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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2017)
SPORTS TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS NAUGHTON’S SIZZLING SUMMER Pendleton pitcher goes from little-known prospect to D-I commit By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian PENDLETON — A little after 4 p.m. on a Wednesday in late July, Pendleton senior Daniel Naughton steps onto the field at Bob White Ballpark for his usual weekday workout. First up is a round of long toss with teammate Justin Duso and Pendleton alumnus and current George Fox University player Brian Branstetter. Afterwards, Duso and Naughton break off for the duo’s usual bullpen session. On this day, Naughton and Duso choose a spot down the first base line at the ball- park that is in the shade, doing so to escape the sun and heat of the warm mid-90s weather. Naughton toes the rubber donning a Nike brand long-sleeve, Dri-FIT shirt with Pendleton Baseball printed on the front, black athletic shorts, and black and white New Balance spikes. He peppers Duso’s glove with 35 pitches in this session, mixing his fastball, changeup, curveball and his newest addition, a slider. But his most prized piece of equipment on this day rests comfort- ably on top of his head. It’s a base- ball cap with the letters GU printed on the front in red, white, and blue letters on a blue background, repre- senting Gonzaga University. Naughton is not just wearing “This kind of thing is rare for a kid from Umatilla County so we’re really proud of him.” — Rob Naughton, Daniel’s father Staff photo by E.J. Harris Pendleton senior pitcher Daniel Naughton works out with junior Justin Duso last week. the hat as a fan, but now as a future Bulldog himself. In the span of 17 days this summer, Naughton elevated himself from a little- known college prospect in Eastern Oregon to earning a scholarship and committing to the Division I institution. “I was not expecting anything like this when summer started,” Naughton joked in a recent interview. “I was never thinking anything like Gonzaga or D-I at the beginning, but as summer went along, it started to go through my mind a bit.” Naughton has always had a love for baseball. He can’t really put his finger on the aspect that sucked him into America’s Pastime, but there was never a time where his parents had to ask him if he wanted to play each spring season, it was always a given. From a young age, Naugh- ton’s father, Rob, knew his kid had a talent for the game. “We noticed Daniel had a good arm at an early age,” Rob said. “In Little League he had velocity ... and he could throw a baseball, a football all with a natural motion.” Naughton’s talent began to grow as a freshman in high school, when his neighbor and former Buckaroo catcher Alex O’Rourke got him started on Driveline Baseball work- outs. At the time, Driveline was still relatively new to the baseball training world but now it has become a top-of-the-line, data-driven training program that is utilized by numerous colleges and high See NAUGHTON/2B College Football It’s ‘Go Time’ for the Ducks as fall camp opens EUGENE (AP) — There is much talk about a culture change at Oregon, and it seems as if the players are taking it to heart. Quarterback Justin Herbert was thrown into the starter’s role last season as a shy freshman. He’s since put 15 pounds on his lanky 6-foot-6 frame and new coach Willie Taggart joked that he’s been strutting around without a shirt on. Then there’s running back Royce Freeman, already a physical force, who Taggart said has changed both his attitude and his approach. Taggart is about to embark on his first season as Oregon’s head coach and he’s pleased with the attitude shift he’s seen in his players since his arrival. Fall camp opened Monday and the work begins in earnest. “It’s go time. The honey- moon is over,” Taggart exclaimed Sunday. “We are ready to roll.” Just two seasons after playing in the first College Football Playoff champion- ship game, the Ducks’ run of 11-straight winning seasons ended with a thud — a 34-24 loss to the rival Oregon State Beavers. Oregon finished 4-8 overall and at the bottom of the Pac-12 North standings at 2-7. Three days after the season the Ducks dismissed Mark Helfrich. Taggart’s last two head coaching jobs have also been rebuilding projects. He was coach at South Florida for the past four seasons, guiding the team from a 2-10 record his first year to a 10-2 mark and a spot in the Birmingham Bowl last season. “Anytime you come into a new program, changing the culture is probably the biggest thing and the hardest thing to do because they have been doing it a certain way for a while,” he said. The transition hasn’t always been smooth. Co-offensive coordinator David Reaves resigned in January after he was arrested on charges connected to AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez throws to the Texas Rangers in the second in- ning of a baseball game, Monday in Arlington, Texas. Oregon head coach Willie Taggart speaks at Autzen Stadium in Eugene on Sunday. The Ducks opened fall camp Monday under their first-year head coach. Quiet at trade deadline, Mariners beat Rangers driving under the influence. Wide receivers coach Jimmie Dougherty, a passenger in Reaves’ car, left in early February for UCLA. Oregon’s strength and conditioning coach was suspended in January when three players were hospi- talized because of grueling workouts. And wide receiver Darren Carrington was dismissed from the team recently after he was also arrested to driving under the influence. Carrington, who had 15 TD catches for the Ducks, was expected to be one of team’s top receivers this season. He transferred to Utah. Despite the rocky start Taggart has clearly embraced his new job, becoming the Ducks’ most visible cheer- leader on social media. He’s enthusiastically pursued recruits, evident Saturday night when Oregon hosted “Saturday Night Live,” a prospect camp at Autzen Stadium. Herbert and Freeman will be key to his offense — which Herbert vowed will be even faster than Oregon’s speedy “blur” offense that pushed the Ducks onto the national stage under coach Chip Kelly. “We’re going to try and go even faster this year,” ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Robinson going back to the mound and giving up the Cano had a two-run single in the ninth and hit. They were teammates during Beltre’s the Seattle Mariners won 6-4 at Texas on five seasons in Seattle (2005-09) and are Monday night, only hours after the still close. Rangers traded pitcher Yu Darvish. Darvish was dealt to the MLB The Mariners trailed 4-0 after Dodgers within minutes of the two innings before getting even non-waiver trade deadline earlier against Cole Hamels, the remaining Monday for three minor league Mariners ace for Texas now that Darvish players. Texas also traded reliever is with the NL West-leading Los Jeremy Jeffress back to Milwaukee Angeles Dodgers. for a Double-A pitcher, and had Cano lined a ball over the head sent catcher Johnathan Lucroy to of right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, Colorado after Sunday’s game for getting two runs home before he a player to be named. Rangers was thrown out trying to stretch After three trades the previous the hit into a double. The hit came week, the Mariners made no right after pitching coach Doug additional deals before the Brocail was ejected for arguing a deadline. balk called against Alex Claudio (2-1) that Hamels struck out seven and walked put runners at second and third with Cano one while going six innings. Hernandez at the plate. was erratic despite five strikeouts, walking David Phelps (1-1) struck out five in three and hitting two batters in his 5 13 1 2/3 innings before Edwin Diaz pitched innings. a perfect ninth for his 20th save in 24 Seattle got even at 4 with an unearned run in the sixth. Guillermo Heredia reached chances. Rougned Odor and Carlos Gomez on a two-out error by Beltre and scored on homered for the Rangers, who had five a triple by Leonys Martin. It was the third straight game that Beltre hits in the first two innings against Felix Hernandez and then one the rest of the had a throwing error. He had gone 62 game. They struck out 13 times against consecutive games without an error before that, a franchise record and career best for four pitchers. A day after becoming the first Dominican the five-time Gold Glove winner. TRAINER’S ROOM player and 31st overall in the majors with Mariners: Martin, a .145 hitter, was 3,000 hits, Adrian Beltre added to his total in the first with a solid single up the middle recalled from Triple-A after RF Mitch Haniger got hit in the face by a fastball against Hernandez, his good friend. Odor had just hit his 23rd homer on Saturday. Haniger is expected to be out overall and 10th of July, a two-run homer about two weeks. Rangers: RHP Tyson Ross made a rehab measured at 437 feet, when Hernandez walked toward the plate for a brief word start for Double-A Frisco, a week after going on the 10-day Dl with a blister on his with his catcher. Hernandez then hugged Beltre before right index finger. AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson Herbert said at the confer- ence media day this week. “The emphasis is on going fast. We’ve got so many guys to make plays, and my job is to distribute the ball.” Herbert threw for 1,936 yards and 19 touchdowns in eight games as a freshman last season, taking over when graduate transfer Dakota Prukop struggled. “He’s gained about 15 pounds since last year, and Justin’s walking outside with his shirt off now. And if you all know Justin, that wasn’t him before. But he’s laughing. He’s hanging out with his guys,” Taggart said. Freeman joked on Sunday: “We’re trying to beg him, ‘Just please put your shirt on.’” Freeman was the Ducks’ leading rusher last season with 945 yards in 11 games, but he was hampered by injury. He has rushed for 4,146 yards over three seasons with the Ducks, second only to LaMichael James (5,082 yards) on Oregon’s career rushing list. Freeman, who has already graduated, said he’s feeling more comfortable. “I told him to tell me when he doesn’t want any more carries,” Taggart said. “I’ll just keep giving them to him.” 6 4
