8 MAY 15, 2004
Smoke Signals
MAY 15, 2004
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Play At The Plate Willamina centerfielder Stephen Price scores while
Sheridan catcher Brock Wall tries to tag him out.
Stories by Ron Karten
Willamina Bulldogs
At the end of April, the Bulldogs' Varsity Baseball team bubbled in fourth
place, biding its time, still building its credentials, knowing that four teams
go to the West Valley league playoffs, and as coach Todd Woods said, "Once
you're in the playoffs, anything can happen."
By mid-May, with two games to go, the team had dropped to fifth place.
With a very young team including only three seniors, Woods said, "A lot
of the teams in our league have peaked. They're already as good as they're
going to get. I don't think we have peaked."
Among those that Woods names as leading the charge are senior second
basemen James Hosley, senior first baseman, Jason Bergan, sophomore
pitcher Zach Burdon and junior centerfielder Stephen Price.
"Hosley's my leadoff hitter and leads the team in stolen bases," said
Woods. By mid April, he had 32 compared with only 30 all of last year.
"Bergan's my cleanup hitter." He leads the team with 24 RBIs and a
batting average of .527.
"Burdon leads the team in strikeouts, wins (3-2) and his earned run
average is 2.61."
"Price leads the team in putouts and second on team in stolen bases (19),
hitting average (.448)."
His strategy for the season: "All we need to do is take care of our game.
The way we need to look at the season is to take care of us and not worry
about what the other teams do."
A perfect example came early in the season when fourth place Willamina
was sitting on a 7-5 lead over third place Dayton in the last inning. "We
gave up 10 unearned runs to lose 15-7 (including eight errors)," said Woods.
Barring the errors, which will diminish with experience, said Woods,
that game put the Bulldogs "not far behind third."
The practice hasn't paid off yet in the season. "We're hitting the ball,"
said Woods, "but we just didn't find the holes and the gaps."
Not that they need it with the pitching they've been getting, but Woods
is working the team on defense, too. "Lot of ground balls," he said.
State championships come in the third week in May for 1A and 2A teams.
Pitcher Perfect
Willamina pitcher
Caitlyn Chewning has
thrown two no-hitters
this season, including a
perfect game. At press
time Willamina had a
1 3-4 record heading
into the game with
Santiam Christian.
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Photos by
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Safe At First Bulldogs' catcher Matt Sawyer makes it back to the base after taking a big lead from first. Sheridan's Drew Mellgren takes the throw from the pitcher.
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Contact Willamina's Stephen Price, hits a line drive during a recent game
with local rival Sheridan. West Valley League Playoffs begin Tuesday, May 18.
The "J" Train
Sheridan Spartans'
pitcher Jason Weathers
has had a good season
this year, leading the
team in Runs Batted In.
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Willamina Softball
In late April, the Willamina softball team was second in the West Valley
League, behind only Dayton. "We're 8-2 over all," said Coach Ron
Caligure, "5-1 in league."
In mid-May, the team was still hanging tough in second place.
He attributes this year's success to an infield that in some games seems
to be all the team needs. Pitcher Caitlyn Chewning has thrown two no
hitters including a perfect game against the Delphians. "It's just the speed
and her accuracy," that accounts for this success, according to Caligure.
Infielders cited as most important to the team's success are: Chryslyn
Chewning, second base, Hillary Torrez, third base, Jessica Cruickshank,
first base, "and," said Caligure, "I'm really pleased with Brittny Wilson
behind the plate. This being her first year playing softball and catching,
she's doing a good job."
By the time the sun popped through at the end of April, Caligure counted
"beating Santiam Christian down there at their place, 3-2," as the season's
high point. At press time, Willamina stood one place ahead of Santiam
Christian in the standings.
With only four girls that are returning starters, the team remains young,
but Caligure coaches them just the way he has coached all his teams.
"I just think girls need to be able to hit the ball, so we spend a lot of time
on hitting."
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Sheridan Baseball
First year Varsity Baseball Coach Scott Curtis is taking the Spartans to
the playoffs. It's been a long drought for the team, but with second place
sewed up on the Spartan's side of the West Valley League and "a very
experienced team" that has returned seven starters this year, Curtis is
excited.
"It has been kind of an interesting season," he said. "Coming in as first
year coach and having so many veteran players, I haven't had to do a lot
of teaching. They know how to play the game. Where the teaching has
come in is having them think about specific situations.
"They all know how to hit the ball, but maybe you want to hit behind a
runner instead of trying to pull it. I'm doing more fine-tuning."
Curtis credits a lot of the team's success this year to strong pitching in
the name of Kris Jensen, who's got two no-hitters to his credit this year.
"With high school baseball," said Curtis, "if you've got strong pitching,
that can take you a long way."
Jason Weathers, also pitching for the Spartans this year, also has been
a threat at the plate. "He's one of our team leaders in hits and RBIs (runs
batted in).
Catcher Brock Wall is another offensive leader in both hits and RBIs,
said Curtis.
"The thing that's been really great for our team, we don't have to de
pend on one or two guys," he said. "If somebody is not doing well, others
tend to pick up the slack. We've had games where we've hit the ball well
throughout our lineup."
Curtis played ball in his own right at Central High School in Indepen
dence and in college ball, he was a catcher at George Fox, where he played
for coach Pat Casey, now coaching Oregon State University Baseball.
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Spartan Hitter Ben Baker of Sheridan takes a swing at a pitch during a home
game at Willamina. At press time, Sheridan was in second place in the Northern
Division of the West Valley League with the playoffs set to begin next week.
Staff Ace
Bulldogs' pitcher Zach
Burdon, a sophomore,
leads the team in
strikeouts and has an
earned run average of
2.61. Burdon threw a
no-hitter against
Westside Christian.
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