E AST O REGONIAN
Saturday, February 5, 2022
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Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Hermiston’s Isaac Corey (0) is fouled while trying to shoot Jan. 29, 2022, during Hermiston’s
94-55 win over Southridge in Hermiston.
Stanfield’s Mazie Reeser (5) leaps to rebound a ball during the second half Tuesday, Feb. 1,
2022, in Stanfield. The Tigers defeated the Enterprise Outlaws 40-31.
SPORTS SHOTS
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian
Hermiston’s Adrianna Coleman (11) puts up a shot Jan. 29,
2022, during the second half of Hermiston’s 74-65 win over
Southridge in Hermiston.
Riverside’s Axel Gonzalez (40) puts up a shot during the first
half Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, against the Stanfield Tigers in
Stanfield. Riverside prevailed 47-43.
Nixyaawii’s Dylan Abrahamson (1) shoots during a league
game Jan. 28, 2022, against Griswold in Mission. Nixyaawii
beat the Grizzlies 86-11.
Timberwolves out to rebound after down season
By JEFF BUDLONG
For EO Media Group
PeNdLetON — entering
his ninth season leading the blue
Mountain Community College
baseball team, brad baker is eager
to rid his squad of the bitter taste that
last season’s pandemic-impacted
campaign left.
the timberwolves limped to a
4-24 record, struggling all around
the diamond.
“We played a ton of true fresh-
men last year, while a lot of teams
were playing third-year guys,” said
Baker, whose squad was off to an
above-.500 start two seasons ago
before the pandemic shut down the
season. “It was a weird year with
COVId.”
“Since I have been here, the
team’s record has improved each
year until last year,” baker said.
“We are looking to bounce back
this year.”
baker returns 20 players with
experience, and the timberwolves
are buoyed by a fall ball perfor-
mance that saw them go 3-2. add
in some promising newcomers and
there are expectations for improve-
ment.
“We have a decent amount of
returners and some good leader-
ship,” he said. “We don’t have a glar-
ing weakness, which is good.”
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Blue Mountain Community College’s Kaden Boyle (22) leans to catch a
pass as Walla Walla’s Dalton Jones (8) slides safely into third base May 20,
2021. BMCC is looking to rebound in 2022 after a 2-24 record last year.
baker was pleased with what
he saw on the mound, an area that
consistently hurt blue Mountain
last season when it often fell behind
early and struggled to rebound.
Cooper Marshall, Jake allen and
Jesse theriot will help front the rota-
tion. theriot led the timberwolves
in strikeouts during the fall.
Offensively, Kaden boyle hit
more than .500 during the fall
and showed marked improvement
while playing in the infield. Boyle
hit .205 with four doubles a season
ago. tommy Whiles brings a left-
handed bat to the lineup and can
play first base or in the outfield. He
hit at better than a .300 clip during
fall ball.
What were growing pains a year
ago have now transformed into
improved leadership and camara-
derie on the squad. baker said many
of his players learned from their
first-year struggles and worked to
improve over the offseason.
“they have stepped up and
shown the new guys how things
are done and worked to change the
culture from last year to this year,”
he said.
the timberwolves were able to
get through the fall season healthy,
but COVId-19 has caused some
issues since practice started in Janu-
ary. Just as the team was rounding
into form, baker missed a week
of practice recently with his own
COVId-19 battle.
“It has been tough to get the
whole team out there consistently,”
baker said.
the timberwolves open the
season Feb. 25 and Feb. 26 with two
home games against Clackamas.
Blue Mountain will benefit from
a favorable early-season schedule
that sees it play 14 consecutive home
games during the month of March.
baker plans to use the last weeks
of practice to get his team up to
speed on situational baseball as
well as adjusting to being outdoors
as winter begins to ease its grip on
the region.
“We just need live at-bats and
scrimmage opportunities will be
very beneficial,” he said.
Consistent improvement will be
key this season as baker wants to
see his team get better each week.
blue Mountain has reached the play-
offs just once in school history, but
baker said that serves as motivation
for his team as it looks to add to it.
ON THE SLATE
SATURDAY, FEB. 5
Prep girls basketball
Burns at Riverside, 1:30 p.m.
Joseph at Nixyaawii, 1:30 p.m.
Echo at Bickleton, 2 p.m.
Ione/Arlington at Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler,
2 p.m.
Vale at Umatilla, 3 p.m.
Hermiston at Walla Walla, 3 p.m.
Nyssa at Irrigon, 3 p.m.
Heppner at Union, 4 p.m.
Griswold at Wallowa, 4 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Stanfield, 4 p.m.
Prep boys basketball
Vale at Umatilla, 2:30 p.m.
Burns at Riverside, 3 p.m.
Echo at Bickleton, 3:30 p.m.
Ione/Arlington at Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler,
3:30 p.m.
Nyssa at Irrigon, 4:30 p.m.
Joseph at Nixyaawii, 4:45 p.m.
Hermiston at Walla Walla, 5 p.m.
Heppner at Union, 5:30 p.m.
Griswold at Wallowa, 5:30 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Stanfield, 5:30 p.m.
Prep boys wrestling
Heppner, Pendleton, Echo/Stanfield, Irrigon,
McLoughlin/Weston-McEwen, Pine Eagle,
Riverside at Bank of Eastern Oregon Invita-
tional, TBA
Hermiston at 3A MCC Districts, TBA
Prep girls wrestling
Pendleton/Griswold/Nixyaawii, Irrigon, Echo/
Stanfield at Special District 4, West Albany
High School, TBA
College baseball
Eastern Oregon at Linfield, 1 p.m.
College women’s basketball
Blue Mountain at Columbia Basin, 2 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Lewis-Clark State, 3 p.m.
College men’s basketball
Blue Mountain at Columbia Basin, 4 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Lewis-Clark State, 5 p.m.
College women’s wrestling
Eastern Oregon at Southern Oregon, 6 p.m.
College men’s wrestling
Eastern Oregon at Southern Oregon, 7 p.m.
SUNDAY, FEB. 6
College baseball
Eastern Oregon at Linfield, 1 p.m.