Tough upcoming stretch for Gold Sox

Time is not on the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox's side if they hope to claim their second ever Horizon Air Summer Series title.

With only four games remaining in its conference schedule, Yuba-Sutter currently sits four games back of McCullough Division leader, the Seattle Studs.

The Gold Sox (26-12 overall) will need to sweep this weekend and hope the Studs lose all four of their remaining games if they hope to claim a share of the HASS crown.

With eight games overall remaining this summer, Gold Sox manager Jack Johnson is hoping his team finishes with at least 30 wins, but will manage this weekend like it's a playoff series.

"This is going to be the toughest and biggest weekend of the summer," Johnson said. "The next four games will be like a playoff atmosphere and it comes at a great time at the end of the summer."

Tonight the Gold Sox take on longtime rival, the Humboldt Crabs, who only trail the Sox by 1⁄2 a game.

Friday through Sunday Yuba-Sutter welcomes in the Lodi Baseball Club, formerly known as the Lodi Grape Sox. Lodi already clinched the Engleken Division with a 15-5 HASS record.

Both teams are loaded with Division I talent and Yuba-Sutter will have their work cut out for them if they hope to win all four games.

To make matters worse, Johnson's hottest starting pitcher, Corey Chaffins, is out for the rest of the summer with a sore shoulder.

Additionally, right-hander Chris Shea left the team this week to get a head start on the fall semester at Mesa State.

However, Johnson has called in some replacement arms that should more than suffice.

Scott Greene and Kendyle Blank will rejoin the team after only pitching in the first weekend series of the summer.

Greene just returned from the highly-respected Alaskan Baseball League and was an all-conference starting pitcher with Feather River College this past spring.

The right-hander could fill a gap in the starting rotation, but for now, Johnson said Cris Rogers will get the ball tonight, followed by Trent Evins on Friday and Andy Hebrard Satu day night.

"We have a chance to get back in this race and show our fans what a playoff atmosphere is like," Johnson said. "Every game is going to be intense."

Yuba-Sutter's deficit in the division race was made even greater after being swept by the San Jose Seals two weekends ago.

But the Gold Sox bounced back nicely with a four-game sweep against the Nor-Cal Longhorns last weekend.

The offense has been ignited by the hot stick of second baseman Deven Braden, who currently leads the team in hitting.

Braden is batting .363 with nine RBIs and two homers in his past three games.

He said his approach at the plate has been to anticipate offspeed pitches and react quickly to the fastball, but the pitching he'll see this weekend may be the toughest Yuba-Sutter has faced all season.

"(Hitting) is really about maintaining a certain level of focus and trusting your abilities," Braden said. "I wouldn't have expected to lead the team in homers; I didn't hit any at Chico (State) this season."

Not only does Braden lead the team with a .351 clip, but he's also on a 12-game hitting streak. Max Stassi holds the team's season-high at 16 games.

Braden will just be happy with a winning streak and although his team's destiny is out of its hands, they're going to approach each day like it's Game 7.

"We're all ready to go and excited for some great competition," Braden said. "Our adrenaline will definitely be a little higher."