E AST O REGONIAN
Thursday, May 6, 2021
FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER @EOSPORTS |
FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS
A9
Oregon looks to restock secondary cupboard
Baton passed from
NFL prospects to
young talent
By RYAN THORBURN
Eugene Register-Guard
EuGENE — The five defen-
sive backs the ducks started in the
rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin
on Jan. 1, 2020, have all left the nest
and Oregon coaches are comfort-
able with the restocked secondary
after several players gained expe-
rience during the truncated 2020
season and other young talents
making strides during spring prac-
tice.
after Thomas Graham, Jevon
holland and Brady Breeze opted
out last season, Mykael Wright
became an all-Pac-12 cornerback,
Jamal hill made a name for himself
at nickel with two interceptions in
the Pac-12 championship game and
safety Verone McKinley became
“the general” of the unit.
The list of safeties competing
for more playing time with Nick
Pickett moving on includes steve
stephens, Bennett Williams and
Jordan happle.
d.J. James is the early frontrun-
ner to replace deommodore Lenoir,
but Trikweze Bridges, dontae
Manning and Jaylin davies have
also impressed the staff.
“I’m very pleased with where we
are as a unit right now,” cornerbacks
coach rod Chance said. “We’ve got
a lot of guys that are going to step
onto the field for the first time in
their Oregon careers.
“Obviously, we’ve been blessed
to have had some of the defensive
backs we’ve had here for the past
three our four years, but at the same
time we’re very excited to see these
young men put themselves in posi-
tion to make plays.”
While opposing quarterbacks
mostly avoided throwing in Lenoir’s
direction after the senior cornerback
opted back in for the 2020 season,
Wright took advantage of all of the
action by leading the Pac-12 with
nine passes defended.
Chance acknowledge that the
cornerback starting opposite Wright
against Fresno state on sept. 4 at
autzen stadium should be ready to
get tested early and often.
A season to remember
haden hyatt’s
stellar pitching and
spotless Era has
Heppner off to 8-1
start to the season
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
H
EPPNEr
—
heppner is a foot-
ball town, but this
spring the baseball
team is making people sit up
and take notice.
The Mustangs are 8-1 head-
ing into a doubleheader at
riverside on saturday, May
8, largely in part to the work
hayden hyatt has put in on the
mound.
The senior, right-handed
pitcher has thrown 30-2/3
innings over six games. he
has given up nine hits, one
unearned run, has walked 16
and struck out 40. he boasts a
6-0 record with a sterling 0.00
earned run average.
hy a t t ’s p e r fo r m a n c e
has surprised himself and
Mustangs coach Tim Wilkins.
“This is the first time I have
had someone like this and I
have been here five years,”
Wilkins said. “It’s nice to have
him. he’s always worked super
hard, but his velocity has really
improved over the past two
years.”
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound
hyatt said the key to his success
this season hasn’t just come
from endless hours of work.
“I just have all the faith in
the world in the guys around
me,” he said. “I trust they will
make plays. When I don’t have
to worry about that, I can do my
job better.”
Those guys include Jackson
Lehman at first base, third base-
man Toby Nation, Mike Jaca at
second and shortstop Carson
Eynetich. all but Nation have
grown up in the program
together.
“Toby just moved here this
year from Oklahoma, but he is
a solid player all around,” hyatt
said. “he has all my trust when
I’m on the mound.”
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Heppner’s Hayden Hyatt (24) throws a pitch against the Rockets.
The Heppner Mustangs defeated the Pilot Rock Rockets 6-4 at Pilot
Rock High School on Monday, April 12, 2021.
No one has put a radar gun
on hyatt this season, and he’s
not sure he wants to see those
numbers. While he doesn’t
baffle hitters with his speed,
he has a couple of pitches that
catch them off guard and fresh-
man catcher Cameron Proud-
foot calls a good game.
“One of my favorite pitches
is my curveball, and my second
favorite is my knuckle ball,”
hyatt said. “Cameron is learn-
ing and doing pretty well back
there.”
hyatt said he doesn’t keep
track of his stats on a regular
basis, but he is aware of his
earned run average of zero.
“It’s such a surreal thing,” he
said. “It’s definitely a one-of-a-
kind thing.”
But it is something the
Oregon school activities asso-
ciation keeps track of.
The lowest Era for one
season (a minimum of 50
innings) belongs to Rich
Farthing of Corvallis high
school, 0.11, set in 1969. devin
Muir of days Creek is second at
0.12 (2010) and Jacob Fricke of
Glide is third with 0.19 (2015).
There is a state-mandated
pitch count of no more than 110
per day, and there are required
days of rest. hyatt has been
able to keep his pitch count
down so that he can throw on
Tuesday and again on saturday.
his season high is 99 pitches
through six innings against
sherman on May 1.
hyatt is one of five qual-
ity pitchers in the Mustangs’
stable, along with Nation, Jaca,
Eynetich and Tucker ashbeck.
“We are deeper at pitcher
than we have ever been,”
Wilkins said. “Toby is close to
hayden velocity wise, but he’s
not as accurate.”
While his performance on
the mound is second to none,
hyatt still is a work in progress
at the plate this season.
he is hitting .233 with two
doubles and four rBIs, but the
heavy hitting has been done by
Lehman, ashbeck, Jaca and
Kason Cimmiyotti.
“My play at the plate has
been lacking for me, and it has
been frustrating,” hyatt said.
“I’m working pretty hard in
practice to improve on that.”
Wilkins said it’s just a matter
of time before hyatt gets his
timing back.
“he has always hit really
well and has had a high aver-
age,” Wilkins said, “but having
a year off has affected every-
one’s swing.”
It’s been more than six
years since the Mustangs have
had a winning season on the
diamond. an 8-1 start is not
something hyatt foresaw.
“I can speak for the guys
around me, they are surprised
as well,” hyatt said. “It’s taken
high intensity, dedication and
communication, which has
been at an all-time high since
I’ve been in high school. We put
our nose to the grindstone this
season, for sure.”
hyatt also plays football
for the Mustangs, but sports
beyond high school are not in
his plans.
“Baseball would be my No.
1 pick if I were to go to the next
level,” he said. “I don’t have
any offers, so I think I will stick
with going to work.”
Before then, the Mustangs
have six games remaining, and
hyatt has an opportunity to add
his name to the Osaa record
book.
“I’m excited for the oppor-
tunity,” James said of possibly
replacing Lenoir full time after
getting limited snaps subbing in last
season. “I feel I’ve been taught and
coached into this position I’m about
to acquire. I feel that I’m ready for
it. My coaches will have me ready
for it. I’m just going to take over the
opportunity and enjoy it.”
hill had 20 tackles, four passes
defended and the two interceptions
in six games played last season.
The 6 -foot-1, 200 -pound
See Oregon, Page A10
OSAA
Heppner
principal
elected to
board
East Oregonian
hEPPNEr — heppner Jr.-sr.
high school principal Matt Combe
was recently elected to serve on the
Oregon school activities associ-
ation Executive
Board.
T he Osa a
Executive Board is
a 13-member board
that sets policy for
all member schools
in the state. It
Combe
is comprised of
mo s t ly s cho ol
superintendents. Combe will be the
only school principal on the policy
making board.
Combe has served the past
six years on the Osaa delegate
assembly Board that is comprised
of approximately 40 members from
each conference or league in each
classification (1A-6A) in the state.
The delegate assembly meets
regularly and makes grassroots
recommendations to the executive
board on policy matters.
“I have been an advocate of
athletics and extracurricular activ-
ities throughout my educational
career,” Combe wrote in his candi-
date statement. “I have valued my
time serving on the Osaa delegate
assembly and would like to continue
this work. My focus would be on
positive working relationships to
help the Osaa continue to function
efficiently and effectively in enrich-
ing the educational experiences and
opportunities for students.”
The OSAA is a nonprofit, board
governed organization comprised
of 293-member schools, both public
and private. The mission of the
Osaa is to serve member schools
by providing leadership and state
coordination for the conduct of
interscholastic activities, which will
enrich the educational experiences
of high school students.
The organization, which was
founded in 1918, sponsors 113
team and 426 individual event state
championships for students compet-
ing in 19 interscholastic activities.
SPORTS SHORT
Welcome to Top 10, Melo: Elite NBA scoring list adds Anthony
By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press
aTLa NTa — Car melo
anthony looked like he was all
done just a couple of seasons ago.
Now, he’s part of a truly exclu-
sive club in the NBa.
Welcome to the Top 10, Melo.
anthony scored 14 points
Monday night, May 3, in Port-
land’s 123-114 loss to the atlanta
hawks, moving him past Elvin
hayes for 10th place on the career
scoring list with 27,318.
“If you’re in the top 10 of
anything of all time, it’s a special
moment,” said anthony, who is in
his 18th NBa season and turns 37
before the month is out.
anthony cruised past hayes
early in the second quarter, hitting
a 3-pointer while getting fouled
by danilo Gallinari and knocking
down the free throw to complete a
4-point play.
anthony was fully aware of
how many points he needed to
surpass hayes.
“I knew this moment,” he
said. “I didn’t know those other
moments — 15, 13, 11. But 10 is
something I knew.”
It appeared anthony was
headed for a forced retirement
after he played just 10 games
during the 2018-19 season.
he parted ways with hous-
ton, was waived by Chicago and
didn’t hook up with Portland until
the next season was several weeks
old.
Even though he went more than
a year without playing a game,
anthony found new life and a new
role with the Trail Blazers.
a starter his entire career, he is
coming off the bench now, playing
a supporting role to younger stars,
players who still look up to him,
such as damian Lillard.
“Being in the top 10 in a really
special accomplishment,” Lillard
said. “For him, it’s probably a
little more special. a lot of people
counted him out and tried to finish
him.”
during his time with the Trail
Blazers, anthony has passed nine
players on the career scoring list.
Mary Altaffer/Associated Press, File
Brooklyn Nets forward Jeff Green (8) guards against Portland Trail
Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony (00) during the second half of an
NBA basketball game on Friday, April 30, 2021, in New York.