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Tuesday, december 21, 2021
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Stanfield’s Longhorn
signs to play softball
at Linfield University
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
STANFIELD — The first time
Bob Benson saw Taylor Longhorn
on the softball field, she was trying
out for his Washington Angels 18U
softball team. At the end of the day,
Benson knew she would be a good
fit.
“At tryouts, she took a ball to
the face and she was bleeding,” he
said. “She said she wanted to finish
tryouts. She had the attributes, but
that was the icing on the cake. She’s
hard working and full of grit. She is
going to put a lot of pressure on the
defense and she is pretty quick. She
will be really good for them.”
Longhorn, who is a senior at
Stanfield, recently signed a letter
of intent to play softball at Linfield
University, and it was partly that
story from Benson that prompted
Wildcats coach Jackson Vaughan
to offer her an opportunity to play.
“She’s a great kid,” Benson said.
“I don’t know if anyone out works
her. She plays middle infield or
outfield for us. She is either leading
off and or turning the lineup over.
I would say her strength is offense
and her base running. She has good
speed and good instincts.”
Longhorn, who plays on the
Echo/Stanfield softball team in the
spring, said she looked at a couple of
other schools, but it was Linfield that
had everything she was looking for.
“I took a visit to Linfield and I
absolutely loved it,” she said. “The
girls were great and the program
is super amazing. I got to hang out
with them a little bit. We didn’t get
to do anything on the field. It was
instantly where I wanted to be. I’m
super excited about it.”
McMinnville also has a small-
town feel, which made Longhorn
feel at home.
“I went on a day when they had
a football game and it was so much
fun,” said Longhorn, who plans
to major in elementary education.
“That’s where I want to be for my
four years.”
Linfield won the 2011 NCAA
Division III softball title, a season
that produced 51 wins and 103 home
runs. It was the Wildcats’ second
national title, having won their first
in 2007. Linfield also finished fourth
in 2006.
ON THE SLATE
Tuesday, Dec. 21
Prep girls basketball
Pendleton at Corvallis Tourna-
ment, TBD
McLoughlin at Cascade Holi-
day Classic, TBD
Heppner at Irrigon, 6 p.m.
Umatilla at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
Ione/Arlington at Pilot Rock,
6 p.m.
Stanfield at South Wasco
County, 6 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
McLoughlin at Seaside, 5 p.m.
Baker at Pendleton, 6:30 p.m.
Umatilla at Nixyaawii,
7:15 p.m.
Heppner at Irrigon, 7:30 p.m.
Ione/Arlington at Pilot Rock,
7:30 p.m.
Stanfield at South Wasco
County, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 22
Prep girls basketball
Pendleton at Corvallis Tourna-
ment, TBD
McLoughlin at Cascade Holi-
day Classic, TBD
Horizon Christian at Griswold,
2 p.m.
White Salmon (Washington) at
Riverside, 4 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Union, 5 p.m.
Boys prep basketball
Horizon Christian at Griswold,
4 p.m.
White Salmon (Washington) at
Riverside, 5:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Union, 6:30 p.m.
McLoughlin at The Dalles,
7 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Echo/Stanfield, Heppner/Ione,
Irrigon, McLoughlin, Riverside/
Arlington at Rollin Schimmel
Memorial Tournament, Pendle-
ton, 9 a.m.
Thursday, Dec. 23
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Taylor Longhorn of Stanfield throws to first after putting out Riverside’s Michaela Spencer during a game on April
22, 2021. Longhorn, a senior, has signed a letter of intent to play softball at Linfield University in McMinnville.
Longhorn said she isn’t sure
whether she will redshirt her first
year with the Wildcats.
“They said my speed would be
super useful running the bases, and
hitting the ball,” she said. “I’m ready
to compete for my spot. On my high
school team I play shortstop, and
on my travel team I played second
and outfield. They are looking for
me to be in the outfield because of
my speed.”
It’s always been softball
Longhorn also played on the
Stanfield volleyball team, where she
earned second-team Blue Mountain
Conference honors this season as a
libero.
The Tigers won the BMC title
with an 11-1 record, and earned a
spot in the 2A state tournament,
where they lost in the first round,
finishing 19-5 overall.
“I prefer softball over volleyball,
but I love my teammates and it was
my senior year and I wanted to play
with them,” Longhorn said.
In softball, the Cougars (Echo is
the primary team for the program)
finished 15-8 and made it to the first
round of state her freshman year.
Her sophomore season was wiped
out by the COVID-19 pandemic,
and her junior year saw the Cougars
go 10-6 in a season that packed 16
games in less than a month.
The 5-foot-2 Longhorn has
played two seasons with the Wash-
ington Angels, which are based in
the Tri-Cities, and has started her
third. The team played in a tourna-
ment in California last month and
finished 5-2. Their two losses were
by one run. They will play in a tour-
nament in Las Vegas in January.
“Joining the organization was the
best thing I have ever done,” Long-
horn said. “They teach not only
softball, but life lessons. They have
made me a better person.”
While the program has been
good for Longhorn, she has given
as much as she has gotten.
Longhorn hit .311 for the Angels
last year, and had 17 stolen bases.
“I’m a slapper,” she said. “Every-
one comes in and I hit it past them.
It’s super fun to be able to mess with
the catchers.”
The recent national ranking just
came out, and the Angels are ranked
21st out of roughly 2,500 18U teams
nationwide that play at their level.
Benson said Longhorn has been part
of that progress.
He also said he is looking forward
to his last season with Longhorn.
“It’s fun watching the seniors
go on to the national level,” he
said. “It’s nice to see the passing
of the baton.”
Prep girls basketball
Weston-McEwen at Elgin,
1 p.m.
Boys prep basketball
Weston-McEwen at Elgin,
2:30 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 27
Prep girls basketball
McLoughlin at Baker Invite,
TBD
Nixyaawii at Baker Invite, TBD
Pilot Rock vs. Condon at
Bouncin’ Cancer Tournament,
Echo, 10 a.m.
Stanfield vs. Wallowa at
Bouncin’ Cancer Tournament,
Echo, 1 p.m.
Griswold vs. Echo at Bouncin’
Cancer Tournament, Echo, 4 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
McLoughlin at Baker Invite, TBD
Nixyaawii at Baker Invite, TBD
Pilot Rock vs. Condon at
Bouncin’ Cancer Tournament,
Echo, 11:30 a.m.
Stanfield vs. Wallowa at
Bouncin’ Cancer Tournament,
Echo, 2:30 p.m.
EOU soccer standout ends career with national recognition
Sarah Mitchell earns
All-American honors
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
La Gr aNde — a
pillar in the Eastern Oregon
University women’s soccer
program ended her career on
top.
The National Association
of Intercollegiate Athlet-
ics recently named Sarah
Mitchell, a key part of the
Mountaineers’ backline
and midfield, All-Amer-
ican Honorable Mention.
This is the second year in
a row Mitchell has earned
All-American status, cement-
ing her legacy at Eastern
Oregon.
“It was a perfect way to
end my individual career,”
she said. “I was really
surprised, but it was a really
big honor.”
Mitchell played midfield
and defense for Eastern,
helping the team achieve an
11-6-0 record overall and an
8-4-0 showing in conference
play. During Mitchell’s time
in La Grande, the Mountain-
eers posted a record of 51-14-
8.
This season, the native of
Palmdale, California, started
in 11 games for Eastern and
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
Eastern Oregon University’s Sarah Mitchell during a soccer
match against Corban University on Sept. 25, 2021. Mitchell
recently was named National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics Honorable Mention All-American, the second time
in her career she has earned the recognition. The senior
played a crucial role in both the midfield and backline of
Eastern’s defense.
was a major part in the team
tallying nine shutouts on the
year and allowing just 15
goals. Mitchell’s versatility
at both midfield and defense
was essential for head coach
Jacob Plocher.
“She’s been vital,” Plocher
said. “Whenever we’ve asked
her to take on a new role, she’s
been more than happy to do
so.”
In her four years at East-
ern, Mitchell started 56
games and scored four career
goals. Mitchell’s bread and
butter was her impact on
defense, a crucial part of East-
ern’s efforts in a 2021 season
that ended in the conference
tournament.
“She’s a very talented
player and very deserving
of the award,” Plocher said.
“She’s definitely earned it.”
Mitchell transferred to
Eastern after playing her
freshman season at Mary-
mount California Univer-
sity in 2016. At the time, her
older sister, Natalie Mitchell,
was on the team, which was
a big reason she transferred.
Mitchell’s older brother,
Calvin, also played for the
Mountaineers.
A s a n u nde rcla ss -
men acclimating to a new
program, Mitchell relied on
the Eastern coaching staff
and the example of upper-
classmen to improve over the
years.
“I wanted to play up to
their level,” Mitchell said.
“The team has helped me
grow a lot. My coach has
always had my back.”
After finishing her career
as a two-time All-American,
Mitchell said she wants to set
the same example for younger
players in the program.
“I hope my success in
the program can help them
realize that they can be
All-Americans or achieve
similar success as well,” she
said.
Plocher expressed a simi-
lar sentiment, but also viewed
the award as a means of
proving what potential new
recruits can achieve in the
program.
“It really shows that you
can come here and get a great
education, have success on
the field and be a part of a
great program,” he said.
Mitchell noted that being
surrounded
by positive
inf luences
and creat-
ing strong
relationships
with team-
Plocher
mates at
Eastern was
a high point of her time in
the program. She credits her
friends for helping her work
on a solid balance of school,
work and sports.
For Eastern, Mitchell’s
individual achievements are
a testament to what players
in the program can achieve.
The Mountaineers will now
be tasked with replacing a
crucial piece of the puzzle
next season.
“We don’t have the success
that we’ve had without her,”
Plocher said. “She’ll defi-
nitely be missed.”
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