New York Golden Stick Fast Pitch Power Rankings

C-Notes (6-2) The C-Notes are 3-2 against some of the top teams in the region (Spades, Bombers, Risers) and certainly have the ability to put up runs when their lineup is clicking. Their .420 team batting average is good for second in the league (cue Gerard giggling over team avg) and they showed some heart against Anthony Didio, rallying from a 9-5 deficit for a win against the Risers' ace. On the flip side of that equation is the fact that Rob Longiaru was knocked around in that same game, leaving the C-Notes still stuck wondering if they have the pitching to truly compete going forward.

Bombers (5-3) When facing a team's ace (Didio, Joe Evanish, Rob Longiaru) this season, the Bombers have mustered just six runs in three games, leading to a 1-2 record. The returns of Phil Fresiello and Pete Slater did not help the Bombers' lineup versus Evanish, as the two combined to go 0-9 with two walks against Evanish and the High Rollers. Another concern lies in Joe Purcell's dead arm. Purcell has allowed 21 runs in 11.2 innings thus far this season after allowing 28 runs in 30 innings last season. Nonetheless, the talent is there, the question is whether or not things will come together once the playoffs arrive. 

Risers (4-4) The Risers are just 1-3 in games started by Didio this season, a trend that they and Didio need to figure out a way to turn around. After a solid Opening Day, Didio imploded in Week Two, allowing 17 runs in his two starts. Fortunately Kevin Engasser and Sean Handahl have combined to go 3-1, allowing 12 runs in 14 innings. Offensively, Handahl is batting .525 to lead the team, but has yet to hit a home run after hitting 17 last season. 

High Rollers (4-4) The good news for the Rollers, they are second in the league in runs scored with 65. The bad news? They also rank second to last in runs allowed with 72. Scott Alford has feasted on New York pitching this season, smashing 12 home runs and driving in 37 runs. On the mound, Joe Evanish has grinded through some arm issues to go 2-1, allowing 14 runs in 15.2 innings with 44 strikeouts. However, Alford and McRae have been terrible on the mound, leaving the High Rollers in a situation where they will need to go out and find an arm if they want to be legitimate contenders. 

Crusaders (4-4) Despite another 2-2 day for the Crusaders, it was a rough Sunday for the Rodgers' clan as the day started out with the potential permanent loss of offseason acquisition Ben Iorio, who they hoped would provide them with some solid innings on the mound that they were desperately in need of. With Iorio's future with the team up in the air, the Crusaders caught a break in their Sucker Punch game, as a Dan Lanigan error in the third shootout of the game gifted the Crusaders a 1-0 win. However, the usual issues remain for the Crusaders, as Kenny Jr. has all of the team's victories on the mound while Travis and Senior have been rocked in their appearances. 

Black Widows (1-7) One of the biggest surprises so far this season has been the poor play and tough luck the Black Widows have endured en route to a 1-7 start. Errors, meltdowns and being blanked offensively were not expected to be the norm for the veteran group, but the team has already been shut out twice, blown a lead in the top of the fifth and been the victim of two walk off victories by the Risers and Spades. The team has the second ranked staff in the region, with a 4.23 ERA, but are hitting just .141 as a team with just seven extra base hits. You have to wonder if the early struggles will lead to a lack of focus going forward for a veteran club that was put together with the intention of challenging the Spades (who they went 0-3 against on Sunday) and making a run at Vegas. 

Mustangs (0-8) It would be easy to quote Dennis Green and say “They are who we thought they were,” but the Mustangs have been able to put a little bit of a scare into their opponents in two of their eight games. In their third game against the Spades in Week One, the Mustangs jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the second inning and against the C-Notes in Week Two, they had an early 6-2 lead in the second game of the series. One has to wonder if the Mustangs will attempt to make a run at signing Chris Brady, who filled-in for a vacationing Bryan Coester and hit two home runs and had six RBI in nine at-bats in Week Two.