 As the dust settles on CCW’s slow pitch session, there were plenty of surprise performances and questions raised amidst the action. Let’s unpack what we saw — and what it might mean for the fast pitch season ahead. 🟢 The Moonshots’ Offense: Even More FearsomeIf you thought the Moonshots’ lineup was already unstoppable, their performance in slow pitch session confirmed they might be even more potent than we realized. Thomas Hopkins — fresh off his mid-session pickup — immediately became their top bat of the session, mashing at a rate that kept pitchers awake at night. And let’s not sleep on Connor Smith, whose top-10 batting average suggests he’s turning a corner into consistency. With Smithey and Garavalia expected to be steady on the bump in fast pitch, this offense is built to cause serious damage — maybe historic damage. 🔴 8 Balls: Don’t Sleep on This OffenseWhile Alex Gurtcheff’s 31 home runs rightfully stole the headlines (11 more than the next closest), the bigger takeaway is that the rest of the 8 Balls lineup quietly turned in some sneaky-good production. Werner is a proven fast pitch bat, and the bottom of the order chipped in far more than expected. Hitting in fast pitch is another beast entirely, but with their momentum and Gurtcheff’s MVP form, the 8 Balls are a real threat to do damage. 🟡 Short Shorts & Yakkers: The Run Prevention FormulaThe Shorts and Yakkers both ended up on the wrong end of the standings, but they’ve clearly built their identities around run prevention. The Shorts will lean heavily on Witty’s elite arm and Dudas’ hands, making them a nightmare to score on in the fast pitch format. Meanwhile, the Yakkers’ retooled rotation — with Dowden, Buchman, and Lyon — is arguably the best in the league. But here’s the rub: both teams - especially the Shorts - struggled to score in slow pitch. That’s not a great sign when the pitching gets tougher in fast pitch, and it puts a lot of pressure on their defensive edge to carry them.  🔵 The Hounds’ Bottom Half: The X-FactorFor the Hounds, the top of the order — with Jones and Alles — is set in stone. But slow pitch showed us that they need much more from the bottom half of the lineup if they’re going to break through. Outside of Josh Hart’s explosive week two, that group was too quiet. The biggest question: can Buis rebound in fast pitch and give them the lift they need? Because if the bottom of this order doesn’t get moving, the Hounds may find themselves stuck in neutral. 🟠 Availability Woes: Real or Planned?One of the more under-discussed threads from slow pitch is the absence of a few key players. Coby Taylor’s bat and defense were both missed by the Hounds, and Jake Sprinkle’s absence was a minor blip in slow pitch — but it could be catastrophic if it extends into fast pitch. And of course, the Yakkers’ big investment in Dowden only matters if he’s there to deliver. Are these players saving themselves for the higher-stakes Dirtyard Classic run, or is there a real risk of them not showing up when it matters most? That’s a question every contender is quietly asking. 🟡 Do the Stampede Need a Table Setter?The Stampede’s offense was boom-or-bust in slow pitch: they led the league in home-run rate, with 44% of their hits leaving the yard. But when paired with an OBP that was only slightly above average, it left them prone to empty innings. In fast pitch — where contact and on-base ability become even more critical — they may need someone to set the table for their sluggers. Enter Dalsen Murdock, who’s a bat-to-ball wizard and could fill this gap perfectly come fast pitch season. If the Pede find that missing piece, their power game could be borderline unstoppable.  ⚾ A Few More Questions Loom:
As we shift our eyes to the fast pitch season and the Dirtyard Classic, one thing’s for sure: CCW’s parity is as real as ever. The Moonshots’ lineup looks generational, but the 8 Balls just proved that momentum can take down even the most stacked squad. CCW Fast Pitch opening day is June 4. — Jorf Porsson #CCW #SlowPitchRecap #FastPitchPreview #DirtyardClassic #CCWStorylines
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 After a couple of weeks off of action - one due to rain and another due to Mother’s Day weekend (we love moms) - CCW is back this Sunday for its final slate of Slow Pitch season games. A crucial series for several teams will open the day, and the championship and consolation games will immediately follow. By the end of the day Sunday, the Slow Pitch champions will have been crowned. First, let’s reset with our current standings: 1. Moonshots (6-1) 2. Stampede (5-3) 3. 8 Balls (5-3) 4. Hounds (4-4) 5. Yakkers (2-6) 6. Short Shorts (1-6) Final Regular Season Series PreviewsHounds (4-4) vs. Moonshots (6-1) The Moonshots, after their addition of Thomas Hopkins, look as close to unstoppable as a team can look in this style of play. There are no breaks in their lineup, to the point that Will Smithey has been the 5th most productive player on the team. That isn’t a typo. But, the Hounds have a window into the championship if they can outslug the Shots on Sunday. It would also require some cooperation from the Stampede and 8 Balls, potentially, but 2 wins would do a lot for their aspirations. That said, I think the Moonshots are too powerful throughout the lineup right now, so I have a hard time seeing them drop a game. Prediction: Moonshots sweep Player of the Series: Will Smithey finally picks up some slack and powers the Moonshots to victory. 8 Balls (5-3) vs. Stampede (5-3) This will be the most impactful matchup this weekend - as the 8 Balls and Stampede face off with 2nd place on the line. The Stampede run differential - the tie breaker in the event of a split - is much better than the 8 Balls’, so it would likely take an 8 Balls sweep to propel them ahead of the Pede. 2 of the Pede’s 3 losses look like flukes, dropping 2 games to the last-place Yakkers while missing several players, and starting a 10-year-old (who, fairly, held his own!) in their stead. They’ve also split with the first-place Moonshots. The Stampede are legit. The 8 Balls, perhaps predictably, haven’t gotten elite production from any of the guys in their lineup, but instead steady production from just about everyone. They sit at .500, but have the ability to play at a higher level if more than 1 or 2 guys can hit at the same time. Prediction: series split Player of the Series: Dalsen Murdock has his best series of the season and gets the Stampede into the finals. Short Shorts (1-6) vs. Yakkers (2-6) The Shorts and Yakkers sit at the bottom of the standings this session - though they might be favorites in the fast pitch session to come - and will try to battle out of the last place spot this matchup. The Shorts’ recent addition of Connor Young could prove to be a meaningful one, if he is able to get to these games. They’ve lacked offense in a major way, producing only 32 runs prior to their makeup series earlier this week - they could double their run total and still be last in that category, behind the Hounds’ 65. The Yakkers, on the other hand, have scored the 3rd most runs this season, but have allowed nearly 50 more runs to the opposition than the next worst team. If not for their two wins against the severely undermanned Stampede, they would be entering the final weekend winless. Ultimately, I think the Yakkers come out on top this weekend, with the Shorts unable to keep up with the Yaks’ bats. Prediction: Yakkers sweep Player of the Series: DLewwy catches fire in the midst of a pre-Indy 500 stupor and has a huge series.  Playoff PredictionsFollowing these series, the top 2 teams will square off in a best-of-3 series to crown a champion. The 3rd and 4th place teams will battle for bronze, and the bottom 2 teams will try to Not Be The Worst - both in one game sudden-death series.
Toilet Bowl Prediction - Yakkers over Short Shorts 3rd Place Game Prediction - 8 Balls over Hounds Championship Series Prediction - Moonshots over Stampede in 3 |
AuthorThese articles are written by the talented members of the Dirtyard Dish content team. Archives
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