North Pole Nicks Stay Alive in Series With 12-6 Victory

The champions of the Alaska League are here intent on winning the National Baseball Congress World Series.

They would also like to win a little respect.

Wednesday night at Lawrence-Dumont Field, the North Pole Nicks took a step in both directions with a 12-6 victory over College Station, Tex., before 4,000 spectators.

Another win closer to the tournament championship, the Nicks (38-19) are still looking for respect.

“I still have the sense that we’re going to have to go out and convince people that we’re for real,” Manager Mike Gillespie said. “People continue to be kind of surprised.”

And the Nicks continued to advance in the semipro championships. The Nicks are one of three undefeated teams in the tournament. They play again Friday night against the winner of tonight’s game between Kansas foes Hays and Liberal.

North Pole has won four straight with the same formula of explosive hitting and flawless defense.

Former Hart High catcher Todd Zeile hit a three-run home run in the first inning and ex-Granada Hills and College of the Canyons second baseman Jeff Hughes had four hits and three runs batted in to pin College Station with its first loss of the tournament.

The Nicks had 11 hits and won an abbreviated contest under the Baseball Congress run-rule for the third consecutive game.

On defense, North Pole turned in its fourth errorless game of the tournament, and its 25th of the season.

“If I had to single out one area of our play that is always consistent and strong it would have to be our defense,” said Gillespie, who coaches baseball at College of the Canyons. “We really do not have a weak-link on defense.”

Yet Gillespie still thinks the Nicks have to prove themselves. And he doesn’t hide his disappointment over that fact.

“It bothers me,” he said. “Maybe it’s because we are devoid of big-name, blue-chip players, or because we’ve never been to this tournament before.

“But I’ll tell you this: what we do have is a very good nucleus of Division I college baseball players. And these guys refuse to let anyone tell them that they’re not as good as the other clubs.”