3-1 START TO SOFTBALL SEASON LEAVES
COUGARS WITH HIGH HOPES
BY TRAVIS WHITTAKER
“Play hard and live
to
to-
o
fa"
up to the Clackamas
c >
tradition” - Jessica Buel □ S’
Last season the Clackamas Community College women’s
softball team came in as the No. 2 overall seed in the NW AC
conference championships with an overall record of 35-10.
They made it to the semi-finals before losing to Spokane CC
and arch rival Mt. Hood CC in the consolation sem i-finals
to finish 3rd place in the tournament.
This season, they look to improve on where they finished
last season. They see themselves being in the conversation
for the NW AC Conference Championships once again this
season. With 13 new players on the roster, head coach Jessica
Buel still feels that they have what it takes to be able to
contend for the championship.
“Our expectations are always the same, to be playing for
a championship,” said Buel. “ Play hard and live up to the
Clackamas tradition and show everyone our hard work and
how it will eventually pay off in the end.”
After this year, sophomore infielder Kylie Gonzales will be
playing for the University of Great Falls in Montana. Gonzales
shared about how the team has prepared for the season.
Story continued online at TheClackamasPrint.com
—
in
Clackamas Community College sophomore Taylor Balfour makes contact with the ball, helping the
Cougars in their win against Corban University on Sunday, Feb. 28.
SPRING TIME SEASON OPENERS
YOUNG TEAM FACES ROCKY ROAD WITH ONLY FOUR
RETURNING STARTERS
BY TOM BOGGESS
10 Clackamas Print MARCH 2. 2016 thectacka maspri nt.com
“We have one player from Japan coming
back w ho is a shortstop that did not
see much playing tim e last year but is
expected to be a starter this year,” Hoppel
said. “ We have a young team this year,
but our starting defensive team will be
alright.”
Right now the Cougar team roster has
35 players with 23 freshm en on that list.
There are four freshm an catchers. A
freshm en will probably start at second
base and third base if they can handle the
hot corner. The right fielder and center
fielder will probably also be freshman.
Story continued online at
TheClackamasPrint.com
p hoto b y Victoria Tinker
It’s tim e for a n ew season for the
Clackamas Community College baseball
team . The less than successful 14-26
season of last year has long since passed.
Even th o u gh la s t seaso n w a s n ’ t
positive, the team won eight more games
than the previous year.
Jim Hoppel is beginning his second
year as the baseball team ’ s head coach.
“ We lost our No. 1 and No. 2 pitchers
from last year, so the biggest thing for
me this year was to recruit some good
pitchers,” said Hoppel. “ This year we
only have four returning starts from last
year’s team. We have a starting pitcher, a
first baseman, a DH, [designated hitter]
and a left fielder.”