Your Pilots of Fort Collins saw their losing streak hit 10 games on Monday vs the Bombers of Loveland – falling 16-4 despite dominant pitching and great at bats from every Pilot in the order.  Sure the Pilots gave up a few long balls.  Sure the visiting team had a section in the stands for wives and girlfriends.  Sure there was a Bomber who turned on an inside fastball so hard he shattered the left taillight of a Loveland bound SUV.  But … that same Bomber struck out 2 pitches later.  Those Pilots banged out 7 hits and earned 6 walks.  And home runs are just flat out cool no matter who hits them.  This game was waaaaaaaay closer than the final score might suggest.  And I am convinced that we remain a few grounders and pickoff plays and overthrows and baserunning gaffes away from a nail biter. 

The 2021 Pilots have 3 games ahead of them – 2 regular season and then a spoiler opportunity in the single game elimination playoffs.  At this point in this season it is ok to get thoughtful and introspective about your relationship with baseball.  Are you a better player today than you were this March?  Are you making plays and working counts and picking up signs and stealing bases and mixing in changeups and gunning out baserunners and running up on fly balls and doing everything you can on the diamond to make your Mom proud?  Are you cheering on your co-Pilots during their at bats and celebrating their successes in the field?   Are you putting in the work to get your game to the next level for your next team?  Are you living the baseball maxim:  how you do anything is how you do everything?

As a team we have the opportunity to finish this season strong and proud and competing to prove we’re ready for what’s next.  Before that … this:

Pilot Arms:  Jack pitched – Wyatt caught – and the first 3 innings belonged to this dynamic Pilot duo.  JT faced 19 batters over the first three frames – dealing +50% for strikes and ending his evening wringing up a total of 5 Bombers.  Jayden cranked thru the 4th inning by striking out the side, and Kevin R slammed the door shut with another 2 Ks to put their offense on ice.  These 3 dudes – Jack / Jayden / Kevin – accounted for 11 of the 15 outs recorded by the Pilots across their 5 innings of work.  And if you count Kevin’s work at SS, 12 outs.  Awesome job gents!

Pilot Bats:  Wyatt has settled into the top spot in the lineup nicely – going 3 for 3 including a 2 run double laced to the center-right gap.  Such a beautiful sight as a base coach to clearly see the numbers on the back of your rival outfields as they are running to retrieve a ball that your star catcher just mashed.  With a .650 season average Wyatt leads the Pilots at this point in the season.  The awesome thing?  0 walks.  That .650 is built on a foundation of H-I-T hits.  Eli’s bat and baserunning came alive on Monday as well.  Eli smoked an honest opposite field single in his first AB and accounted for 2 Pilot runs thru some zoom zoom baserunning.  E scored from 2nd on base knocks – rounding 3rd like a man on a mission.  And Kevin C – another day, another game, another RBI base hit.  You toss KC anything up in the zone and he will cut the ball in half.  Print it.

Pilot Gloves:  Our catching team continues to shine.  Monday was all Wyatt and Jack, with Damian getting a much needed rest from donning the armor behind the plate.  We’re still working on our blocks but overall both caught fantastic games.  Some great pick off throws as well.  We have to keep on keeping on with those throws to strengthen our arms and challenge our fielders to make the catch and quick tags.  Damian did have a tremendous play at SS for the first out of the 5th.  There is something to be said for being at the right place at the right time – which D was to bury a missile of a line drive in his glove.   Only bummer was not having 2 guys on base to double/triple up.

Pilots on the Bases:  Eli easily gets the Barnstorming Pilot award for his heads up run scoring baserunning to get the good guys on the scoreboard and in the game.  We saw Kevin C and Kevin R both swipe second, picking up the sign and getting great jumps off first.  And Nathan even got in on the base stealing action taking advantage of some passed ball opportunities.  BUT … we gave up 3 baserunners that resulted in 3 outs that took the bat out of the hands of 3 Pilots and the whims of the baseball Gods.  We just can’t afford basepath outs period.  Those 320 feet require … demand … 100% of your focus and determination.  Our Pilots need to commit to themselves and their team that same focus and determination.

Next Up:  So 3 things to think about for your schedules:  1.  A short practice tomorrow (Thursday July 1st) at what has become our usual field at Harmony Park.  I’ll call this 100% optional.  6:00 – 7:30 PM.  Depending on who shows we can hit and pitch and remind each other why baseball is such an amazing sport.  2.  Wednesday July 7th GAME DAY vs the PawSox.  Details in SportsEngine.  Off the top of my heads this will be played out at Lincoln and is a winnable game if we want it to be.  3.  Thursday July 8th GAME DAY vs the Ajax.  This is a reschedule of today’s postponed game.  Details to follow.  But please update your availability when you see it pop up on the schedule.  I know we’re down Ben who is exploring new levels of spin rate while dominating an east coast summer whiffle ball league.  Ahem … Coultas … save a little for the playoffs!

Thanks for sticking with us thru this season of ups and downs and figuring out what 14U Intermediate ball is all about.  Oh and a shout out to Bradyn for running GameChanger for Monday’s game.  After explaining how it works for just under a minute Bradyn essentially said, ‘ so an app?  And baseball?  I’ll take it from here Coach.  Why don’t we just get you back to the dugout’.  Thanks B!

Great day – hope to see some of you tomorrow at 6 – happy 4th – go America and go Pilots!

Coach Chris