MINK STANDINGS
League Overall
W L W L
Omaha 9 4 11 5
St. Joseph 9 5 19 6
Topeka 9 5 11 5
Beatrice 6 6 8 7
Parkville 7 9 14 9
FCA 5 11 5 11
Chillicothe 4 11 9 12
Each game was scheduled for seven innings, but the first game went to extras tied 4-4. Topeka's Reed Kreiser was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Tych Cowdin laid down a would-be sacrifice bunt, but was able to reach first for a single.
Two batters later, Omaha reliever Tommy Masten delivered a wild pitch, moving the runners up to second and third and prompting an intentional walk of Truman Marek.
Topeka Golden Giants infielder Jason Cooper throws out an Omaha Varsity Gold batter during the Giants' doubleheader sweep Friday. Head came to the plate with one out. His chopper to short left Omaha no chance of a force at home or a double play, and pinch runner Mike Grosdidier scored the winning run.
The 14-inning home opener was still fresh in fans' minds, as well as the minds of both teams, as the bottom of the ninth began. But Dean blasted a shot to left-center field and ended up on second.
Marek followed with a towering drive to right center that looked like it had walk-off homer potential. The ball fell short of the wall, but Parkville had trouble getting the ball back in, and Dean scored standing up to win it.
"I'm proud of or guys for battling back," Giants coach Daniel Esposito said. "We were six in the hole in the second inning and we came back and got it tied. There's no quit in these guys."
The Giants left the bases loaded twice, in the second and 10th innings, and straned a total of 24 runners on base.
"We were one big hit away from breaking it open and winning it in regulation," Esposito said.
Alex Gordon will be a millionaire at 21. Next month, Gordon will be drafted – likely one of the first five picks, definitely in the first round.
From then, it’s only a matter of time.
Gordon isn’t really thinking about what his future holds for him, but Bob Steinkamp, a scout with the Seattle Mariners organization, believes the Lincoln native will be in “The Show” within a few years.
Besides being a scout, Steinkamp has spent 3½ decades coaching the Beatrice Bruins, a summer team full of talented college players from around the nation. He’s managed more than 200 future minor leaguers.
Few, if any, have stood out as much as much as Gordon, who was on Steinkamp’s team during the 2003 summer.
“He’s one of the most gifted and talented players I’ve coached in 35 years,” Steinkamp said. “He’s pretty close to being big league ready.”
In scout talk, Steinkamp grades Gordon with plus marks in ability, work ethic and makeup. He’s “above major league average” in everything but pure running speed.
“It’s really hard to say anything negative about him.”
Topeka, which out-hit the A's 9-3, opened the scoring in the third inning. Catcher Kyle Dahlberg doubled and scored on Shawn Smarsh's groundout to shortstop. Designated hitter Kyle Wilson's sixth-inning sacrifice fly made it 2-0.
Meanwhile, Capitals starter Cesar Carrillo cruised until the eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out six batters through seven innings.
Suddenly, the game was tied at 2, and Carrillo was pulled in favor of Derek Dunne, who retired the only two batters he faced.
"That's the best he's thrown since high school," Abney said of Carrillo, who redshirted last year at the University of Miami and will be eligible next season as a freshman.
GIANTS SCHEDULE
JUNE
3 SALINA, 7 p.m.; 4 CLARINDA, 7 p.m.; 5 at Chillicothe, 7 p.m.; 7 PARKVILLE, 7 p.m.; 10 at Parkville, 5 p.m.; 11 at Chillicothe, 7 p.m.; 12 WICHITA GATORS, 7 p.m.;14 FCA, 4 p.m. (DH); 16 at FCA, TBA; 17 at St. Joseph, 7 p.m.; 18 Springfield Generals at Pittsburg, 4 p.m. (DH); 20 PARKVILLE, 7 p.m.; 21 CHILLICOTHE, 7 p.m.; 22 BEATRICE, 7 p.m.; 24 OMAHA, 7 p.m. (DH); 28 ST. JOSEPH, 7 p.m.; 29 BEATRICE, 7 p.m.; 30 at Wichita Gators, 7 p.m.
JULY
1 CHILLICOTHE, 7 p.m.; 3 at Clarinda, 7 p.m.; 5 ST. JOSEPH, 7 p.m.; 6 at Beatrice, 7 p.m.; 10 at Clarinda, 7 p.m.; 11 CLARINDA, 7 p.m.; 13 at St. Joseph, 7 p.m.; 14 at Parkville, 5 p.m.; 15 at Omaha, 6 p.m.; 16 at FCA, 7 p.m.; 19 at Beatrice, 7 p.m.; 22-27 NBC Central Regional at Clarinda.
