Capahas resume quest today for NBC World Series title

After three days off, the Plaza Tire Capahas are ready to resume action at the National Baseball Congress World Series.

The Capahas will play the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters at 1 p.m. today in Wichita, Kan.

That contest is in the winners bracket round of 16 in the 42-team, double-elimination event.

Plaza Tire opened its 27th consecutive NBC World Series appearance Monday by rallying past the El Dorado (Kan.) Broncos 10-6.

"It's always good to win that first game," said Capahas manager Jess Bolen, who Tuesday night was inducted into the NBC Hall of Fame during an on-field ceremony at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

"They let my whole family and the team come out on the field," Bolen said of the induction ceremony. "It was a very special night."

What would be even more special for Bolen is if the Capahas (28-5) could make a deep tournament run and perhaps even contend for their first NBC World Series title.

Plaza Tire had a strong showing last year, going 4-2 in the tournament to finish seventh.

The team that knocked them out of the 2007 event awaits the Capahas. Santa Barbara (34-16) perennially is among the top squads in Wichita, having captured the 2006 championship.

Santa Barbara won its tournament opener late Wednesday night, routing the Wichita (Kan.) Wild Wings 20-2 behind a 19-hit attack. The game was stopped after seven innings by the mercy rule.

"It's going to be a tough team to beat," said Bolen, whose team lost to the Foresters 11-1 in last year's tournament. "I saw them play [Wednesday night]. They have got a very good collegiate level team.

"It all comes down to one thing, pitching. If we get the pitching, we'll be in it. Same thing for them."

After Anthony Maupin (9-0) got the win against El Dorado, Phillip Riley (7-1) will start today. They are pretty much considered co-aces of the Capahas' staff.

Bolen figures if Riley pitches the way he did in last year's tournament, the Capahas will have a chance to stay in the winners bracket.

Riley went 2-0 a year ago at the World Series, including a one-hit, 12-strikeout, complete-game gem against Junction City, Kan., in Plaza Tire's tournament opener.

"I feel really good with Phillip on the mound, just like I do when Anthony's on the mound," Bolen said. "They've been very good all year."

The Capahas will have a new player on the field today.

Speedy outfielder Jerome McCollum, one of three Plaza Tire roster additions for the World Series -- squads are allowed up to five -- is scheduled to start in center field. He could not make it to Wichita in time for Monday's game due to summer school obligations.

McCollum batted .408 at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff this year. He was impressive when the Pine Bluff Braves finished second behind the Capahas in last month's NBC Mid-South Regional held in Cape Girardeau.

"He's a good player who should help us," Bolen said.

One of the other additions, Chris Gibson, started at first base Monday and had two hits.

Gibson, the son of former Cardinals pitching great Bob Gibson, played at Southeast Missouri State in 2005 and 2006. He was with the Capahas in 2006, played independent professional baseball last year and spent most of this summer with a team in Omaha, Neb.

The final addition is left-handed reliever Michael Mulholland, who was 3-2 with one save at Eastern Kentucky this year. He did not appear in Monday's contest.

The winner of today's game advances to Sunday's quarterfinals, where only eight teams would remain in the winners bracket.

Today's loser will play an elimination game Saturday.