The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks reach the Mid-Season of the American Association season in third place in the North Division, 10 games out. At 33-35 so far they have struggled to put together a consistent performance all season, but did win their last two heading into the break, and are 6-4 over their last ten.

The main Achilles heel for the team has been their hitting. They are tied for last in the league in batting with a .259 batting average, and are eighth in runs scored with 329 through 68 games. They have shown some power, however, ranked sixth in the AA with 52 round trippers. On the mound they have been a little more solid. They are ranked eighth in the league in ERA at 4.58, and are also eighth in opponent batting average at .275.

Top RedHawks Player: Second baseman C. J. Retherford has been a standout player for a team struggling to hit and produce runs. In his second season with the team he is hitting .277 with eight home runs and 53 RBI. He has also hit 26 doubles and scored 31 runs. He currently leads the team in batting, RBI, extra base hits and doubles. His 26 doubles leads the American Association and his 53 RBI ranks third in the league.

Top RedHawks Pitcher: Right-hander Kevin Fuqua has been the top pitcher for the team so far this season. Fuqua has made 29 appearances, all in relief, and has a 2.76 ERA. He has given up 29 hits in 29.1 innings, walked 12 and struck out 23. He is 5-1 out of the pen and has not saved any games. This is his third season with the team. In 2011 he was 1-2 with three saves and an outstanding 1.60 ERA in 21 appearances. The next season he went 2-1 with a save and a 3.33 ERA.

Season Outlook: Ten games is a lot to make up, but not impossible. For Fargo-Moorhead the sensible thing to do is to see how well they are playing two weeks from now. If they could win 10 of 12, or have some similar hot streak, they have a real shot of getting into the race. That will give them a clear indicator of where they stand, and will allow them to make a real informed decision at that point. However, anything short of a streak of this nature should tell the team that it is time to regroup and prepare for next season. They clearly need to improve their hitting, and could use a quality bat to protect Retherford.

By Robert Pannier
Senior Baseball Editor
Member of the IBWAA