Page 12
HEPPNER
East Oregonian/Hermiston Herald
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Mustangs hoping to get over hump
H EPPNER B ASEBALL
In this
May 19,
2015 ile
photo,
Jake
Lindsay, of
Heppner,
dives for
home
plate as
pitcher
Freddie
Vera waits
for the ball
during a
game in
Irrigon.
COACH: Jim Kindle, 3rd year
2015 SEASON: 9-11, 5-7 SD6
(4th)
POSTSEASON STORY: The
Mustangs have not had a winning
record or made the postseason since
2011.
RETURNERS:
C
Weston
Putman, sr.; P/INF Patrick Collins,
sr.; UT C.J. Kindle, sr.; OF Kevin
Murray, jr.; INF Jake Lindsay, jr.
T
he Heppner Mustangs haven’t
had much time together as the
2016 season draws near, as the
teams’ practices were set back by
the basketball team advancing to the
state playoffs.
Head coach Jim Kindle said that
the team will have only had six
practices before their ¿rst game.
“The guys have done a lot to
get their arms in shape,” he said.
“We’ll probably have to throw
several (pitchers) in the ¿rst game
because all of their arms won’t be
ready.”
Heppner loses only two starters
from last years’ sTuad in in¿elder
=ach Irons and out¿elder Cade
Arbogast, but return plenty of expe-
rience all over the ¿eld. Leading the
pack of returners is senior utility
player C.J. Kindle, who hit for a
.326 average, scored 25 runs, and
stole 22 bases to land on the ¿rst
team all-league roster.
The Mustangs also return seniors
Weston Putman and Patrick Collins,
as well as juniors Kevin Murray
and Jake Lindsay to help bolster the
offense and defense.
Pitching will be a big question
mark for the Mustangs heading
through the season, as the staff
allowed more than seven runs per
game in 2015. The team has not had
a winning season since 2011, and
has hovered around the .500 mark
for the past two seasons. So what
does Kindle think it will take to get
the Mustangs over the hump?
“Cut down on the errors and put
the ball in play,” he said. “We can
make good contact, we just need to
¿nd some space in the ¿eld.”
Heppner’s district landscape
Staff photo by
Kathy Aney
H EPPNER S OFTBALL
COACH: Petra Payne, 3rd year
2015 SEASON: 3-19, 1-11 SD6 (7th)
POSTSEASON STORY: The Mustangs have not made
the playoffs since its back-to-back appearances in 2012 and
2013.
RETURNERS: P Meranda Lemmon, jr.; P Onna DeLoach,
jr.; 3B Jessica Kempken, sr.; C Caitlyn Bailey, sr.
he Heppner Mustangs have struggled to ¿nd winning
consistency in each of the last two seasons, mustering
just ¿ve total wins overall.
Coach Petra Payne is hoping for a turnaround in 2016, as
the team returns all of its starters and most of the contributors
from the 2015 team.
“We have 16 girls out for the team this
year, and that should help us,” she said.
“We have a couple of new dynamics to
make us tougher, and our returners are
getting better and stronger.”
Heppner will have three strong pitching options this year,
with junior Meranda Lemmon as well as newcomers Cassidy
McCullough and Dakota Durphy.
So what does Payne want to see from her team in 2016?
“We’re going to need to be able to beat the top teams
in our league to hopefully boost some con¿dence,” she
said. “I’m really hoping for some solid defense, continued
improvement, and being able to put some runs on the board.”
T
2016 SCHEDULE
2016 SCHEDULE
Mar. 15
Mar. 29
Apr. 1
Apr. 4
Apr. 12
Apr. 16
Apr. 19
Apr. 23
Apr. 26
Apr. 30
May 3
May 7
May 10
May 14
vs. Weston-McEwen
vs. Pilot Rock
at Weston-McEwen (DH)
at Pilot Rock
at Grant Union
vs. Grant Union (DH)
at Dufur*
vs. Dufur* (DH)
vs. Irrigon*
at Irrigon* (DH)
vs. Sherman*
at Sherman* (DH)
at Culver*
vs. Culver* (DH)
4 p.m.
4 p.m.
2 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
4 p.m.
11 a.m.
4 p.m.
11 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
11 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
11 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
11 a.m.
*League game
changed a bit for the 2016 season, as
the Mustangs’ home Special District
6 has two less teams after both Pilot
Rock and Weston-McEwen have
been relocated to Special District 7.
Dufur has also added a co-op
with South Wasco this season,
and Arlington/Sherman has added
Condon High School, with Sherman
taking the lead.
“It’ll be a different look, for
sure,” Kindle said. “But we still
have to play against Sherman and
Dufur, and we still have to drive to
Culver, so we’ll still have to play
well.”
Mar. 17
Mar. 23
Mar. 23
Mar. 24
Mar. 24
Mar. 28
Mar. 31
Apr. 1
Apr. 9
Apr. 12
Apr. 16
Apr. 19
Apr. 23
Apr. 26
Apr. 30
May 3
May 6
May 10
May 14
vs. Umatilla
vs. Hermiston JV
vs. Enterprise
vs. Knappa
vs. Enterprise
vs. Echo
at Umatilla
at Grant Union (DH)
at Echo
at Burns*
vs. Burns* (DH)
at Union*
vs. Union* (DH)
vs. Pilot Rock*
at Pilot Rock* (DH)
at Irrigon*
vs. Irrigon* (DH)
vs. Culver*
at Culver* (DH)
4:30 p.m.
Noon
TBD
TBD
TBD
4:30 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
11 a.m.
3:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
4 p.m.
11 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
11 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
10 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
11 a.m.
*League game
H EPPNER T RACK & F IELD
COACH: Russ Nichols &
Laura Winters, 1st year
POSTSEASON STORY: The
Mustangs quali¿ed eight individ-
uals in 10 events at the state meet,
where the girls ¿nished tied for
30th and the boys ¿nished 29th.
KEY
RETURNERS:
(BOYS) Kaden Clark, sr.; Skyler
Palmer, sr.; Alex Lindsay, soph.;
(GIRLS) Kaelyn Lindsay, sr.
T
he Heppner Mustangs had
a successful trip to the
district track meet in 2015,
qualifying eight individuals for
the state meet in 10 different
events. However, that success
did not translate into results
at the state meet, where the
Mustangs highest ¿nish on the
boys side was Skyler Palmer
¿nishing seventh in the 800
meter run and Kelly Wilson
¿nishing eighth in the triple
jump on the girls side.
But the Mustangs return
six of those eight quali¿ers in
2016, with Kaden Clark (200
meter dash), Alex Lindsay
(triple jump, 4x400 relay), Len
Havermeier (high jump, javelin
throw), and Kaelyn Lindsay
(100 meter hurdles) all looking
to better their results from 2015.
2016 SCHEDULE
Mar. 17
Apr. 2
Apr. 9
Apr. 14
Apr. 23
Apr. 27
Apr. 30
May 6
May 13
May 19
May 20
Buck Track Classic
Sherman Invite
Stan¿eld Invite
Mustang Invite
Pepsi Invite (Union)
Bulldog Invite
Condon Invite
Baker Invite
Districts (at Athena)
State Meet (at Eugene)
State Meet (at Eugene)
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
11 a.m.
1 p.m.
10 a.m.
4 p.m.
11 a.m.
10 a.m.
11 a.m.
8 a.m.
8 a.m.
EO file photo
Caitlyn Bailey of Heppner is one of the team’s top re-
turners for 2016.
GOOD LUCK TO
IRRIGON
KNIGHTS!
H EPPNER G OLF
In this May
13, 2015
ile photo,
Heppner’s
Logan
Grieb chips
during the
2A district
golf tourna-
ment at the
Pendleton
County
Club.
EO file photo/
E.J. Harris
COACH: Greg Grant, 26th year
POSTSEASON STORY: The Mustangs had a
successful season, as the boys team ¿nished third at districts
and seventh at the state tournament, and the girls ¿nished
second in the district and second in the state tournament.
LOSSES: Jesse Corbin, John Propheter, Paige Grieb,
Maddie Lindsay, Emily Rae,
RETURNERS: (Boys) Logan Grieb, jr.; Brian Rill, sr.;
Tommy Bred¿eld, sr. (Girls) Sophie Grant, soph.; Amanda
Rea, jr.
H
eppner returns three boys and two girls from the
state qualifying teams from one year ago, and are
poised for another successful season.
On the boys team, Logan Grieb returns for his junior
season coming off of a fourth-place ¿nish at districts and
a 16th-place ¿nish at state. Also back for the Mustangs are
seniors Brian Rill and Tommy Bred¿eld who earned 40th
place and 36th place ¿nishes at the district tournament
respectively.
On the girls team, Sophie Grant returns for her soph-
omore season after a stellar freshman year saw her earn
top-ten ¿nishes at both the district and state tournaments.
The only other varsity player returning is junior Amanda
Rea, who ¿nished 11th in the district tournament and tied
for 24th with former teammate Maddie Lindsay at the state
tournament.
The district tournament is back at Pendleton Country
Club again for the 2016 season, and the 4A/3A/2A/1A state
tournament will be held at Emerald Valley Golf Club in
Creswell.
2016 SCHEDULE
Mar. 17
Mar. 18
Mar. 28
Apr. 1
Apr. 8
Apr. 12
Apr. 15
Apr. 22
Apr. 29
May 8-10
at Willow Creek CC
at Echo Hills GC
at Pumpkin Ridge GC
at Pendleton CC
at John Day GC
at La Grande CC
at Big River GC
at Buffalo Peak GC
at Alpine Meadows GC
Districts (Pendleton CC)
Mentzer & Elliott
2 p.m.
10 a.m.
Noon
9 a.m.
11 a.m.
Noon
10 a.m.
10 a.m.
11 a.m.
8 a.m.
Best of Luck
Knights!
www.mtvalleylandco.com
LEE DOCKEN,
Principal Broker
P.O. Box 50, 101 • SW Kinkade Ave.,
Boardman, OR • leed@eotnet.net
Office: 541-481-6251
Cell: 541-571-0062
Fax: 541-481-6262
P il o t Ro c k
Pilot Rock Hardware
R ocks!
181 NW Birch
Pilot Rock, OR
541-443-2241
W ay to go R ockets!
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125 SW 3rd St. • Hermiston
541-564-2574
DOHER TY RECYCLING
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420 NE Elm, Pilot Rock, OR • 541-443-2351
JOHN L.
BALLARD
LL C
GO ROCKETS!
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541-443-3234
Good Luck Rockets!
Terry Becktold
541-278-4963
509 SW Frazer Ave., Pendleton, OR
tperkins@farmersagent.com
2801 S T . A NTHONY W AY , P ENDLETON , OR 97801
WWW . SAHPENDLETON . ORG
