[MAW] Battle by the Bay 5 Point Preview

5 Point Preview

THE DOG DAYS OF . . . MAY?

It is normal – if not expected – for several teams to play short-handed and grind out tournaments at less-than-full-strength in July or August when the season is months old. Scheduling conflicts come up and – believe it or not – sometimes even the most dedicated players need a weekend off from Wiffle®Ball. It is less common to see that occur in May, but Memorial Day weekend has left several teams short-handed for Battle by the Bay. At least a couple of top contending teams will go at it with only 2 or 3 regulars. It does not appear that any team will arrive in Millersville with their full rosters. Most teams will attempt to get deep into the tournament with only one or two pitchers. On paper, this tournament as all the makings of a grind-it-out affair, where the tournament might very well come down to several worn down, gas-on-empty teams trying to find a way to eek out one or two additional wins. The shorter batting lineups are also worth watching. Some teams with only three players will be giving an at bat every inning to below average hitters (in in some cases, replacement-level substitutes). It is not impossible to win that way – the NY Meats did last June in Ocean City – but it makes things more difficult. In that situation, the other two hitters either need to carry the load (as they did for the Meats last year) or the other hitter needs to find a way to contribute in some small way offensively.

2022 PITCHING DEBUTS

39 pitchers faced at least 7 batters at the Opening Day Tournament but believe it or not, there are still many quality pitchers that have yet to throw in MAW this year but will. At least a few of those players are expected to do so in Maryland. Top among the list are the Ridley Park Magic duo of Teddy Drecher and Noah Silverman. Sean Bingnear and Cam Farro pitched all the Magic’s innings in April, but are not expected to be in attendance on Saturday. Which means both Teddy and Noah are likely to take the ball for the first time in 2022 this weekend. Wyatt Zuspan’s 2022 MAW and overall NY Dragon debut is also anticipated to take place this weekend. Wyatt finished the 2022 season strong, helping a pitching depleted Stompers’ team to a top 6 finish at the Mid Atlantic Championship Tournament. ERL expects to have ace Mike Stiles with them and pitching for the first time in 2022, while Johnny Costa will be with the team and could throw his first game of 2022. Depending on the makeup of the Great Lakes Legion roster, Mike Hogan could be another pitcher to throw for the first time in a 2022 MAW tournament this Saturday.

MAKING A MOVE

The 2022 MAW season is just one tournament old but these next couple of tournaments could make or break some seasons. With the back-half of the season consisting of three tournaments a little outside the normal MAW area and a couple of “win-and-in” tourneys, Saturday’s event and next month’s Wiffle Wars tournament in York are a prime opportunity for the circuit regulars to accumulate points and separate themselves from the pack. That is particularly important for teams who finished outside the top 8 in April who have the chance to leapfrog some teams with a good showing on Saturday. Teams like Dinos (#13), Great Lakes (#12), Stompers (#10 tied), and Dragons (#10 tied) would all very much benefit from a top 4 finish this weekend. The latter two teams and the Goon Squad (#9) could leap over inactive teams the New School Risers and Longballs with a strong showing this weekend. With almost every team ahead of them either shorthanded or absent, the #6 Yaks could end up as a top four team after two tournaments – an excellent position for the veteran team to be in this early on. It might still be early, but these tournaments – and any points gained or missed – will be very important come the post-season.

EARLY AWARD CONTENDERS

Ray Lutick tossed 16 shutout innings for the Juggernauts back on Opening Day in his debut as a member of the defending champions. Ray is likely to throw at least two games on Saturday as the Juggernauts enter the tournament with just two pitchers (Lutick and Chris Sarnowski). 10 more strong innings from Ray on Saturday won’t win him the 2022 pitching award, but it would make him the strong favorite. 10 more scoreless innings would put leave Ray with an unblemished ERA in 26 innings and a big lead over the rest of the competition, especially since fellow pitching award contender (and fellow 0.00 ERA owner) Colin Prentiss will be out of action. On the offensive side, Teddy Drecher has a great opportunity to separate himself from the rest of the pack in several offensive categories. Teddy – who for all of his pitching accolades, might be a better hitter currently – sits near the top of the leader board in the three slash line categories. Two home runs on Saturday would likely move him into a first-place tie with Tim McElrath for the 2022 home crown with 4. Teddy will be getting a plate appearance an inning for the Magic, so that is very much a real possibility.

CALM CONDITIONS

Don’t look now, but it looks like we have a non-rainy MAW Tournament day on our hands. While there is a small chance of some lingering rain around first-pitch, all forecasts call for a dry, sunny, and warm Saturday. That is a welcomed sight after a 2021 where the April/May/June tournaments and the 2022 opener were filled with rainy conditions and below average temperatures. The forecast currently calls for sun all day and 70-degree temperatures that will approach the 80-degree mark in late afternoon. There could be some wind but nothing tournament-altering. The grass at the Larry’s Tavern fields is well-kept and the fields are almost entirely flat, so players can expect stable conditions in that facet as well. The only possible external factor on Saturday might involve Field #4, which is nestled into the corner of the property and as a result is said to have rather cozy dimensions. To compensate, a larger wall is likely to be installed in right and right-center. Other than that one quirk, the fields in Millersville are expected to play relatively straight.