Ramblers ride dominant pitching to 9-1 start

The 2011 edition of the Key West Ramblers set the bar awfully high. They began the season by winning 14 of their first 15 games, finished with a team record 35 wins and took three tournament titles.

So far, the 2012 squad has been every bit as good, racing out to a 9-1 start on the strength of a pitching staff that has a microscopic 2.04 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting just .207 against Key West hurlers and the Ramblers have outscored their opponents 68-23 in the season's first 10 games.

Already a team single-game record has been broken. Spencer Kuehn (pictured at left) baffled Peosta to the tune of 16 strikeouts in a 6-4 win on May 20, setting a new team standard. Kuehn, a California native and University of Dubuque product, owns a record of 2-0 to go along with a 2.30 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 15.2 innings of work.

In the team's most recent outing, Ben Cottrelll continued his dominant work, going eight innings and allowing just five hits and a walk while striking out eight in the Ramblers' 6-0 blanking of Farley on Tuesday. Cottrell improved to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 0.56.

Meanwhile, Sean O'Connor has yet to give up an earned run in his first 18 innings pitched. The right-hander dazzled in his May 17 start against Monticello, tossing eight shutout innings with 15 strikeouts. O'Connor has a mark of 2-0 and has also recorded a save this season.

At the plate, the Ramblers are batting .332 through the first 10 games. Chris Briggs leads the way with a .429 clip, as he has picked up where he left off after stellar seasons each of the last two years. Briggs, who became the first player ever for Key West with back-to-back seasons of 30 or more RBIs in 2010 and 2011, has two homers and six RBIs in nine games.

Briggs and shortstop Dan Spain accomplished a rare feat when both players homered in consecutive games. The two Rambler standouts clubbed a single home run each in the May 16 win over Rickardsville and in the May 17 triumph over Monticello. Spain, who was recently named the new head baseball coach at Clarke University, is batting .361 and leads the team with 10 RBIs.

Five other regulars in the Key West lineup are batting above .300, including Tim Carty (.421), Kuehn (.389), Cory Davidson (.350), Chad Crabill (.324) and Brian Solemsaas (.310). Kuehn has been a doubles machine thus far, striking for seven two-baggers on the season.

The Ramblers return to action on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. when they take on Cascade in the first round of the Bellevue Tournament.

To view updated season stats, click here.

Ramblers reel off three more victories, move to 5-0

For the second-straight season, the Ramblers have won each of their first five games. Since Saturday, Key West has rattled off victories over Monticello, Dubuque and Rickardsville.

After cruising to an 8-0 five-inning run-rule win over Monticello in the first round of the Preseason EIHL Tournament at Farley on Saturday, the Ramblers squeaked out a 4-3 Prairie League triumph over Dubuque on Sunday. Spencer Kuehn picked up the win on the mound and also collected a double at the plate. Mark Hennessy took the loss for the Blues.

In the team's first EIHL game of the season on Wednesday, Key West pulled out another tight contest, winning 6-4 in Rickardsville. Ben Cottrell notched the win with a stellar effort on the mound. Sean O'Connor later came in and got out of a tough jam in in the eighth after Kuehn had struggled in relief of Cottrell. O'Connor earned the save as the Ramblers improved to 5-0.

Rickardsville's three-run eighth made it a 5-4 game, but Chris Briggs responded with a solo homer in the ninth to cap all scoring and gave the Ramblers some extra breathing room. Dan Spain also homered for Key West.

Four Ramblers - Briggs (3-for-5), Spain (2-for-5), Chad Crabill (2-for-5) and Brian Solemaas (2-for-5) - belted at least two hits.

Key West hit the road again Thursday for a 7 p.m. EIHL game with Monticello.

Denlinger double keys Rambler rally

Shaky defense and fourth-inning wildness from starting pitcher Sean O'Connor led the Ramblers into a 4-2 hole Friday night, but a sixth-inning rally put Key West up for good on the way to a 7-5 Prairie League road victory over Bellevue.

Center fielder Tanner Denlinger had the big blow in the sixth, a two-run double that pushed the Ramblers in front, 6-4. Denlinger's key hit highlighted the four-run outburst in the frame.

O'Connor, who went 10-1 last season, picked up his first win of the season by going six innings. He allowed four runs (none earned), three hits and five walks to go along with three strikeouts. Kyle Staats relieved O'Connor in the seventh and fired the final three innings to get the save. Staats battled wildness (four walks), but struck out six.

Spencer Kuhen and Sergio Cruz, both playing in their first career games as Ramblers, tallied three hits apiece for the victors. In addition, Caleb Johnson went 2-for-4 as part of a 12-hit attack. Seven Ramblers recorded at least one hit.

Key West is back in action Saturday at 8:30 p.m. when it plays Monticello in the first round of the EIHL Preseason Tournament at Farley Park. The Ramblers will also host Dubuque at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Table Mound Field.

Ramblers cruise in 2012 opener

The Key West Ramblers began their defense of last season's Prairie League title on Sunday by pounding visiting Placid, 14-2, at Table Mound Field. Newcomer Brian Solemaas pitched four quality innings and cracked a grand slam as part of the Ramblers' seven-run fourth to highlight the opening day victory.

Solemaas, the pitching coach at Clarke University, tossed four innings, allowing four hits and one earned run to go along with five strikeouts in his Key West debut. Chad Crabill also starred in the batter's box for Key West, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a double and a hit by pitch. Crabill added two runs and two RBIs.

Placid got on the board first with a Chris Powers RBI single in the top of the first, but the Ramblers responded with four runs in the bottom half. All nine hitters came to the plate in the frame, with Crabill's two-run double providing the ignition.

The Ramblers later batted around in the fourth inning, increasing their lead to 12-1 by the time it was over. Kelly got the scoring started with a two-run double of his own to make it 7-1. After Crabill was hit by a pitch and Tanner Denlinger walked, Solemaas strolled to the plate with the bases loaded. He proceeded to connect on the 1-0 pitch for the first Key West home run of the season. A bases-loaded walk by Cory Davidson five batters later capped the fourth-inning explosion.

Nine Rambler hitters tallied at least one hit and three recorded two or more hits. Chris Briggs went 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI in support of Crabill's big day. Shortstop Dan Spain collected two hits in four at-bats with a run and an RBI.

Placid's John Powers led the Pirate attack with a 3-for-4 performance, while Matt Moore was tagged with the loss on the mound.

Key West continues Prairie League play on Friday when it takes on Bellevue on the road. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. The Ramblers will also be in action on Saturday and Sunday.

2012 Key West Ramblers Program

Pairings Set for Preseason EIHL Tournament

The Ramblers will look to defend their title at last season's Preseason EIHL Tournament when they take the field at Farley Park on May 12 at 8:30 p.m. Second-seeded Key West draws seventh-seeded Monticello in the first round. The Ramblers won by scores of 11-3 and 11-1 in two meetings in 2011.

2012 EIHL Preseason Tournament (all games played at Farley Park)
(Seeding based upon last season's regular-season EIHL finish)

First Round - May 11
No. 4 Farley vs. No. 5 Rickardsville, 7 p.m.
No. 1 Dubuque vs. No. 8 Worthington, 8:30 p.m.

First Round - May 12
No. 3 Cascade vs. No. 6 Dyersville, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Key West vs. No. 7 Monticello, 8:30 p.m.

Semifinals - May 18
Dubuque/Worthington vs. Farley/Rickardsville, 7 p.m.
Key West/Monticello vs. Cascade/Dyersville, 8:30 p.m.

Consolation Game - May 19
5 p.m.

Championship - May 19
6:30 p.m.

Career Statistics Update

Career statistics dating back to the 2005 season have been updated for all noteworthy Key West Ramblers. Simply click on "Career Statistics" at the top right under "Rambler Links."

Some highlights include Dan Spain's franchise record .358 career batting average and Ned Schauff's Rambler-best 300 career strikeouts. Chris Briggs' seven home runs and 35 RBIs in 2010 still stand as a team single-season records.