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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2015)
12A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 17, 2015 Polk County Sports 2015 ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ALL-REGION SOFTBALL TEAM PITCHERS Erin Taylor Dallas The senior pitcher anchored Dallas’ rotation during the 2015 season. Taylor went 8-4 in 17 appearances during the regular season, recording an ERA of 2.8. Taylor led the Dragons with 51 strikeouts Taylor and also earned three saves. Taylor earned first team all-Mid-Willamette Con- ference honors for her performance and helped the Dragons to a 15-6 league record and 16-10 mark overall as Dallas advanced to the play-in round. Erin Cole Central The Panthers relied on the freshman pitcher throughout the season Cole rose up to the challenge. Cole threw 144 of a possible 167 innings dur- ing Central’s campaign, amassing a 13-10 record and Cole a 2.9 ERA. She threw 96 strikeouts and played a major role in the Pan- thers’ defense, which gave up 110 runs, the sec- ond fewest in the Mid-Willamette Conference. Cole proved time and time again that, despite being a freshman, varsity softball did little to in- timidate her. She earned second team all-MWC recognition and is set to be the Panthers’ ace throughout her high school career at Central. INFIELD Kassidy Totten Dallas The senior shortstop was not only one of the team cap- tains, but one of the Drag- ons’ best overall players. On defense, Totten had a .974 fielding percentage, record- ing 74 putouts against just Totten two errors during the regular season. At the plate, Totten led the team in hits (47), batting average (.547) and stolen bases (16), proving she was one of the Dragons’ most dangerous offensive weapons. Among players with at least 10 at-bats during the regular sea- son, Totten had the team low in strikeouts, going down on swings just twice during the 2015 campaign. But Totten’s leadership extend- ed beyond her play on the field. Totten was named first team all-league and helped Dallas to a third-place finish in the Mid-Willamette Conference in her final year with the Dragons. Kaitlyn Noon Central The senior first baseman saw her high school career end with a solid performance throughout the 2015 season. Noon recorded 31 hits, in- cluding a team-high 11 dou- bles, and 24 RBIs, making her Noon one of the Panthers’ go-to bats for an offensive spark. In the infield, she had 33 putouts and 30 assists playing primarily at first base. Noon’ earned second team all-Mid- Yasmine El-Hato Dallas The junior first base- man/pitcher proved she was a force to be reckoned with at the plate. El-Hato hit a team-high 11 home runs dur- ing regular season, driving in 41 runs. Her .420 batting av- El-Hato erage was second on the squad, behind only Totten. El-Hato drew a team- high 23 walks during the season, proof that de- fenses realized of her skills at the plate. On de- fense, El-Hato played primarily at first base, while also pitching in certain situations, making her one of the Dragons’ most versatile players. The league took notice, naming her to the first team all-league, while also selecting her as the conference’s co-Offensive Player of the Year. Alexxa Gonzalez Central The senior outfielder made the most of her final year with the Panthers. Gonzalez ap- peared in 26 of Central’s 27 games, providing the Pan- Gonzalez thers with a dependable bat in their order. Gonzalez fin- ished the 2015 campaign with 23 hits and 15 RBIs. Her ability to play a number of posi- tions, especially in the Totten outfield, meant Cen- tral could switch around lineups whenever it was need- ed. Gonzalez earned second team all-league honors for her performance. Sarah Mitchell Dallas The senior third baseman re- turned to the Dragons after competing in track and field as a junior. Mitchell immedi- ately added depth both in the batting order and the in- field. She provided Dallas Mitchell with a steady presence at third base and showed the ability to hit the long ball, recording a pair of home runs. Mitchell drove in 23 runs, the third most for Dallas and earned first team all-Mid-Willamette Conference recognition. Mitchell may have taken a hiatus from softball, but her return played a key role in the Dragons’ success. UTILITY Cheyenne Locke Perrydale Locke, a senior, was arguably the Pirates’ most versatile player. Final stats weren’t available, but Locke provided Perrydale with a player who could step in at almost any position, including pitcher. Locke Locke provided senior leader- ship both on and off the field and earned first team all-Special District 2 honors for her role on the Pirates during the 2015 cam- paign, helping her team finish third in the league standings and just missing out on OUTFIELD Jori Kerr Central The sophomore outfielder made a big impact for Cen- tral in 2015. At the plate, she was tied for second on the team with 37 hits and was also second in triples with four and RBIs with 30. Kerr Kerr also showed the ability to go deep, hitting a team-high three home runs. As Kerr prepares to become an upperclass- man, it’s clear she’ll play a major role in the Panthers’ batting order. Now, she’ll be looking to take her defensive play to the next level. For now, Kerr earned sec- ond team all-Mid-Willamette Conference honors for her efforts in helping the Panther to a fourth place finish in the MWC standings. a postseason berth. Perrydale’s season may have ended earlier than the Pi- rates hoped, but Locke proved just how great of a player she was, no mat- ter what position she was playing on the field. Ryanne Huffman Central Makena Linn Dallas Linn, a jun- ior center- f i e l d e r, p ro - ve d w h y Linn s h e was one of the Dragons’ slam was the first home run of her career. But Huffman meant so much more to the Panthers. She set six school records: career hits, career runs scored, career stolen bases, most stolen bases in a sin- gle season, most runs scored in a single season and most hits in a single season. She also tied t h e t e a m’s record for most triples in a single sea- son. Huffman’s .510 batting average, 51 hits, 35 RBIs and 46 runs scored were all team highs during the 2015 campaign. Huffman received first team all- league honors for her efforts and helped Central advance to the first round of the state play- offs. most important keys to success. At the plate, she finished second on the team in hits (37), batting average (.457), home runs (five) and RBIs (36), proving she played a major role in making Dallas’ offense go. In the outfield, Linn boasted a .933 fielding percentage with 28 putouts and made just two errors during the 2015 campaign. Linn was one of five Dragons to earn first team all-league honors. And Linn figures to play an even more prominent role as a senior during the upcoming sea- son. Willamette Conference recognition for her ef- forts during her senior season for the Panthers. Nash The senior short- stop/utility play- er had a banner season to end her high school Huffman career. Among the highlights included a grand slam in the Panthers’ play-in round, ending the game and giv- ing Central a 14-2 victory. The CATCHER Kylie Nash Central The senior catcher showed why she has become such a key part of the Panthers’ Nash softball squad. Behind the plate, Nash boasted a near perfect fielding percentage of .992 with 113 putouts and just a single error during the 2015 campaign. Nash helped Central’s pitchers through a variety of situations and lead a de- fense that gave up the second fewest runs in the MWC. But Nash wasn’t just a rock on de- fense. She recorded 37 hits at the plate, tying for second-most on the team. Nash also drove in 24 runs. Once on base, she was always a threat to advance, recording 16 stolen bases, second most behind Huffman. Nash earned first team all-Mid-Willamette Conference recognition, a final honor that showed just how much Nash meant to Central’s success during the season. COACH Al Perkins Dallas The sixth-year coach led the Dragons to a third-place fin- ish in the Mid-Willamette Conference. Perkins led a tal- ented team, one that saw five players earn first team Perkins all-league honors, including the Co-Offensive Player of the Year (Yasmine El- Hato) and seven players overall earn all-league recognition as the Dragons advanced to the play-in round. Perkins stepped down as Dallas’ coach after the 2015 campaign, but his tenure featured several playoff runs, a league title and multiple players earning all-league honors throughout his career. — The 2015 all-region high school softball team was selected by Itemizer-Observer Sports Editor Lukas Eggen, along with heavy input from area coach- es. Swing: Huffman will play at WOU Continued from Page 10A As one of three seniors, Huffman wasn’t worried about any personal acco- lades. Entering a new classi- fication (Class 5A), Huffman was more worried about the bonds her teammates would form than the num- ber of total wins. “I wasn’t focused as much on how far we would make it, but on how well we all came together,” Huffman said. As far as relationships go, it was mission accom- plished for the Panthers. “I’ve met so many people who will be my bridesmaids at my wedding,” Huffman said. “We had such good chemistry. That is something we’ll hold onto forever.” That chemistry led to the Panthers making a big splash in the Mid- Willamette Conference. Central led the league in total runs scored (251), while finishing second in runs allowed (110). Huffman was at the cen- ter of much of the team’s of- fensive success. She led the team in hits (51), RBIs (35), batting average (.510) and stolen bases (24) as the Pan- thers advanced to the first round of the state playoffs. “My power hitting im- proved,” Huffman said. “Be- fore, I was a bunter. I would get on base by outrunning throws.” Huffman was also one of the team’s most dependable infielders, finishing second on the team in fielding per- centage (.947) while starting at shortstop. Huffman earned first team all-league LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer Central senior Ryanne Huffman will play softball at Western Oregon in 2016. honors for her senior cam- paign. “Honestly, probably my favorite part is laying out for a ball (on defense) and get- ting my uniform dirty,” Huffman said. “I love that.” While her high school ca- reer has come to a close, Huffman’s softball journey is far from over. And she’s staying close to home to continue on. — There was a time when Huffman wasn’t sure she would be playing softball at the collegiate level. “Growing up, I thought I was going to play for UCLA and in Division I,” Huffman said. “As time went on and I started to learn more, I thought maybe I didn’t real- ly want to worry about soft- ball in college and I should just focus on school.” Her love of softball proved too great, however. But Huffman wasn’t willing to jump at any college that offered her a chance to play. Her next challenge be- came finding a place that offered her more than just a team — she was looking for a new family. It turns out she wouldn’t have to look far. Entering her junior year, Western Oregon University showed interest. When WOU offered her a spot, she was thrilled. “I just love this communi- ty,” Huffman said. “I love the town we’re in. I thought why not go to college there? It’s cool because I can bring people in, like my friends and family, to watch me.” The Wolves have seen success in recent years, win- ning the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tourna- ment in 2014 and advancing to the GNAC tournament in 2015. But it wasn’t their suc- cess on the field that con- vinced Huffman to say yes. “I talked to a player and she said they’re a family out there,” Huffman said. She verbally committed during her junior year and signed her letter of intent as a senior. “I’m really excited and nervous at the same time,” Huffman said. “I don’t know what to expect. I haven’t had the chance to play with the other players or coaches yet.” As she prepares to enter a new chapter in her life, she’s grateful for the chance to give the community she loves more chances to see her progress. “I don’t think I would have been this successful without (the community support),” Huffman said. While the chance to con- tinue her softball career is an exciting prospect, she’s hoping her new team con- tinues what made her time at Central so special. “I’m looking forward to making new friendships,” Huffman said. “That’s what softball is all about, making new friends and relation- ships.” SCORE BOARD CLUB GOLF CROSS CREEK GOLF COURSE MEN’S CLUB Tuesday, June 9 Results Low gross/low net Gross — 1, Bill Karjala, 39; 2, Jim Schroeder, 41; 3, Michael Willem, 42. Net — 1, David Karr, 32; 2, Dennis Bergman, 34; 3 (tie), Bob Sprinkle and Larry Hatcher, 36; 5 (tie), Jim Cain, Ken Ross and Doyle Cornman, 37. SPORTS BRIEFS Gubrud steps down as AD PERRYDALE — Chris Gubrud announced he was stepping down as Perrydale High’s athlet- ic director on Monday. Gubrud will continue to coach the school’s football and softball squads. Dan Dugan will take over as the Pirates’ athletic director, ac- cording to Missy Locke. Dallas to hold sports physicals DALLAS — The Dallas Boost- er Club and Oregon Family Health will offer sports physicals on June 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 607 SE Jefferson St. No early entry. Please bring the form needed for your sport. A limited number of high school and Pop Warner forms will be available. Cost is $25 with proceeds going directly toward the Dallas Booster Club to support Dallas athletics.