Around the ABL: April 21-May 4

Joe Frost

April 21: Minnesota 10, So Cal 14. Über-prospect Joe Frost is off to a blistering start. Crayon is batting .377, slugging .672, and he's gotten a hit in 14 of 15 games this season. This afternoon, he kicks off a seven-run rally in the eighth inning with a two-run home run. A few batters later, Ron Hutchins gives the Republic the lead with his first major league home run, a three-run fly down the line in right.

Rich Bussell

April 23: Ann Arbor 4, Dallas 6. Few things in baseball are as pretty as Rich Bussell's changeup—unless you're trying to hit it, that is. Texan Bussell (3-1) strikes out 15 Barn Owls over 7 2/3 innings, including striking out the side in the first, third, and sixth innings. He joins Raúl Pérez, Aurelio Ramírez, and Maurice Gould as the only pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Around the ABL: April 7-April 20

April 7: Montreal 1, Dallas 4. The Montreal Bandits, seeking their third consecutive ABL Championship, get mowed down by Rich Bussell. Bussell (1-0) strikes out nine and allows only one hit over seven shutout innings. The Texans go on to sweep the three-game series with the Bandits. The absence of Tom Becker looms large as Montreal scores only four runs in those three games.

Colin St. John

April 9: Eureka 2, Las Vegas 9. Colin St. John wastes no time silencing the skeptics. In 2012, he won the 2012 Silver Slugger Award and led his Las Vegas Jokers to the World Series. In June of 2013, he suffered a concussion and was lost for the rest of the season. At 32 years old, everyone wondered whether he would be the same player.

Well, everyone except St. John. "Imma gonna tear the cover off 'a that ball," the New Jersey native said, "You got a problem with that?"

And tear the cover off the ball he has. Today he goes 4-for-4 with a home run and three runs-batted-in. Over the next six games, he will rack up 15 hits in 26 at-bats with four home runs and 11 RBIs. And you can bet that if St. John is back, then the Jokers are back to contend for Sparky Anderson Division crown.