Polk County Sports
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 27, 2016 12A
State: Dirtbags dominate Hustlers
Continued from Page 11A
Dallas High’s Tanner
Earhart went 3-for-7 during
the two games, scoring six
runs and had five stolen
bases.
The Dirtbags, which fin-
ished second in the Area 3
standings, enter the state
tournament winners of five
of the last six games.
“We really hit our stride
toward the end of the sea-
son,” Weaver said. “Hopeful-
ly we can keep that going
through the end of the sum-
mer. We’re confident. Every-
one knows their job and
we’re getting after it.”
The Dirtbags face the Bi-
Mart Challengers from Eu-
gene in the first round of the
double-elimination tourna-
ment at Volcanoes Stadium
in Keizer Wednesday (today)
at noon. The Challengers
defeated the Dirtbags in the
state semis in 2015.
Eight teams advanced to
the state tournament.
The tournament runs
through Sunday. That gaunt-
let of games is difficult to
conquer, but Weaver said
they are ready to handle the
pressure and the stress of
the tournament.
“We’re an experienced
group of guys,” Weaver said.
“We have to stay relaxed and
confident. We’re buying into
what we’ve done all sum-
mer. It’s a matter of staying
with that and not letting the
moment get to us.”
The Challengers skipped
regional play thanks to win-
ning the Area 4 regular sea-
son championship.
The two teams did not
face each other during the
regular season.
The Dirtbags came close
to a state title in 2015, falling
in the semifinals. Players are
excited to write a different
ending.
“We have to stay focused
on every pitch, not only for
me, but our team. If we can
stay focused and execute,
we’ll do what we need to
do,” Mendazona said. “We
know we’re one of the best
teams in the state, and we
have a good chance for a
title. We’re going to go out
there and see if we can get
it.”
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Tucker Weaver throws a pitch against the Hustlers on Saturday afternoon.
MS: Registration open County: Cycling tourism
seen as opportunity
Continued from Page 11A
Bike MS returns to West-
ern Oregon Aug. 5-7, but
you don’t have to be a hard-
core cyclist to take part in
the event — or experience
the power that it brings.
“When people come for
the first time, they think
they’re just going to a bik-
ing event,” Garred said.
“I’m doing this because
I’m honoring my mom’s
memory. They may see the
camping, drinking beer
and the singing, but they
don’t think about the con-
nections they’ll create as a
result of that and the
heartfelt feeling. It’s a
community centered
around a common cause,
not just a ride.”
For cyclists looking to
join, registration is still
open to ride either solo or
as part of a team at www.se-
cure.nationalmssociety.org/
site/SPageServer/?page-
name=BIKE_HOM_splash.
Cost is $50 with a $250 min-
imum of fundraising.
If riding isn’t your cup of
tea, volunteers are always
needed, from checking in
cyclists to setting up and
cleaning. There are also op-
tions for donating online.
Things kick off Aug. 5
with dinner and karaoke.
Saturday, Aug. 6 will offer
several routes to choose
from with fully-stocked rest
stops every 10 to 15 miles.
The first day ends at WOU
for a campout with a meal,
massage, and musical en-
tertainment offered. Aug. 7
concludes the event with
breakfast and one last ride,
including a celebration
after crossing the finish
line.
Distances range from
easier, flat rides, including
one from Monmouth to
Dallas, to more challenging
rides, including a 100-mile
ride.
Through the years, volun-
teers have seen teams grow
in size. Team Road Kill,
based in Vancouver, Wash.
had four people its first year,
Garred said. The team now
counts more than 100 peo-
ple.
“It’s almost like a family
reunion,” he said. “It’s very
intimate. People get to
know each other, set side by
side in tents and have a ca-
maraderie because of the
reason why we’re here.”
That reason is to raise
money for MS research.
Bike MS raised $741,000
in 2015. They’re hoping to
crack $800,000 this year.
“Almost everyone knows
someone affected by MS,”
he said. “We want them to
live the best possible life.
When you see people who
have MS, some of them
can ride, some of them
can’t, everyone feels in-
spired.”
Many people come antic-
ipating a fun, cycling week-
end. Almost everyone leaves
feeling something else en-
tirely.
“People walk away from
the weekend, I would say,
transformed,” Garred said.
“You see the power of peo-
ple who come together
around a common idea and
who want to do something
good in the world. It feels re-
ally, really joyful.”
Continued from Page 11A
Independence installed
two bike repair stations ear-
lier this year.
One is located near the
fountain at Riverview Park,
with the second at a camp-
ground near the river.
“It has a rack you can sit
your bike on so it’s off the
ground,” Independence
Economic Development
Di re c t o r Sh a w n Ir v i n e
said. “All the different tools
you need to work on a bike
are attached by cables, in-
cluding wrenches, tire
changing tools — all that
kind of stuff.”
The campground gives cy-
clists a place to stay
overnight.
“We’ve been wanting to
appeal more to the cycling
community,” Irvine said.
“We see bicycle tourism as
a good economic opportu-
nity for us. We wanted to do
some things to bring more
bicycles to Independence.
T h a t’s w h e re t h e b i k e
campground came from.”
Monmouth created a
bike-pedestrian committee
to look at a variety of poten-
tial projects, including in-
stalling bike repair stations
and increasing signage.
“I think the area provides
great rural views for cyclists
with a range of routes and
topography for all skill lev-
els, all of which is located
within an hour or so of
major urban centers in the
Willamette Valley,” Mon-
mouth Community Devel-
opment Director Mark
Fancey said. “In addition,
Polk County has done a
good job with local road
paving.”
Monmouth, Independ-
ence and the Dallas Area Vis-
itor’s Center matched a
$10,000 grant provided by
the Rural Tourism Studio to
create tourism promotion
items, including a cycling
video and photos, Fancey
said.
The cycling video is film-
ing this week and will be
ready for viewing later this
summer.
Dallas Recreation Coordi-
nator David Brautigam said
the city is trying to organize
a cycling group to meet reg-
ularly. The Polk Pedalers, a
group that holds monthly
rides throughout the year,
also meets for a variety of
rides that take them around
the county.
The effort has not been
lost on cycling groups, in-
cluding Bike MS and Cycle
Oregon.
“We’ve always thought the
area was bike friendly,”
Garred said.
The goal now is to show-
case the county as a cycling
destination — and attract
cyclists from around the
state.
“It’s something we’re al-
ways thinking about,” Irvine
said.