Billys Bulletin Vol I: Angry Animals and Allen Iverson

Welcome to the online exclusive Billys Bulletin, where we run through the week that was in Rockabillys baseball, and highlight some of the most notable on and off the field moments. Reader beware, this article will ask intense questions such as, "Is cereal a soup?" Or, "Are hot dogs technically a sandwich?" And we may cover topics such as Star Wars, Adam Sandler, the ever-changing landscape that is collegiate pickleball, among many other things. If you're sensitive to Grown Ups 2, or if you're holding out hope for the sequel, then reader discretion is advised.

The Mad Ox

Jake Maddox was cooking like a short-order chef - serving up base knocks on demand. The Belmont kid had a 6-for-13 week that included four extra base hits and an unconscious 5-for-6 performance a night ago against Cape. Maddox's week of clean contact and crooked numbers unfortunately failed to agglutinate many wins for the Goats, as they went 1-2 in his three appearances, but he was vital in keeping the 'Billys afloat in those contests. Prior to his .462 mark over his last three games, Jake was sitting around a .230 average, which has since been bumped to a serviceable .283. Despite the results, it's important to have his hot bat moving forward and hopefully help spark the O. 

Tips for Noodling

Noodling, for those that don't know, is the act of catching catfish using your bare hands. It takes precision, skill, and most of all, immense strength. Now, the Goats tried their hand at noodling, and by no means was it a bad experience. But, the Cape Catfish stormed back twice to defeat the Rockabillys in back-to-back games, and reclaimed their spot atop the south division. The Rockabillys were riding the high of a seven game win streak, and the hard-nosed, grind-em-out style of ball had been suffocating opposing squads. Performances from Cooper Casteel, Lawson Ryan, and Andrew Perry were Gatsby's green beacons, and had other teams reaching out and hoping they could find their way across the pitching pond one day. However, the Catfish had something click late in Saturday's contest when they walloped Jackson with a stunning victory, and followed that by putting up 15 runs in an extra-inning win. Needing to noodle better down the stretch is going to be high on the priority list for the Goats, especially with six more meetings set between these two. 

Records? We're Talkin' About Records?!

We'd quickly like to thank Allen Iverson for one of the greatest quotes of all time, and that reporter for asking him one too many questions about practice. Thankfully, it's one of the easiest quotes to plug words into, and here we're doing that with something the Goats have broken many of this year. Whether it's been Mason Acton's trio of dingers at CarShield Field, or Rockabillys fans having enough free tacos to essentially run the local Taco Bell out of stock, the 'Billys have already had a historic run in 2025. The one that came to fruition, but also sadly ended this week, was the longest winning streak in franchise history. Five of those games were played against Central division opponents and it was some of the most dominant baseball we had seen from the 2025 iteration of Jackson yet. 

The first run-rule of the year for the Rockabillys came against a reeling Springfield squad, which occurred right after a clean sweep of the Children of the Corn from Normal. Then it was on the road to go slay the Dragons, and then to silence... Owls? Not as epic as chasing around dragons, but nonetheless, two road wins helped secure that seven game win streak that claimed a new franchise best. Unfortunately, it came to an end, but that winning stretch was key in keeping the Rockabillys in the hunt for the south. And at the end of the day, winning is more about the friends we made along the way. 

"Are we just going to gloss over the tacos comment?", you may be asking at home. Well, since you asked, I'll oblige. Among the many amazing promotions run at Rockabillys Stadium, there is one that shines above the rest. The Taco Bell K-Man of the Game. Essentially, the Rockabillys will select a player from an opposing team they think will punch out, and if they do, everyone at the stadium wins a free taco coupon to the local area Taco Bell. It's been on a tear in 2025, with only two games failing to produce free tacos out of the 13 they've played thus far. This is one of many reasons we should be seeing you at Rockabillys Stadium!!

Goats Notes

Well, that is it for our first run of Billys Bulletin! Be sure to stay involved here at rockabillysbaseball.com to get your fix of Goats news, articles, and more!