SPORTS
1
Pickled for the summer
B y D oug F ry
SPORTS EDITOR
Renner Stecki of Clackamas Community College spent TCP: What was your most memorable moment this
his summer traveling the West Coast playing baseball summer?
for the Portland Pickles. The Pickles are a summer
collegiate woodbat team that plays in the Great West RS: There were a lot of inside jokes and things that
League. Stecki played third base for Portland on a came together like ‘foot gowns, ‘rotisserie chickens’
roster that had players from all over the country and and ‘Hey, Mike’just things like that.
all levels of college baseball.
TCP: How did the maturity of the team impact your
The Clackamas Print: What was your favorite part development as a player?
about playing for the Pickles this summer?
RS: It helped me slow down the game a lot and
Renner Stecki: The fans were amazing, we had so just realize I need to slow it down. Stay focused on
many people there. Also the teammates I played with. plays that are going on and just understand it better,
They were great guys and friends for life, some really understand what baseball is more about.
great people.
TCP: What was it like playing with guys from all
around the country this summer?
Photo by Doug Fry
RS: You learned a lot. There were a lot of guys from
DI schools and schools from all around. You learn how
they act and they play, what’s different and you pick
up a lot of new things.
TCP: How did summer baseball help you improve
as a player?
RS: You pick up a lot of things from other guys that
have been in different areas ana different schools. The
experience of playing against teams in California and
being around better guys.
TCP: What was your experience like sharing the field
with guys you weren’t used to playing with?
RS: That was a good team, they’re very open and
friendly guys. We all came together really quickly, so
it was like playing with a good group of friends and
was a good time.
TCP: How is playing for the Pickles different from
playing CCC baseball?
RS: I t’s a step up with the fanbase and all the
traveling you get to experience a little bit more about
what baseball is like further on with bus trips and the
experience of playing with all these guys.
TCP: What was it like to travel to all these different
teams in California?
RS: The bus rides got a little brutal sometimes, 10-
hour bus rides, but you know we went at night time
so we got to sleep for most of it. It became grueling
at the end with all the trips but they’re still run a lot
of fun being around friends.
Clackamas Print
theclackamasprint.net --------------------------------------------------------- SEPTEMBER 25, 2017