So much for a hangover from two idle seasons.
The Olean Oilers, a New York Collegiate Baseball League member since 2012, hadn’t played a game since the ‘19 campaign. Coronavirus wiped out the 2020 season and the Oilers opted out of the NYCBL’s less-than-full league schedule in ‘21.
This year with new management, a virtually entirely turned over roster and coming off a two-year hiatus, how much could be expected?
Plenty, as it turns out.
Incredibly, with the Oilers’ 42-game schedule 38% complete they merely own the league’s best record — 12-4 — and have the most points (24).
And, oh yeah, they lead the NYCBL in both hitting and pitching, their only flaw in fielding as their .950 percentage is tied for seventh-worst in the 10-team league.
This 31-player roster — 15 pitchers, 7 infielders, 5 outfielders and 4 catchers — has stirred memories of the 2016 Olean team that went a stunning 39-7 in the regular season en route to a second straight league title.
In their 12 victories, the Oilers have outscored the opposition, 105-35, and on the season they’re averaging eight runs oer game and have scored double figures six times.
Three of their four losses have been by four runs, and there’s only been a single bad one, the ugly 12-11 defeat by Genesee earlier this week. In that unsightly game, Olean blew a 10-2 lead as the Rapids scored four unearned runs in the ninth to prevail. There were eight errors committed — four by each squad — and both teams surrendered a staggering seven runs that weren’t earned.
What’s odd is, the confines of Bradner Stadium haven’t been so friendly. The Oilers are a mere 4-3 at home, but an impressive 8-1 on the road.
BUT THERE’S a reason Olean has performed so unexpectedly well … sparkling individual performances.
The most glittering, hitting-wise, has been outfielder Blaise Zeiders (Lock Haven), who leads the NYCBL with a stunning .519 average for players with the minimum required at bats.
But that’s not all.
Shinglehouse native Dylan Vincent, a first baseman now at Canisius, is seventh in the league at .373, Warren’s Mitchell Grosch, a second-baseman for Mercyhurst, is ninth at .360, Herkimer Community College outfielder Taiga Sakuma is tied for 10th at .359 and Canisius’ Trent Rumley, also second baseman, is 13th at .357.
In addition, there’s the pitching.
St. Bonaventure’s Luke Roggenburk, at 2-0, is third in the league in earned-run average at a gaudy 1.08, Wheeling Jesuit’s Paul Tripi, 2-0, has a 2.77 ERA, Bona’s Liam Devine, 3-0, is tied for the NYCBL lead in wins and has a 2.81 earned-run average and Dickinson College’s Grason Walker is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA.
All of those stats were before the Oilers’ two-game break as they return to action tonight hosting Hornell at 7 o’clock.
