2016 Dodgers Regroup and Claim ‘Three-Peat’ in 30+ Division in Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley Men’s Baseball League 30+ Division
Dodgers 4, Aquilas 0
‘Dodgers Rebound to Post ‘Three-Peat’ in 30+’
Submitted by Ben Ward, Willamette Valley League President
The start of the 2016 season saw the Dodgers aiming for their third consecutive championship. Winners of 41 of their last 42 games and the past two championships, the Dodgers once again looked to success by way of their dominant pitching and defense. Extending their winning streak to 33 games, the Dodgers were in fact riding their dominant pitching, great defense and timely hitting to the top of the leader board. In their sixth game of the season they experienced a first in almost three years; they lost a game. A combination of injuries and the baseball gods saw the Dodgers suffer through a three game losing streak along with one more loss during the regular season to finish as the second seed going into the playoffs.
As the playoffs started the Dodgers got healthy and outscored their opponents 15-0,
including a 4-0 win over the regular season champion Aquilas, to win their third consecutive championship. While the season was tougher than expected, it proved to be a positive at it showed more parity in the league which should help the longevity of the league.
The Dodgers were once again led by a dominating pitching staff that posted a team ERA of 3.38, a team WHIP of 1.47 and a K/BB ratio of 2 to 1. The team posted a .304 batting average and a team OPS of .750. The Dodger offense was led by Taylor Blair .553/.558/.615 and Chris Carlgren.450/.488/.600.
The Dodgers are looking forward to 2017 and a chance to claim their fourth consecutive championship.