Weekly Top Five: April 13-April 19

Two weeks into the season, and Eureka leads all of baseball with a record of 11-2. But what's surprising is that they have done this despite their best player, Mike Bergeron, hitting only .224! Bergeron went 40/40 last season, with 45 home runs and 46 stolen bases, but he has yet to homer this year and he has been caught steal three times in five attempts.

How has Eureka done it? Having four starting pitchers with ERAs under 2.00 certainly helps.

But enough about the Hornets, it's time for the Weekly Top Five!

#5: Rogers Shuts Out the Outlaws

April 13: Nottinghamshire 0, Texas 3. This week, the Outlaw offense exploded to score 61 runs in six games. In one week, they scored as many runs as many good teams have scored in two: Montreal (61), Boston (61), Cabo San Lucas (60), and Eureka (58). The core of the Outlaw lineup—Leslie Whitney, Jim Crawford, Byron Bryant, and Danny Burris—have been hot, hot, hot.

Jeremy Rogers

But Nottinghamshire began the week facing lowly Texas, losers of 99 games last season and owners of a 2-11 record this season, and—surprise, surprise—Jeremy Rogers led the Gunners to shutout victory, 3-0.

Acquired in a mega-deal with South Carolina last June, Rogers (2-1) pitches eight innings, strikes out six, walks only one, and allows five singles. Ron Cutter pitches the ninth to earn his first save of 2015.

The teams head in opposite directions after this game: Texas loses their next six, while Nottinghamshire wins their next six.

#4: Toreros Upend the Jokers

Hideyori
Kiyomizu

April 15: Las Vegas 4, Cabo San Lucas 5. Before we get to the exciting comeback, let's take a moment to consider Hideyori Kiyomizu, the young Cabo phenom. The 111th overall pick in 2012 amateur draft, Kiyomizu slugged his way through the minors, posting a .915 OPS in Double-A Spokane and an .870 OPS in Triple-A Billings. His hitting was too good to be ignored, and Cabo promoted him to the majors last season, and that's when he really started to hit.

In 218 at-bats last season, Kiyomizu batted .372 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs. He posted a .452 on-base percentage and a .560 slugging percentage. This season, he's been even better, already winning a Player of the Week award, and competing for the league lead in home runs. This afternoon, he hits a solo home run. It's his sixth dinger of the season, and he will add two more to that total before the week is up.

Dan Smith

Despite Kiyomizu's home run, the Toreros enter the ninth inning trailing the Jokers, 4-2. Two walks and two singles score one run and load the bases for the most boring man in baseball, Dan Smith. As is his habit, Smith hits another boring game-winning hit—lacing the first pitch into left field and driving in the tying and winning runs.

#3: Bustamante Goes 5-for-5

Orlando
Bustamante

April 13: Jersey 7, South Carolina 8. Orlando Bustamante has an incredible game and makes South Carolina's 2015 home opener a memorable one.

In the first, Bustamante singles and scores on Chance Everett's home run. Bustamante doubles in the third. In the fifth, he hits a two-run home run, tying the game at four runs apiece. In the seventh, his single drives in Martin Evans.

But Jersey takes a one-run lead, 7-6, into the bottom of the ninth. Bustamante's fifth hit of the game is a double that drives in Evans and ties the game, 6-6. A few batters later, Gunner Smart singles. Bustamante races home and scores the winning run.

Bustamante goes on to win Player of the Week honors, going 16-for-31 with five home runs.

#2: Norm Out-Duels Gould

Norm Jackson

April 17: Boston 7, Las Vegas 1. Maurice Gould comes into the game seemingly un-hittable. His first two games of the season were shutouts—and dominant shutouts at that. But today it was Boston's Norm Jackson who had the best stuff.

Gould allows his first run of the season in the second. The run is unearned—Dave Lane reaches base on an error and later scores on a sac fly—but for most of the game it looks as if that run might be the difference. Both pitchers sail through the lineups. Gould allows just three hits and the one run through seven innings. Jackson shuts out Las Vegas for seven inning, walking two and allowing only one hit: Mitch Lyon leads off the second with a single.

Then in the eighth, Gould suddenly implodes. A double, a ground out, an intentional walk, and a single load the bases. Matt Sanford then works the count full and, incredibly, walks: it's just the second unintentional walk issued by Gould this season, and it couldn't come at a worse time. Gould strikes out the next batter, and it appears he might escape the inning with minimal damage, but the next two batters single. Three more runs score. A reliever comes in. Another single, and another run. Boston leads, 7-0.

Norm Jackson retires the side in the eighth. He leaves the game having gone 8 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and allowing just the one hit.

The win moves Boston past Cabo San Lucas into sole possession of first place in the Earl Weaver division. After making the playoffs in 2012 and 2013, Boston finished a distant third in 2014. Do the Cardinals have what it takes to reach the playoffs once again this season?

#1: Roberts Drives in All the Runs

Entering this season, only two ABL players had driven in nine runs in a game: Montreal's Stanislav Izyurov and Tom Becker. Only four other players had driven in eight runs in a game: Montreal's Eric Ware, So Cal's Ron Hutchins, Seattle's Tim Duncan, and Ann Arbor's Roberto Guzmán.

This week, one man drives in nine runs in a game, then, just four days later, drives in eight runs in a game. That man is ... Daniel Roberts?

Who the heck is Daniel Roberts?

Daniel Roberts

Drafted in the 50th round of the inaugural draft, Maple thought so much of the switch-hitting first baseman that they left him unprotected in the Rule V draft. New York took a chance on him, and last season he proved to be a mediocre backup first-baseman. In 239 at-bats, he batted .247 with seven home runs. His OPS+ was an uninspiring 82.

April 14: Carolina 7, New York 14. The Mafia return to Don Corleone Park for their home opener. In the first inning, Daniel Roberts hits a three-run home run. In the third inning, Daniel Roberts hits a three-run home run. In the fourth inning, Daniel Roberts singles with the bases loaded, driving in two runs.

By the time the sixth inning rolls around, it's obvious that the Crush have had enough of Daniel Roberts. They walk him with the bases loaded.

How many fans—hometown, New York fans—knew Daniel Roberts's name when the game began? After driving in nine runs, the name of Daniel Roberts was on the lips of New Yorkers the city over.

April 18: Texas 2, New York 17. It's four days later and Daniel Roberts is at it again. He gets hit by a pitch in the first inning: a poor decision by Gunner ace Jeremy Rogers as that just makes Daniel Roberts mad.

In the second inning, Daniel Roberts doubles in two runs. In the fourth inning, Daniel Roberts hits a three-run home run. In the fifth inning, Daniel Roberts singles in a run. In the sixth inning, Roberts singles with the bases loaded, driving in two.

For those not keeping score at home, that's a 4-for-4 day with eight ribbies.

In one of the easiest decisions ever, Daniel Roberts is given the Player of the Week award.

Can this 26-year-old sensation keep up his good hitting or will he prove to be a flash in a pan?