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Show B2 SPORTS Owlz already gelling early in season ix] wormiikic I Ca! rn BY JONATHAN BOLDT Sports Writer For the Angels organization, winning the right way is what matters. They emphasize the little things that breed winners, and the attitude has trickled its way down from the top. Coach Kotchman reinforced the idea after last week's series-opening win against division rival Ogden. "It has to do with players taking their ground balls and their infield work seriously," Kotchman said. "Then when game time comes, it just happens naturally and you know what to do. That is handed down from the top of the organization all the way down. `Do what it takes to win.'" It showed after the Owlz' 23-1 win over Casper in the second game of the year, when Taylor Lindsey (4-for5 , 4 RBI) chose to focus on the team over his own performance. "It's all about winning," Lindsey said. "If I do well then hopefully it's helping the team, but that's the goal is just to win." Ditto for right-fielder Ryan Jones after reaching first on an error that would have ended the bottom of the ninth tied at two, but instead brought home Jarrod Parks for the game-winning run. "All I can say is I hit the ball and it seemed like it would never get there," Jones said. "Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. As long as we win, it's all good." It worked, with the Owlz winning six of their first seven while putting up some impressive numbers. They don't rely on just established talent. After their 3-2 win over the Raptors, Ryan Jones said, "We come from all kinds of spectrums. We come from free agents all the way out to first-rounders. We all mesh well. You can't win [with] a team that doesn't mesh." 7 ' 11 .1 101It - - GILBERT CISNEROS/UVU ATHLETICS Owlz right fielder Ryan Jones prepares to swing during Orem's 3-2 win over Casper. The Owlz began the season winning six of their first seven despite having their roster organizing just 48 hours before the season opener. In that game, the winning combination in the bottom of the ninth included Taylor Lindsey (first round), Kaleb Cowart (first round), Francis Larson (22nd round), Jarrod Parks (24th round), and Ryan Jones (free agent). Throw in an injured Frazier Hall (16th round), and this jumbled mix of top prospects and pleasant surprises makes for an exciting young team that has put together an explosive start to this season. The Owlz boast three of the league's top overall batters in Parks, Cowart, and Hall, and Cowart led the league in hits (20 in 11 games) going into Friday's match against Ogden. The Owlz pitching staff has been a patchwork of team effort. There have been stellar performances, including PJ Jang's one-hit shutout through six innings and Logan Odom's one-hit shut-out through five innings. Left-hander Aaron Meade had 14 strikeouts through his first 12 innings pitched. Junior Carlin's appearance drew high praise from Kotchman. "What he is great at is that changeup," Kotchman said. "He was throwing in the upper 80's, lower 90's, but he can throw that changeup at any time and in any count. Our other pitchers should ask him how to throw it. It's that good." The icing on the cake has been the outstanding play by both the infield and outfield. When pitchers have gotten in trouble, they find a way to create a double play, snag a ranging infield ball to take away a hit, or make a diving catch in the alley to rob the batter of an extra base hit. "Those aren't easy plays," Kotchman said. They're not great plays, but they are plays that need to be made, and those are outs and outs are hard to get." The result has rewarded fans in Orem for their strong attendance to start the year. 6,000-plus filled the 5,000 seat stadium on opening day ,and they have averaged over 3,000 since, good enough for third in the league. STANDINGS AS OF FRIDAY, JULY 1 Pioneer North Division Helena 7-4 Billings 6-5 Great Falls 5-6 Missoula 4-7 .636 .545 .455 .364 Pioneer South Division Ogden 7-4 Orem 7-4 Idaho Falls 6-5 Casper 2-9 .636 .636 .545 .182 Former Ute star, first•round pick debuts for Owlz FRANCIS LARSON Orem Owlz catcher Francis Larson is a product of UC Irvine. Through his first five games played, the right-hander is batting .350, including one triple, one home run and eight RBI. Sports writer Gant Stokes caught up with Larson to find out more about the man behind the catcher's mask. You went to London for school. What was that experience like? A: Well, I was there for nine months, getting a master in socio-economic theory. You get exposed to things. London is a huge finance center. Great perspective. Q: Did you miss baseball while there? A: Oh gosh yes. Every day. I went from being outside every day to being inside all day. It's cloudy all day. I didn't even get to watch baseball. It's all cricket. Q: Which sport do you hate to watch on T.V.? Which do you love to watch? A: Oh, I hate hockey. Baseball is my favorite for sure. Q: Your proudest baseball moment? A: Playing for UC Irvine in the College World Series. Q: Your most embarrassing moment? A: Well, I had a wild pitch walk-off. The worst nightmare for a catcher. Q: What is your favorite music to warm up to? A: Eighties Pop. Whitney Houston's "I want to dance with somebody" is my walk out song. GIILBERT CISNEROS/UVU REVIEW Former University of Utah star C.J. Cron was drafted by the Angels with the 17th overall pick. Q: Your favorite victory food? A: A cold Coca-cola Q: What summer movie do you want to see most? A: Hangover 2, but I don't go to movies much. Q: What's your favorite baseball team? A: The Angels Q: Are you paid to say that? A: No. I grew up in Belinda, CA, so I grew up loving the Angels. Q: Which player inspires you? A: Manny Ramirez. I liked how he was relaxed and played so well. Q: Are you a Miami Heat hater or believer? A: Believer. I love what they did. Q: BY JONATHAN BOLDT Sports Writer If there is an award to be won, chances are Angels firstround selection and current Owlz first baseman CJ Cron has won it. He even holds an unofficial record as the only player to get three hits off of No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg in a game. His collegiate numbers are imposing: .396 batting average, 46 home runs, 198 RBI's, and a .713 slugging percentage. On top of the numbers, it helps that he comes from a baseball family. His father, Chris, played for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (then the Los Angeles Angels) and is currently coaching in the Detroit Tigers system. He also has a brother, Kevin, who was drafted in the third round by the Seattle Mariners. Kevin is still deciding between playing for the Mariners or following through on his commitment to TCU. "I've been around the game ever since I could walk, corning to the ballpark every day with my dad," Cron said. "Hanging out with the guys I think taught me a lot about how to conduct myself." What does that all mean for the Angels and manager Tom Kotchman? For both, the only thing that matters is his production as a starter with the Owlz. In his initial exchange with Kotchman he was told, "Just go out and do what you do. You're here for a reason and don't try to do anything too much." The last position player the Angels drafted out of college was Troy Glaus, who led them to a championship title and earned a World Series MVP. Hype has no place with coach Kotchman and the Angels organization, however. There will be nothing handed to Cron. He will have to prove to Kotchman that he deserves his spot in the line-up. That doesn't mean there isn't pressure for Cron to produce, which suits him just fine. "I think I enjoy pressure," Cron said. "When there's no pressure the game gets kind of boring sometimes. Baseball players, we strive off pressure, I'm definitely going to look forward to it." The real winners for now are the Owlz organization and fans. Despite a torn labrum, Cron has decided to postpone surgery until after the season ends for the Owlz. Although not a Utah native, Cron played his college ball at the University of Utah, and local fans will get the chance to continue watching him develop in person. The Owlz could not have asked for a better situation — a good team for the standings and a local star to bring people to the stands. |