Intermountain Baseball League - Presented by BigJdotcom01

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June 27-29: COLORADO SPRINGS (46-34) @ FLAGSTAFF (37-44)
Stadium: AutoZone Park (Capacity: 9,486)

June 27: Snow Sox 10, Hops 4
June 28: Hops 4, Snow Sox 3 (15)
June 29: Snow Sox 2, Hops 0


Flagstaff, AZ (AP) - The Hops struggles continue as they dropped two of three to the Colorado Springs Snow Sox to open the home stand. The limped to the end of June and hope that with the calendar turning to July that they can change their fortunes.

In the opener, the Colorado Springs Snow Sox used the long ball to blow out the Hops 10-4. Donnell Marcus led the way for the Snow Sox, going 2 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs.

After the Hops took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and a Roberto Geronimo RBI single, it was all Colorado Springs. The first place Snow Sox chased Robert Francis in the fifth and they scored two in the third and fourth innings, and four in the fifth to jump out to an 8-1 lead.

Francis (4-6) was roughed up again, lasting just 4 1/3 innings and allowing seven runs on nine hits.

Donnell Marcus (16), Juan Caceras (16) and Eric Lowe (14) all homered for Colorado Springs. Rodney Millar hit his 20th home run on the year for Flagstaff with a two-run shot in the eighth.

Mike Stoneridge (2-6) was very good for the Snow Sox, going eight innings and allowing four run son eight hits. He struck out six and walked one, throwing 102 pitches.

The Hops are now (1-9) in their last ten games and have now slid 9 1/2 games back of Colorado Springs and six full games behind Austin for the second wild card spot.

Tuesday evening saw the Hops walk it off with a 15-inning 4-3 victory. Oscar Aleman’s single with one out in the 15th scored Emmitt Hampton with the winning run as the Hops snapped a three game losing streak.

The teams exchanged solo home runs in the second inning with Austin hitting his 17th for Colorado Springs and Josh Ortega hitting his 11th for Flagstaff. Sam Conley would hit a two-run homer for the Sox in the fifth to put them up 3-1.

An Arturo Mardones sacrifice fly in the seventh cut the lead to 3-2. Robbie Westbrook hit a solo homer in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3, off of Schnell. It would remain that way until the fifteenth inning.

In the 15th, Emmitt Hampton was hit by a pitch to open the inning. After Art Mason struck out, Robbie Westbrook drew a 10-pitch walk. Oscar Aleman then lined a single down the right field line to score Hampton to set off a celebration as the Hops look to turn their season around.

Forrest Owen went 4 for 5 with a double, with Oscar Aleman going 3 for 7 with the game winning RBI. Josh Ortega went 2 for 6 with a double and home run.

Starter Benitez was once again pretty good for Flagstaff. He pitched seven innings, allowing the three runs on seven its. He struck out six without issuing a walk. The bullpen worked the final eight innings with four pitchers scattering just four hits and striking out six while walking just two. Pedro Macias (3-4) picked up the win, working the 15th inning.

In the finale, the Hops wasted an A+ pitching performance from Shoe Lace O’Tying and lost 2-0 to the Snow Sox. An RBI double from Juan Caceras in the ninth was the difference as Colorado Springs extended their lead in the ML West.

Shoe Lace O’Tying tossed what is likely his best game of the year on Wednesday evening. He pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits, all singles, and struck out 13 without issuing a walk. But he could not go back out in the ninth as he had thrown 106 pitches and manager Bud Black decided to go to his bullpen.

Miguel Asencio ((7-3) came on and gave up two runs on three hits. An RBI double to Juan Caceras opened the scoring and a two-out RBI single from Austin made it 2-0.

The Hops went down in order in the ninth to drop to a season high seven games below .500 at (37-44). They will welcome last place Prescott (33-48) into town on Friday night for a three game weekend series.

Around the League: Mesa’s Luke Palmer tosses a complete game shutout, allowing seven hits and striking out nine as the Solar Sox defeated San Diego 3-0. Fort Worth rallies from a 7-1 deficit in the eighth to defeat the Yuma Dust Devils 8-7 in walk-off fashion. Randy Klaus homered twice, including a three run homer in the bottom of the ninth. He now leads the Mountain League with 25 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Long Beach’s Steve Willis tossed a complete game three-hit shutout, striking out 13 without a walk in the Surf Dawgs 4-0 victory over Scottsdale. He is now (10-1) and has lowered his ERA to 2.50 while recording 128 strikeouts, tops in the majors. Yuma pounded out 15 hits and seven home runs in a 15-6 victory over Fort Worth. Randy Klaus added to his league lead with his 26th home run in the loss.

Shoe Lace O’Tying struck out 13 and tossed eight shutout innings in a 2-0 loss in the finale.

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JUNE AWARDS:
ML Pitcher of Month: Sam Gonzalez, SP (Colorado Springs) (9-1), 2.70 ERA, 49 K’s
ML Player of month: Danny Watson, 3B (Roswell) .312, 16 HR, 51 RBI
ML Rookie of month: Randy Klaus, 1B (Fort Worth) .281, 18 HR, 51 RBI
DL Pitcher of Month: Steve Willis, SP (Long Beach) (7-0) 2.31 ERA, 91 K’s
DL Player of Month: Ken Hollinger, 1B (Surprise) .369, 13 HR, 37 RBI
DL Rookie of Month: Ken Hollinger, 1B (Surprise) .369, 13 HR, 37 RBI

* - Stats appear to be a combination of May/June. Not sure why…..

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Phoenix, AZ (AP) - There are 16 days until the All-Star Voting deadline for the inaugural IBL All-Star game that will be played in Los Angeles, California at Dodger Stadium on July 19th. Mesa’s John Nichols leads all vote getters with 724K. Three teams have two players each projected to start in the game: Mesa, El Paso and Roswell.

Robbie Westbrook has moved to the top of the list at second base in the Mountain League with 435K votes. He now has a substantial lead over Scottie Hager of St George. Art Mason has moved up to fifth in CF voting with 425K votes.

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July 1-3: PRESCOTT (35-49) @ FLAGSTAFF (38-46)
Stadium: AutoZone Park (Capacity: 9,486)

July 1: Hops 5, Hot Shots 3
July 2: Hot Shots 2, Hops 1
July 3: Hot Shots 8, Hops 3


Flagstaff, AZ (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops struggles continue as they drop two of three to last place Prescott to close out the home stand at (2-4). The Hops have now slipped 10 1/2 games out of first and all the way down into fourth place in the ML West.

The Hops opened up the three game weekend series with a 5-3 victory over the Hot Shots. They hit three home runs and got a strong pitching performance from Ryan Pressley to open the series.

After falling behind 2-0 in the third, the Hops bats came alive. An Art Mason RBI double, followed by a Robbie Westbrook RBI single tied the game at 2-2.

Solo home runs from Josh Ortega (12) and Roberto Geronimo (23) in the fourth put the Hops up 4-2.

Paul Knapp would hit a solo shot off of Ryan Pressley in the seventh to cut the lead to 4-3. But Arturo Mardones (8) answered in the bottom half to put the Hop back up by two.

Ryan Pressley (4-8) picked up the win, working 6 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out six and walked just one. The bullpen worked 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief with Vic Miller picking up his 18th save.

On Saturday evening, the Hot Shots got a key pitching performance from Kilby McAlister as they edged the Hops 2-1. McAlister went seven innings, allowing just one run on four base hits while striking out five to pick up his third win on the season.

Prescott would grab the lead in the third thanks to some aggressive base running from Angel Rodriguez. He singled, then stole second and third. Khris Kovach would drive him in with a single to left and the Hot Shots had a 1-0 lead. They would extend that lead to 2-0 in the seventh thanks to a solo home run from Matt Olsen. It was his 11th on the season.

Flagstaff would score their lone run in the ball game in the bottom half of the seventh on a solo home run from Josh Ortega. It was his 13th on the season. But they would not be able to score again as they dropped their 45th game on the year.

Sam Herzog (7-4) took the loss, going six innings and allowing one run on five hits. He struck out three and walked none.

In the finale, the Hot Shots hit four home runs and pulled away late for an 8-3 victory. Catcher Darren Gomes led the way with two solo home runs for the Hot Shots.

Flagstaff (38-46) would grab an early lead in this one thanks to an RBI double from Leandro Lugo in the first inning. The Hot Shots would get that back in the top of the second on a Rodriguez RBI double, but Robert Francis wiggled his way out of a jam, leaving runners at second and third.

The Hops would retake the lead in the bottom half as Shoe Lace O’Tying, getting the start at DH, homered to left. The 440’ shot was his first big league homer. Manager Bud Black said that he couldn’t ignore the batting practice session that O’Tying has been having lately and rolled the dice by putting him at DH. O’Tying went 2 for 4 with a homer and double. But that was about the only highlight on Sunday afternoon.

The Hot Shots would take the lead for good in the fifth with back-to-back homers from Khris Kovach and Josh Carroll with two-outs. Darren Gomes would make it 4-2 in the seventh with a solo blast off of reliever Mark Wirth.

A Forrest Owen solo homer in the bottom half of the seventh cut the lead to 4-3.

But the Hot Shots would put the Hops away in the top of the eighth with an RBI double from Olsen and a two-run home run from Paul Knapp. Darren Gomes would add a second solo home run in the ninth as the Hot Shots cruised to an 8-3 victory.

The loss dropped Flagstaff into fourth in the ML West, behind suddenly red-hot Salt Lake.

The Hops will now head to Colorado Springs for a quick two-game series with the Snow Sox before heading to Prescott for a four-game weekend series with the Hot Shots.

Around the League: Salt River’s Mel O’Leary pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings, striking out 10 and walking five as the Rafters won 7-0 in Tucson. Fort Worth scored seven times in the bottom of the ninth to stun Long Beach 7-6 at Globe Life Park. The teams are tied for the best record in the IBL at (49-33).

West Texas outlasted Santa Fe 4-3 in a 20-inning marathon. An Ernesto Lucero RBI double in the 20th won it for the Bison in the longest game in IBL history.

TRADE: Gilbert has traded away reliever Ryan Collins to the Chandler Chiefs in exchange for starting pitcher Jim Klein and reliever Rene Guillen. The 26-year-old Collins, in the final year of his contract, was the top reliever on the Barnstormers, who currently sit just 1 1/3 games back of Salt River in the DL East. He had made 40 appearances with an ERA of 4.38 with four blown saves and WHIP of 1.49. He will likely be a free agent at the end of the season if Chandler cannot resign him to an extension. Coming back they get 35-year-old Jim Klein, and 31-year-old Rene Guillen. Klein will go to Triple-A Norfolk and Guillen will slide into the Gilbert bullpen. In 29 appearances with the Chiefs, he had an ERA of 4.00 and a (5-1) record to go along with a 1.20 WHIP with 38 strikeouts and 19 walks.

Yuma has traded starter Dave Kaiser to the Mariachis in exchange for catcher Mike Kish and left fielder Tristan Pompey.

What can’t he do? Shoe Lace O’Tying got the start at DH on Sunday and homered.

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July 4-5: FLAGSTAFF (39-47) @ COLORADO SPRINGS (49-37)
Stadium: Security Service Field (Capacity: 13,587)

July 4: Hops 6, Snow Sox 5
July 5: Snow Sox 3, Hops 1

Colorado Springs, CO (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops split a short two-game series up in Colorado Springs, winning the opener and dropping game two. They sit eight games below .500 as we head towards the All-Star break.

The Hops rallied late in the opener on Independence Day as they defeated the Colorado Springs Snow Sox 6-5. Oscar Aleman’s sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth scored Skyler Lyons as the Hops took the opener at Security Service Field.

The Hops grabbed an early lead in the second as Robbie Westbrook hit the first of his two triples on the evening, scoring Josh Ortega. Rodney Millar would bounce one past the pitcher for an infield single to score Westbrook and it was 2-0.

But as has been the case lately, the Hops gave it right back in the bottom half. A couple of errors led to two runs as Russ Jay blasted a two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2. The Snow Sox would take the lead in the third on a Sam Conley solo home run, his ninth on the year.

The Hops would actually score a run without the long ball in the fourth to tie it. Rodney Millar and Roberto Geronimo walked. William Choi singled and Skyler Lyons hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3. Josh Ortega would hit a solo homer in the fifth to put the Hops up 4-3. It was his 14th. Roberto Geronimo hit a solo home run to dead center in the sixth, his 24th, to make it 5-3.

It was stay that way until the eighth, when Mike Rock hit a two-out, two-run home run off of Aldo Osuna to tie the game at 5-5.

But in the top of the ninth, the Hops produced another run without the long ball. Sklyer Lyons singled and stole second. He advanced to third on a Leandro Lugo single and scored on an Oscar Aleman sac fly.

Vic Miller came on and sent down the Snow Sox in order to pick up his 19th save.

Shoe Lace O’Tying got the start again at DH in the leadoff role and went 2 for 5 with two singles. He is batting .385 for the Hops in his limited appearances. Manager Bud Black said that he will be using him more down the stretch as a hitter.

Aldo Osuna (2-2) picked up the win despite the blown save. Starter John Benitez was once again pretty good. He went five plus innings, before leaving after taking a line drive off of his rib cage. He allowed three runs (two earned), on four hits while striking out three.

In Tuesday evenings finale, Shoe-Lace O’Tying and Sam Gonzalez hooked up in a pitcher’s duel with Gonzalez getting the better of the Hops as the Snow Sox won 3-1.

Gonzalez improved to (13-2) and lowered his ERA to 2.60 as he went 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on just three hits. The lone run was a Josh Ortega solo home run allowed in the third inning.

Shoe-Lace O’Tying (6-4) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on just three hits. He struck out seven and walked three.

The Snow Sox got a solo home run from James Dudeck, his seventh, in the third, and RBI singles from Gonzalez in the fifth and Juan Caceras in the eighth.

The Hops (39-47) managed just four hits in the loss. They will have tomorrow off before heading to Prescott for a four game weekend series with the Hot Shots (37-50).

Around the League: Las Vegas’ Stanley Taguchi tossed a complete game one-hitter, striking out 13 in a 5-0 victory for the Nuggets over Amarillo. Taguchi improved to (10-5) on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.79. The San Antonio Javelinas managed just one-hit in a 9-0 loss at Austin. Pat Eveland (3-8) and Adam Novak combined on the one-hitter, striking out eight, while walking five.

TRADES: The San Antonio Javelinas have added closer Tom Jung from the Yuma Dust Devils in exchange for a couple of prospects in shortstop Julio Jimenez and third baseman Joe Perez. The Tucson Roadrunners trade reliever Jeff Cosmo to the Firebirds in exchange for a prospect in starter Hyun-il Choi.

The Phoenix Firebirds have acquired star first baseman Juan Chavez from Salt Lake in exchange for two prospects. Going back to Salt Lake is starting pitcher Shinji Imasa and shortstop Keoni Cavaco. The 29-year-old Chavez was hitting .288 with 17 homers and 45 RBIs for Salt Lake. Imasa was the key for Salt Lake. The 23-year-old Japanese pitcher has electric stuff, posting a (4-4) record with a 4.25 ERA in Triple-A with 86 strikeouts in 85 innings.

Josh Ortega has been heating up for the Hops.

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Hops Trade Asencio

Flagstaff, AZ (AP) - The Flagstaff Hops have traded away reliever Miguel Asencio to the San Antonio Javelinas for a couple of prospects. The 32-year-old Asencio, in the final year of his contract and making $3.5M was sent to the Javelinas in exchange for 25-year-old starting pitcher Andres Pena, and 24-year-old reliever Nolan Hoffman.

Asencio was (7-3) with an ERA of 3.05 with 52 strikeouts in 38.1 innings of work out of the bullpen.

Octavio Pena, a B-rated prospect has appeared in four games at the Double-A level with an ERA of 2.70 and WHIP of 1.20. He will be assigned to Double-A Hartford. Hoffman will also head to Hartford. He is a C-rated prospect with a four-pitch repertoire.

The Hops have recalled reliever Adrian Spanos from Triple-A Albuquerque. He had 26 appearances with a 3.86 ERA and 1.22 WHIP with 34 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work.

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July 7-10: FLAGSTAFF (41-49) @ PRESCOTT (39-52)
Stadium: Dignity Health Park (Capacity: 11,598)

July 7: Hops 3, Hot Shots 1
July 8: Hops 2, Hot Shots 1
July 9: Hot Shots 6, Hops 5
July 10: Hot Shots 6, Hops 1

Prescott, AZ (AP) - The slumping Hops split a four game weekend series with last place Prescott as their playoff hopes continue to sink. After winning the first two games, the Hops dropped both weekend games and now sit ten games back of first place Colorado Springs.

In the opener, Sean Pressley went 7 1/3 innings, allowing just one run in a 3-1 victory for the Hops over the Hot Shots. The lone run allowed was a solo shot from Darren Gomes in the eighth inning. Pressley struck out six and did not walk a batter as he picked up his fifth win on the year.

Arturo Mardones homered in the third. The solo shot was his ninth on the year. Oscar Aleman added an RBI double as the Hops moved out to a 2-0 lead. They would increase that lead to 3-0 in the eighth on a Josh Ortega RBI double.

After allowing the homer to Gomes in the eighth, the Hops went to the bullpen with Oliver Benedict getting the final two outs in the eighth and Vic Miller locking it down for his 20th save.

On Friday evening, the Hops pulled out a 2-1 victory behind another strong pitching performance from Sam Herzog. He tossed seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out five to pick up his team leading eighth victory.

An Angel Rodriguez RBI single in the second inning was the only run allowed as Flagstaff won their second straight.

Robbie Westbrook drove in both of the Flagstaff runs. He ripped an RBI double in the fifth and another RBI double in the seventh.

Vic Miller came on to lock down the Hot Shots in the ninth to pick up his 21st save.

On Saturday afternoon the Hops blew a late 4-1 lead a watched as the Hot Shots walked it off, 6-5. Josh Carroll’s RBI single with none out in the bottom of the ninth helped Prescott rally for the win.

Flagstaff built a 4-1 lead in the sixth inning thanks to the long ball as Oscar Aleman, Leandro Lugo and Rodney Millar all homered for the Hops.

But the Hot Shots would get two back in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a sacrifice fly and a run that was walked in. The Hot Shots would tie the game in the seventh on another sacrifice fly, this one by Wilson. The Hot Shots would take the lead in the eighth as Jamie Case homered off of Aldo Osuna.

But Forrest Owen would hit a solo home run with two-outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth off of closer Xavier Doyle to tie the game at 5-5.

Samuel Espinoza came on to pitch for the Hops in the bottom half, giving up a leadoff double to Matt Olson. He would walk Juan Corona and then gave up the game winning RBI single to Josh Carroll. Carroll went 2 for 4 with a solo home run and two RBIs in the win.

In the finale, the Hot Shots hit four home runs as they pounded the Hops 6-1. Josh Carroll and Jamie Case each hit two-run home runs late to blow open a close ball game and help Prescott earn a split of the four game weekend series.

Flagstaff grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second on Josh Ortega’s 16th home run on the year. But that would be it for the Flagstaff offense as they snoozed through another afternoon game with just four other hits.

John Benitez (0-1) took the loss, tossing six innings and allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out four and did not issue any walks.

Austin Morales (1-3) picked up the win out of the Prescott bullpen after starter Ken Smith left with leg soreness in the second inning. The Hot Shots used six pitchers in the win.

Shoe Lace O’Tying got the start at designated hitter, but went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Hops (41-49) will now head home for a four game series with St. George (47-44) and three game series with Albuquerque (46-44) to wrap up the first half of the season.

Around the League: Fort Worth’s Terence Harris hit a grand slam to walk it off in the Kings 12-8 victory over Amarillo on Friday night. Randy Klaus also added his league leading 27th home run in the win. Rio Rancho rallied from a 9-1 deficit to stun Albuquerque 10-9 as Luis Diaz hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. The last place Owlz (42-50) scored seven runs in the fourth, capped off by a Merton Bannerman grand slam.

TRADES: Tucson has traded starting pitcher Nolan Sherry to the West Texas Bison in exchange for three prospects. Starting pitcher Eddy Castillo, second baseman Yolbert Sanchez and shortstop Reginald Preciado all went back to Tucson in the deal. Sherry will head to Triple-A Gwinnett, with the three prospects all heading to the minors.

The Las Vegas Nuggets have acquired Salt Lake Chukars catcher Freddie Hewitt in exchange for Starting pitcher David Arturo, top prospect left fielder Darell McCloud and centerfielder Jimmy Reyes. The 23-year-old Hewitt was hitting .247 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs in 66 games for the Chukars. The key for the deal for the Chukars was the IBL’s fourth ranked prospect in outfielder Darell McCloud. The 23-year-old A-rated prospect has speed and power, and can play all three outfield positions and first base.

The West Texas Bison have sent reliever Xavier Dennis to the Saguaros in exchange for reliever Preston Monahan and starting pitcher Jonathan Goss.

Sam Herzog tossed a gem on Friday night.

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Mid-July Power Rankings are out with a week to go before the All-Star Break.

1. Fort Worth Kings (51-40) (+3): The Kings top the power rankings for the first time. They lead the league in run differential at +76 even though they are just (3-7) over their last ten games. They are led by Randy Klaus who is putting up MVP numbers, hitting .272 with 27 home runs and 74 RBIs, both league highs. This pitching staff should lead this team deep into October.

2. Las Vegas Nuggets (51-40) (+3): The Nuggets have moved to within 1 1/2 games of first place Long Beach. The Nuggets are in the top 5 in most offensive categories led by first baseman John Lopez who is hitting .296 with 13 homers and 69 RBIs. Starter Stanley Taguchi is (11-5) with an ERA of 2.59 in 121 innings of work with 110 strikeouts.

3. Long Beach Surf Dawgs (52-38) (-2): A rough month for the Surf Dawgs sees them slip to third in the power rankings. The Surf Dawgs have a well balanced lineup with five players with at least 14 homers. Steve Willis anchors the staff and is the frontrunner for Desert League Cy Young with an (11-1) record and ERA of 2.49 with 134 strikeouts in 126.1 innings.

4. Colorado Springs Snow Sox (51-39) (+3): The Snow Sox are cruising in the Mountain League West. Veteran Mike Rock is hitting .269 with 21 homers and 55 RBIs with Donnell Marcus right behind him with 18 homers and 59 RBIs to lead this offense. Sam Gonzalez (13-2) has a 2.60 ERA in the rarified air of Colorado Springs and is making his case for a Cy Young.

5. El Paso Blue Rocks (50-41) (-1): The Blue Rocks slip one spot by no fault of their own. They are a solid team in a very tough division. They rely on speed and lead the league by a wide margin in stolen bases with 155. They have six players with at least 10 stolen bases! First baseman Josh Hawk has 19 homers and 73 RBIs. Right fielder Tommie Bennett is a dark horse for MVP hitting .281 with 14 homers, 55 RBIs and 25 stolen bases.

6. Gilbert Barnstormers (51-42) (+8): One of the darlings of the preseason, the Barnstormers got off to a slow start, but they are red hot and sit atop the Desert League East. Steve Heupel (.299, 25 HRs, 58 RBIs) and Armando Bermudez (9-3, 2.01 ERA, 108 K’s) have this team looking like a legit contender.

7. Surprise Saguaros (51-41) (+8): Another team making a big leap is Surprise. The Saguaros now sit atop the Desert League Central, moving past a slumping Glendale. Ken Hollinger leads the Saguaros hitting .337 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs.

8. Henderson Silver Knights (45-47) (-2): sitting in a division with Long Beach and Las Vegas is tough, but the Silver Knights are a +70 in run differential and could make a late season push for a wild card. They have the offense humming led by Albert Zambrano. He is hitting .269 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs.

9. Glendale Desert Dogs (48-43) (-6): the slumping Desert Dogs are sliding down the rankings. Dan Moore (9-4, 3.75) is trying to keep the team in the wild card hunt.

10. San Antonio Javelinas (49-43) (-2): The Javelinas sit atop the Mountain League Wild Card standings and it really is due to solid pitching both from their starting staff and bullpen. Young shortstop Brian Gonzalez is having a year, hitting .296 with 10 homers, 42 RBIs and 29 stolen bases.

11. Roswell Aliens (49-43) (+5): The Aliens are tied with San Antonio for the ML Wild Card and their offense is humming. Danny Watson (.273, 23 HRs, 67 RBIs) and Blake Pacinelli (.334, 23 HRs, 71 RBIs) are leading the way.

12. St. George Archers (47-44) (NC): The Archers keep hanging around in the Wild Card chase and are within arms length of Colorado Springs in the ML West. No superstars on the team, but a solid group. Jamaal McCormick, Sam Robinson and Scottie Hager form the core of a team that should stick around all year in the race.

13. Mesa Solar Sox (46-46) (-4): The Solar Sox slip a bit this month as they sit in fourth in the DL East, but are just 4 1/2 back of first place. Young phenom John Nichols is still red hot, hitting .324 with 19 homers and 60 RBIs to lead the team, along with his 17 stolen bases.

14. Salt River Rafters (47-42) (-4): The Rafters have lost seven straight and now sit in second in the DL East. First baseman Tuan Santana is keeping the team in the race, hitting .283 with 20 homers and 54 RBIs.

15. Santa Fe Silver Bullets (46-43) (+10): The Silver Bullets are making a strong push up the rankings and are just 1 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot. No real standouts, but a solid lineup and decent pitching is keeping them alive in the toughest division in the IBL.

16. Phoenix Firebirds (46-45) (+1): The addition of Juan Chavez from Salt Lake gives this team a boost as they try and stay alive in the Wild Card race. Chavez is hitting .309 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs. Angelo Velez is quietly having a nice season. He is (8-5) with an ERA of 2.45 with 110 strikeouts in 110 innings of work.

17. Austin Fire Frogs (48-43) (+2): The Fire Frogs sit in third in the DL East and are led by one of our favorites, Hulk Hoagie. He has 15 home runs and 49 RBIs and that beautiful goatee.

18. Albuquerque Mariachis (46-44) (+2): The Mariachis could be higher as they sit just 3 1/2 back of El Paso in the tough DL Central. Speed and a solid bullpen have the Mariachis in a good position as the season nears the halfway point.

19. Goodyear Jack Rabbits (43-49) (+2): The Jack Rabbits have a +3 run differential, yet sit in fourth place in the DL Central, eight games back of Surprise. They lead the league with 772 strikeouts and have three pitchers with over 100. They also lead the IBL with a .274 batting average.

20. Tucson Roadrunners (46-46) (-2): Monte Farnetti leads the team with 19 home runs and 62 RBIs for a team near the bottom in most offensive categories: 26th in BA, 24th in runs scored, 24th in home runs, 27th in slugging, 27th in OBP.

21. Amarillo Honey Hunters (44-47) (+1): The Honey Hunters near the bottom in strikeouts and most hitting categories. Need to turn that around if they want to stay close to the wild card race.

22. West Texas Bison (43-49) (+1): Last place in the ML East, but reason for hope as 18-year-old ace Lowell Alan Pressley has been living up to the hype, (9-5, 4.02) with 111 strikeouts in 118 innings….but 51 walks.

23. Flagstaff Hops (41-49) (-12): if you are paying attention, this team struggles with men in scoring position. Clutch is not a word that describes this team. It is long ball or bust for a team with hopes of a late season wild card push.

24. Salt Lake Chukars (41-48) (+4): The Chukars seem to be in sell off mode, building towards the future. Thor Odinson is back from injury and looking good, posting a 1.84 ERA in nine starts.

25. Chandler Chiefs (43-48 (+2): one reason to watch the Chiefs, Rick Singleton. The first baseman is hitting .303 with 18 homers and 62 RBIs. The rest of the team….not so much.

26. Prescott Hot Shots (39-52) (-2): The Hot Shots are a frisky last place team but pitching is holding them back.

27. Rio Rancho Owlz (42-50) (-14): The Owlz have slid down the ranking just like the Hops. Young Rollie Flingers is worth the price of admission though, with his 115 strikeouts in 120 innings of work….and that mustache.

28. San Diego Seals (37-55) (-2): this team has talent but is in a brutal division with three powerhouse clubs. They are (9-24) against the DL West, (28-31) against everyone else. Youngsters Matt Mulder (.301, 17 HRs, 49 RBIs) and ace Matt Campbell (6-7, 3.60 ERA, 132 K’s) continue to impress.

29. Yuma Dust Devils (34-56) (+1): This team is on the upswing and it is thanks to its offense. This team looked like a lock for worst team in the league, until Scottsdale said hold my beer. (7-3) over their last ten and they are a bit frisky.

30. Scottsdale Scorpions (38-52) (-1): This team is a train wreck with a -80 run differential. Starting pitching is awful and hitting isn’t much better. The second highest payroll in the league…..look for some salary dumps as we get closer to the trade deadline.