12A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
WARRENTON SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW 2018
Young Warrenton team
should be ‘far more relevant’
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
Needless to say, the 2017 season was
not kind to the Warrenton baseball pro-
gram in terms of wins and losses. There
were plenty of losses, and only one victory.
After 14 straight defeats to open the sea-
son, the lone win was a 4-3 decision over
Portland Christian in the fourth-to-last
game.
The Warriors are expecting that the
worst is over. On to bigger and better
things, with more experience and hopefully
more wins.
It’s been a nice start. Through six games
of the current season, the Warriors were
4-1-1. Warrenton also has a new batting
cage, and a couple of alumni returning
as assistant coaches. A kinder and gentler
schedule should also help.
Warrenton will play four of the five
teams in the 2A Northwest League, and
their doubleheaders with Clatskanie and
Rainier are both at home.
“We’re coming off a one-win season, so it’s
kind of hollow to say, ‘I think we’ll be better.’
We would just about have to be,” said Warren-
ton coach Lennie Wolfe, who has 505 career
victories. “We can’t go much in the other direc-
tion. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of
people by the degree that we improve. We’re
going to be far more relevant than expected,
coming off a one-win season.”
LEWIS & CLARK LEAGUE
League champion Rainier is looking at a
rebuilding job, after a 12-0 league season in
2017.
Rainier lost league Player of the Year
Mason Schimmel, along with six other all-
leaguers. The loss of seven all-league players
could be tough to overcome.
Catlin Gabel and Clatskanie finished a dis-
tant second and third, respectively, and both
made early post-season exits.
“With the exception of us, everyone grad-
uated significant people and significant num-
bers,” Wolfe said. “Rainier only has three
returning starters. (Caymon) Rea is obviously
a stud on the hill, (Joey) Tripp always gets the
job done, and (Dawson) Carr has been a stud
at shortstop. They will all have to do more,
because they graduated six starters. Catlin
Gabel graduated seven starters. Clatskanie did
not graduate a lot, but they lost some key play-
Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian
Kaisa Liljenwall is a returning district
champion in the 300-meter hurdles for the
Warriors.
Warrenton High
strong in numbers
Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian
From left to right, former Warriors Jacoby Marshall, Zach Gantenbein and Boomer Bja-
ranson will serve as assistant coaches for Lennie Wolfe.
WARRENTON BASEBALL
Coach: Lennie Wolfe, 27th year
2017: 1-17 (1-11 league)
All-league returner: Jacob Morrow, So.
ers and they’re fairly young.”
THE WARRIORS
Warrenton was young last year, and the
Warriors are still young.
Even the only two seniors — outfielders
Caden Hans and Preston Miller — have lim-
ited varsity experience.
The junior class includes pitcher Dal-
ton Knight, who did not play last season and
“should be one of the mainstays on the hill,”
Wolfe said, in addition to playing first base and
center field.
Right fielder Kale’o Kapua is in his third
varsity season, Maverick Pedraza is “the most
improved and possibly the hardest working kid
in the program,” Wolfe said. Torben Bradley
and Josh Shipley are the other juniors.
The Warriors have the most promising
sophomore class in the entire league.
It features Gabe Breitmeyer (outfield,
catcher, shortstop and pitcher — “his strength
is his versatility,” Wolfe said), along with third
baseman Alec Herrera, second baseman Ethan
Holthusen, pitcher/first baseman Devin Jack-
son, shortstop/pitcher Austin Little and catcher
Jake Morrow. Also in the mix will be Ahstin
Culp (from Jewell).
Three freshmen on the roster include Duane
Falls, Ryan Hoagland and Nic Pior.
“The practice energy is high, and I’ve
been happy with the work ethic,” Wolfe said.
“Boomer (Bjaranson, assistant coach) put it
well — there’s just a different vibe this year.”
Bjaranson is joined by Zach Gantenbein
and Jacoby Marshall as the other assistants, all
former Warriors.
“I’m really excited about the coaching
staff,” Wolfe said. “Three of the most storied
baseball players in Warrenton baseball.”
The batting cage, or “Walt’s Lumberyard,”
is a donation of Walt Ferguson and Ferguson
Lumber.
“It’s for baseball and softball, and the
13-14’s are using it right now,” Wolfe said.
“It’s going to be a great thing for our spring
sports.”
Prediction: Warrenton’s home double-
header vs. Clatskanie May 11 could have
second place in league at stake, possibly
more.
Warrenton set to challenge the Mighty Columbians
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON SOFTBALL
The question heading into
the 2018 softball season: Which
team in the Lewis & Clark
League can challenge Rainier?
The two-time defending 3A
champions finished six games
ahead of their nearest compet-
itors in league play last year,
which happened to be Clats-
kanie, Portland Adventist and
Warrenton — as all three tied
with 6-6 league records. Port-
land Christian was last at 0-12.
The Warrenton Lady War-
riors are hoping to be in the mix
of those challenging the Mighty
Columbians.
Warrenton lost Landree
Miethe — their league Player of
the Year and all-time leader in
everything — to graduation, but
the Warriors enter the 2018 sea-
son on solid ground, with high
hopes.
LEWIS & CLARK
LEAGUE
Rainier went 12-0 in league
play last season, 23-2 overall,
and won the state championship
with a 3-2 victory over Dayton.
The Columbians will be
tough again, even without
Pitcher of the Year Haley Schim-
Coach: Staci Miethe, 17th year
2017: 16-8 (6-6 league)
Playoffs: Lost league playoff at
Clatskanie (4-9)
All-league loss: Landree Miethe
All-league returners: Niqui
Blodgett, Sr., Claire Bussert, Jr.,
Natalie Duncan, So., Kenzie Ram-
sey, So.
Gary Henley/The Daily Astorian
Niqui Blodgett — a student at
Jewell High School and soft-
ball player for Warrenton —
will be one of the top pitchers
in the Lewis & Clark League.
mel. Rainier returns five all-
league players, as the Columbi-
ans reload with another strong
group.
“You always have to put Rainier
at the top, just from what it’s been
historically,” said Warrenton coach
Staci Miethe. “They lost quite a
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bit, but Rainier always has a strong
program, and they may be ready to
bring up some other players.
“Clatskanie might have their
number,” she said. “(Tiger fresh-
man) Shelby Blodgett is just as
good at softball as she was in bas-
ketball. It all depends. I don’t know
if Rainier will be quite as dominant
with the pitching.”
As for her team, Miethe said,
“we have to win the games with
Portland Adventist, which always
seems to be a thorn in our side. We
have to play better in those games.”
THE WARRIORS
First the bad news. Warren-
ton lost returning juniors Joe Arm-
strong and Hanna Bentley to knee
injuries, and both will miss the
season.
Shortstop Claire Bussert suf-
fered a sprained ankle in the bas-
ketball team’s season-ending loss,
but will be back in time for league
play.
On the graduation front, the
Warriors lost their record-setting
catcher, Landree Miethe. She will
be tough to replace, but the War-
riors also have seven players back,
including four all-leaguers.
“With seven returners, that
makes it kind of tough for anybody
to break into the lineup,” coach
Miethe said. “Niqui (Blodgett)
is back as our as pitcher, and she
worked hard in the offseason.”
Blodgett has already signed a
letter-of-intent to play at George
Fox University.
“We’ve been working with
Lilly Thomas (Jr.) at catcher,”
Miethe said. “Then we have the
three freshmen back who started
last season — Kenzie Ramsey,
Natalie Duncan and Melia Kapua.”
Elsewhere, Warrenton has
senior Rachel Dyer at first base
and junior Dani Bue at second. The
Warriors could have either Paisley
Baker or Brianna Quashnick, both
sophomores, starting at third.
Junior utility player Madison
Kadera also returns, along with
junior designated hitter Ruby Dyer.
Junior Noel O’Bryan is a catcher/
outfielder who makes the step up to
varsity. The Warriors will also carry
two freshman pitchers, Shelby
Chester and Mia McFadden.
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
When it comes to track and field, the more
athletes the better. It translates into big points
in big meets.
That’s what the Warrenton Warriors are
hoping for, as they prepare to run, jump and
throw for a new coach. Morgan Slonaker
takes over for Hayley Espelund Rogers.
The Warriors have already won half the
battle with a big turnout. Warrenton’s presea-
son roster is loaded with athletes — 29 on
the girls’ side, 21 boys.
Warrenton placed fifth out of eight teams
in the district meet standings last year, both
boys and girls.
As always, the Warriors will be looking to
score big in the throwing events.
Warrenton has three returning favorites,
as junior thrower Fernanda Alvarez won the
district shot put as a sophomore last year.
Sophomore Mark Warren was the district
champ in the javelin as a freshman.
On the track, sophomore Kaisa Liljenwall
won the district 300-meter hurdles, in addi-
tion to placing fifth in the long jump. She
was sixth in the 400-meter final.
Elsewhere, sophomore Faith Peterson
was third in the shot put at districts, while
three-fourths of Warrenton’s 1,600-meter
relay (Adriana DeJesus, Cailin Bennett, Lil-
jenwall) returns.
The Warrenton boys lost the bulk of their
points, as Tyler Whitaker (district champion
in the high jump and long jump, second in
the triple jump and third in the pole vault)
and Luke Liljenwall (second in the 800
meters) have graduated.
Thirteen of the 21 boys on the current ros-
ter are in the freshmen or sophomore class.
THE WARRIORS
Girls
Fernanda Alvarez, Jr.
Ashlynn Andres, So.
Marlie Annat, Fr.
Cailin Bennett, Jr.
Alma Bolanos, Sr.
Jessica Buoy, So.
Katelyn Carelock, Jr.
Kora Carelock, Fr.
Hailey Crislip, Fr.
Adriana DeJesus, Jr.
Mariali Hernandez-Ro-
jas, So.
Analysa Johnson, So.
Sarah Karr, Fr.
Zosia Koronkiewicz, So.
Kaisa Liljenwall, So.
Alexis Maddox, Jr.
Jordan Marsch, Fr.
Ivy McCargish, Sr.
Serena Moha, So.
Natalie Oseguera, So.
Faith Peterson, So.
Aviana Pierce, Fr.
Libby Rehnert, Jr.
Sahanna Rodriguez, Jr.
Leticia Sanchez, Jr.
Anna Schenbeck, So.
Pamela Talancon, Jr.
Vanessa Talancon, Sr.
Trinity Womack, Sr.
Boys
Hobie Beeman, So
Forrest Bigelow, Jr.
Forrest Cooley, Fr.
Kaden Gilbert, Jr.
Jalen Green, Fr.
Brady Haylett, Jr.
Sam Irwin, Fr.
Elijah Karr, Jr.
Jeff Lafferty, Sr.
Jalen Maddox, Fr.
Giovanni Martinez, Jr.
Patrick McCargish, Jr.
Noah Miller, So.
Juancarlos Oxford-Cruz,
Fr.
Triston Scott, Fr.
Ryder Sharpe, So.
Ayden Stephens, Jr.
Lucas Thompson, Fr.
Mark Warren, So.
Caiden Weinmann, Fr.
Julien Whitsett, Fr.
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