S ports
M arch IO, 2004
T he C lackamas P rint «11
Softball works toward season opener
Softball looks to
improve their 2003
NWAACCfinish
Frank Jordan
T he C lackamas P rint
The Clackamas softball team is
cautiously optimistic about their
chances on improving . on an
NWAACC second-place finish
from last season.
“We have a pretty good team
right now, but I feel now how I
feel at this time every season,” said
Head Coach Paul Fiskum. “Are
we ready? Can we get ready? We
have been practicing really hard,
but we have had problems getting
all of our players together at the
same time. We have had injuries
and a rash of illness. Hopefully, all
of the pieces will fit together.”
The Cougars are facing several
questions, but many of those
questions will be answered before
the first game, in the Fresno City
College tournament March 20-21.
The team returns several players
from last year’s team that lost 3-2
in the NWAACC tide game to
Lower Columbia College.
All-tournament players Randi
Middagh, Angie Roberti, Kim
Kraxberger and Carleen Lessard
anchor an experienced group of
nine sophomores.
Throw in
returners
Brady
Adelhart,
Brieanne Thurn and Nicole
Obrist, and the Cougars have rea
son for optimism.
“The game starts with pitching
and Lessard has had a great fall
and winter. Thurn is continuing to
FRANK JORDAN C lackamas P rint
The Clackamas softball team warms up for the 2004 season as sophomore catcher
Brady Adelhart works the plate during a March 8 practice. .
be plagued by heart problems, but
is working her way back into
shape,” said Fiskum. “We have
two freshmen, Holly Marlow and
Chelsea Koch, that are strong
pitchers who will give us some
needed arms.”
Kraxberger had a good offsea
son and returns as the team’s emo
tional leader. Fiskum describes
Middagh as “talented as any player
in the league.”
Clackamas basebailers
open season with split
The Clackamas baseball team
opened the 2004 season on March
6 with a split at Blue Mountain CC
in Pendleton, Ore.
All Cougar baseball games are
doubleheaders in league play.
In there first game of the sea
son the Cougar Basebailers lost
game one 5-4. Offensively the
Cougar Basebailers scored four
runs off seven team hits.
Defensively the Cougar Ballers
held their own only allowing one
errot. Sophomore Cory Suker
pitched the opening game loss for
the Cougars.
Game two the Cougar Ballers
were triumphant 4-1. Once again
the Cougar bailers scored four
runs off seven hits and only com-
mited one fielding error. This time
Sophomore Brad Neffendorf
hurled the win in the second game
of the season.
This doubleheader leaves the
Cougar Ballers with a 1-1 record
overall. This weekend the Cougar
Ballers will travel Longview, Wash,
to participate in the Lower
Columbia CC Tournament.
Look for more extensive
Clackamas baseball coverage dur
ing spring term.
—Compiled by Nie Del^ell
Roberti is coming along well,
having been converted to first base
from playing mainly designated
hitter last year. Roberti has also
been described by Fiskum as
“probably our smartest player.”
In fact, she received a presti
gious scholarship from the
Northwest
Women’s
Sports
Foundation. This foundation only
gives out one scholarship to a
community college athlete in the
Northwest every year, and Roberti
was able to get it this year. It says
a lot about her as an athlete and as
a student.
Obrist and Adelhart have also
improved tremendously over this
offseason, and figure prominently
in the Cougars’ plans this season.
“Obrist’s batting average could
go up 150 points this season, she
has worked really hard on her hit
ting,” said Fiskum.
“Brady
(Adelhart) has done a great job for
us at catcher. She has split time
with freshman Kayce Ernst at the
position and will provide a great
presence on the field.”
Freshman Ashley Olsen, Kelly
Rattay, Cijay Koanui, Makenzie
Marineau and Nicole Winkley are
having good preseason workouts
and have impressed Fiskum with
their work ethics.
“Koanui may be the most ver
satile player we. have ever had,”
Fiskum said. “We are playing her
at third now; but she has seen time
at second and at catcher. She’s a
switchhitter and has good speed.
A multi-faceted talent. Olsen is a
real find, but has been hit by the
adversity bug lately. She has been
sick, had oral surgery and has been
hit by migraines. But she has a
tremendous upside to her game.
Rattay has seen a lot of time at
second, she is very athletic, but has
also been struggling with a rib
injury.”
Lower Columbia has been
picked by many as the team to beat
in the NWAACC, but only because
they are the defending champs.
Mt. Hood CC and Chemeketa CC,
along with Clackamas and Lower
Columbia look to be the teams
that will contend for the title.
“Bottom line, we need to get
healthy, and then get the girls
together for a couple, of weeks to
see where we stand. As with any
team, unity and morale will be a
big key to any success we have this
year,” said Fiskum. “There are
always sacrifices that have to be
made for the good of the team.
These girls seem to want to get to
that point, and that is always a
good sign.”
2004 C lackamas S oftball S chedule
March 20
April 2
April 3
April 6
April 9
April 10
April 13
April 16
April 1 7
April 24
April 27
April 30
Fresno City College Tournament @ Fresno, Calif.
Chemeketa CC 2 p.m.
Southwestern Oregon CC 2 p.m.
Mt. Hood CC time TBA @ Gresham
Grays Harbor College 3 p.m.
Pierce College 2 p.m.
Centralia College 3 p.m.
South Puget Sound CC 3 p.m. @ Olympia, Wash.
Lower Columbia College 1 p.m. @ Longview, Wash.
NWAACC Crossover Tournament @ Salem
Southwestern Oregon CC 3 p.m. @ Coos Bay
South Puget Sound CC 3 p.m.
*Home games in bold
2004 C lackamas B aseball S chedule
March 12
Lower Columbia CC Tourney @ Longview, Wash
March 19
Columbia Basin CC Tourney @ Pasco, Wash.
Mandi 30
SWOCC 12 p.m.
April 3
Mt Hood CC 1 p.m. @ Gresham
April 6
Chemeketa CC 1 p.m.
‘Home games in bold
*Not complete season
Dont drink ¿ ár/V¿
Wéty Mts sm liws.
Cake's
BRAKE SERVICE
830 SE 46th Ave. (Corner of 46th & Belmont)
PORTLAND, OR 97215
(503) 232-6440
All items are made homemade, fresh daily
Students can get the daily special for $4.25
Just bring in your student ID card to get the discount
212 Molalla Ave. Oregon City, OR 97045
(503) 655-7197