Happy Monday!

By: Spenser Smith

Hello again, Sweets fans. I'm sure you are all well aware that this past weekend didn't quite go as planned, as the Sweets dropped the season-opening series against Bellingham, two games to one.

We did, however, see plenty of positives: Jesse Houser persevered on the mound in his Saturday start, pitching very well under pressure with runners on base. Players up and down the lineup are consistently putting together good at-bats and making solid contact. Also, Andrew Mendenhall and Jordan Frabasilio hit the first Sweets home runs of 2014, which brought the Borleske Stadium crowd to its feet in the first and third games of the series, respectively.

Speaking of Frabasilio, I had the chance to speak with him prior to Sunday's game. He joins us from Chandler, Arizona, and says his favorite thing about Walla Walla so far is the weather, enjoying a break from the already-high summer temperatures in his hometown. He's also longtime buddies with outfielder and teammate, Parker Osborne--the two met as kindergarteners, grew up together and even attended the same high school, then went on to play ball against each other in junior college. So as most others on the team get to know each other for the first time, the Arizona natives Frabasilio and Osborne are happy to have ended up on the same team once again, and both will look to contribute to a winning effort this season.

As the season goes on, I look forward to getting to know each of the players from an off-the-field standpoint, as well as (hopefully) connecting with their families and/or host families, who I'm sure are cheering them on with every pitch. Building friendly working relationships is very important for a baseball organization over the course of the 60-game West Coast League season, and despite the end results of two of our first three games, the team is already well on its way to becoming a more cohesive unit.

The Sweets will play a non-league game against the Central Oregon Bucks today at 7:05 PM and regroup before taking on the division-rival Kelowna Falcons in a three-game series beginning tomorrow. So join us this week, we can't wait to see you!

Go Sweets!