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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 2017)
Polk County Sports 16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • June 14, 2017 2017 ITEMIZER-OBSERVER ALL-REGION BASEBALL TEAM PITCHER Jaret Stewart Dallas The junior was Dallas’ best pitcher throughout the spring. Stewart went 6-1 in 11 starts and threw 71 2/3 in- Stewart nings. He threw 63 strikeouts. “He’s our best pitcher,” Scot McDonald said. “He had big wins for us, makes great pitches and gives us a chance every time on the mound. He wants the ball and delivers.” Stewart was named second team all-league. Humberto Alarcon Central The senior pitcher was the Panthers’ go-to starter during the 2017 campaign. He led the team in innings pitched (44 1/3) and strikeouts (45). His ERA of 1.4 ranked second among Central pitchers with Alarcon at least 10 innings of work and was also second in saves (two). Alarcon also more than held his own at the plate, recording 17 hits and 11 RBIs. Alarcon received first team all-league and all-state honorable mention for his performance during the spring. INFIELD Eric Kessler Dallas Kessler, a sophomore, made some strong plays at short- stop. “He has great feet and speed and makes plays oth- ers don’t,” McDonald said. Kessler was also a force with his bat. He had 33 hits and Kessler 15 RBIs with a .359 batting average. “He has an awesome leadoff and jump starts the offense,” McDonald said. “He’s a great player.” Kessler received second team all- league honors for his performance, and he fig- ures to remain a key cog for the Dragons going forward. Luis Amador Central Amador, a senior, was once again one of the Panthers’ top threats at the plate. Amador ranked second on the team in batting average (.405), hits (34) and RBIs (22). Amador also was a steady hand at first base that helped make him essential to Central’s success during the 2017 season. Amador did a little of everything, in- cluding pitch for 9 2/3 in- Amador nings, where he had a 2.1 ERA. Amador earned first team all-league and all state honorable mention. District 2 recog- nition. Clay Coxen Dallas The senior first baseman was one of Dallas’ most clutch performers. Coxen hit .347 with 24 RBIs and he also drew 21 walks. Coxen pro- vided the Dragons with power at the plate with a Coxen pair of home runs. “He’s a powerful, lefty bat,” McDonald said. “He comes through in the clutch and can get hits whenev- er we need them.” Coxen earned an all-league honorable mention for his efforts in 2017. Peter Mendazona Central The junior played dual roles on defense for the Panthers, serving as starting shortstop and a relief pitcher/closer. Mendazona excelled in both roles. Mendazona was first Mendazona on the team in saves, going a perfect four-for-four in save opportunities. He was second on the team in strikeouts (43) and had an ERA of 2.1. Mendazona was also a dangerous weapon at the plate. He ranked third on the team in hits (28) and was second in runs scored (19) and was named first team all-league. OUTFIELD Jackson Holstad Central The senior was the Panthers’ most dangerous bat at the plate and one of the most consistent players on defense. Holstad hit .442 at the plate, recording 38 hits and 23 RBIs. Holstad Holstad was also Central’s most pow- erful hitter. He led the team in home runs (six) and triples (three). Holstad was named first team all-Mid-Willamette Conference and first team all-state and became part of the foundation for Central’s success during the 2017 sea- son. Haylen Janesofsky Perrydale As Perrydale continued to build its program, Janesof- sky stood out at the plate and in the outfield. The first team, all-league se- lection hit .429 during his Janesofsky senior season and had 18 stolen bases and 17 RBIs. “He had a great second half of the season,” coach Steve Mabry said. “He was a presence at the plate and has speed and power.” In the out- field, he had a .982 fielding percentage and could quickly cover long distances in the out- field and had the arm to make the necessary throws to get a runner out or stop him from advancing. “He was able to run down balls that others don’t get to,” Mabry said. “He has a great jump on the ball.” Tanner Earhart Dallas The senior had a strong sea- son this spring. Earhart hit .404 at the plate with 36 hits and 31 RBIs. Earhart also had two triples and a home run. “He’s powerful and dynamic and competes Earhart ever y at-bat,” McDonald said. “Opponents have to pitch around and has great speed.” Earhart, who earned first team all-MWC and second team all-state recognition, established himself as one of Dallas’ leaders throughout the team’s run to the state quarterfinals. CATCHER Treve Earhart Dallas Earhart was one of the Dragons’ hardest work- ers during the 2017 season — and his results showed how that hard work paid off in a big way. Earhart hit .484 at the plate with 46 hits, including a home run, and 28 RBIs. He also had 18 stolen bases. But he may have had an even bigger impact behind the plate, where Earhart played catcher. “He shuts Earhart down run games, makes pitchers look better and squares the ball up at every at-bat,” McDonald said. “He’s a tough out, competes and shows up each day.” Earhart was named first team all-MWC and second team all-state. Daniel Domes Perrydale The senior catcher also served as the leadoff batter for the Pirates. That could be a tough combination for some, but it was a role Domes thrived in. “Dan was the on-field leader,” Mabry Domes said. “He has surprising power out of the leadoff spot and was a tough out that made pitchers work hard.” Once Domes, who hit .396 with 12 RBIs, got on base, he was always someone opponents had a hard time keeping at first — Domes had 14 stolen bases. Domes was named second team all- league. “He was invaluable to the team in lead- ership,” Mabry said. COACH Scot McDonald Dallas As Dallas’ head coach, Mc- Donald helped lead the Dragons to another success- ful season. Dallas finished McDonald the season 17-12 overall and 12-9 in Mid-Willamette Con- ference play, good for fourth place in the league standings. The Dragons defeated Ashland 5-4 in its state play-in game and advanced to the quar- terfinals thanks to a 5-2 win over Hood River Val- ley in the first round. — The 2017 all-region high school baseball team was selected by Itemizer-Observer Sports Editor Lukas Eggen, along with heavy input from area coaches. Holstad: Plans to play baseball at Chemeketa Continued from Page 15A Throughout his high school career, Holstad has treasured each moment he shared with his teammates. This spring was a little dif- ferent, though. “Being a senior, you real- ize the importance of the games and how I’d never get the feeling of playing for the school and your hometown again,” Holstad said. Representing himself, Central and the community wasn’t a responsibility he took lightly. From those early days watching Volcanoes games, Holstad began learning what it took for players to play professionally. The amount of hard work and dedication required to even have a chance may have scared some away, but the grind appealed to Hol- stad. “That always inspired me,” he said. “I think baseball players are some of the hard- est-working guys out there. I love baseball so much that the grind is awesome whereever I’m playing and whomever I’m playing with.” That hard work was evi- dent in Holstad’s evolution as a player in high school. Holstad got stronger as he got older, and this past off- season, spent countless hours in batting cages. The result was an increase in batting average, home runs and RBIs from his jun- ior season. “I’m always looking to im- prove,” Holstad said. “I’m far from the perfect player.” Holstad will get a chance to continue his evolution in college. He will play at Chemeketa, along with teammates Luis Amador and Humberto Alarcon. “It’s huge (to know people in the program,” Holstad said. “I talked to a few guys who are on the team already who are pretty good friends of mine, and to play with Luis and Berto is great.” The trio considered a number of options. At least for Holstad, one major thing stood out about Chemeketa. “There’s a blue-collar at- mosphere,” Holstad said. “They’re a hard-working group. You have to earn what you get. That was en- ticing to me.” Holstad will spend the summer playing American Legion baseball. Though his high school career came to a close, he’s excited to see what the next chapter of his base- ball life will bring. “I know I’ll be playing a little while longer,” Holstad said. “I’m not holding any- thing back.” Turf: Club hopes to install Cycle: NPF sees Indy as turf in summer of 2018 a long-term host site Continued from Page 15A “What we’re seeing is more and more private citi- zens, or booster clubs are seeing if they can help the school district raise money privately and donate the as- sets,” McNutt said. For now, the goal is edu- cating the Dallas Booster Club, DHS athletic director Tim Larson and a few oth- ers on the benefits of a turf field and how to share that information with the pub- lic. “A grass field at Dallas High School has about 120 to 130 usages during the year,” McNutt said. “Artificial surfaces can take up to 1,500 usages a year. We’re talking more than football. PE class- es, soccer, track, baseball and softball, youth football and soccer, there are just so many usages with it.” The booster club has set a goal of raising $800,000 for the project. Of that, $250,000 will be in-kind materials and labor and $550,000 will be money, McNutt said. The goal is to start and complete the project during the summer of 2018. To reach that mark, the money will have to be raised by the end of next April. “If we felt we had enough support for the project, we would order the field by around May 1,” McNutt said. “As soon as school was done, we’d spend about 30 days prepping the field by remov- ing dirt, putting rocks in for drainage, putting a drainage system in and doing some paving in the end zone and surfacing for track. After the Fourth of July, we would have a FieldTurf company come in and install the sur- face, which takes between 12 and 15 days. Barring any interruptions, we’d try to have the field ready by the first week of August. That is our ultimate goal.” There have been other at- tempts at raising money for installing a turf field before. But this time, there will be a focused, unified message, McNutt said. “The booster club will act as the face of this project,” McNutt said. Continued from Page 15A This will be the first Team NPF Cycle event in the Willamette Valley. The valley’s location and ac- cess to scenic routes — as well as an embracing of cycling culture — made it an attractive spot for the NPF. “We love the communi- ty,” Willms said. “We’ve found Polk County offers some beautiful, scenic and safe areas for people of all levels to ride their bikes. We know communi- ties like Independence, Monmouth and Dallas are interested in promoting cycling opportunities … and we have found the communities to be very welcoming and helpful.” For those who can’t ride but wants to take part, the event offers other ways to get involved. “We welcome virtual riders for those who want to participate but have challenges being able to bike,” Willms said. “It also takes a lot of volunteers to put on a good, supported ride. We have various needs and shifts for volun- teers.” Interested volunteers can contact Erin Faul- haber, 503-369-5717. Willms said he believes the Team NPF Cycle event will grow and draw in peo- ple from across the coun- try in future years — and is IMAGINE Our Communities without our LOCAL NEWSPAPER! Thank the businesses who advertise in the Itemizer-Observer. Without them... Interested in advertising? Call 503-623-2373 excited to make Riverview Park its home for the forseeable future. But the rides are just part of the day’s events. Willms said this is truly an event everyone can enjoy. “We’ll have live music from Homebrew, beer from Rogue Ales, wine from Airlie Winery and lunch from Three Legged Dog,” Willms said. “We’ll also have a massage booth for riders, a kids zone with face painting and balloon artist and other exhibitors. We view this as a family event that is built around the wellness of cycling and helping those with psori- atic disease.”
