MARCH 9, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE C7
McNary opens baseball season Monday
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
McNary’s roster is full of
players who have been wait-
ing their turn.
With the graduation of 10
seniors, they’ll fi nally get their
shot.
“We had proven guys that
were coming back to last years
team and this year no one
would be considered a proven
high quality varsity player,”
McNary head baseball coach
Larry Keeker said. “I think we
have them. No one has actu-
ally proven it yet.”
McNary’s two most ac-
complished returning hitters
are juniors Tyler Covalt and
Jacob Jackson. Covalt, who
was primarily used as a des-
ignated hitter last season, will
catch this season. He has a
.353 career batting average
with 19 runs and 14 RBIs.
“Tyler is highly skilled,”
Keeker said. “He works a lot.
He spends a lot of time on his
craft and he’s been waiting his
turn. He’ll hit in the middle of
the order. He has a little pop
in his bat.”
Jackson, who played in the
outfi eld for the Celtics last
season, could move into the
infi eld in 2018. He scored 12
runs and drove in nine while
posting a .293 average.
Senior Collin Wentworth
also returns at shortstop but
the rest of McNary’s starting
lineup is up for grabs.
“Collin is our shortstop and
Tyler is our catcher,” Keeker
said. “After that it’s how the
pieces come together. That’s
the fun part about coaching is
trying to fi gure out how those
pieces are going to fi t.”
File
LEFT: McNary senior Kyle McCallister, who posted a 3.75 ERA
and recorded 16 strikeouts over 28 innings, returns on the
mound for the Celtics in 2018. RIGHT: Tyler Covalt, a junior, will
start at catcher after batting .353 with 19 runs and 14 RBIs last
season.
The Celtics have another
big senior class. Kyle McCal-
lister and Carl Rumbaugh will
lead McNary on the mound.
McCallister had a 3.75 ERA
and 16 strikeouts over 28 in-
nings while Rumbaugh post-
ed a 3.15 ERA and recorded
11 strikeouts over 20 innings.
When they are not pitch-
ing, McCallister could play at
third base and Rumbaugh at
fi rst.
John Catron, Danny Ocada,
Brady Ellis and Ryan Thomp-
son could also eat up innings.
David Allen, a junior, is the
favorite to be the Celtics No.
3 starter and could also play in
the outfi eld.
Alex Berger, Lance Beck-
tel, Robert Benson, Devon
Bedoya, a transfer from Salem
Academy, and David Alfaro,
who is trying to return from
injury after breaking his foot
playing football, will also
compete for playing time.
“The good news is we have
some competition in the pro-
gram but the bad news is we
have competition in the pro-
gram, so someone is not going
to get in the lineup,” Keeker
said. “That makes for a healthy
team when you get a chance
to compete amongst your-
selves.”
McNary is scheduled to
open the regular season on
Monday, March 12 at home
against Roseburg at 4:30 p.m.
The Celtics will spend spring
break, March 28-31, playing
in a tournament at Volcanoes
Stadium and then open league
play April 3 at North Salem.
“We’re really optimistic,”
Keeker said. “The kids they’ve
been doing a good job in the
offseason in terms of working
out on their own and showing
up to conditioning sessions.
We had 20 guys on a regular
basis doing the conditioning
sessions. There’s a commit-
ment level there that’s actually
a lot better than we’ve had in
the last couple of years. That’s
really been nice to see.”
Keeker expects South Sa-
lem to be the favorite to win
the Greater Valley Conference,
at least on paper. The Saxons
return catcher Aaron Zavala,
who has committed to the
University of Oregon, as well
as a strong rotation on the
mound.
“They have some really
high caliber type players in
their lineup that our coming
back,” Keeker said. “Just per-
sonnel wise you have to look
at that team and think that
they are probably the favorite.”
File
McNary senior Carl Rumbaugh will be one of the Celtics top
pitchers this season.
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