15
Elkton/Yoncalla Baseball
Austin Luzier prepares a pitch on a rainy day that forced the team into the Elkton gym.
Jeff Tibbetts works through a fi elding drill at practice.
Team Rundown:
Team Perspective with Jeff Tibbetts:
It is no secret that pitching can
make or break a team. Last year,
Elkton/Yoncalla was broken.
“Last year we got to a point in time
where we paired everybody up and
we worked on pitching mechanics
as a team. I had 15 guys working on
how to step in and out of the rubber.
How to make a move to first base.
Crazy stuff,” said head coach Bill
Shaw. “I put people on the mound
who couldn’t throw a strike to save
your soul. We did some crazy things
to survive that.”
After finishing 7-16 and in the
bottom half of the league, this year’s
team – complete with experienced
pitchers that Shaw has confidence
in – is primarily made up of fresh-
man and juniors with a handful of
players who are new to the sport and
are looking for a path to catch up to
the Oaklands and North Douglas’
of the league.
While inexperience is a central part
of the team, success for them came
last season via the play of Jaydn
Woody. In his first year of playing
baseball Woody caught on quickly
and made second-team all-league.
“It just kind of happened. It was
pretty cool but it just kind of hap-
pened,” said Woody.
As the Elks, who are co-opted with
Yoncalla, try to make more happen,
Shaw is working to find ways to put
together the puzzle that is this team.
“I’m putting together pieces and
parts. I’ve got a lot of guys that have
played baseball before but they ha-
ven’t played together. So we’ve got
some work to do as far as figuring
out who our middle infield is and
transitions and communication. And
finding a catcher,” he said.
Have a Starring Season,
CG Lions!
On travelling from Yoncalla to Elkton
I enjoy it a lot because you get to go
to another school with new friends. I
got one of my best friends here in
Elkton just because of us co-opting
last year. I enjoy it a lot. You get an-
noyed with a lot of people that you
have to go to school with all day,
come to another school, new friends
and new faces throughout the day.
It gets to you a little bit. Like for me
it’s hard because I don’t always get to
see my family as much as I would like
to because it’s an hour commute.
On their leauge
Our league is always tough. Good
baseball teams. We got Oakland
which is returning almost everyone.
We got Monroe, oh gosh, they’re
a baseball program. I strive to be
like Monroe. They’re a good pro-
gram. North Douglas is always good.
3 Cheers for the LIONS!
®
Oakridge is pretty decent always. We
got to come out and play. We’re re-
turning quite a bit from last year but
even with what we’re returning three
or four first-year guys that started for
us last year. I mean, we’re real junior
heavy and freshman heavy which is
fun to see some young guys step up.
And I think we’re gonna have some
young guys really step up for us this
year.
On how they will get better this year
For us it’s just going to be focus.
We all have the skill, we’re all talented
enough. It’s just staying focused and
work on the stuff we need to work
on. Trying to get that experience for
us and take that and put it on the
field.
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