LUMBERKINGS 11, BEES 3: A Time For Hellos And Goodbyes

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The second half of the Prospect League season is usually a time for roster changes.

Pitchers who arrived in the first half have reached their innings limit, or position players have had enough at-bats.

It’s become that way for the Burlington Bees in the last week, with the arrival of some old faces and some new ones, and the departures of players who have been around since the beginning.

Some of the new faces made some noise in Friday’s game against the Clinton LumberKings at Community Field, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Bees from falling, 11-3.

Shortstop Bryce Brown, playing in his second game with the Bees, hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Designated hitter Keanu Spenser, who was with the team last season, had two hits and scored a run.

The Bees won just six games in the first half, so getting help to make a second-half run was going to be necessary.

“It’s a little more fun in (batting practice), because you’ve got some fresh guys out there, showing what they are able to do,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “And it’s a little bit of a challenge to the other guys.

“It’s kind of a fresh feeling for everybody.”

Oreskovich has gotten a spark from two players he had last season. Spenser is hitting .444 with a three-game hitting streak to start his season. Corey Boyette is hitting .297 in his first nine games.

“I enjoy having them, because I know what they’re capable of doing,” Oreskovich said. “It’s kind of a little bit of a bonus for me, getting to see some guys I’ve seen play before. I know they’re capable of doing incredible things.”

There are departures, too. Pitcher Bobby Helt, who had reached his innings limit for the summer, gave Oreskovich six innings of strong pitching in Thursday’s 4-1 win at Clinton, allowing just one run.

“I’ve had him for three years here, and he’s one of the best,” Oreskovich said. “It’s tough to see him go, but I totally understand it.”

Brown gave the Bees a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his home run to left field for his first hit with the team. But what could have been an early spark didn’t lead to anything else in the inning.

Cooper Donlin followed with a double, extending his hitting streak to 17 games and on-base streak to 21, but was picked off second base for the first out of the inning. Skyler Agnew singled with two outs, but he was picked off at first.

Clinton took a 4-2 lead in the second inning, then broke open the game with six runs in the sixth.

The Bees could have gotten out of the inning with no runs had they been able to turn a double play. Clinton had the bases loaded with one out when Byron Blaise hit a grounder to third baseman Carson Bittner. Bittner, who had to reach to his left to field the ball, came back to get the force out at third, but his throw to first base was late and a run scored.

Blake Timmons followed with an RBI double, James Hackett singled in two runs, Gage Franck had a double to drive in a run, then Jesse Contreras singled in a run.

“You take care of the little things, and big things fall into place,” Oreskovich said. “Little things like not getting a double play, or getting picked off in an inning where we could have gotten more runs, they hurt.”

Jack Surdey (2-1) was the winning pitcher. Jacob Zahner took the loss.

Photo: Burlington’s Bryce Brown (left) is greeted at home plate by Cooper Donlin (center) and Jace Figuereo after his two-run home run in the first inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

LUMBERKINGS 11, BEES 5: Errors Loom Over Second Loss Of Second Half

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The errors always seem to come at a bad time for the Burlington Bees.

Three errors led to three unearned runs in Wednesday’s 11-5 loss to the Clinton LumberKings in a Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees fell to 0-2 in the second half, and while manager Owen Oreskovich said he felt like his team was getting ready to break through after a 6-23 first half, the costly mistakes keep holding them back.

The Bees are tied for third in the league with 55 errors leading to 44 unearned runs.

Two throwing errors in the fifth and sixth innings helped Clinton build a 9-3 lead, and kept the Bees from mounting a comeback.

“That seems to be nothing new with how the summer has gone so far,” Oreskovich said. “It’s one of those things we can’t seem to kick.”

Each team had 13 hits, but the LumberKings (3-0) made the most of theirs. Six of the Bees’ hits came with two outs, which kept any sort of rally from developing.

“We need to get hits before there are two outs, which would be another beneficial thing,” Oreskovich said.

Clinton built a 5-0 lead in the first two innings off Bees starter Jackson Wohlers. Wohlers was hit on the right hip by a line drive from Rayth Peterson, who was the second batter of the game. Four of the five outs Wohlers got in the game were strikeouts, but Oreskovich wondered if the line drive played a role in his struggles.

“I can’t fully say that it affected him,” Oreskovich said. “But it had something to do with it. His slider wasn’t there very much after that, it was kind of staying flat. And his fastball was flat. It was his hip, so trying to push off, it could have affected him.”

The Bees got solid relief pitching. Joe Evans allowed two unearned runs and struck out four in 3 ⅓ innings. Vinny Mauro allowed just one earned run in three innings.

The Bees got two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Keanu Spenser scored on Skyler Agnew’s sacrifice fly to deep right field. Cooper Donlin, who extended his hitting streak to 16 games and on-base streak to 20 games, scored on a wild pitch.

“I like his approach at the plate,” Oreskovich said of Donlin’s streak. “He just gets in the box and does his thing.”

Agnew hit a home run in the fifth inning. Corey Boyette drove in a run with a single in the seventh, then added an RBI single in the ninth.

Photo: Burlington’s Skyler Agnew (left) is greeted by teammate Christian Dunn after his fifth-inning home run. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

HOOTS 4, BEES 2: A Stormy End To A Calm Night

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was one of those games the Burlington Bees would have liked to have seen gone the distance.

Instead, the Bees opened the second half of the Prospect League season with a 4-2 loss in six innings to the O’Fallon Hoots on Tuesday at Community Field.

The second half is a clean slate for the Bees, who had some momentum after Sunday’s 2-0 win over Springfield that ended the team’s 12-game losing streak.

And they had some momentum in this game, coming back from an early 3-0 deficit. But lightning from nearby thunderstorms forced the game to be suspended before the top of the seventh inning could start, and the ensuing heavy rain washed out the rest of the night.

It was a competitive game, something the Bees didn’t have much of on their last time at home, when they gave up 62 runs in four losses before going on the road for a six-game trip to end the half.

The Bees had seven hits, including two from Landon Akers and Merrick Mathews. Cooper Donlin extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a third-inning single.

Burlington scored its first run in the third inning when Mathews’ single to left field scored Akers. Jackson Lindquist’s double off the left-field wall scored Mathews in the sixth inning.

But the Bees squandered some other scoring chances, leaving two runners on base in four of the first five innings

Burlington also got solid pitching from starter Noah Harbin (0-3) and reliever Michael Schaul. Harbin gave up two earned runs in five innings, then Schaul pitched a perfect sixth inning with two strikeouts.

Photo: Burlington’s Landon Akers is greeted at third base by manager Owen Oreskovich after stealing the base in the third inning. (John Lovretta/bees-blog.com)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Evans Becomes Key Reliever For Bees

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It didn’t take long for Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich to gain confidence in pitcher Joe Evans.

And even when Evans struggled a bit, Oreskovich’s confidence hadn’t wavered when the Bees set out on a six-game road trip last week.

“He’s still going to pitch in big spots moving forward,” Oreskovich said.

So it was Evans on the mound to get the save in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Springfield, a victory that broke the Bees’ 12-game losing streak.

Evans allowed a hit and a walk, but struck out two, including Kyle Tyler to end the game as Burlington closed the first half of the Prospect League season with a victory after two weeks of struggles.

Evans, a left-hander, is 2-2 with one save in nine appearances this summer. He had a 4.50 earned run average, with 23 strikeouts in 24 innings.

Evans opened the season by allowing just two earned runs in 13 ⅔ innings over four appearances. He then allowed 10 earned runs in 9 ⅓ innings over his next four appearances before closing Sunday’s game.

“He’s still doing his job, and that’s what I like about him,” Oreskovich said. “He’s a competitor. He’ll go out there and give you his best every single night.”

The summer has provided some lessons for Evans, a Chicago native who was a starting pitcher at Morton College this season, going 3-1 with a 5.73 ERA in nine appearances, with 35 strikeouts in 37 ⅔ innings.

“I’ve been somewhat successful,” Evans said. “My last couple of outings have been rough, but it’s been very fun, for sure. For the most part, I’m having a good time. I’ve been getting ahead of guys and getting outs.”

Evans, who is headed to t St. Ambrose University in the fall, has gained experience with the Bees from facing players from different college levels.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot, seeing (NCAA) Division I guys, seeing guys from different schools at a higher level than I played at this spring,” he said. “I’ve definitely learned how to attack hitters at a higher level, rather than guys I can just attack with fastballs all of the time. I’ve definitely learned how to pitch a little bit more, and it’s prepared me to play at a higher level next year.”

Evans is a fast worker on the mound, something that has been a characteristic of his career, he said.

“I’ve always been a guy who’s not going to be overpowering, so I have to find any way to take advantage of a hitter, get him uncomfortable,” he said. “Usually batters like to take their time getting in the box, so I give them as little time as possible.

“I feel like even at a young age, I just got back up there and threw the ball. I noticed it started to make guys uncomfortable.”

“He works quickly,” Oreskovich said. “And that makes hitters uncomfortable. That’s something I enjoy seeing, seeing him work quickly.”

Evans said it wasn’t much of an adjustment going from starter to reliever — he came out of the bullpen in his first college season.

“It’s less of a workload on my arm, for sure,” he said. “Being a starter, you have a bit more of a schedule. You know when you’re going to pitch, so you schedule around that — your lifts, your throwing schedule on the side. Being a reliever, it’s a little bit different because it’s on short notice. Usually I’ve been on every third day or so.”

Evans said he has enjoyed his time being in a smaller town than where he grew up.

“I’m definitely not used to the smaller-town vibes,” Evans said, laughing. “I’m used to traffic, trying to find parking, stuff like that. It’s been a bit of adjustment. It’s very relaxed here, very calm.”

He has become a calming influence out of the Bees’ bullpen.

“Coming here, and being able to show him that I can be put in high-level moments, that I can be trusted, it’s an honor,” Evans said. “It’s something I’ve worked a lot on to get to this point.”

Photo: Joe Evans has two wins and a save coming out of the bullpen for the Burlington Bees this summer. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Bees’ Donlin Gains Respect As One Of League’s Best Hitters

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

First base was open and there were two outs when Burlington Bees right fielder Cooper Donlin came to the plate in Saturday’s game against the Alton River Dragons.

Alton manager Noah Suarez stepped from the first-base dugout at Community Field and motioned to plate umpire James Cottrell that he wanted to intentionally walk Donlin.

It was a strategic move — it was a tie game, there was a runner in scoring position, Donlin came into the game as the Prospect League’s leading hitter, and he had already hit a run-scoring triple in the game.

It was also the fourth inning.

“Wasn’t that funny?” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “I didn’t think that was going to happen. That’s something I haven’t seen in a little bit.”

“I mean, it was kind of annoying,” Donlin said, smiling. “It’s summer baseball, everybody is here to get reps. But yeah, I guess they have respect for me as a hitter, and it’s something that makes my confidence grow.

It’s the respect that Donlin has earned in his first month in the summer league.

Donlin is hitting .423, second in the league after Sunday’s games. He is second in the league with a .565 on-base percentage, carries a 1.180 OPS, and takes a nine-game hitting streak with him when the Bees start a six-game road trip on Tuesday.

“I just keep telling myself that every day is an opportunity,” said Donlin, who just finished his junior season at Hawaii Pacific University. “And I’m going to come every day to compete.”

It’s that kind of mentality that has Donlin batting fourth in the Bees’ lineup. He has just one home run this season, but Oreskovich knows why he wants Donlin in that spot in the batting order.

“He has an approach every single time he goes up to the plate,” Oreskovich said. “If we’ve got runners in scoring position, he’s trying to do a job. He’s got a ‘team’ approach, and he’s got that approach every single time in the box.”

Donlin is batting .500 in his current hitting streak, including his 2-for-3 night in Saturday’s 12-7 loss in which he reached base in all five trips to the plate.

“I keep telling myself I’m going to win every at-bat,” Donlin said. “And I’m going to catch every ball, get every hit. It’s a game of failure, so you’ve got to be greedy, take your opportunities, get what you can get.”

Donlin is in his third summer of baseball — he’s played in the Texas Collegiate League and the Hamptons Collegiate Summer League.

“It’s helped me a lot — traveling all around the country, seeing different places, meeting different players,” he said. “It shows you can compete at this level, and it shows you who’s out there and the competition you’re going against.”

Donlin hit .313 in 25 games for Hawaii Pacific this season. Since arriving in Burlington, he has impressed Oreskovich with his work off the field.

“He locks in on everything he does,” Oreskovich said. “When we go in the batting cages, he’s doing different things that maybe a lot of other people aren’t doing.”

Donlin has just eight strikeouts with the Bees this season, and he had six in 48 at bats during the spring at Hawaii Pacific.

“He’s got a great eye, too,” Oreskovich said. “He’ll fall into two-strike counts quite often, and he finds a way to work a walk or get a hit or put the ball in play. Not many times is he going to look stupid up there. Pitch recognition, for him, is a giant thing. And he’s really good at it.”

“I’ve always had a good eye, stuff like that,” Donlin said. “But this last year, I’ve tried to take that to the next level with my approach. Keep telling myself over and over, ‘Battle, battle, battle,’ and ‘I’m going to win this.’”

It’s a consistent battle that Donlin knows he has to bring.

“It’s a long summer,” he said. “If you have a bad day, you show up the next day and try again. You just keep showing up.”

Photo: Burlington’s Cooper Donlin hits a triple in Saturday’s game against Alton. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

RIVER DRAGONS 12, BEES 7: A Mountain With No Peak

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It’s as if the Burlington Bees are climbing a mountain that doesn’t have a summit.

The 12-7 loss to the Alton River Dragons in Saturday’s Prospect League game at Community Field was the Bees’ sixth consecutive defeat, and it was just as frustrating as all of the others.

The Bees (5-17) led 1-0 after the first inning, then spent the rest of the game chasing the River Dragons (11-11), who kept stacking runs every time there was a Burlington rally.

The Bees had eight hits, six coming from the top four hitters in the lineup, and had runners on base in every inning except the ninth.

And when Burlington got to within 8-7 heading into the top of the ninth, it appeared as if there was a chance for a final rally.

Instead, the River Dragons opened the inning with back-to-back singles from Cooper Howell and Justin Santoyo. Jordan Aguallo followed with a bunt that pitcher Kyle Looper fielded, but his throw to first sailed into right field and Howell and Santoro scored. Alton would add two more runs, then reliever Harrison Dubois retired the side in the ninth to finish the win.

Cooper Donlin continued his hot hitting for the Bees. Donlin extended his hitting streak to nine games by going 2-for-3. Donlin, who leads the league in hitting with a .423 batting average, reached base in all five plate appearances.

Merrick Mathews had two hits and drove in a run for the Bees.

Aidan Adams (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Jacob Sjuts (0-2) took the loss.

The Bees play host to Illinois Valley in Sunday’s 2 p.m. game before going on a week-long road trip.

Photo: Burlington’s Cooper Donlin slides into third base with a first-inning triple in Saturday’s game. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

CORNBELTERS 16, BEES 7: A Long Night, And More Frustration

Somewhere in the almost four hours of nine innings of baseball at Community Field was a play that Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich wants his players to remember.

It came in the fifth inning of the Bees’ 16-7 loss to the Normal CornBelters, when Burlington third baseman Skyler Agnew, chasing a foul ball that was heading toward the grandstands, made the catch as he crashed into the wall, tumbling over the railing.

Agnew was OK, and although Oreskovich said he didn’t get a good look at the play, he appreciated the play and he hoped his players did the same.

“I really love and respect that he’s giving his best effort, no matter what, and that was a hell of a play,” Oreskovich said. “That was a great catch and a great play and great effort.”

The Bees, though, are on a four-game losing streak. They have given up double-digit runs in three of those games.

So, getting back to Agnew’s play…

“It shows he cares,” Oreskovich said. “And that’s one thing I’ve been talking to the assistant coaches about is finding guys that care. Because this is unacceptable. Again, we have enough runs and enough hits to win a game tonight. We can’t get it done on the mound — we’re walking too many guys and letting too many guys get on base.

“That’s aggravating. It might be the most aggravating thing I’ve seen.”

The CornBelters had the leadoff man reach base in seven of the nine innings, and six of them scored. Bees pitchers walked nine hitters, and four scored.

“We’ve got to get ahead,” Oreskovich said. “Too many walks. I’d almost rather give up 10 home runs, because you’re throwing strikes.”

Five Bees pitchers combined to throw 210 pitches, with 122 for strikes.

“Make them earn it,” Oreskovich said. “Throw strikes, you’ve got seven guys behind you who can make plays.”

The Bees (5-15) had nine hits in the game, which lasted 3 hours, 59 minutes. Agnew had two hits, including a two-run home run, and drove in three runs. Cooper Donlin and Cedric Dunnwald each had two hits.

“We’re getting guys on base, and we’re scoring runs,” Oreskovich said. “And then there have been nights where we’ve gotten good pitching and not done that. I really don’t know what to say anymore. It’s tough.”

Logan Barnett (1-1) was the winning pitcher. Shea Blanchard (0-2) was the losing pitcher.

Photo: Skyler Agnew celebrates his two-run home run in the second inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

HOOTS 17, BEES 9: Too Many Errors, Too Many Mistakes

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was a hard game to watch.

The Burlington Bees’ 17-9 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots in Tuesday’s Prospect League game at Community Field was a struggle from the beginning.

The Hoots scored in every inning except the final two. The Bees committed five errors, had six wild pitches, and hit five O’Fallon batters.

“It’s pretty hard,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said when asked how he got through a game like that. “Our pitching was pretty bad today. Defense was bad too — every error we make, it seems we give up on a run on it. It’s pretty defeating to feel like that. It’s not a good feeling. It’s not enjoyable to watch games like that, it’s not enjoyable to be a part of games like that.

“It was just a bad game.”

It came after a crisp 7-4 win over Normal on Monday night, which led to even more frustration.

The Bees are tied for fourth in the league with 32 errors, a number that Oreskovich said has to change.

“It’s very concerning,” he said. “It’s getting to the point where it’s getting concerning. Routine plays, we’ve got to make them. There’s no excuse for it. I mean, you get a bad hop once in a while, I understand that. But there’s no excuse for some of the plays.”

The Bees almost matched O’Fallon run for run early — the Hoots led 6-5 after 2 innings. But O’Fallon kept adding runs, and seemed to be poised to win the game by the 10-run rule before the Bees got three runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 15-9.

Burlington had 12 hits. Merrick Mathews had three hits and drove in three runs. Boston Halloran had three hits and Jackson Reid had two.

“We scored nine runs,” Oreskovich said. “You should win a game scoring nine runs.”

Bees starting pitcher Jackson Wohlers gave up six runs in two innings. Kyle Looper gave up five runs in two innings. Vinny Mauro gave up six runs in three innings.

Erik Kiewiet then closed the game for the Bees with two scoreless innings.

“Kiewiet was really good the last two innings,” Oreskovich said.

Photo: Bees right fielder Scotty Savage (24) scores on a wild pitch in the sixth inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 7, CORNBELTERS 4: Meyer Steps In For A Grand Slam

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

It was a crazy story, Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said.

Oreskovich said that Bees pitching coach Tyler Richards had a prediction before Monday’s Prospect League game against the Normal CornBelters at Community Field.

“He says he thinks Nick Meyer is hitting a home run today,” Oreskovich said.

There was a problem, though.

Meyer wasn’t in the starting lineup.

“(Richards) said, ‘Pinch hit,’” Oreskovich said.

So, of course, Meyer gets into the game and hits a grand slam in the fifth inning to give the Bees a 7-4 win.

“When he hit, I pointed right to (Richards) in the dugout,” Oreskovich said, laughing.

Meyer’s first home run of the season came at the perfect time for the Bees (5-11), who had let a 3-0 lead slip away when the CornBelters scored two runs in the fourth inning and two in the fifth.

Meyer wasn’t in the game to start, but he came in after starting catcher Tucker Gibbar went out with a cramp after a single in the fourth inning. Meyer came to the plate with two outs in the fifth, and pounded a pitch from Normal reliever Zach O’Donnell (1-1) over the left-field fence.

“He got it good,” Oreskovich said.

“Just be ready to go and be aggressive early,” Meyer said of his approach. “I got my pitch and didn’t miss it.”

Oreskovich is Meyer’s hitting coach at Mount Mercy, so he knows what Meyer can do, although Meyer didn’t get too many chances this spring. He was a backup catcher behind starter Trent Hoogerwerf, and only had two hits in 17 at-bats.

“He just kind of sat back and learned and listened,” Oreskovich said. “I think it was the best thing for him and I think it’s a good thing for us going into school next year.”

“You’ve got to work really hard, earn everything, earn your spot,” Meyer said. “You’ve got to come out here and compete.”

Meyer is hitting .323 for the Bees this summer, but it’s not just his approach at the plate that Oreskovich likes.

“I just love the way he’s catching right now,” Oreskovich said. “The way he is back there, it’s huge.

“And then his at-bats. He’s not taking anything for granted. He’s going up there with a job-to-do mentality, just like if we were at school.”

“It’s amazing,” Meyer said. “I’m getting a lot of confidence. I feel good at the plate.”

The Bees took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cedric Dunnwald was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in the first run, then Boston Halloran added a sacrifice fly.

Reese Moore’s single in the second inning drove in Jackson Reid for a 3-0 lead, but the CornBelters (8-11) finally got to Bees starting pitcher Noah Harbin in the fourth inning.

Harbin had faced the minimum through the first four innings, but Normal got two unearned runs off him in a four-hit inning. Will Jesske’s double off Bees reliever Zach Leuschen in the fifth put the CornBelters up 4-3.

Leuschen (1-1) pitched 2 ⅔ scoreless innings after that, then Jack Duncan got his second save by pitching out of a bases-loaded situation in the ninth.

“Harbin did a great job,” Oreskovich said. “Leuschen did a phenomenal job after he settled in. Duncan was great — he pitched himself into a little jam there, and then he got his outs.”

The Bees have split their last four games after going through a four-game losing streak, but Oreskovich likes the way his team is developing.

“Guys are getting their at-bats, and they’re starting to get comfortable,” Oreskovich said. “I mean, it feels like it’s right there. Sometimes in games there are one or two things that don’t go your way, and that kind of decides what happens. It’s just the way it goes.

“Our guys are putting their work in — it’s not like they’re sitting at home and waiting to come to the ballpark at 3 o’clock. I like to see that.”

“We’re starting to have a lot more fun playing,” Meyer said. “We’re playing as a team now. We’re putting good at-bats together, good things are starting to happen, and we’re having fun.”

Photo: Nick Meyer makes contact on his fifth-inning grand slam. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Hawaii Pacific Pipeline Helps Fuel Bees’ Roster

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Every manager of a summer baseball league has to build pipelines to college programs to help fill a roster.

Burlington Bees manager Owen Oreskovich has one pipeline that extends approximately 4,100 miles.

That’s the approximate distance between Community Field and Hawaii Pacific University, an NCAA Division II program that has provided players to the Bees the last three summers.

Three players from the program — pitcher Shea Blanchard, infielder Skyler Agnew and outfielder Cooper Donlin — are with the Bees this season. They follow pitcher Steven Escarcega, who was with the Bees in 2022, and catcher Ian Wolski, who was with the team last year.

“It’s awesome they want to come all of the way out here, which has been a big thing for me,” Oreskovich said. “Like Wolski last year, I don’t think he had been to the Midwest in his life. It’s awesome that they want to come out here and play baseball in this league, get experience with these guys, and see a little different part of the country that they’ve never seen in their life.”

It’s a relationship Oreskovich has built with Hawaii Pacific coach Dane Fujinaka that has made the difference.

“He texted me in October, when we started talking about players coming here,” Oreskovich said. “He said he loves the connection, loves what he gets from the guys when they come back. He has nothing but good things to say. And I really appreciate that.”

That was the same message Fujinaka gave to his players.

“He said guys get sent here all of the time, they come back better,” Donlin said. “And I guess that’s what Coach wants to see.”

“He said it’s a good league, and he wants us to go out to different areas, see different calibers of pitching,” Agnew said. “A lot of good players come here, and he said it would be a good way for us to step up our games more and come back.”

“He says Coach O is super cool, and I took his word for it,” Blanchard said. “I found that out right away. First day, he showed me he is a super cool dude.”

**Shea Blanchard throws a pitch in Friday’s game against Jackson at Community Field. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

The three players come from different backgrounds. Blanchard, a freshman this season, is from Laguna Beach, California. Agnew, a junior, is from Riverside, California. Donlin has Midwest roots — he’s from Plymouth, Michigan, and played his first two seasons at Oakland University.

The chance to see somewhere new is what drew the players to come to the Bees.

“My dad and I talk about this a lot — baseball takes me a lot of places,” Blanchard said. “It will show you parts of the world you never thought you’d go to. I never thought I would be in Burlington, Iowa. You know what I mean? I think being in a different area is cool. It’s cool seeing how different people live.”

“I thought it was a great opportunity to get back to the mainland, go somewhere different other than California, because we play our games in either California or Hawaii,” Agnew said. “I thought it would be nice to get out of those states, venture out a little more, experience a different kind of environment.”

For Donlin, it was a chance to get back to the style of play he knew.

“I’m used to baseball on the mainland, because I’ve played it my whole life,” he said. “At Hawaii, it’s a little more speed-based. Here, it’s a little more fundamental. So what I want to bring is my speed, and the fundamentals.”

Donlin entered the NCAA’s transfer portal after his two seasons at Oakland, and it was easy to choose where he was going next.

“Basically I got an offer I couldn’t refuse,” he said, smiling.

The three players have had mixed results in the first couple of weeks of the season.

Donlin is batting .318 and leads the Bees with eight runs scored and seven hits — he scored three runs in the Bees’ first win of the season on May 30. Agnew is batting .200 in four games. Blanchard is 0-2 in two starts with a 14.29 ERA.

“It’s just getting comfortable in your own skin,” Blanchard said. “First outing, I was a little shaky. Second outing, it felt a lot better, a lot more grounded here. It felt like home.”

**Skyler Agnew gets ready to throw to first base in a game at Community Field earlier this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

“I struggled a little bit at the end of this (college) season,” Agnew said. “I came out here wanting to improve on the things I was struggling in. I’m just taking it day by day.”

Agnew said having his teammates with him made the adjustment to a new team easier.

“I was kind of nervous coming here,” Agnew said. “The ‘not knowing’ is scary. But I was confident with having two of my good friends come with me. I didn’t really know what I was getting into out here. It was nice to see what it had to offer.”

Blanchard said Hawaii Pacific’s roster was “a melting pot” — the Sharks had players from Georgia, Washington, Utah, Texas and Japan as well as from Hawaii and California.

He’s finding a similar experience with the Bees.

“I like to ask questions a lot,” Blanchard said. “I’m a curious cat. I’ll ask guys about their experiences, what they do, how old they are, what they’ve been through, because I value that. Hearing someone’s experiences, that’s educational. It’s cool to meet people with different experiences.”

“I think that’s the best part of this.”

Photo: Cooper Donlin leads the Burlington Bees in runs scored and hits this season. He is one of three players from Hawaii Pacific on this season’s roster. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)