Final farewell

As the calendar turns to August there are several signs that the summer season will soon be ending.

The Yuba-Sutter Fair has come and gone, football training camps are already underway and Gold Sox fans will soon no longer hear the sound of wood bats hitting a baseball at All Seasons RV Stadium.

Jack Johnson's squad will take the field one last time this weekend in the final four games of the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox's 2009 season - a two-game series against the Morgan Hill Mudcats and two games against the El Dorado Hills Vipers to end the summer.

Many Gold Sox players have been going nonstop since February and will receive a much-needed rest after this weekend, but Johnson said the final weekend provides a bittersweet feeling.

There is the joy of finally receiving some time off, but the sad reality is that most of these players will never see each other again for the rest of their lives.

"They become part of a big family here," Johnson said. "A lot of these guys came from programs that didn't have winning seasons, so for them to come here and win with people they just met is a big accomplishment."

The Gold Sox finished Horizon Air Summer Series play with a 28-12 record, which tentatively places them in fourth place behind the Humboldt Crabs, who still have two games left on their schedule.

After losing last weekend's opening game to Humboldt, the Gold Sox swept the Engelken-Division champion Lodi Baseball Club. Each victory was in come-from-behind fashion.

Johnson's main goal this summer was for his players to leave his program with a better understanding of the game than when they came to him in May.

"The ups and downs the players feel is something so valuable for them to take in," Johnson said. "These players learned a lot about depending on each other in a short amount of time and that's something that will help them as they progress through their career."

And some members of the Gold Sox were leaned on and excelled in the tightest of situations.

For that reason, here are some of the top performers from the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox this summer:

• "The Man With the Golden Glove" Award - Christian Garcia (New Mexico Highlands University)

The Numbers: .984 fielding pct., 1 error, 5 outfield assists

The Skinny: Garcia was maybe the fastest man on the team next to Niko Saladis. There weren't too many balls that he couldn't get to.

His .984 fielding percentage ranks second on the team and he has made only one error in 62 chances, along with five outfield assists, which leads the team.

Garcia made several catches to rob batters of extra base hits and saved Yuba-Sutter pitchers with his arm and glove.

He said playing the cavernous gaps of All Seasons RV Stadium wasn't much of an adjustment from New Mexico Highlands.

He said it: "It's easier to track balls hit by a wood bat than metal that's for sure," Garcia said. "During batting practice, I practice reading the ball off of the bat a lot."

• "The Heart of a Lion" Award - Andy Hebrard (Missouri Western State University)

The Numbers: 2-0, 1.26 ERA, 27 K, 9 BB, 35.2 IP, 3 QS

The Skinny: Known more for his comical nature and ability to get the crowd on its feet, Hebrard turned out to be one of the toughest players on Johnson's squad.

Hebrard started the summer dancing with the mascot on top of the dugout, but ended it as one of the toughest pitchers in the Horizon Air Summer Series.

Johnson said Hebrard's performance on the mound in July after recovering from a separated shoulder was the one of the gutsiest things he has ever seen.

The manager also added that Hebrard has been an inspirational leader on and off the field all season for the Gold Sox.

The right-hander has a 1.26 ERA in 35 2/3 innings pitched to lead the staff and in his last three starts has gone at least seven innings or more.

All three of those outings were quality starts, including a nine-inning performance against the San Jose Seals.

Hebrard was Johnson's only two-way player before his shoulder injury and spent time in the outfield and at first base.

He said it: "I think I'm fortunate enough that I can have a positive effect on a group of people," Hebrard said. "It's just 'Hebs being Hebs.' My dad taught me that good communication is the best way to success for any type of organization you're apart of and I just tried to have fun at the same time."

• Pitcher of the Year - Trent Evins (New Mexico Highlands University)

The Numbers: 5-0, 1.94 ERA, 65 IP, 43 K, 19 BB, .214 BAA, 8 QS

The Skinny: The sinkerball specialist didn't throw an inning for the Cowboys this season in his redshirt year, but proved to coach Steve Jones why he belongs in the starting rotation in 2010.

Evins' 65 innings pitched ranks No. 1 on the staff and he is the only member of the Gold Sox to make a start in each week of the season.

He also leads the Gold Sox with 43 strikeouts.

But this talent didn't just show up out of nowhere, Evins was a first team, all-conference selection at Lassen College before transferring to Highlands.

The right-hander, who will start tonight's game, should be a lock for HASS all-conference honors.

He said it: "At first I was afraid, I would be really rusty and knew I had a lot of room for improvement," Evins said. "Listening to (Johnson's) advice and keeping the ball down really helped me out."

• Most Valuable Player - Mikey Raudenbush (Northern Colorado University)

The Numbers: .306 avg, 40 H, 30 R, 22 RBI, 56 TB, .403 OBP., .984 FLD.

The Skinny: He spends most of the offseason looking for a mountain to shred with his snowboard, but the left fielder out of Louisville, Colo. chose to spend this summer tearing apart the Horizon Air Summer Series.

Raudenbush was the only Gold Sox player to start in every game and was a key run producer at the top of Johnson's lineup.

He leads the team in hits, runs scored, total bases and not to mention he was probably the second best fielder on the team behind Garcia.

Raudenbush made several highlight reel-worthy grabs in left field and only made one error this summer.

He is currently batting .306 with 22 RBIs and is likely a shoe-in for the All-HASS First Team.

He said it: "To be honest with you I just took a serious approach, but a relaxed mentality this summer," Raudenbush said. "I wanted to come out here, have fun and just hit the ball."

• Gold Sox vs. Morgan Hill Mudcats, today, 7 p.m.