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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2017)
SPORTS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS PENDLETON HERMISTON Buckaroos stay in groove Dawgs keep cool for win Smith scores 32, Pendleton wins eighth straight Hermiston girls and boys beat The Dalles By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian After playing just seven games in a 51-day span to start the season thanks to inclement weather across the state, the Pendleton Bucka- roos were struggling to fi nd a rhythm. As the weather has now calmed, the Buckaroos have had more time in practice and more time on the court and it has showed. The Buckaroos have now played eight Boys Hoops games over the past 26 days and have now Hood River won all eight in a row after defeating Hood River Pendleton Va l l e y 65-48 on Tuesday night at Warberg Court. Pendleton coach Kyle Tedder said that he is proud of the way his team has handled the ups-and-downs of the season so far, and that the work that his team has put in on the practice court is paying dividends in game action. “I just think we have some hard-nosed, tough kids,” he said, “that no matter what situation you put them in whether it’s the weather, back-to-backs, three or four games in a week, they’re going to come and compete every day. I think that’s what’s really been the staple for us, is I think it’s tough to fi nd a team in the state that practices harder than we do. “But that’s how we win games, we’re not overly talented we win with how hard we work.” Senior Caden Smith echoed what Tedder said. “We’re not an oversized team or anything, but with good effort and good defense East Oregonian The Bulldogs maintained their composure in a heated Columbia River Conference contest and were able to clear the bench as they closed Girls Hoops out The Dalles 54-46 on senior night Tuesday. When frustration boiled over for a couple The Dalles of technical fouls on the Riverhawks in the second half, Hermiston freshman Jazlyn Romero made them pay by hitting 3 of 4 free throws to help Hermiston add some room in what had been a tight game with a halftime score of 28-24. “I thought our girls did a good job of keeping their heads in those instances,” said Hermiston coach Juan Rodriguez. Romero fi nished with a game-high 20 46 48 54 65 See PENDLETON/2B See HERMISTON/2B Prep Roundup Eagles beat down Badgers Nixyaawii girls fi nish off perfect regular season East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J.Harris NORTH POWDER — Another lock- down defensive effort lifted the Nixyaawii Golden Eagles girls basketball team to a 51-23 win over Powder Valley on Tuesday to fi nish off an undefeated regular season. Coach Jeremy Maddern said post Sunshine Fuentes anchored the defense, and guard Mary Stewart scored 22 points to lead the offense. Pendleton’s Wyatt Morris shoots the ball trailed by Hood River’s Jonah Tactay in the Bucks’ 64-48 win against the Eagles on Tuesday in Pendleton. See PREPS/2B MLB Hernandez out to ‘prove people wrong’ after down year Mariners ace battled injury, elevated ERA in 2016 season Associated Press PEORIA, Ariz. — Felix Hernandez arrived for Seattle Mari- ners spring training on Tuesday already ahead in his offseason preparation from previous years. It’s the result of the World Base- ball Classic and his determination to prove last year’s struggles were an anomaly. “I’ve got to prove people wrong,” Hernandez said was prone to giving up the after taking his physical long ball. with the Mariners. “I feel It was unlike the fi ne. I’m healthy. That’s Hernandez most have the main thing.” come to expect, which How Hernandez made how he would approached the offseason respond one of the big was one of Seattle’s big topics that could ulti- questions after watching mately determine how its ace have a rocky 2016 good Seattle is in 2017. season that included Hernandez “The offseason has a lengthy stint on the been good to me,” disabled list due to a leg injury. Hernandez said. Hernandez was 11-8 with a 3.82 Hernandez spent most of his ERA in 25 starts last season. It was time in Miami working out with the fewest starts in a full season the same trainer — Iron Glenn — in his career and his ERA was its who has worked out teammates highest since 2007. He walked Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano more batters, struck out fewer and in previous seasons. Hernandez reported at 224 pounds, which is up from last season when he reported at 207, but he believes the increased weight comes via strength that will help him last the season. “Working on everything. The whole body, to be balanced, left and right side,” Hernandez said. “(We) do a lot of bands. We do a lot of stuff.” Hernandez also had a brief two-game stint in the Venezuelan Winter League to start getting ready for the World Baseball Classic. Hernandez said he still needed to fi nalize his pitching schedule with the Mariners staff but is likely to throw in two spring training games before joining Venezuela. Hernandez expects to pitch the pool play opener for his country on March 10 against Puerto Rico. Hernandez did not pitch for Vene- zuela during the 2013 WBC. “It means a lot. I think we’ve got a pretty good team to win the whole thing,” he said. Hernandez will also spend the early days of spring training fi guring out Seattle’s overhauled roster. There are just eight players remaining on the 40-man roster from when general manager Jerry Dipoto took over in September 2015. “There’s a lot of new faces. I have to sit down and see who the guys (are),” Hernandez said. “But we look different. More athletic.” Sports shorts CCC honors EOU’s Washington LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon men’s basketball’s Kentrell Washington was named the Cascade Collegiate Conference Red Lion Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts in a pair of big wins for the Mountaineers. Washington, a senior guard from Las Vegas, averaged 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Mountaineers took sole posses- sion of second place with wins over Southern Oregon and No. 15 Oregon Tech. He had 16 points, 11 rebounds Washington and three assists in a 94-83 win over Southern Oregon on Friday, Feb. 10. Against Oregon Tech, Washington had a career-high 38 points with nine rebounds and four assists to help EOU rally from an 11-point halftime defi cit for a 83-73 win on Saturday. Eastern has two games left in the regular season and is at College of Idaho on Thursday. “I came to the conclusion that our team needed a new energy, a new voice, a new direction.“ — Geoff Molson Montreal Canadiens Owner on fi ring head coach Michel Therrien. The Canadiens are 31-19-8 and lead their division by six points, but are the NHL’s worst team since the start of February with a 1-5-1 record. Therrien was replaced by Claude Julien, who coached the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011. Marlins reverse prohibition of facial hair for players JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Beards are back for the Miami Marlins. Manager Don Mattingly said he and owner Jeffrey Loria decided lift their prohibition on facial hair after one season. “It was a constant fi ght last year, honestly, with guys,” said Mattingly, speaking Tuesday before the fi rst spring training workout for pitchers and catchers. “Through the course of the season and watching the playoffs and the World Series, for me it just didn’t seem like that big of a thing. The most important thing is our guys prepare and play the game right.” The Marlins will continue to require players be well-groomed. The ban was adopted after Mattingly was hired as manager before the 2016 season. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1964 — Ken Hubbs, the 22-year-old Chicago Cubs second baseman, dies when his private plane crashes in Utah. The 1962 NL Rookie of the Year had his pilot’s license for two weeks and was fl ying in bad weather. 1998 — Dale Earnhardt takes the Daytona 500 on his 20th try and ends a 59-race winless streak on the day NASCAR begins celebrating its 50th anniversary. 2013 — Ted Ligety becomes the fi rst man in 45 years to win three gold medals at a skiing world championships. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
