E AST O REGONIAN SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS B1 Little League teams to vie for District 3 title Umatilla County teams to take part in six-day tournament in Baker City By COREY KIRK Baker City Herald BAKER CITY — A total of 34 Little League baseball and softball teams from across Eastern Oregon will gather in Baker City Saturday, June 19, through Thursday, June 24, for the District 3 tournament. Games will be played at the Baker Sports Complex and at Wade Williams Elks Memorial Park. The tournament includes seven divisions: • Baseball: ages 8-10, 9-11, 10-12 and juniors. • Softball: ages 8-10, 10-12 and juniors. In addition to the Baker City teams, there will be squads competing from Harney County, Hermiston, La Grande, Milton-Freewater, Pendleton, Wallowa Valley, TOURNAMENT INFORMATION More information is avail- able at the Baker Little League Facebook page, including a link to full tournament coverage at https://tourneymachine. com/R92074. Grant County, Pilot Rock and Columbia. Baker Little League was scheduled to host the 2020 district tournament, but those plans were derailed when the Little League season was canceled due to the COVID- 19 pandemic. That gave Baker Little League officials additional time to prepare for the event. “We’ve known about the tournament for a couple of years now, approaching two years,” Baker Little League President Jason McClaughry said. This is the first major tournament Baker City has hosted since the 2018 state softball event. “The planning of course starts at the Baker Little League level, as the host we have to plan concessions, we have to plan out fi eld mainte- nance, who is going to do the score keeping as far as score- books and scoreboards,” McClaughry said. “Any train- ing that we’ve done to do those things, hosting the umpires, fi nding accommodations for them. Just kind of the basic supplies that go into hosting an event, whether it’s trash cans to trash bags, spoons, forks, baseball equipment to chalk, to lining fi elds, there’s a lot of little details that go into it.” McClaughry credited the constructive feedback and advice of other leagues, and the District 3 administra- tor Matt Martin for help in preparing for the tournament. “He’s got a big role in connecting with the western region of Little League and Little League International, down to us at the local league so there’s all sorts of planning See Baseball, Page B2 Three local players compete in All-State baseball series LES SCHWAB BOWL that included six doubles, a triple and 19 RBIs. He also scored 26 times, and struck out just four times. On the mound, Wilson was 3-1 with a 4.50 ERA for the 8-7 Vikings. He struck out 36 and walked 21. At By ANNIE FOWLER the plate, he hit .574 with fi ve doubles, one triple and East Oregonian 24 RBIs. He only struck out HEPPNER — Heppner’s twice. Jackson Lehman and Hayden It will be a busy week for Hyatt, along with Umatil- Lehman, who will have a 2A la’s James Wilson, have state basketball game against Knappa on Monday been selected to play on the National in Portland, then the team in the Oregon All-Star Game on Tuesday. 3A/2A/1A All-Star Baseball Series. If the Mustangs The games will should win their be played June 22 at basketball game Volcanoes Stadium Monday, they would in Keizer at 3:30 p.m. Hyatt play again Wednes- and 6 p.m. day. Coa ch i ng t he “It’s coming up National team are pretty quick, we’ll Keith Wallin of see how it goes,” Brookings-Harbor, Lehman said. and Jeremy Werner “Basketball will be of Central Linn. tough on Monday, Lehman and but if we play our Lehman game, we should be Hyatt are the first OK. I’m excited to two Heppner play- ers chosen to play in play against Knappa. They were fun to the series in the past fi ve years, according watch at state last to Mustangs coach year. We will see how Tim Wilkins. our defense goes. We The same goes for are all athletes, but Wilson. not pure basketball “This is a fi rst in Wilson players.” the fi ve years I have Lehman and Hyatt been here,” Vikings coach haven’t played baseball since Jon Garrett said. “James was the state tournament, but one of my main pitchers, my recently they went to the fi eld starting catcher and he also to get in a few swings. played shortstop.” “We threw each other BP Lehman and Hyatt helped and our hitting was fine,” the Mustangs to a third-place Lehman said. “His dad hit finish at the 2A/1A state us some ground balls and our tournament, beating Western fi elding was good.” Christian 5-0 in their fi nal This is the first year game. Heppner fi nished the Lehman had played baseball season 15-4. since he was in the seventh Hyatt was a big reason grade, but with a little behind the Mustangs’ encouragement from his success. friends, he joined the team. The right-hander threw “My senior year is my 51.1 innings with a 9-2 record fi rst year back,” he said. “I and a .409 ERA. He allowed told them if they would put just three earned runs all in the eff ort I saw in practice season. He also struck out that I would play. It was cool. 64 and walked 23. Those are guys I played with In 59 at-bats, Lehman hit my whole life. It was fun to .525 with a team-high 31 hits play with them again.” Heppner’s Lehman and Hyatt, and Umatilla’s Wilson will play on the National team Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File Pendleton’s Tyasin Burns (23) picks up yardage on a run during the fi rst half of a 20-12 win over the Ridgview Ravens March 12, 2021, at the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds. Burns was selected as a running back/defensive back for the South team for the Les Schwab Bowl on July 3, 2021, at Linfi eld University in McMinnville. BOWL BOUND Pendleton’s Burns, Heppner’s Wilson to play for South team By ANNIE FOWLER East Oregonian P ENDLETON — Tyasin Burns made people take notice when he played at the 1A level. When he arrived at 5A Pend- leton, a whole new group of football fans got to see him work his magic on the fi eld. His talents did not go unnoticed. Burns was selected as a running back/defensive back for the South team for the Les Schwab Bowl on July 3 at Linfi eld University in McMinnville. Game time is 6 p.m. Pendleton’s Erik Davis was chosen as an assistant coach for the South team. “This is unexpected,” Burns said. “I didn’t think they were going to have a game.” LES SCHWAB BOWL SOUTH ROSTER Coaches — Justin Stark, Thurston, Brian Crum, Mountain View, Erik Da- vis, Pendleton, Scott Gray, Thurston, Chris Newell, Thurston, Steve Turner, North Medford. Quarterbacks — Jayden Wilson, Heppner; Jakoby Moss, Mountain View. Running backs/defensive backs — DeMarcus Phillips Housron, West Albany; Dawson Muggy, Thurston; Gavin Knights, Thurston; DJ Daugherty, Marshfi eld; Tyasin Burns, Pendleton; Devin Bradd, North Medford; Gunner Yates, Co- quille; Dane Sipos, Lebanon; Ja’Marr Flippen, Banks. Off ensive/defensive linemen — Emilio Castaneda, Hood River Valley; Samiu Letisi, South Salem; TJ Zimmerman, West Albany; Keenan In a unique twist this year, the Les Schwab Bowl, which typically is for 6A and 5A players, has chosen a few select underclassmen to play in the O’Donnell, Thurston; Jalen Stead- mon, South Medford; Kross Galago, Thurston; Josiah MacPherson, Marist; Jimmy Jordahl, Crater; Bryson Kievit, Sprague; Brian Jenkins, Thurston; Adrian McConnell, West Salem; Kale Pasley, Marist; Robert Silva, Camas (WA); Jackson Bailey, Summit; Alexis Plummer, Mountain View (WA). Linebackers — Lucas Tuski, Marist; Dante Haven, Grants Pass; Zak Gable, Mountain View (WA); Chance Hendrickson, West Albany; Thur- man Bibens, Union; Brycen Indell, Willamette. Tight ends/receivers — Trenton Hughes, Hood River Valley; Jake Bowen, Union; Jacob Newell, Thur- ston; Cole Brosterhaus, Mazama; Kasey Robinson, Springfi eld; Dawson Douglas, Crater. Kicker — Soren McKee, Summit. game, as well as a few small-school players. See Bowl, Page B2 SPORTS SHORT Brady, Mahomes share cover of Madden NFL 22 By ARON YOHANNES The Oregonian REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — The last time football fans watched an NFL game, it featured Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes dueling in Super Bowl LV. Leading up to next season, they’ll face off again on the new cover of Madden. EA Sports revealed on Thursday, June 17, that Brady and Mahomes are sharing the cover of the “MVP Edition” of Madden NFL 22, the latest copy of the legendary football video game series. “Whenever you fi rst get on the cover, that’s a special moment,” Mahomes told ESPN. “So to be on it again, twice, with an all-time great like Tom Brady, it’s a special moment that I’m glad that I’m able to do so soon after I had done it the fi rst time.” EA Sports teased the cover on Monday by posting a video featuring former Cleveland Browns running back and Madden cover star Peyton Hillis and two goats leaving a barn. Mahomes and Brady have each been on Madden covers in previ- ous years. Mahomes’ first cover was Madden 20. Brady’s fi rst cover (fi nally) came in Madden 18. They’re the fi rst duo to don the video game cover since Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitz- gerald went head-to-head in Madden 10. Madden typically has a single athlete on the cover. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jack- son, Mahomes and Tampa Bay wide receiver Antonio Brown have been the faces the last three years. Madden NFL 22 is set to be released Aug. 20. EA Sports revealed on Thursday, June 17, that Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes are sharing the cover of the “MVP Edition” of Madden NFL 22, the latest copy of the legendary football video game series. The Associated Press