Another Angels’ sweep
By Henry Perkins
The Angels won their eighth consecutive game on Saturday afternoon, facing off against the Brussels Kangaroos. It was the first meeting of the season for the two teams, and in round one the well-balanced attack of the Angels was too much for the Kangaroos to counter.
Poor defense and free passes, the Achilles Heel for the Kangaroos on Saturday, played a significant role as early as the first inning when Namur was able to put up four runs on two kangaroo errors, two walks, and a hit by each Jerome Sana and Vincent King. After tallying another run in the bottom of the second, the Angels had another big inning in the third, when they plated three more runs capitalizing on two more walks and two hit batters. Already holding a 8-0 lead, more than enough for Angel’s starting pitcher Zachary Potter, Namur left fielder Juny Gressman smoked a two run double into the left center gap scoring Henry Perkins and Jerome Sana, increasing the lead to an even 10. Namur went on to add five more runs on the afternoon bringing the total for the day to 15.
Despite finding themselves trailing by a wide margin, the Kangaroo bats continued to battle and ultimately pushed around two runs before the game ended after seven innings with a final score of 15-2.
On the day the Angels had only five hits but were still able to plate 15, taking advantage of the many free bases relinquished by the Kangaroos. Fronting the offensive charge were Jerome Sana, one hit, one RBI and three runs scored, Henry Perkins, two hits, three RBI’s and one run scored, and Juny Gressman, one hit, three RBI’s and one run scored. Brussels’ first baseman Manuel Escarfullen paced the Kangaroo offensive, leading the way with two hits.
Namur’s starting pitcher Zachary Potter pitched the full seven innings on the way to the win, recording 10 K’s and issuing just one base on balls. Kangaroo starter Harold Castillo took the loss, working five innings with 4 strikeouts, 6 walks, and 5 HBP’s.
In another well-rounded team effort, Namur continued their dominance over the Brussels Kangaroos in the second game of the two game weekend set. Despite a late inning hick-up, the Angels ultimately breezed on to win by eight.
The Angels got the scoring started early, putting up a run in each of the first two innings, the second of which came on a laser beam homerun off the bat of right fielder Cedric Nauts. Namur was able to significantly expand their lead in the top of third when they plated five more runs, all of which scored with two outs. After a lead off walk, Nicolas Migeot reached on a fielder’s choice and Henry Perkins quickly followed him with a single to left. After a fly out, the Angels had runners on first and second with two outs. The next batter, Jerome Sana, walked to load the bases and the following batter, Vincent King, walked as well, bringing in Migeot. First baseman Thomas Vandenabeele then stroked a single to right, which brought home two more. A costly error and other walk allowed an additional two runs to score, and at the end of 2 1/2 innings the Angels led 7-0. The Angels continued to extend their lead, adding two more in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh, advancing their lead to 13-0 at the close of the top of the seventh.
With a commanding lead Namur switched out starter Harold Gerard, who had cruised up to this point and had only relinquished one hit, for youngster Julien Soree. Despite a hard fought effort, Soree struggled to put down the Kangaroos, and after two hits, an Angel’s error, and several walks, Brussels closed the gap to 13-5. Nicolas Migeot took over on the mound at this point, finishing the game and freezing the score on the way to the Namur win.
Angel’s southpaw Harold Gerard had another stellar day on the bump. On the way to the win he pitched 6 innings and had 9 K’s, no walks and no runs. Kangaroo starter Cedric Desmedt took the loss, working 3 1/3 innings with 5 strikeouts and 7 walks.
Namur had 14 hits on the afternoon, led by Thomas Vandenabeele and Henry Perkins who each had three. Jerome Sana, Vincent King, and Cedric Nauts added to the offensive firepower by notching two hits apiece. The Kangaroo’s offensive effort wasn’t nearly as explosive, but both Manuel Martinez and Harold Castillo recorded a single and a run scored.
The Namur Angels will next be in action on Thursday, May 21, at home against the Borgerhout Squirrels.
Future Angel Todd Emr tearing up in NCAA D3 South Regionals
In June, Namur will welcome Johns Hopkins infielder Todd Emr.
The 6-3 left-handed batter is 12 for 19 in the NCCA D3 South Regionals with 6 runs and 6 RBIs and has raised his batting average to .464 in the process.
Due to the new rules in the Belgian League, Todd will replace Henry Perkins, 2008 Ivy League Player of the Year who will leave in late June, in the 3rd spot of the line up to help the undefeated Angels continue their winning ways.
His College team, the Blue Jays, is currently playing the NCAA D3 South Regionals as the n°7 seed. After a loss in their first game survived elimination by knocking off n°3 seed NC Wesleyan, n°1 seed, nationally ranked 3rd Salisbury and n°5 seed Washington & Jefferson.
They will have to beat n°4 seed Christopher Newport today to earn a rematch against n°2 seed Shenendoah and keep alive their chances to reach the NCAA D3 College World Series again, 12 months after losing the Championship game to Trinity.
Link to the NCAA D3 South Regionals
Angels Chop Braves
By Henry Perkins
On Saturday the Namur Angels took the opener of the weekend series against the Brasschaat Braves. The home victory marked the Angels sixth consecutive win and moved their league record to 6-1.
The Angels found themselves in an early hole when the Braves plated the first run of the afternoon in the top of the second inning. Brasschaat center fielder Sim Ruts led the frame off with a single to center field. A botched run down following a pickoff attempt by Angels’ lefty Harold Gerard allowed Ruts to move second with one out. The next Brasschaat batter, right fielder Hans Heyrman, picked up an RBI on a single up the middle that brought Ruts around from second. This would be the only run relinquished by the Angels on the afternoon, but at the time the Namur squad found themselves trailing 1-0.
The Braves didn’t hold the lead for long as the Angels erased the deficit and leveled the score at one in the bottom of the third. The contest remained locked at one until the bottom of the fifth when Namur moved into the lead as Braves’ starting pitcher Brian Sewell lost his stride. Angels’ first baseman Thomas Vandenabeele led the inning off with a single into left that was misplayed in the outfield allowing Vandenabeele to take second. The next two batters, Philip Van Woensel and Ronny Heymans, reached on a walk and a hit by pitch respectively, which loaded the bases with still no outs. Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins then walked, forcing Vandenabeele home and giving Namur their first lead of the game. This base on balls marked the end of the afternoon for hurler Brian Sewell and his replacement Tacco Van Den Heuvel allowed two more runs in the inning, spurred by an error at third and another HBP. When the fifth inning came to a close the Angels had taken a 4-1 lead. This 4-1 differential would remain strong until the close of the game as Angels’ reliever Nicolas Migeot put the final out in the books on a come-backer to the mound.
Angels’ starter Harold Gerard took the win, working 7 full innings and striking out 10, and closer Nicolas Migeot was credited with the save after pitching the eighth and ninth innings. Brian Sewell took the loss for the Braves, lasting 4 plus innings on the day, striking out three.
Offensively the Angels recorded just 6 hits, each by a different batter. Despite the poor offensive showing, Namur “one upped” Brasschaat on the day as the Braves had 5 hits in the game with Sim Ruts and Hans Heyrman each notching a pair of singles.
The Angels continued their winning ways on Sunday in Brasschaat, putting forth a solid all around effort to extend their unbeaten streak to seven. Supported by strong pitching and defense, the Angels jumped out to an early lead on the afternoon and steadily added on more runs as the game progressed in their second victory of the weekend.
Right fielder Nicolas Migeot got things started in the top of the first with one out by stroking a single to center field. Henry Perkins followed suit with a single of his own and after a fielder’s choice the Angels had runners on first and third with two outs. Back to back two out hits, a single by Jerome Sana and a double by Vincent King, plated three runs before the inning ended and the Angels took a 3-0 lead.
The Braves contested the Angels early lead when shortstop Randy Giorgiadis belted a solo home rune over the left field fence, cutting Namur’s lead to 3-1. Any attempt for a Braves comeback was all but extinguished when the Angels added on four more runs in the top of the fifth on six hits, highlighted by a two out, two run single by catcher Victor Gerard. After the Braves added another run in the bottom of the sixth the score stood at 7-2. Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins added a little insurance in the top of the ninth with a two run home run that pushed the Namur lead to 9-2, which after a quick bottom half of the inning was the game’s final score.
Angels’ starter Zachary Potter picked up the win in seven innings of work, striking out five and allowing only two runs. Henry Perkins struck out three and walked one in the game’s final two frames. Brasschaat’s pitcher, Yannick Sel, took the loss recording three strike outs in four plus innings.
Offensively the Angels had a big day, pounding out 15 total hits. Leading the assault were Perkins and Migeot whom each had three hits on the day. The Braves were led by Randy Giorgiadis at the plate who had two hits and two runs scored in the game.
The Angels will next be in an action on Saturday, May 16th, at home against the Brussels Kangaroos.
Angels Complete Weekend Sweep
By Henry Perkins
On Sunday the Namur Angels took the second game of the weekend series against the Mortsel Stars, and unlike the first game of the two game set, acquired an early lead and never looked back.
The Angels didn’t waste any time in putting up runs Sunday afternoon in Mortsel when in the top of the first they plated four. The inning had a rather uneventful start, but after the first two Angels in the order were retired Mortsel pitcher Joeri Van Dyck lost his rhythm and walked the next three Angels batters. With the bases jammed Namur’s center fielder Nicolas Migeot lifted a shallow fly that was misplayed by the Stars left fielder and the error allowed all three base runners to score while also enabling Migeot to reach second. Namur’s next batter, Juny Gressman, ripped a single to left that scored Migeot giving the Angels a 4-0 lead after the first half frame. The Angels went right back to work in the top of the second, knocked out the Stars’ starting pitcher, and scored 5 runs on as many hits advancing their lead to 9-0 in just two full innings of play.
The Stars only real opportunity to regain some of the relinquished runs came in the bottom of the fourth after right fielder Jens Sinnaeve reached on a walk and catcher Thierry Genot dribbled a ball down the third base line for an infield single. With two runners on and one out Potter struck out the next batter, but the Stars still mustered a run on an RBI single by first baseman Steve Saedeleer before the third out could be recorded. The Angels went on to add three more runs in the top of the sixth, extending their lead to 12-1. After reliever Henry Perkins logged a 1,2,3 inning in the bottom of the seventh, the game was called due to 11 run score differential.
Angels starting pitcher Zachary Potter was in usual form, going six innings while fanning eight batters and only allowing one run. Henry Perkins had 2 K’s in an inning of relief for the Angels. Joeri Van Dych took the loss for Mortsel on an inning plus of work.
For the Angels the game was group offensive effort as every starter had at least one hit, while Potter and Gressman led the charge with three a piece. Saedeleer led the Stars at the dish with a hit and an RBI.
The Angels will next take the field on Saturday, May 9th in Namur against the Brasschaat Braves.
Angels Extend Winning Streak
By Henry Perkins
On Saturday the Angels won their fourth consecutive game as they matched up against the Mortsel Stars in Namur. The victory was powered by the work of three different arms on the mound as well as an early inning offensive surge.
The Angels wasted no time in getting on the board as their first three batters quickly loaded the bases with a Thomas Vandenabeele walk and a pair of singles off the bats of Ronny Heymans and Henry Perkins. The first run of the afternoon was pushed across after clean-up man Jerome Sana was hit by a pitch. Vincent King then reached on a fielder’s choice that plated another run. Perkins was brought around on a Zachary Potter single to right while King tagged up from third and scored on a sac fly driven to the outfield by Angels’ centerfielder Nicolas Migeot. At the close of the first frame Namur was on top with a 4-0 lead. The Angels added two more runs in the bottom of the third off Stars’ pitcher Nguyen Boulet Diaz advancing their lead to 6-0. Namur’s starting pitcher Harold Gerard had another solid outing, working six innings while striking out six and allowing only one run. When Gerard exited the contest the Angels held a commanding 6-1 lead that would soon be contested by the Stars.
Angel’s reliever Louis Dellieu worked a scoreless top of the seventh before running into trouble in the eighth. The inning started with a walk drawn by Stars’ center fielder Steve De Saedeleer who advanced to third on a throwing error by Dellieu giving the Stars runners on first and third with no outs. After a stolen base and an error by Vandenabeele, the Angel’s first baseman, the Stars had scored their second run of the afternoon and had runners on second and third with still no outs. Mortsel’s next two batters, Ben Van Nuffel and Lieven Buerms, each notched RBI’s with ground ball outs to second base and the Angels saw their lead dissipate to 6-4. With two outs and a runner on second the Angels substituted Nicolas Migeot into pitch who retired the next batter extinguishing the threat. Migeot put the game in the books after a three up, three down inning with the help of a double play on the way to earning the save.
The Angels’ starter Gerard took the win on the afternoon as Migeot recorded a save after one and 1/3 innings of work. Mortsel’s hurler Boulet Diaz suffered the loss in a complete game effort.
With three hits on the afternoon Namur’s utility man Ronny Heymans stayed hot while Henry Perkins and Zachary Potter each added two hits of their own. The Stars’ top man at the plate was Lieven Buerms who had a pair of hits and a run scored.
Angels sweep Squirrels behind Gerard, Potter
The Namur Angels took the first contest of a two game weekend set on Saturday against the Borgerhout Squirrels. On the way to their second straight win, the Angels’ top performer of the afternoon could again be found on the pitcher’s mound.
In another low scoring affair, Angels’ hurler Harold Gerard outperformed his pitching counterpart Yannick Gontier as each starter went the full nine innings on the afternoon.
The Squirrels only had two runners reach second base on the day, the first occasion coming in the bottom of the third. After quickly retiring the first two batters of the frame Gerard then surrendered a single through the right side of the infield off the bat of Squirrels’ second baseman Lorenzo Oeyen. Oeyen then stole second giving Borgerhout a runner in scoring position with two outs, but the Angels’ southpaw battled back and extinguished the scoring chance by striking out the next batter.
Namur had runners on base in seven of the nine innings on the afternoon, but only managed to put runs on the board in the top of the sixth. The frame began with a lead off single to center by Angels’ catcher Ronny Heymans. He quickly advanced to second after Namur’s shortstop Henry Perkins singled up the middle giving the Angels runners on first and second with no outs. Heymans then advanced to third on a catcher’s pickoff to second gone awry and he promptly scored on a grounder to short that retired Perkins at second and left Jerome Sana safe at first reaching on the fielder’s choice. Sana advanced to second after a ground ball out off the bat of Vincent King and then scored from second on a triple to right by Angels’ left fielder Zach Potter. Potter was left stranded on third but the damage had been done and the Angels took a 2-0 lead.
With the lead Gerard continued his dominance and only allowed two more base runners in the final four innings of the game. After nine full innings of play the Angels were on the winning side of a 2-0 final.
On the day Angels’ pitcher Harold Gerard had 10 strikeouts and only 2 walks while Squirrels’ hurler Yannick Gontier fanned 10 and walked 4 in the losing effort.
Gerard’s complete game shutout marks the Angels’ second such performance in as many games. Angels’ catcher Ronny Heymans had two hits and reached base safely five times on the day. Lorenzo Oeyen, who recorded one hit and one stolen base, led the Squirrels’ offensive effort.
Angels Complete Sweep of the Squirrels In game two of the series the Angels continued their winning ways, and for the first time of this still very young season offense was the name of the game. In the first half inning of the afternoon Angels’ pitcher Zachary Potter struck out the first three Squirrel batters and the Angels bats followed suit, posting an impressive performance in the first as well.
After the Angels’ leadoff man was retired the offensive assault began when Angels’ centerfielder Nicolas Migeot reached on an error by the Squirrels’ shortstop. Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins then lined a single up the middle moving Migeot to second. Clean up batter Jerome Sana then singled to left platting Migeot while Perkins moved to third. With runners on first and third and one out the Angels’ third baseman Vincent King grounded a ball to second that allowed Perkins to just beat the throw to the plate, increasing the lead to 2-0. Zachary Potter then stepped to the plate with two runners on and still only one out. Potter blasted the first pitch he saw from the Squirrels’ pitcher Louis Larrinaga over the left-center field fence for a three run homer. Despite the next two Angels being retired, the team had taken a commanding 5-0 lead after just one inning of play.
Potter continued his dominance on the mound, allowing only one run on one hit for the entire afternoon. The Angels bats stayed hot and added on 3 runs in the fourth and put up another 5 spot in the sixth.
After six and a half innings the Angels held a commanding 13-1 lead and, as per the written rule, the game was then called because of the more than 10 run score differential. With the victory the Angels notched their third straight win and swept their first opponent of the season.
Potter got the victory for the Angels, throwing 7 innings and tallying 10 K’s while Larrinaga took the loss for the Squirrels’ on 4 and 2/3 innings pitched. Henry Perkins, Zachary Potter, and Nicolas Migeot each had three hits on the day for the Angels, while Potter also record 6 RBI’s. The Squirrels’ only hit came off the bat of center fielder Matthew Latta who also had a stolen base and a run scored.
The Angels will be back in action in Namur on Saturday, May 2nd against the Mortsel Stars.
Namur Angels Edge Greys in Pitchers’ Duel
After 24 hours of rain wreaked havoc on Namur’s field on Friday, the Angels’ home and regular season opener was postponed Saturday due to unplayable field conditions. Consequently, The Angels, who were eager to play after a long off-season, had to settle for just one game last weekend against the Port of Antwerp Royal Greys. The Angels and Greys clashed Sunday in Antwerp in what turned out to be a pitcher dominant affair.
In the opening frame of the afternoon each team exchanged a quick 1,2,3 half inning, which foreshadowed the limited offensive performance that would ensue. Angels’ pitcher Zachary Potter and Greys’ hurler Adam Crabb each only relinquished 4 hits allowing each starting pitcher to last the full nine innings of the contest. After each team posed minor threats with base runners in the game’s early innings, the Angels struck first in the top of the sixth frame. Angels’ right fielder Cedric Nauts led the inning off by lining a single that fell in left field and then advanced to second on a sac bunt by the Angels’ lead off man Phillip Van Woensel. After a pop up off the bat of Ronny Heymans careened off the glove of the Greys’ second baseman, the Angels had runners on first and third with one out. The Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins then lifted a fly ball into right field, which allowed Nauts to tag at third and score the run that ultimately became the deciding factor in the contest. Pitcher Zachary Potter took the game from this point, working out of a one out jam in the bottom of the seventh with runners on second and third. Potter averted danger after surrendering a walk and a double by then recording a strike out and getting the last out of the inning on a ground ball to short. After nine innings of play the Angels came out on top of a 1-0 final.
Potter recorded the win with eight strikeouts and four walks on his way to the four hit shut out. Crabb took the loss while fanning three batters and walking only one for the Greys in his complete game effort.
The Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins recorded two hits on the day while each Kevin Roevens and David Herssens notched a double for the Greys.
The Angels will next take the field on Saturday, April 25th at Borgerhout against the Squirrels.
2008 Review
2008 has been a pretty successful year for the Angels ballclub.
After a few years off, the women softball team was back in the competition. With 6 wins and 10 losses, they have had a pretty decent first year back.
Another fresh breeze was the under 8 kids who played for the very first time as a team in Hoboken, then at home against Bricqville in game that received more attention than the big club team in play-offs.
The U12 team struggled out of the box but posted a 5-3 record in the last 8 game of the season.
The adult B-team improved last year’s record and finished the season in 6th place.
Furthermore, junior player Louis Dellieu was selected to the national junior team and received the best pitcher award at the European Qualifier in Sweden.
The Division 1 team was hot and cold this season but still manage to rank 4th, their best finish since 2004 thanks to the hard work of all the players but also thanks to their imports.
Caleb Calarco (King’s University), Erik Hufnagel (Johnson & Wales) and Morgan Brown (Harvard) have been great on and off the field and will always be remembered in Namur. The latter is currently playing in Australia for the Geelong Baycats and is playing very well there too.
The Namur Angels ballclub is thankful to these 3 guys for all they meant to the program this year.
Last but not least, the U16 team captured their 1st Belgian crown; 10 years after the D1 team did it.
They only lost one game overall this season and were 9-0 in the play-off.
The clinching game at home will always be remembered. A nail-biter that saw our Angels trail 1-6 in the first before coming back to complete their sweep of the final round with an incredible 10-8 win.
The team dominated in most categories but the pitching has certainly been the trademark of the team with 9 different pitchers getting the ball this season.
2008 was a good season but it’s not the end of the road and 2009, and its new challenges, is already at our doors.
A Baseball Waltz
Vienna, Austria -- One particularly satisfying aspect of baseball is the pleasure of breaking off pieces of the game for conservation, analysis and thought, especially during the winter dark. How to toss a better 2-seamer? Who will sign Texeira? Why doesn’t everybody lurv baseball? The game lends itself to this kind of talk because its parts are so mechanical -- and mysterious. Why can only a dozen men in the world at any one time throw a professional knuckleball?
In the land of the free, amateur coaches gather regularly to hash out such questions, pick up some tips and get away from their wives. The American Baseball Coaches Association convention – the next edition is Jan 2-5, 2009 in San Diego – has for years been a pilgrimage for the few dozen hardiest baseball crazies in Europe.
Earlier in this decade, a couple old world coaches were chewing the fat at the ABCA gathering in Nashville when they stumbled on an idea. “We thought ‘Why not hold a convention in Europe?’” says Georg Apfelbaum, a 36-year-old school teacher and head coach of the Cologne Cardinals. So Apfelbaum and a Dutch coach, Jan Pieter Koen, established the European Baseball Coaches Association. "We decided to bring the best American coaches to Germany and Holland," says Koen, 38.
They recruited Tom O’Connell, a legendary Wisconsin high school coach and devotee of European baseball. He agreed to find speakers.
And so every year since 2003, the EBCA has run a fine old world hot stove party. High school, college and professional instructors fly over to teach and talk baseball. “Guys love coming to Europe, so we’re able to get some big names,” says O’Connell.
There was plenty to feast on at this year’s shindig in Vienna. Psychologist Tom Hansen, who's worked for several MLB teams, lectured eloquently on how to teach players to accept failure. Cardinals minor league hitting instructor Jeff Albert laid out the latest hitting video analysis techniques and bat speed development programs (take a zillion swings!) O’Connell brought his usual high-quality fare of smart practice planning and astute psychology. Bill Holmberg, director of the the MLB academy in Italy and a Cubs scout, dissected his latest pitching development weight programs. Belgium delivered its two finest coaches, Steve Janssen and Karl Onzia, to talk about catching and hitting.
Janssen is a marvel, an Antwerp kid who, still in his 30s, has worked himself into pro coaching stints in Triple A, as pitching coach for the Dutch national team and, in 2009, at head coach of the Netherlands’s Neptunus, the Yankees of Europe. The Belgian federation signed him as program director before the 2007 season, then promptly voted down his proposal for Saturday doubleheaders and a Sunday under-23 league. Sadly, Janssen quit, and Belgian baseball is much the worse for his absence.
The crowd was German, Austria, Czech, Hungarian, Israeli and Belgian. Scouts from the Twins and Phillies showed up, too.
The evenings were full of precious baseball banter. A 5’8” Spanish lefty in the pros. An American player in Germany ironed his shirts naked. How did Eckstein get drafted? How many Major Leaguers will Europe produce in ten years? There is no better antidote to the baseball blues than to hang out with fellow devotees for a few days.
O’Connell, a genial Midwesterner with a heart of gold, received a well-deserved lifetime achievement award. And Chris Dassy, a tightly-wound electrical supplies salesman who is singlehandedly building a baseball empire in Namur, Belgium, was honored at European coach of the year.
At the convention, Dassy added another feat to his resume: He talked Apfelbaum into giving next year’s convention to Brussels.
--John Miller--