SPORTS
A10 — THE OBSERVER
ON DECK
ROLLING
Friday, May 13
Continued from Page A9
(Games completed after
print deadline)
PREP BASEBALL
Baker/Powder Valley at La
Grande (2), 2 p.m.
Nyssa at Joseph/Enterprise/
Wallowa (2), 1 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Baker/Powder Valley at La
Grande (2), 2 p.m.
Heppner/Ione at Union/Cove
(2), 2 p.m.
Nyssa at Joseph/Enterprise/
Wallowa (2), 1 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Cove, Elgin, Imbler, Powder
Valley, Joseph at 1A Special
District 4, Baker High School,
1 p.m.
Union, Enterprise at 2A District
5 Championship, Weston-
McEwen, 11 a.m.
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Eastern Oregon at Cascade
Collegiate Conference Outdoor
Championships, Ashland, all day
Saturday, May 14
COLLEGE TRACK & FIELD
Eastern Oregon at Cascade
Collegiate Conference Outdoor
Championships, Ashland, all day
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Eastern Oregon Blue & Gold
spring game, 6 p.m.
Monday, May 16
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Eastern Oregon vs. Texas A&M
Texarkana, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, 9 a.m.
PREP BASEBALL
Union/Cove at Dufur/South
Wasco County, 4 p.m.
From behind the plate, La Grande’s
catcher has been impressed with the depth of
this year’s starting pitching staff .
“I’m really impressed with our group this
year,” senior catcher Cole Jorgensen said.
“Not only do we have Sam (Tsiatsos) and
Jace (Schow) as our one and two, but we have
a bunch of dudes that can all compete really,
really well. This year, we have around six
guys that can throw and compete really well.”
Mirroring La Grande’s pitching depth, the
team’s one-through-nine batting lineup has
seen success at the plate. Bornstedt noted that
heading into the conclusion of the regular
season, the team’s ability to gain production
from the whole roster will set the Tigers on
pace for a strong playoff push.
“If the top half of our lineup is struggling
a little bit, the bottom half always picks them
up,” he said. “I think that’s one of our stron-
gest points, that everyone is going to give
you a tough at-bat.”
Through winning numerous games by
a wide margin, La Grande has managed to
give playing time to younger players and get
more pitchers time on the mound. Heading
into the playoff s, the team’s seniors are aware
of how important a deep roster can be in the
postseason.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been on a
team that has the depth like this team,” Jor-
gensen said. “We’ve got at least two guys at
each position that can compete really well.”
While blowout victories provide playing
opportunities for many players, the compet-
itiveness and mindset during a lopsided vic-
tory still remains high. Several of the team’s
seniors noted that high-scoring victories still
serve as important situations to improve on
defensive mechanics, situational gameplay,
base running and other important aspects
of a successful team. With a large group of
experienced players on the team, practices
also serve as an important time to simulate
the playoff experience.
“We really think about what we’re doing
in practice and take it seriously, never taking
a rep off ,” senior Derek Begin said.
“This time of the year we really stick
to the fundamentals and make sure we
have every small part of the game down,”
Bell said. “Improving on the little things
can help take us all the way to the state
championship.”
Years in the making
With many players making up the core
of this year’s La Grande team having played
together since little league, the seniors on the
team point toward team chemistry as a major
factor in the Tigers’ success.
“We’re like a family,” Staab said. “Our
chemistry has been really good and it’s been
a really fun season. I think we can go all the
way, for sure.”
As the season nears an end and expec-
tations for a playoff run continue to rise, La
Grande is looking to take things on at-bat at
a time.
“Baseball can go either way on any given
day,” Jorgensen said. “We just have to go out
and play our game. If we do that, then it’s
going to be really hard for anybody to beat us.”
After last season ended on a walk-off
loss in the state championship game, La
Grande has set the expectation to contend
for a title since day one. The Tigers last won
a state championship in 2017, an 8-5 vic-
tory over Henley. With just one fi nal regular
season matchup at home against Pendleton/
Griswold remaining, the Tigers will begin
looking to shift regular season wins into
playoff success.
“I don’t even think we’ve played our best
game yet,” Bell said. “We’re playing really
good right now, but I still feel like there’s
more we can do. If we continue to peak into
the state championship game, that would be
the best time to do it.”
“Our expectation is to keep winning,”
Staab said. “We know we’re going to face
tougher teams and we’re prepared for that.”
PREP BOYS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships, Banks
Tuesday, May 17
PREP GIRLS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships, Redmond
PREP BOYS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships, Banks
PREP SOFTBALL
Grant Union/Prairie City at La
Grande 4 p.m.
RECORD
Continued from Page A9
scored and seven RBIs. Will
Killion added four hits, fi ve
RBIs and three runs scored.
That was just part of the
longest day in the life of a
Riverside Pirate.
The baseball team left
home at 5:30 a.m. and
headed out for its 226-mile
trip to Nyssa. Their bus
broke down 10 miles out of
La Grande. With the track
team right behind them, a
plan was put in motion.
The track team would
pick up the baseball team.
The track team would be
dropped off in Baker City,
and another bus would be
sent to take it home.
With no under bus
storage, all of the track and
baseball equipment was
stuff ed onto the bus. Athletes
and coaches were doubled
up in seats, and they made
the most of it until they got to
Baker City.
“When they fi rst told us
we were picking up the base-
ball team, I thought they
were joking,” Riverside track
coach Vivianna Colin said.
Everything seemed to
be running smoothly. The
fi rst bus that broke down
was fi xed and sent to Baker
City. When the baseball team
fi nished its marathon day,
it loaded up and had plans
on stopping in Ontario for
dinner.
They didn’t get out of the
parking lot.
“We fi red up the bus we
got from the track team and
the bus driver smelled some-
thing,” Davis said. “It wasn’t
going anywhere. We had
to wait for the track team to
come and get us.”
The baseball team walked
to a convenience store to
get something to drink and
make a plan. They ended up
at the Tex-Mex Express for
dinner. It was the only place
still open.
“We got to sit down and
have a meal together,” Davis
said. “It was fun hanging out
with this bunch of guys.”
When the track team
arrived 3-1/2 hours later, the
baseball team was waiting,
cell phone lights beaming to
lead the way.
“The track team had it
worse,” Davis said. “They
had an extra four hours
added on coming to get us.”
With everything and
everyone loaded, the bus
headed for home.
You know it can’t end
there.
The bus’s warning
signal turned on just out-
side of Baker City. The bus
drivers bought a bunch of
coolant and got the bus to La
Grande, where another bus
was waiting for the last leg of
the journey home.
“The track team said they
don’t want to share a bus with
us again,” Davis said. “It was
defi nitely memorable.”
In case you are
wondering, Nyssa won
the fi rst game of the
doubleheader 13-3.
LOCAL STANDINGS
PREP GIRLS GOLF
La Grande at 4A state
championships, Redmond
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Cascade Collegiate Conference
Team
League Overall
Lewis-Clark State
19-3
48-4
British Columbia
14-9
27-22
College of Idaho
14-10
29-25
Corban
10-12 23-22-1
Bushnell
9-14
11-36
Oregon Tech
9-15
30-25
Eastern Oregon
4-16
11-34
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Cascade Collegiate Conference
Team
League Overall
Oregon Tech
25-5
46-10
Southern Oregon
24-6
46-12
Eastern Oregon
24-6
41-14
College of Idaho
British Columbia
Corban
Carroll
Bushnell
Northwest
Warner Pacifi c
Providence
22-8
18-12
11-19
11-19
11-19
11-19
4-26
4-26
40-15
22-19
18-36
14-31
15-33
16-32
6-36
6-34
Greater Oregon League
Team
League
La Grande
10-0
Baker/Powder Valley
8-2
McLoughlin
1-9
Ontario
1-9
2A/1A Special District 7
Overall
21-1
14-9
6-11
1-19
PREP BASEBALL
Team
League
Dufur/South Wasco Co. 12-0
Weston-McEwen
11-1
Heppner/Ione
10-4
Grant Union/Prairie City 5-5
Sherman/Arlington/
Condon/Wheeler
5-7
Union/Cove
5-7
Pilot Rock/
Nixyaawii/Ukiah
4-10
Stanfi eld/Echo 3-11 5-14
Lyle/Wishram/
Klickitat/Trout Lake
1-11
Adrian
0-0
PREP SOFTBALL
Greater Oregon League
Overall
18-1
15-2
11-8
10-9
7-8
5-7
7-13
1-12
4-0
Team
League
La Grande
9-1
Ontario
7-3
Baker/Powder Valley
2-8
McLoughlin
2-8
2A/1A Special District 6
Team
League
Grant Union/Prairie City 12-0
Weston-McEwen
7-3
Union/Cove
6-4
Pilot Rock/Nixyaawii
6-6
Echo/Stanfi eld
5-5
Heppner/Ione
2-8
Adrian
0-0
Elgin/Imbler
0-12
Lyle/Wishram/Klickitat 0-0
Overall
13-6
15-7
8-11
6-12
Overall
23-0
12-7
14-5
12-10
13-8
4-17
2-1
0-12
0-0