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About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 2003)
May 28, 2003 • The Clackamas Print * 7 SPORTS Injuries plague baseball team's season Nic Delzell The Clackamas Print Clackamas baseball had a disap pointing season, finishing the season well below the .500 mark. The Cougars were 13-17 in league play and 16-23 overall. “Next year we are going to have a different game plan," said Head Coach Robin Robinson. We are going to be a little more assertive in our expectations. To be specific, we are going to be more demanding. Too many guys played the game their way instead of ours.” Robinson said that the loss of play ers to injuries also hurt the Cougars. Five pitchers were lost during season play, including Ricky Gonzales and Ty Combs, who Robinson said were big losses. “We were really down with all kinds of injuries this year,” said Robinson. “(Gonzales and Combs) would have gone out to be number one guys.” A few Cougars did step up for the team, said Robinson. Freshman catcher Barry Humphrey hit .366 this year and was selected first team all-Southem Region. Sophomore Chris Runyon was selected second team all-Southem Region after hitting .311 at the plate this year. < Sophomore Nik Mason was an hon orable mention all-NWAACC recipient as well a second team all-Southem Region utility player. He played first base, catcher, designated hitter and pitched. “Mason was tremendous in all those spots,” said Robinson. “Statistically our pitching was not good this year, but Mason lead the pitchers with an ERA of 1.90. I will really miss Nik. He was a key player and a tough competitor.” Outgoing sophomores Josh and Jesse Gaylord both gave big efforts during their time at Clackamas. Jesse will be playing for Western Oregon University in the fall. Josh is in the process of finding a school where he can continue to play ball, according to Robinson. “They have packed us for two years. They are great kids and hard workers,” said Robinson. “I think all of the sophomores will go on to play ball somewhere.” According to Robinson, the Cougars biggest wins came May 1 Track produces 14 All-Americans at NWAACC championships when the Cougars swept cross-town rival Mt Hood 5-2,3-1. The Cougars ended their season on May 12 after getting swept by Chemeketa CC; those losses were the most disappointing, said Robinson. “A lot of guys were beat up at the end of the season,” said Robinson. "That's athletics-sometimes it’s about playing when you don't want to.” The 22-man Cougar roster looks very full for next season, with the pos sibility that quite a few players could return. “If everyone comes back including freshman, red-shirts and injured players we could have 18 guys to start next year,” said Robinson. Last weekend Edmonds CC (43-7) defeated Lower Columbia College (34-9) to win the NWAACC tourna ment for the second consecutive year. During the tournament Edmonds set an NWAACC record for wins in a sea son, getting win number 41 against Columbia Basin. “(Next year) we need to maintain that fine line of discipline that the NWAACC winners have,” said Robinson. “We can't have a break down. The winners in the NWAACC didn't have one break down this year.” CORY PRICE Clackamas Print Freshman catcher Barry Humphrey takes a hack during a season-ending loss to Chemeketa. Humphrey hit .366 this season to lead the team’s offensive attack. Softball recruits, sizes up next season Frank Jordan The Clackamas Print Clackamas softball finished the 2003 season with a second-place finish at last week's Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship tournament, and the future looks bright for continuing one of the most successful programs in NWAACC history. ’ “We are pretty excited about the girls that we have returning, and although we are early in the recruiting process, we are looking forward to signing some high-quality players,” said Head Coach Paul Fiskum. “We have approximately 10-15 kids that we are looking at from the high school level, and we try to recruit the best ath letes that we can.” The season concluded last Thursday at the annual NWAACC All- Star Series at Mt. Hood CC. Brooke Comstock, Miranda Gillaspie, Morgan Huffstutter and Carla Lillis represented Clackamas on the Southern Division team. The South defeated the Eastern Division 10-4 and lost to the Northern Division 11-6. “These were all-star games, pure and simple. A lot of players were play ing out of their normal positions during the games and it showed,” said Fiskum. “Miranda pitched the second game and got roughed up by a series of bunt sin gles by the North. The first baseman and third baseman during the all-star game had not played-those positions during the season, and the defense showed.” Five Cougar sophomores are mov ing on to bigger and better opportuni ties as they have accepted full scholar ships to four-year universities in Oregon. Comstock and Huffstutter will play at Western Oregon University. Lillis and Gillaspie have been given full rides to play for Southern Oregon University. Melissa Gibson will have three years of softball eligibility remaining as she takes her play to Portland State University. “Western Oregon had a first-year coach this season, and when she came to the NWAACC tournament to watch recruits, she told me that she wished she could have all five of our sopho mores, they impressed her so much,” said Fiskum. Brooke and Morgan have been a big part of the success that we have had the last two years (NWAACC runners-up both years), as well as Carla, Miranda, Melissa and all of the rest of the girls. I am so proud to see them move on to the four-year level. They deserve that and so much more.” As far as the rest of the NWAACC, Fiskum said that Lower Columbia College (five-time NWAACC champs) will have two of their starting pitchers back next year. Mt. Hood has already signed 4-5 recruits and Chemeketa CC hopes to ride their strong finish to the season (fifth in the NWAACC tourney) to greater success next season. “You never know at the junior col lege level how your team is going to stack up really until you hit the diamond the next season,” said Fiskum. “A lot of that future success will be determined in the next three weeks. The Oregon high school state tournaments, the state metro all-star series and the early sum mer softball camps and games will go a long way in determining recruiting suc cess. ' Like I said before, we have our prospects and a couple of kids that we would like to sign, but that is why this is called recruiting.” Meal Deal Coupons BREAKFAST SANDWICH WITH MEAT & A SIDE OF POTATOES FOR $2.95 ONLY VALID WHEN COUPON IS PRESENT Not valid with any other coupons. Offer valid thru June 3, 2003. From 7:00a.m. - 10:30a.m. Only in the Cougar Cafe, Clackamas Community College CORY PRICE Clackamas Print Josh Carlson sets himself to launch the javelin at the NWAACC championship meet held at CCC May 22-23. Carlson threw a distance of 208-03, three feet better than his closest competitor to win the title and become one of 14 Clackamas All-Americans. Paul Etter won the men’s hammer throw with a distance of 199-03. Rebekah Yancoskie set a four-second per sonal record as she won the women’s 800 in 2:15.45. Kari Rissmiller won the women’s 1500 in 4:44.63. Clackamas swept first, second and third in the women’s pole vault; Erin Schafer led the pack with a height of 11-06. Men’s track and field finished fifth while the women’s team took fourth in team scoring. Starbucks TRIPLE SHOT ICED MOCHA FOR $2.75 ADD A FLAVOR FOR $0.25 Open from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. ONLY VALID WHEN COUPON IS PRESENT Offer valid thru June 3, 2003 . . Only in the Cougar Cafe, Clackamas Community College 2 si
