2015 Sidewinders Put Together Monster Year in Los Angeles 25+ American
‘New Look’ Sidewinders Post Great Season in L.A. South Bay 25+ American
Submitted by Nate Woerner, Sidewinders co-manager
The Sidewinders are a relatively new team to the Los Angeles Baseball League -South Bay American 25+ division. Bringing back only a couple players from the 2014 summer season, most of the team was comprised of players drafted or picked up as free agents by manager Scott Rosenfeld. The team had three managers during the season: Scott Rosenfeld, Nate Woerner, and Chris Morris. Scott Rosenfeld led the initial charge of drafting top contributors to the team and ensuring that the Sidewinders name stay alive in the league. Nate and Chris co-managed the team for the second part of the season and navigated the team to the championship.
The Sidewinders went a respectable 11-9 over the season by making a pivotal 5-1 run to
end their season. That run not only gave them new found energy, but vaulted them into the playoffs where they would beat the second seeded Crown City Cubs (13-7) 5-2 in the semi-finals in an overall nail bitter. Ace Billy Morgan tossed a gem to beat the Cubs and Eugene Dela Cruz came up with the key hit to put the Sidewinders over the top. The entire season, including the victory over the Cubs, led to a grudge match between the top two pitchers in the league, Scott Lee of 
the top seeded Long Beach Biscuits(17-3) and Billy Morgan of the Sidewinders. The Sidewinders hit the ball well and played excellent defense while leaving it all out on the field but in the end they fell to the Long Beach Biscuits 6 to 4 to finish as the runner up of the South Bay American 25+ division. The Sidewinders, very fittingly, promised to redeem themselves with an amped up offensive & defensive strike in 2016.
The Sidewinders hit .395 with 204 runs scored, 278 hits, 36 doubles, nine triples, three home runs, 161 RBI, and totaled a league leading 114 stolen bases in 20 regular season games. The Sidewinders had multiple top hitters in the league, including outfielder Nate Woerner (.514, 25 R, 36 H, 5 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 14 SB) who won the batting championship of the division. They were also led offensively by catcher and team captain Chris Morris (.483, 16 R, 29 H, 18 RBI, 8 SB) and clutch first baseman Garrett Dickson (.481, 25 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 14 BB, 6 SB). Newcomers Bryan Abbott, Scott Gelbart and 
Steven Kinzy also carried and sparked the team offensively in the second half of the season by combining for 26 runs scored, 30 hits, five doubles, two triples, 12 RBI, 10 stolen bases in seven games played. The Sidewinders also highlighted speed-demon Scott Rosenfeld, who stole 14 bases in just 10 games. (.480, 15 runs, 12 H, 1 2B, 16 BB).
At the top of the order, center fielder Mike Hastin led the team by burning the bases with 19 stolen bases and scored 17 total runs on the season (.435, 17 R, 20 H, 19 SB). Stud outfielder Jelani Curtis led the team with nine doubles (.393, 18 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 11 SB). Utility man Eugene Dela Cruz was second on the team in runs scored with 22 runs scored (.387, 22 R, 24 H, 12 BB, 7 SB). Ace pitcher Billy Morgan contributed 18 hits and 9 RBIs (.367, 8 Rm 18 H,
9 RBI). The rock at second base, Max Segal, pitched in a solid stat line of 10 runs, 19 hits, two doubles, seven RBI, and stole eight bases. In short, the Sidewinders really made offensive magic on the baseball field during the 2015 summer season by combining speed, power, and timely hitting.
The pitching staff, led by ace Billy Morgan (4.72 ERA, 80 IP, 42 ER, 57 Ks, 2 CG, 6-6) posted a 5.04 ERA while striking out 112 batters and only allowing a division third-best 88 earned runs. The staff went 11-9 with five games saved. Scott Rosenfeld served as the number two starter on the pitching staff for the Sidewinders and really anchored it in the first half by going 2-1 with one huge save and the best overall ERA (3.00 ERA, 24 IP, 8 ER, 13 K). Nate Woerner and Garrett Dickson also filled in on the staff by saving 3 games.
Ultimately, the 2015 summer season will always remembered as the start to an exciting idewinders squad in the Los Angeles Baseball League.