Comets’ Mendiola swinging 0.744 in Majors

 Prior to the weekend’s Saipan Little League Baseball Major Division matchups at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield, Rep. Joseph P. Guerrero Dandan Comets’ leadoff batter Aurel Mendiola remains alone in first place on the batting chart with 29 hits in 39 at bats for a 0.744 batting average. Mendiola currently leads the league in RBIs (20), runs (27), triples (5), and holds a share in a six-way tie in the doubles race. He swung 3-for-3 in the Comets’ last regular season game last Saturday with a double, two runs, and a stolen base. Meanwhile, there is an exciting Junior League pitching race over at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Ballfield between IT&E-Fielders’ Jonathan Camacho and DPS Dare Program-Leep-Enforcers’ Darrion Jones. Both players share a 3.23 Earned Run Average from the mound. Other division notables include IT&E Ol’Aces’ Virgil Secharmidal, who remains the ace on the mound in the Majors. Hawaiya Technologies, Inc.-Ol’Aces’ slugger Mike Muna, for his part, has seized the top position on the junior hitting chart. Behind Mendiola comes DPS Dare Program Enforcers’ Kier Agda (0.677), Comets’ Ethan Babauta (0.667), Talaabwogh Falcons’ Benen Iguel (0.591), Pacific Amusement Rays’ Nathaniel Torres (0.560) and Jay Kalen (0.556), Secharmidal (0.538), Enforcers’ Dennis Cabrera (0.481, Natibu Tanapag Braves’ Andres Camacho (0.480), and Bank of Saipan Red Sox’s Ryan Aguon (0.478) with seven others batting 0.400 or better. Agda’s 18 RBIs positions him in front of second placer Secharmedal (17), while As Matuis Twins’ Richard John Atalig (14) and Red Sox’s Delin Ruesora (11) lead a handful of others with 10. Agda’s nine homeruns topped the field ahead of Mendiola’s six, while Secharmedal and Atalig have hammered three thus far. Secharmidal’s four triples marks second place with seven others at two apiece, while Babauta, San Vicente A’s Christian Lizama, Enforcers’ Joaquin Saralu, Secharmidal, and Enforcers’ Shakobe Rangamar, along with Mendiola, all have five doubles with Agda, Rays’ Manuel Celis, Iguel, Red Sox’s Chabo Leon Guerrero, and Braves’ Brandon Pua trailing by one. Babauta, Cabrera, and Secharmidal have 19 runs apiece to Agda’s 18. In pitching, Secharmidal (5-2) has allowed 13 earned runs off 28 hits through 36 2/3 innings (nine games), improving his earned run average to 2.13. It was a good thing for him as Atalig (2.36 ERA) is breathing down his neck with Lizama (2.87 ERA), Pua (3.03ERA), and IT&E’s Mathew Kapileo (4.50 ERA) rounding out the field. Secharmidal has also accrued a league high 82 strikeouts with Atalig (76), Pua (72), Kapileo (72), Comets’ Erik Cruz (58), Lizama (57), and Saralu (40) rounding out the field. Junior Aces’ Muna pulled on his 12th hit in 18 at bats for a stout 0.667 batting average. He leads IT&E Fielders’ Kainoa Wanket (0.600), Saipan Shipping Compnay-Jets K.J. Deleon Guerrero (0.577), Aces’ Jessie Brel (0.556), Red Sox’s Roke Tenorio (0.500), Jets’ Franco Nakamura (0.483), Jones (0.458), Aces’ Kenji Yamagata (0.444), Red Sox’s Jerald Cabrera (0.440), and Enforcers’ Caleb Takao (0.440) with two others swinging at least 0.400. Ol’Aces’ Verlance Secharmidal tops the field in RBIs with 11 and edges Nakamura (10), Deleon Guerrero (9), Muna (9) and Wanket (9). He and Nakamura also lead the league in home runs with two apiece; eight others have one apiece. Nakamura and Jones share the lead in triples with four each, with Secharmidal and Tenorio trailing by one and five others with two apiece. Muna’s five doubles fronts the category ahead of Jets’ Ben Maratita (4), Tenorio (4), Nakamura (3), Deleon Guerrero (3), and Wanket (3). In pitching, Jones (2-1) has allowed eight runs off 15 hits through 17 and a third innings (5 games), while Camacho (1-2) has given up just as many runs in the same amount of time on the mound over four games; both share an ERA of 3.23. Behind them come Red Sox’s Jhace Palacios (5.44 ERA) and Jets’ Jason Villagomez (5.68 ERA). Villagomez’s 33 strikeouts tops the field over Aces’ lefty Terson Eina (22) and Natibu Talaabwogh Falcons’ J.J. Lifoifoi (22).