Knights Return to Gresham for Pivotal Three-Game Series
July 20, 2016 - West Coast League (WCL)
Gresham GreyWolves News Release
GRESHAM, Ore. - The first-place Gresham GreyWolves are back home this week for their first series after the All-Star break. The three games against the Corvallis Knights will start a stretch of 18 contests in 19 days to finish the regular season for Gresham. LAST TIME OUT
After taking a series against the league-leader in wins (Victoria), the GreyWolves headed down to Keizer on Friday for an exhibition game against the Perth Heat. And while it may not have counted in the West Coast League standings, the game was still an intense affair for the majority of all nine innings.
Gresham eventually prevailed for an 11-9 win against the Australian side, using a 5-3-6 double play to leave the tying run at the plate and end the game. Both Nick Snyder (Western Oregon) and Ty Wyatt (Willamette) homered in the victory. PITCHING PREVIEW
Gresham's probable starters against Corvallis are as follows:
- *Game 1:* LHP *Aaron Shoup* will get the nod in game one. The Saint Martin's product enters the week with a 1-2 record and 16 strikeouts. His last start came on July 10 at Wenatchee, where Shoup did not allow an earned run in seven innings of work. While credited with just one win on the season, the southpaw has appeared in two additional WCL games (and one non-league contest) where the GreyWolves emerged victorious but Shoup was not the pitcher of record.
- *Game 2:* RHP *Donavon Ramirez *(Cal State East Bay) is slated to start the middle game of the three-game series. Ramirez is currently leading the team in ERA, posting an impressive 1.44 mark through seven appearances.
- *Game 3: *RHP* Spud Heideman* (Concordia-Wisconsin) is Friday's probable starter. Heideman enters the series with a 3-1 record to go along with a 4.36 ERA.
BACK TO OSLUND
From 2000-2006, the franchise formerly known as the Aloha Knights played its home games at Oslund Field on the campus of Mt. Hood Community College. They then moved to Corvallis and have called Goss Stadium on the campus of Oregon State their home ever since, meaning these three games will mark the team's first contests in Gresham in over 10 years.
While still playing their home games at Oslund Field, the Knights experienced a tremendous amount of success. They would go on to participate in three NBC World Series championships, ultimately taking home the national championship in 2004. PLAYOFF PREVIEW?
There are still 18 games remaining in the regular season, but with a record of 7-2, the GreyWolves currently control their own destiny to win the second half title in the South Division.
If the standings hold throughout the final three weeks of play, Gresham and Corvallis (the division's first half champion) would meet right back at Oslund Field on August 9 for the first game of the divisional round of the playoffs. The series would then shift to Goss Stadium for a second and (if necessary) third contest. ALL-STAR AMONG ALL-STARS
Led by GreyWolves' outfielder Jeffrey Mitchell, Jr. (California), the South Division All-Star team shutout the North Division for a 4-0 victory in the league's All-Star game on Tuesday night. Mitchell finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs.
Outfielder Ryan Smith (Southern Illinois) and catcher Ben Klenke (Nebraska) were Gresham's other representatives in the game. Smith also competed in the Home Run Derby that was held earlier on Tuesday at Story Field in Longview. SITUATIONAL RECORDS *Home: *9-9 *Series Records:* 6-5-1 *Road: *9-9 *Shutouts:* 2-3 *Streak:* W1 *One-Run Games:* 6-5 *Last 5:* 3-2 *vs left-handed starter:* 10-8 *1st Game of Series:* 7-5 *vs right-handed starter:* 8-10 *2nd Game of Series:* 7-5 *When outscoring opponent: *18-0 *3rd Game of Series:* 4-7 *When outscored by opponent: *0-18AROUND THE WCL
The second half standings for the WCL are below. The top two teams in each division after the final 27 games will qualify for the playoffs. Victoria and Corvallis have already clinched a postseason berth by virtue of winning the first half. North Division WLPCTGBSTREAKLAST 10 Kelowna Falcons 7 5 0.583 - 6W 7-3 Victoria HarbourCats â=80 5 4 0.556 .5 1W 5-4 Bellingham Bells 5 4 0.556 .5 2W 5-4 Walla Walla Sweets 6 6 0.500 1 2L 5-5 Wenatchee AppleSox 3 9 0.250 4 1W 3-7 South Division WLPCTGBSTREAKLAST 10 Gresham GreyWolves 7 2 0.778 - 1W 7-2 Yakima Valley Pippins 8 4 0.667 .5 1L 7-3 Bend Elks 6 6 0.500 2.5 1L 5-5 Corvallis Knights â=80 4 5 0.444 3 1W 4-5 Cowlitz Black Bears 3 6 0.333 4 1L 3-6 Kitsap BlueJackets 2 10 0.167 6.5 8L 1-9ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Posting a record of 18-9 in the first half of the season, the Knights have already secured a spot in the WCL playoffs. The berth will mark a 10th consecutive season for Corvallis in the postseason, with head coach Brooke Knight having led them beyond regular season play nine times now. To begin the second half however, the team's winning trends haven't continued. They are currently just 4-5, trailing the GreyWolves by three games in the South Division standings.
As for the WCL All-Star Game that took place on Tuesday, the Knights were well represented by their seven South Division selections. Those selections included shortstop Andy Atwood (Oregon State), center fielder Kyle Nobach (Oregon State), catcher Adley Rutschman (Sherwood HS/Oregon State in 2016-2017), and left-handed pitchers Cameron Bishop (UC Irvine), Chase Kaplan (Western Nevada College/Kansas in 2016-17), Trenton Dupre (Washington State), and Ryley Widell (Central Arizona).
Atwood is currently fourth in the WCL batting race with a .324 average. He has one home run, 17 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. Corvallis' top pitcher so far this season has been left-hander Aaron Pope, who through 34.2 innings has logged a 2.07 ERA and has not allowed a run in his last eight innings of work. He's also struck out 35 batters and holds a 4-2 record through his six starts. HOW TO FOLLOW
West Coast League Stories from July 20, 2016
- Knights Return to Gresham for Pivotal Three-Game Series - Gresham GreyWolves
- South Blanks North 4-0 in All-Star Game at Cowlitz - WCL
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