting .222 with only one home run, but the 2012 Randiest Johnson Award winner dominated on the bump to the tune of a 6-1 record and a 0.67 ERA. Bengstson comes back this season as the reigning 2012 Most Valuable Player. The MVP batted .505 with five home runs and 23 RBIs, while going 5-4 on the mound with a 1.48 ERA. Ben Rogan and Paul Latino also played an integral part of the 2012 championship run and will look to provide depth to an already potent lineup.

The Reno Aces come into the 2013 season as the second ranked team in the preseason poll. Keith Leatham headlines a strong rotation and batting lineup along with captain Jim Sarkisian. The Aces also have a lot of depth on this year’s team with Kyle Cross and Eric Norrman rounding out the offense with contact, speed and power. The 2012 Bethelberg First Year Player Award winner, Brendan Fitzgerald, will help the team with an expanded role on the mound and at the plate. The Aces also added longtime Golden Stick Wiffleball player Mike Querey as a minor league player to add more depth to the pitching staff.

Much to the surprise of many in the league, the Montgomery Biscuits come in at number three in the 2013 preseason poll. Montgomery captain Tony Sciaraffa will once again be the ace on this year’s team, as he has been one of the elite pitchers in BTWL history. Veteran Greg Sullivan will look to improve at the dish and on the mound this season, while third-year player Kyle Reis will hope to break out his sophomore slump from a year ago.  Tom Sarkisian is battling an injury and may begin the season on the DL, but 2013 first overall draft pick Jonny Londregan will help out the Biscuits offense.

Rounding out the Preseason Poll is the 2012 BTWL runner-up Jamestown Jammers. The Jammers have been in the news as of late, as 2012 King of Swing winner Antonio Leatham will not be attending most of the regular season contests this season due to job commitments. The younger Leatham will try to make a few games throughout the season, but will not have the same regular attendance he had in past years. What looked to be a chance for redemption in 2013, the Jammers will have overcome adversity, proving that one player will not make a difference. Captain Ty Galicia will begin the season as the staff’s ace, with Conor Rogan being the powerful offensive threat he has been throughout his career. AJ Lindstrom and newly acquired Jay Vrusho will provide depth to the batting order.

In addition to the Preseason Poll, the captains voted on a Preseason All-League Awards for the first time this season. Cayden Bengtson was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Dave Pierce earned Preseason Pitcher of the Year. The captains also voted for a Preseason All-BTWL Team.

2013 Preseason Poll
1.  Wilmington Blue Rocks (9 points; 3 first place votes)
2.  Reno Aces (7 points; 1 first-place vote)
3.  Montgomery Biscuits (5 points)
4.  Jamestown Jammers (3 points)

2013 Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Cayden Bengtson (Blue Rocks)
2013 Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Dave Pierce (Blue Rocks)

2013 Preseason All-BTWL Team
Cayden Bengtson (Blue Rocks)
Keith Leatham (Aces)
Dave Pierce (Blue Rocks)
Tony Sciaraffa (Biscuits)
Greg Sullivan (Biscuits)

-JS

With the 2013 season just a few short months away, the editors at the National Wiffleball League Association have published their 2013 St. Paddy's Day Predictions. These predictions show which teams the NWLA editors think will make the BTWL Championship game and who will win. 

Click here for all of the St. Paddy's Day Rankings

Unfortunately, that ground-breaking information is still in the works and nothing official will be released as of now. Look for the 2013 schedule to be released soon as well as season previews. Video Producer Dave Pierce also will be publishing a 2013 Season Preview Video in the coming weeks so stay tuned!!

A little later than usual this year, the 2012-2013 Winter Meetings were held on March 18, 2013 for the upcoming 2013 BTWL season. The commissioners discussed some rule changes that will be implemented during the 2013 season and the Supplementary Draft was held. Here are the rule changes:

1. Three teams will qualify for the playoffs based on overall record. Tiebreakers will be head-to-head record. 
   • Top seed will earn automatic bid into BTWL Championship game and have home field advantage.
   • No. 2 and No. 3 seed will play a three-game series for berth into BTWL Championship with No. 2 seed having home-field advantage.
   • BTWL Championship will be a best-of-three series.
2. A base on balls will now be awarded after six balls have been thrown. Also, three hit-by-pitches will result in a HBP.
3. The mound may be pushed back between one and two feet before the start of the regular season. This will be determined through spring training games in April.
4. The league will not be adding any teams this season, but will begin to set a plan in place to add 2-4 teams next year. 
5. League will run the same 18-game schedule as last season with each team playing each other at least five times.
6. The Kurt Bowes Classic will be held during the opening weekend of games in the same format as previous seasons. 

2013 Supplemental Draft

1. Jonny Londregan (Biscuits)
2. Mike Query (Aces) - minor league contract
3. No selection (Jammers)
4. Blaise Falk (Blue Rocks) - minor league contract

Also, be sure to stay tuned to the website in the coming weeks for some ground-breaking news that will change the BTWL forever.