LUMBERKINGS 12, BEES 7: Another Comeback (Almost)

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Those who have stayed for the final three games of the season almost pulled off another big comeback for the Burlington Bees.

Thursday’s 12-7 loss to the Clinton LumberKings in a Prospect League game at Community Field came with a lineup for the Bees that had some new names, and some old names in different positions.

And down 10-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Bees rallied to have the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the eighth inning.

That, Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said, says something about the character of the remaining roster.

“I’m just proud of these guys for sticking it out,” Oreskovich said. “That’s a big thing to me. I think it shows maturity and the willingness just to stick with something you committed to, I can’t ask too much more from these guys right now — they’re going out there, they’re still competing, they’re fulfilling what they committed to and I’m very appreciative.”

The final couple of weeks of the summer college season usually leads to roster upheaval, as players leave for their next destination or get some time off before going back to school. Oreskovich was down to nine position players, but will get some reinforcements for the final two games on Friday and Saturday with the return of outfielder Lincoln Riley and first baseman Keanu Spenser.

“We’re set pitching-wise, which is usually the biggest problem at this point in the season,” Oreskovich said. “We’ll have some guys back and that will get us through Saturday.”

The Bees (23-32 overall, 13-15 second half), who were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday, lost their fifth consecutive game, but nearly pulled off a comeback reminiscent of last Friday’s 10-9 win over Alton, when they rallied from an 8-0 deficit to win in extra innings.

They got two runs in the seventh inning in this game, leaving the bases loaded with two outs, then got four runs in the eighth inning on just one hit, taking advantage of five walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Ian Wolski, who has been the Bees’ catcher all season but was working at first base in this game, batted with the bases loaded. He hit a deep fly ball to left field off Clinton reliever Evan Chung, but the ball was caught on the edge of the warning track by Patrick McGinn, and the inning was over.

“I knew he didn’t get enough of it,” Oreskovich said. “I had a pretty good angle.”

That was it for the Bees, who gave up two runs in the top of the ninth and then went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning to end it.

Sebastian Parchomenko (1-1) was the winning pitcher in relief. Bees starter Adrian Nery (1-4) took the loss.

Coy Sarsfield reached base four times and had two hits for the Bees. Caleb Wulf had two hits and drove in a run, as did Connor Laeng.

The Bees play host to Clinton on Friday, then close the season with a Saturday home game against Quincy.

“I’m telling the guys, just enjoy these games,” Oreskovich said. “I’d still like to win, obviously. I’m just trying to have these guys enjoy these last few games with their buddies, the friends they made this summer.”

Photo: Burlington’s Coy Sarsfield steals third base in the sixth inning of Thursday’s game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THRILLBILLIES 17-8, BEES 6-5: Sweep Proves Costly To Playoff Hopes

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

One loss was going to sting.

Two turned out to be crushing.

The Burlington Bees’ hopes at making the Prospect League playoffs suffered plenty of damage in the doubleheader loss to the Thrillville Thrillbillies on Monday at Community Field.

The two defeats — 17-6 in the first game, 8-5 in the second game — put the Bees (23-30 overall, 13-13 second half) 3 ½ games behind the Quincy Gems for the Great River Division’s second-half playoff spot.

Burlington has four games remaining — Wednesday at Clinton, Thursday and Friday at home against Clinton, and Saturday at home against Quincy — with almost no margin for error at this point.

What was frustrating for Bees manager Owen Oreskovich was a play in the second game that switched the momentum and ultimately led to Oreskovich’s ejection.

The Thrillbillies had loaded the bases with no one out in the second inning. Bees starting pitcher Colton Clarahan struck out Cameron Hill for the first out, then got Jaden Correa to hit a comebacker that looked like it was going to be a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning.

Clarahan got the force out at home plate, but Chase Honeycutt’s throw to first base was wide, allowing Charlie Corum to score.

Oreskovich thought Correa was out of the baseline and interfered with the play, and after a short argument was ejected by plate umpire Matthew De Sutter.

“He really didn’t have an explanation, which was kind of why I was even more upset, which is why I went out there,” Oreskovich said. “Bases loaded, no outs. Clarahan gets the strikeout, and then it’s as easy as a double play as it gets. I didn’t think it was a very tough call.”

Hayden Ralls followed with a two-run single and the Thrillbillies led 3-0.

That left the Bees chasing the rest of the game. They got single runs in the third and fourth innings to get within 3-2, then Thrillville scored two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to take command.

What added to the frustration of the game was the Bees could have gotten more runs in the third inning. They had the bases loaded with no one out after getting their first run, and couldn’t add anything.

“I felt like that inning where we left the bases loaded really took the wind out of us,” assistant coach Nate Robertson said. “We had the bases loaded, couldn’t do anything with it. It felt like every time we were starting to get momentum, the breath just got taken out of us.”

The Bees got two runs in the seventh on Keanu Spenser’s second home run of the night — he had a three-run homer in the first game — for the final margin.

Spenser now has 10 home runs off the season, tied for second most in the league and one behind leader Lucas Loos of Quincy.

The second inning was costly for Bees in the opener. Thrillville got six runs in the inning on just two hits, taking advantage of five walks from starting pitcher Jared Townsend to take a 7-1 lead.

Four Bees pitchers combined to walk 10 Thrillbillies.

“Too many walks in the whole game, and it really bit us hard,” Oreskovich said. “It’s hard to come back when you get behind that much early.”

Photo: Keanu Spenser heads home after hitting his second home run of the night. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Riley Back With Bees To Get Ready For SEC

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Lincoln Riley just wanted a place to work before he sets off on his biggest college baseball journey.

His former manager with the Burlington Bees had a better idea.

So Riley, who played for the Bees in their first two seasons in the Prospect League, is back for the last couple of weeks.

“It’s good to be back, get some reps in, some (at bats), see the ball off the bat again,” said Riley, an outfielder from Marion, Iowa, who will play his final year of NCAA Division I eligibility this season at Arkansas. “These guys here are pretty cool. It’s nice to be back here in Burlington.”

Burlington, and center field at Community Field, are familiar places for Riley. He played two seasons at Southeastern Community College then played with the Bees while attending Eastern Illinois.

Riley hit .307 at Eastern Illinois, leading the Panthers to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title and a spot in the NCAA tournament. Eastern Illinois was eliminated in its two games in the Vanderbilt Regional, but getting to experience Southeastern Conference baseball was something he enjoyed.

“I thought it was a really good way to go out,” said Riley, who hit .375 in the two tournament games and was named to the all-regional team. “It was a really good year, historically, for EIU, too. So I thought maybe that was a good way to go out, but then going to the Vandy Regional, that was a blast.’

It was a lot of fun. It was a good experience. Sold-out crowd under the lights. Playoff baseball. You can’t beat that.”

Riley visited three Division I schools — Iowa, Gonzaga, and Arkansas.

“It was pretty stressful,” Riley said. “And I know for coaches, it’s pretty stressful with all of this transfer portal stuff. But at the same time, it was fun, too. I never got to go on a lot of visits when I was in high school.

“I was actually going to hang it up. I wasn’t going to play another year. Then Arkansas called, and I figured it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I took advantage of that.”

Playing for one of the best programs in the SEC — Arkansas also played in the NCAA tournament — was the biggest selling point.

“I’m looking forward to being around future professional baseball players and surrounded by facilities that are going to develop you and make you a better baseball player — just the whole environment,” he said. “Honestly, they’ve got the best fans in the country, 13,000 fans, something like that. So I’m excited to see what they all have.”

One of the first people Riley called with the news was Bees manager Owen Oreskovich. Riley was working out at home, but wanted something more.

“He’s like, ‘What do you think about me coming down and just like taking (batting practice), fly balls, working out?’” Oreskovich said. “I was like, ‘How about you play some games because it’s free?’”

“It was kind of just me getting work in by myself. It was kind of tough,” Riley said. “So I called up O, asked him if I could get some work in before heading (to Arkansas). Luckily, O and I have a great relationship, and he’s like, ‘Heck yeah, come on down.’”

Riley hit .246 in 18 games with the Bees last season after hitting .237 in 51 games in 2021.

Oreskovich knows what he brings to the team.

“It’s nice to know he’s roaming around center field,” Oreskovich said. “And being very good at bat in the leadoff spot. He’s not going to look stupid up there.

“He’s a great baseball player, and an even better dude. Nobody works harder than that kid.”

Riley is staying with his host family for the last two seasons — Matt and Anika McVey.

“I called them to tell them I was coming and if there was a family that had a spot, and they said, ‘Nope, you’re staying with us,’” Riley said.

Riley has played in two games for the Bees, with one hit in six at-bats. He’ll be back with the team for most of the final week of the regular season.

“I just kind of want to get back into routine, kind of get acclimated to live arms and seeing the ball off the bat, and just being around the guys again, really,” Riley said. “Just continue to have fun. Because you don’t know when it’s going to be (the end).”

Photo: Lincoln Riley is back with the Burlington Bees for the final two weeks of the regular season before heading to Arkansas. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees Have Fun With Improvised Event

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It wasn’t really a surprise that Mason Schwalbach won the home run derby during the Burlington Bees’ Community Basket Day at Community Field.

The surprise was who finished second.

Schwalbach edged pitcher Matthew Dinae 2-1 in the championship round, capping the two-hour event that improvised after Sunday’s regularly-scheduled Prospect League game was canceled.

Schwalbach is second on the Bees with seven home runs this season, and leads them with a .581 slugging percentage.

He got two in the first round to defeat Cedric Dunnwald, then advanced to the championship round on a tiebreaker.

But Dinae, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound left-hander from the University of New Mexico, challenged Schwalbach.

“I was getting a little nervous there at the end,” Schwalbach said. “He was putting some good swings on the ball.”

Dinae had two home runs to beat Keanu Spenser, the team leader in home runs, in the first round, then had two home runs against Corey Boyette in the semifinals.

He couldn’t get a second one to tie Schwalbach, though.

“Just tried to stay back, and get it into the air,” said Dinae, who was a two-way player at La Cueva High School in Hawaii.

“They wanted to throw a pitcher in there, is what I was told,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “We knew he had been a two-way player.

“He was in the (batting) cages earlier, when I got there this morning. He’s got a great swing. And he’s a big dude, too.”

Dinae wasn’t going to pass up the chance.

“Coach told me, ‘You’re in the home run derby,’ and I was like, ‘OK, cool,’” Dinae said. “ I just tried to do my best, tried to win.”

The home run derby, along with a five-inning intrasquad game before, was part of an event created after Sunday’s game against the Thrillville Thrillbillies was canceled so members of that team could attend the funeral of teammate Ashton Smith, who died Monday.

Community Basket Day, a charity fundraiser that awards a total $10,000 in cash and a basket full of prizes to four winners, is one of the largest events on the Bees’ schedule, so changes were made so fans come to the ballpark for the drawing of the winning tickets.

“I thought it was a great experience, fun for these guys,” said Oreskovich, who had the game-winning sacrifice fly in the intrasquad game. “It was a great, relaxed day for them. We’ve got some good guys on this team. Nobody complained against doing this, like you might get with some teams, some guys, in summer ball, when you’re not playing a game and that’s what they’re here to do. We’ve got an incredible group of guys.”

“It was nice,” Schwalbach said. “Gave us a chance to enjoy ourselves. It wasn’t really an off-day, more of a relaxed (day). Just have fun, make baseball fun again.”

The Bees are two games behind the Quincy Gems for the Great River Division’s second-half playoff spot with six games remaining in the regular season, including Monday’s doubleheader against the Thrillbillies at Community Field. Five of the Bees’ games this week are at home, including Saturday’s regular-season finale against Quincy.

“We’ve got some important games coming up,” Oreskovich said. “Hopefully we can get back to playing good baseball tomorrow, and take it from there.”

Photo: Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (left) celebrates after hitting the game-winning sacrifice fly in Sunday’s intrasquad game at Community Field. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 10, RIVER DRAGONS 9: Heat, And Wind, And A Game To Remember

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Caleb Wulf’s hit was twisting toward victory.

Coy Sarsfield was running toward victory.

And Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich, in the third-base coaching box, was a boisterous traffic cop.

It was the final scene in a frantic comeback that could define the Bees’ season.

Wulf’s hit, and Sarsfield’s run, ended the Bees’ 10-9 10-inning win over the Alton River Dragons in Friday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (23-27 overall, 13-10 second half) moved into second place in the Great River Division, staying one game behind Quincy for the division’s second-half playoff spot heading into Saturday’s game against the Gems.

They did it by rallying from an early 8-0 deficit, tying the game in a suddenly-windy ninth inning on Mason Schwalbach’s sacrifice fly and then winning it in the 10th on Wulf’s single, his third hit of the night.

“There’s not many words,” Oreskovich said. “I’ve got a few select ones that I was screaming out at the end of the game when all of that was happening.”

The noise from the clubhouse below spoke to the win.

“It means everything,” Oreskovich said. “Can you hear those guys down there? It means everything. We’re trying to do what the goal is, and winning a game like that, coming back from down 8-0 … that’s about as much as you can ask for.”

“This is definitely the greatest game I’ve been a part of,” said reliever Preston Kaufman, who allowed one run over four innings to keep the Bees close in the middle and late innings.

The Bees got two runs in the fifth inning on Schwalbach’s home run to right field, then after Alton added a run in the sixth Burlington scored three in the seventh, three in the eighth, and then the single runs in the final two innings.

“It was early, a lot of guys were down,” Wulf said. “It just started with one hit, then followed by another. We plugged away and found a way to win it.”

The game, played in oppressive conditions with a heat index of 108 degrees at the start, lasted 3 hours, 53 minutes. The humidity made it feel like time was standing still — actually, it was on the scoreboard clock, which read 11:27 from beginning to end.

Then came the gusts of the bottom of the ninth, which actually kept the Bees from winning a little earlier.

Corey Boyette opened the inning with a triple that hit off the top of the right-field wall. Schwalbach, who had struck out with the bases loaded and two outs twice in the game, was at the plate as the potential winning run when gusty winds swept across the stadium, damaging a covering over the patio down the third-base line and umbrellas in the picnic area on the first-base side.

Schwalbach stepped out of the batter’s box and the game was stopped for a few moments. He came back in to hit a deep fly ball that was knocked down by the wind, but was still deep enough to score Boyette.

“Two innings earlier, that’s a home run,” Oreskovich said. “I had all of the confidence in the world in Mason. Those other at-bats didn’t matter to him. He came up and got a big hit.”

Kyle Looper (1-0) pitched a scoreless 10th inning, nearly getting out of it facing just two batters. Jake O’Steen, who started the inning at second base under the league’s extra-inning rules, was thrown out trying to steal third for the second out of the inning, but Looper walked Chase Bloomer before Erik Brockmeier lined out to end the inning.

**Caleb Wulf slices a single down the left-field line to drive in the winning run. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Then came the 10th, when Wulf hit a 1-1 fastball from Luke Gasser (0-3) that sliced into left field. Alton’s Alex Hagen couldn’t reach the ball, which fell near the foul line as Sarsfield, who was the Bees’ 10th-inning runner, scored the winning run.

“I knew the wind was playing a factor, but I thought as long as I get a ball (into the outfield) it should help me a little bit,” Wulf said. “Just tried to keep it simple, and it paid off.

“I figured I could put a good swing on it. If (the wind) helps me, it helps me. If it hurts me, it hurts me. Just take my at-bat like I normally do, and see what happens.”

“From my point of view, I thought it was (going to be fair),” Oreskovich said. “I thought it might fall shorter than it did. I did think it was going to stay fair, and then that was incredible base-running by Coy.”

*Bees reliever Preston Kaufman allowed one run in four innings. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)*

Alton (18-33, 9-16) was constantly putting pressure on the Bees, with baserunners in six of the first seven innings. But Kaufman kept the River Dragons from scoring after giving up the sixth-inning run, retiring the last nine hitters he faced.

“I just wanted to throw strikes,” Kaufman said. “(Bees catcher Ian) Wolski started calling the slider, and the second inning I went out there, and it just worked out. They were late on the fastball, because the breaking balls were so good.”

Kaufman, who gave up six runs and only got one out in his first appearance of the season, has become a reliable middle-inning piece of Oreskovich’s bullpen. He has allowed just five earned runs in 15 ⅔ innings, and this was his longest outing of the season.

“I love it,” Kaufman said. “Love these coaches. Love to go out and put zeros on the board for them.

“O said, ‘Just keep going. Go out there, and keep rolling.’ It meant the world that O kept me out there for four innings.”

“We wanted probably two (innings) out of him, but he was looking so damn good it was hard to not use him,” Oreskovich said. “He kept coming in, he’d go, ‘One more.’ And I was like, ‘You got it.’”

The comeback complete, the clubhouse music drowned the sound of the fireworks popping outside.

“I’m going to remember this one for a while,” Kaufman said.

“We’re going to enjoy this tonight,” Wulf said. “And hopefully ride with it.”

Photo: The Burlington Bees celebrate their 10-9 comeback win over Alton on Friday. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees Change Community Basket Day Game Plans

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees’ Sunday home game against the Thrillville Thrillbillies has been canceled, but there will still be a Community Basket Day event.

The Bees announced on Friday that the game was canceled so that members of the Thrillbillies could attend the funeral of player Ashton Smith, who died on Monday.

The team tried to find an alternate opponent within the Prospect League to play in an exhibition game, but no team was available.

The Community Basket game is one of the biggest of the year for the franchise, dating back to the late 1990s during its affiliation with the Midwest League.

Instead, the Bees’ players and coaches will play in a five-inning “sandlot” exhibition game, beginning at 2 p.m., followed by a home run derby.

Community Basket winners will be drawn throughout the day, with the final prize awarded at approximately 4 p.m. after the home run contest. Winners must be present for the third prize of $2500 cash, as well as the basket and its contents.

General admission will be $5. Concessions will be available, with special drink prices.

BEES 4, RIVER DRAGONS 3: An Escape In The Ninth To Close The Gap

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Jordan Martinez likes the heat of the late innings.

The heat of Iowa in July, well, not so much.

Martinez thrived in both in the Burlington Bees’ 4-3 win over the Alton River Dragons in Thursday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (22-27 overall, 12-10 second half) pulled within a game of the Quincy Gems for the Great River Division’s second-half playoff spot by surviving what could have been a nightmarish ninth inning.

Martinez got out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation by making the pitches that have made him a pitcher that Bees manager Owen Oreskovich has relied on since Martinez arrived almost two weeks ago.

“I’ve got all of the faith in J-Mar,” Oreskovich said.

Four hits and an error, with a couple of bad hops mixed in, gave Alton (18-32, 9-15) two runs in the ninth. But Martinez got Eli Young on a broken-bat grounder that was turned into a force play at home, and retired Kaden Coutts on a line-drive out to right field. Martinez then struck out Jake O’Steen on a 3-2 fastball to end the game.

“I was like, reset, refresh, start now and focus, and that’s what I did,” said Martinez, who recorded his first save.

Martinez, a right-hander from the University of New Mexico, made just five appearances this season with the Lobos, all in relief. Coming to Burlington has allowed him to settle into a late-inning bullpen role.

“I just like all of the stress, all of the pressure,” Martinez said. “It’s amazing. It’s like a rush.”

There’s also been the adjustment to the Midwest weather. The heat index was at 105 degrees when Martinez started the ninth inning.

“The weather is a lot different than in New Mexico,” said Martinez, who grew up in Albuquerque. “It’s not dry (heat).”

Martinez got the Bees out of trouble with a comebacker from Eli Hoerner to end the eighth inning, and then when Corey Boyette hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the inning, Burlington seemed in control.

‘That turned out to be huge, didn’t it?” Oreskovich said. “I tell them all of the time, if we’re up one, two, three runs in the late innings, get a couple of more. You always want those extra runs to feel better. I mean, it turned out we needed all of that.”

Alton’s Chase Bloomer opened the ninth with a deep fly ball to center field that Lincoln Riley couldn’t get that turned into a double.

“He makes that play nine-and-a-half times out of 10, and that was the half,” Oreskovich said.

Erik Brockmeier singled to move Bloomer to third, then Evan Evola hit what looked to be a double-play grounder, but Jaden Hackbarth couldn’t make a clean pickup. Bloomer scored on the error to cut the lead to 4-2.

Tyson Greene then hit what looked to be another double-play grounder, but it took a bad hop and sailed over second baseman Caleb Wulf’s head for a single, and Brockmeier raced home to get the River Dragons within 4-3. And when Diego Murillo reached on a single, the bases were loaded.

Then came Martinez’s escape.

“That’s a lot of unlucky stuff there,” Oreskovich said. “But J-Mar pitches at a very good school. He’s not going to let something like that affect him. I had all of the faith in the world in him.”

Young’s broken bat got Martinez in the right direction.

“That was great,” Martinez said. “Then (on Coutts’ line drive to right field), a great relay to keep the run from scoring.”

And the pitch to O’Steen?

“All gas,” Martinez said. “Two-seam fastball on the outside of the plate.”

***Reece Wissinger allowed one hit in four innings in his first start of the season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)***

Martinez capped a strong night of pitching for the Bees. Reece Wissinger, making his first start since joining the team late last week, allowed one hit and struck out six in four innings. Matthew Dinae (2-0) allowed one unearned run in 3 ⅔ innings.

Wissinger, a Burlington native who pitches at Southeastern College in Florida, has worked as a reliever throughout his college career.

“Reece was Reece,” Oreskovich said. “(Making him a starting pitcher) was something they were planning on doing with him next year, is what I was told. That’s why he’s out here — to get a feel for it.”

Wissinger threw 57 pitches, which was around what Oreskovich had planned.

“I was going to take him out after the third, but he said he felt amazing, and wanted one more (inning),” Oreskovich said.

ON DECK: The Bees play host to Alton in a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday. Aiden McGee (2-3) will start for the Bees.

Box score

Photo: Jordan Martinez closes out the game for the save in Thursday’s win. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Boyette Knows How To Get On Base

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Owen Oreskovich didn’t need a sales pitch.

The Burlington Bees manager was looking for outfield help in late June when pitchers Drew Martin and Jake Jakubowski came to him with a name — Corey Boyette, their teammate at Heartland (Ill.) Community College.

“JJ and D-Mart came up here one day and they said, ‘Hey, we’ve got an outfielder for you. We’ve got this kid from Heartland…,’ Oreskovich said. “And I know how these kids from Heartland are, so I was already like, ‘Yes.’”

Martin and Jakubowski mentioned a few of Boyette’s statistics.

“And then they said he was a lefty,” Oreskovich said. “I mean, it was already a ‘Yes,’ but that solidified it.”

At the same time, Martin and Jakubowski were sending text messages to Boyette.

Again, no sales pitch was necessary.

“I was like, I don’t have any plans yet,” Boyette said. “They said they were talking to Coach O about me. In a couple of hours, I got a text saying, ‘Hey, can you be here on July 1?’”

The match has worked out, and Boyette has delivered on the advertising.

Boyette is batting .311 in 18 games, with four home runs and 14 runs batted in. He has a .488 on-base percentage and a 1.045 OPS. He has been on base in all but three games since joining the Bees on July 1.

That comes after his freshman season at Heartland, when he hit .457 with a .553 on-base percentage and a 1.273 OPS. He had six home runs and drove in 76 runs, but he also had 42 walks against 24 strikeouts, a valuable offensive piece in the lineup of a team that won the NJCAA Division II World Series.

“He knows what he’s looking for early in the count,” Oreskovich said. “He’s got an incredible eye. I mean, it’s basically as simple as that. He knows what he’s looking for, and if it’s there, he’s going to swing. If it’s not, even if it’s a strike early in the count, he’ll take it, just so he can go on.”

“I think it’s something I’ve had a lot of success with,” Boyette said. “A lot of it is, obviously, pitch selection. I trust my approach. I work my approach every game. And that’s what a lot of this summer has been — making those small adjustments that I can take into my sophomore year of college.”

Boyette has thrived in the relaxed atmosphere of summer baseball.

“I think it’s just the ability to come out here and be a little more independent, with all of the resources here,” Boyette said. “I get here pretty early every day, and take care of what I need to do. Come game time, I’m always ready.

“I knew it was a little more relaxing than a college spring season. But coming out here, it’s cool. It’s like a pro schedule. It’s something new, not having to worry about your school work every day. Just focus on baseball.”

Being a part of a championship team at Heartland has helped his confidence as well.

“Obviously, we had high expectations,” he said. “Being a freshman, I didn’t know what that was going to be like. I didn’t know we were going to win a national championship. At the end of the year, when we won, it hit me like, ‘Wow, we did this. The goal we set at the beginning of the year, we accomplished that.’

“College baseball is different, the brotherhood you have with those guys. You’re there every single day, you’re there with the same goal — win baseball games. To see the work you put in pay off at the end of the year, it was remarkable. I couldn’t be more proud of my teammates. It was probably the best experience of my life.”

It’s an atmosphere he has found with the Bees, even as a late arrival to the team.

“These guys are some of my best friends now,” Boyette said.

The change in summer plans has worked out.

“It was kind of just up in the air,” Boyette said. “I had an idea of places where I wanted to play, because I wanted to compete and get better this summer. Luckily I found a spot, and I’m glad I wound up here.”

Photo: Corey Boyette watches one of his four home runs this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees Add 8 To Roster For Stretch Run

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees added eight players to their roster for the final 2 1/2 weeks of the Prospect League season, including three players with past ties to the team.

The Bees, who are a half-game behind Quincy for the Great River Division second-half playoff spot, added some key roster pieces that included some familiar names.

Pitcher Reese Wissinger (2021 Bees), catcher Chase Honeycutt (2021-22) and infielder Mitch Wood (2022) were among those joining the team for the final stretch.

Also added were three players from Southeastern Community College’s baseball team — pitchers Colten Clarahan, Connor Lyons and Zane Frese — along with pitcher Matthew Dinae (New Mexico) and pitcher Boyd Skelley (Winona State).

Wissinger, a Burlington native, was 3-0 with four saves for the Bees in 2021, striking out 41 in 18 2/3 innings. Wissinger was 5-0 with six saves and an 0.86 earned run average at Southeastern University this season, striking out 81 in 41 2/3 innings.

Wood, an Ottumwa, Iowa native who was at Iowa for one season, hit .323 with five home runs and 35 runs batted in at Yavapai College this season.

Honeycutt hit .273 with four home runs and 26 RBIs at Jones College this season.

Clarahan had 21 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings for the Blackhawks, who finished second in the NJCAA Division II World Series this season. Lyons struck out eight in 7 1/3 innings. Frese did not pitch.

Dinae, a freshman at New Mexico, did not pitch this season. Skelley threw nine innings at Winona State.

Photo: Chase Honeycutt watches his single in a game last season with the Burlington Bees. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 8, PISTOL SHRIMP 7: Playing The Hunches

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich thought Trent Rice was going to have a big night, just watching him taking batting practice.

Oreskovich thought about giving starting pitcher Jacob Zahner another inning, but knew he had already given the Bees four strong innings.

Every move, it seemed, paid off for the Bees in Tuesday’s 8-7 win over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in a Prospect League game at Community Field.

Burlington (18-24 overall, 8-7 second half) moved into a tie with the Quincy Gems for the second-half playoff spot from the Great River Division heading into a four-game road trip that starts Thursday.

Oreskovich had wanted a good start from his rotation, and he got it from Zahner, who allowed just one earned run and five hits in four innings.

Oreskovich kicked around the idea of giving Zahner a fifth inning.

“We thought about running him out there, he was only at 79 pitches,” Oreskovich said. “But we wanted him to give us a good start, and he did that. We didn’t want him to run through that lineup for the third time.”

The Bees took a 3-2 lead in the third on Rice’s two-run home run to left field, his first of the season.

“I knew he was going to have a day,” Oreskovich said. “Well, I can’t say I knew. But his BP today was pretty damn good. It was incredible today.”

The Bees kept adding runs, getting two in the fifth and seventh innings, and one in the eighth.

That last one was important, because reliever Jordan Martinez gave up a three-run home run in the ninth to cut the lead to 8-7. Oreskovich went with closer Jake Jakubowski, who struck out the last two hitters for his fourth save of the season.

David Theriot (1-0) was the winning pitcher, giving the Bees three innings of relief, allowing two runs.

“I don’t know if he’s thrown that many pitches in a while,” Oreskovich said of Theriot, who threw 61, 45 for strikes. “But he said he was feeling good, looking good. He just gave up a couple of hits here and there, nothing special. He battled through it, left some guys on base, which was huge.”

Eight Bees had one hit each. Rice, Mason Schwalbach and Coy Sarsfield each scored two runs.

The Bees open their road trip with two games at Illinois Valley, which is one game behind them in the standings.

“We’re not changing our mindset that we have every other day,” Oreskovich said. “Just be better than the other team.”

NOTES: Schwalbach hit his league-leading 18th double in the eighth inning to drive in Rice with the Bees’ final run. Not counting the completion of a suspended game on Monday, Schwalbach has hit in his last seven games, batting .379 in the stretch. … Wulf has a five-game hitting streak, hitting .450.

Photo: Bees second baseman Caleb Wulf tags out Illinois Valley’s Chase Recetich at second base in the seventh inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)