Billys Bulletin Vol III: Fireworks and Foul Balls
Welcome to the online exclusive Billys Bulletin, where we run through the week that was in Rockabillys baseball, and highlight some of the most notable on and off the field moments. Reader beware, this article will ask intense questions such as, "Is cereal a soup?" Or, "Are hot dogs technically a sandwich?" And we may cover topics such as Star Wars, Adam Sandler, the ever-changing landscape that is collegiate pickleball, among many other things. If you're sensitive to Grown Ups 2, or if you're holding out hope for the sequel, then reader discretion is advised.
The Big Three
When you think of a "Big Three," what comes to mind first? Is it the omnipotent trio of LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade? Maybe the recent intrepid Warriors crew with Durant, Curry, and Klay. Or perhaps we get a little retro and look at McHale, Bird, and Parish on the 1980's Celtics squads? Well, for us, it's the "Mound Rushmore" of Cooper Casteel, Jaxson Lucas, and Chase Chamberlain. These three represent the Rockabillys in the 2025 all-star game for the Prospect League and have anchored the pitching staff with precision, power, and efficiency.
Firstly, Casteel has commanded respect on the bump this season, with 32.2 innings pitched and a 2.20 ERA. He has an innate ability to convert hitters into bystanders, and has forged a reputation on the hill that falls somewhere between maestro and wrecking ball. His 39 strikeouts ranks top three among league starters and he has failed to make it into the fifth inning just once. The kid's cooking, serving a straight diet of sliders and gas, and he has earned his spot onto the Western All-Star Team.
Chamberlain's got the formula working to the point that Plankton from Nickelodean's Spongebob would be jealous. He's pitched to a whimsical tune of 23 strikeouts and a 1.17 ERA over 23 innings pitched. Furthermore, he has allowed no more than four hits in any of his starts. This isn't some Music Man type con-artist, Chamberlain is the real deal and has been bringing the opposition some sweet chin music from the jump.
Lastly, Lucas makes a return to the all-star game in the Big '25. Last season, Jaxson represented the 'Billys at the game and also received league honors as Reliever of the Year. He returns this year with a league leading eight saves under his belt, and a 2.45 ERA with three earned runs allowed. Lucas has been racking up strikeout numbers like he gets paid by the whiff, with 16 K's to boast. The raw numbers alone put "Jaxson The Ripper" in the upper echelon of pitchers, let alone closers, hence why he found his way onto the all-star roster once again.
Get Up Marion!
The bold and battle-tested Billys battered the "Billies" in back-to-back bouts, bringing booming bats and brilliant breakers to bury their barnstorming bitterfoes.
Alliteration aside, it was a fruitful midweek series for the Goats against their rivals from Thrillville, as they avenged their late first half shortcomings with a pair of wins in Marion, Ill. First, a 5-3 victory that utilized outstanding performances from Ivan Vega and Drake Blackwood at the dish, whilst receiving aid from Jackson Campbell and Chase Armstrong on the hill. The aforementioned Jaxson Lucas was forced into a very tricky situation in the ninth, as he faced bases loaded with one out, but he found a way out.
Game two had the makings of a classic, but instead, it turned into a massacre. Jackson run-ruled Thrillville, with Vega and Charlie Jury leading the way for the offense. That pair accounted for eight hits, eight RBI, five runs, and an .800 batting average. Along with that, we saw a pitching appearance from Bradey Moad, who hadn't pitched since he graduated at Christian Academy of Louisiville. Moad took a detour from his day job and moonlighted as a strikeout artist when he K'd the side in his lone inning of work - it was three up, three down with no résumé required.
The wins were amplified in significance, as it marked the first ever sweep of a two-game set at Thrillville, and moved Jackson up to frontrunner in the south division.
Red, White, and Who?
No better time of year than the Fourth of July. As expected, this years game on America's birthday brought out an extremely large crowd of 'Billys fans. Over 4000 people showed out to Friday's contest between Jackson and O'Fallon. Despite the loss, which was the first on a fireworks night all year, folks were thrilled to catch a game and watch a fireworks show that was truly one of a kind.
That being said, many loyal Rockabillys fans saw a lot of new faces this past weekend. Drew Blalock, Drew Ripepi, Brock Tapper, and Gregory Berroa have all recently reported to Jackson, Tenn. and more players are on the way. Ripepi and Blalock both quickly acquianted themselves with their new squad, as Blalock unleashed a bomb in his first game as a Goat, and Ripepi was vital in powering a comeback win in game two versus O'Fallon Saturday night.
Tapper pitched five innings and allowed a singular run to score in his first outing, and Berroa wrapped up a 1-for-3 effort in his season opener. The new faces have already revamped the energy, and the excitement only grows in Jackson as more players arrive.
Foul Ball
Emphasis is on the word foul here. In a hilarious moment late in Sunday's game verus O'Fallon, a skunk had made its way onto the field of play around home plate and momentarily demanded the attention of the entire stadium. It made it's way slightly over to the Rockabillys dugout, which created a picture-worthy moment of an entire group of young men huddled on one stairwell as far away from the home plate area as possible, before moving towards the visitors dugout.
The Hoots dugout followed suit, but instead of going for the dugout, the critter sauntered towards the visitors bullpen and by the tarp. Pitchers clad in yellow hats and grey jerseys scrambled to grab their dugout jackets and race away towards safety. A couple insisted on holding their ground and staying put, and a few extremely curious players walked towards the skunk to catch a better look.
However you look at it, the brief delay was comedic relief, and it does a great job of reminding us that we are blessed to be playing, watching, and enjoying a game at the end of the day.
Goats Notes
Well that is all for our third volume of Billys Bulletin! Be sure to stay involved here at rockabillysbaseball.com to get your fix of Goats news, articles, and more!