Rockets are coming together nicely

Nine games may be a small sample size in terms of gauging a baseball team’s performance.
But in this case, nine games is more than a third of the Portland Rockets’ 26 scheduled games.
And through the first 12 days of summer baseball in Portland, the Rockets are indeed rolling.
Big Dan Bollenbacher dazzled again, striking out a dozen and giving up one hit in five innings, helping the Rockets to a 9-4 victory against the Fort Wayne Panthers on Wednesday at Runkle-Miller Field.
It was the fifth straight win for the Rockets, who are now 7-2 and three-years removed from playing in the National Amateur Baseball Federation World Series.
With a veteran core of Dalton Tinsley, Bill Geeslin, Mitch Waters, Zach Tanner, Alex Delk and Bollenbacher, the Rockets are a seasoned group.
Tinsley had a slow start to the season but has finally gotten confidence at the plate that has resulted in a home run in two of his last three games. He was 5-for-7 with six RBIs in two games Sunday. The lefty has been a staple atop the batting order and in center field.
Tanner returns to the Rockets after a stint with the Frontier Greys of the Frontier League, and he anchors the infield as shortstop. He mentioned Sunday that it has taken him a bit of time to readjust to pitching at this level. He had his timing down that day, though, as he blasted a solo home run as part of a doubleheader sweep of the Twin City Bankers.
Geeslin has a bat and leadership qualities that can’t be taken out of the lineup, so the Coldwater product and former Huntington University player finds himself all over the field, whether at third base, in left field or at second base.
Waters, who played at Manchester College and in Italy for three years, is just as versatile. The 2002 Jay County High School graduate was a pitcher and left fielder last season. He still pitches, and despite having lost a few miles per hour on his fastball, he is effective in continuing to pound the strike zone.
Think Greg Maddux in his later years.
“Those guys tend to get better with age,” Miller said Sunday. “It’s not all talent. It has to do with experience, getting ahead in the count, working the pitcher.”
Waters also played left field at times last season, but he gave that up to fill a hole at first base and leave the extra running to the younger players.
Speaking of younger guys, Waters has been a mentor to the first-year players, especially pitcher De’Quan Blackmon, a Muncie native. Blackmon struggled early on in his outing Sunday, but a quick pep talk from Waters helped him settle down after a shaky start.
Delk is also a power arm manager Randy Miller can use from time to time. He has strength behind his bat and a cannon at third base. He also has a quick glove and fast footwork that can earn him a spot turning double plays at second base with Tanner.
Then there are the youthful returnees, in Jay County graduate Kyle Selvey (Huntington University) and former Starfires Collin Affolder (Bethel College) and Chandler Ingle (Goshen College). All three donned the gold and black last season and got time on the field in Wednesday’s win.
Jagen Millspaugh and TJ Lindstrand handle most of the catching duties and have both played in Portland for a handful of seasons.
There are also a number of new faces this year in pitchers Garrett Scott and Dan Borchers. Brett Funk, Isaac Fitzgerald and DJ Manning are primarily infielders, with Tristen Becker taking Waters’ spot in left field and Kevin Sharp able to play anywhere.
“Each individual has a skill set that offers a little something different,” said Miller, who used a combination of 19 players Wednesday night. “This lineup shows they can hit the ball. Could be an up and down force with a lot of capability.”
That was prevalent in each of the last three games, during which the Rockets totaled 29 runs on 28 hits, including three home runs, five doubles and a triple.
If the first nine games of the season are any indication, Portland could very well be on its way back to the NABF World Series. The solid mix of veteran players and youngsters is a recipe for fun baseball.
And it’s also nice to see a group of guys having fun while doing so.
The Rockets have a road-heavy schedule with just four more regular-season home games — a doubleheader June 18 before single contests July 6 and 8. Portland then hosts the World Baseball Congress tournament July 22 through 24.
With so few chances left this summer to see the Rockets at Runkle-Miller Field, it would be wise not to miss an opportunity.