SPORTS
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
HerMIsTOnHeraLd.COM • A9
Former Hermiston star sets strikeout record
r.J. robles gets 17
strikeouts to set a school
record for Missouri Western
By ANNIE FOWLER
sPOrTs edITOr
R.J. Robles wasn’t quite sure
why the bullpen was so excited,
but it turns out they were cele-
brating the fact their teammate
had just set the Missouri Western
State University school record for
strikeouts in a single game.
“It was cool to hear,” Robles
said. “I wasn’t really paying
attention when I was pitching. I
got my 15th, and the bullpen went
crazy — they were screaming.”
A 2016 graduate of Hermis-
ton High School, Robles held the
Missouri Western record of 14
strikeouts (Feb. 8, 2019), along
with Anthony Castasneda (twice
in 2019) and A.J. Huttenlocker
(2009).
By the time Robles got
through six innings against Okla-
homa Baptist on Jan. 31, the left-
hander had rung up 17 strikeouts
as the Griffons held on for a 5-3
road win.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Robles
scattered two hits, walked five
and gave up one run on his way
to history.
“It was really nice to be able
to share that with the guys and
coaches,” Robles said. “We got
back to the hotel and had some
good food. We have to earn it.”
Robles, who is majoring in
computer technology with a
minor in business, is a senior for
the Griffons.
Last year, Robles appeared in
12 games, with seven starts. He
had an 0-2 record with a 6.09
ERA. He gave up 32 hits, along
with 37 walks and 44 strikeouts.
“The level here is pretty
good,” said Robles, who played
two years at Treasure Valley
Community College right out of
high school. “When I first got to
Missouri, it was hard to get used
to the humidity and the bugs. I do
like the west side (of the United
States) more.”
Great adventures
Robles, 22, grew up playing
youth football, basketball and
even wrestled before he got to
high school. Once he put on the
Hermiston purple and gold, it
was baseball only.
His senior year at Hermis-
ton, he was named the Columbia
River Conference Pitcher of the
Photo courtesy of Missouri Western State University
R.J. Robles, a 2016 Hermiston graduate, set a single-game record for strikeouts with 17 for Missouri Western State University on Jan. 31, in a 5-3 win
over Oklahoma Baptist.
“IT WAS COOL TO HEAR. I WASN’T REALLY PAYING ATTENTION WHEN I WAS
PITCHING. I GOT MY 15TH, AND THE BULLPEN WENT CRAZY — THEY WERE
SCREAMING. IT WAS REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH THE GUYS
AND COACHES.”
R.J. Robles, a 2016 Hermiston High School graduate, on setting a single-game college record for strikeouts with 17
Year. He had a 1.40 ERA with 40
strikeouts and 21 walks over 25
innings. He also earned first-team
CRC honors as an outfielder.
On April 8, 2016, he threw a
perfect game on the road against
Parkrose — a 12-0 win that saw
Robles strike out 13.
“I’ve told them I could hit
and play in the outfield, but the
college coaches just want me to
focus on pitching,” Robles said.
After his stint at TVCC,
where he had a 3.06 ERA and
67 strikeouts in 64⅔ innings his
sophomore year, Missouri West-
ern found Robles on FieldLevel,
an app that helps connect players
and coaches.
Through the app, Robles had
interest from Montana State Bill-
ings, Northwest Nazarene Uni-
versity, Bellevue University and
Missouri Western.
The summer between TVCC
and Missouri Western, Robles
played for the Bend Elks of the
West Coast League, a summer
college wood bat league that
competes against teams like the
Walla Walla Sweets and Portland
Pickles.
“I really liked that league,”
Robles said.
Last summer, baseball took
Robles across the country to
New York, where he played for
the Mohawk Valley Diamond
Dawgs in the Perfect Game Col-
legiate Baseball League.
He finished the summer with
a 3-2 record with four saves and
a 2.10 ERA. He struck out 22 in
21⅓ innings of work.
“It was in upstate New York
(Little Falls),” he said. “It was an
experience. At first, it was really
tough. We were in a town the size
of Irrigon, and I barely had cell
service. I lived with a billet fam-
ily, and I’m glad I did. It was an
awesome experience.”
Wagner, Cadenas win district
wrestling titles for Dawgs
Hermiston will send
eight to regional
tournament in spokane
By ANNIE FOWLER
sPOrTs edITOr
Photo contributed by Cody Bettencourt
Julie Hull, center, is moving on to the regional contest of the Elks Hoop Shoot after scoring
18 of 25 during the Northeast District contest held Feb. 8 in Silverton. She is pictured with
Nick Bettencourt, vice president, and Corey Sweeney, Hoop Shoot chairman, both of the
Oregon State Elks Association Northeast District.
Hoop Shoot winner
punches ticket to
regional competition
HerMIsTOn HeraLd
Julie Hull (repre-
senting The Dalles Elks
Lodge #303) is the lone
representative from the
Elks Northeast District —
which also includes Baker
Lodge #338, Condon
Lodge #1869, Enterprise
Lodge #1829, Heppner
Lodge #358, Hermis-
ton Lodge #1845, Hood
River Lodge #1507 and
Milton-Freewater Lodge
#2146 — to advance to
the regional competition
of the Elks Hoop Shoot
Contest.
Competing in the girls
12-13 bracket, Hull shot
18 of 25 during the Elks
State Hoop Shoot con-
test held Feb. 8 in Silver-
ton. According to a written
statement from Cody Bet-
tencourt, in Hull’s last year
of eligibility, this will be
her second time competing
at the regional level. She’s
also participated four times
each at the district and
state levels.
The other age group par-
ticipants from the North-
east District, their place at
the Elks State Hoop Shoot
and lodges represented:
Boys 8-9: Cooper Stefani
(seventh, Heppner); Girls
8-9: Ciciley Stefani (third,
Heppner); Boys 10-11:
Christian Sanchez-Lamas
(fifth, Hermiston); Girls
10-11: Charlotte Hansell
(fourth, Milton-Freewa-
ter); Boys 12-13: Jason
Hull (fourth, The Dalles).
The regional contest
will be held March 14 in
Pasco. It includes first
place free throw shooters
from Alaska, Washington
and Idaho, the other Elks
Area 8 states. Regional
winners will then com-
plete at the national level
in Chicago.
For more information
about the Elks Hoop Shoot
Contest, contact Betten-
court at nickcody97823@
hotmail.com.
Hermiston had two dis-
trict champions, qualified
eight for regionals, and fin-
ished second in the team
standings at the 3A District 8
wrestling tournament Satur-
day at Rogers High School.
Junior Trevor Wagner
(160 pounds) and sopho-
more Sam Cadenas (220)
won titles for the Bulldogs,
who will compete at the 3A
Region 4 Tournament on
Saturday, back at Rogers
High School.
The top four from district
advance to regionals. The
top four in each weight class
from regionals will move on
to the state tournament on
Feb. 21-22 at the Tacoma
Dome.
Mt. Spokane won the
district team title with 397
points, while Hermiston
was second with 285.5, and
Southridge third with 273.
The Bulldogs shuffled
a few of their middle and
heavyweight wrestlers into
different weight classes at
district, with good results.
Wagner (28-7), who has
wrestled 170 most of the sea-
son, dropped to 160, where
he pinned all three of his
opponents, including South-
ridge’s Jacob Tobery in 18
seconds in the championship
match.
Cadenas (32-7) stayed at
his usual 220, posting two
pins before earning an 11-4
decision over Tyler Dallas
Cadenas
Wagner
of Mt. Spokane in the title
match.
Sophomore Jon Lee
dropped from 220 to 195,
where he placed second. He
pinned his first opponent,
posted a 5-3 decision over
Jordan Searls of Rogers in
the semifinals, then dropped
a 2-0 decision to Kamiakin’s
Gilbert Marquez in the title
bout.
Blake Betz, Hermiston’s
top guy at 195 all season,
dropped to 182, where he
placed third. He lost in the
semis, then had to win two
consolation matches to fin-
ish third. In his final match,
he recorded a 6-4 win over
Isaac Giddings of Mt.
Spokane.
Hermiston will send two
to regionals at 285 — Dus-
tyn Coughlin and Jorge De
La Torre, who finished third
and fourth. Coughlin wres-
tled just one match over the
weekend, a 47-second pin of
Tibon Tibon of North Cen-
tral to reach the third-place
match. Coughlin picked up a
bye and two forfeits.
At 132, Hunter Dyer
made it to the semifinals
before being sent to the con-
solation side of the bracket.
In the third-place match, he
beat Xavier Ruiz of South-
ridge 6-2.
Avant Ortiz picked up
the final berth to regionals
at 152. In his final match, he
was pinned by Shawn Gegg
of Southridge in 3:53.
Also placing for the Bull-
dogs, but missing out on
regionals, were Aiden Favor-
ite (6th, 106), Zayne Helfer
(5th, 113), Adrian Delgado
(5th, 120), Trevor Kirk-
patrick (6th, 126), Jordan
Franklin (5th, 138), Emman-
uel Carrillo (5th, 145), Jax-
son Gribskov (6th, 160) and
Sean Stewart (5th, 220).
Girls district wrestling
Hermiston finished fourth
in the team standings, and
will send three to regionals
from the District 7/8 sub-re-
gional tournament Saturday
at Liberty High School in
Spangle, Washington.
Kennewick won the team
title with 252 points, fol-
lowed by Hanford (187),
Pasco (182) and Hermiston
(113). Thirty teams partici-
pated in the tournament.
At 135 pounds, Talia Bor-
rego of Hermiston finished
third. In her final match, she
pinned Autumn Grove of
Rogers in 1:23.
Jazmin Deike, who
recently signed with East-
ern Oregon University, fin-
ished third at 170. Deike fin-
ished the tournament with a
23-second pin of Hanford’s
Olivia Walton.
Macy
Morgan
also
earned a trip to regionals,
finishing third at 235. She
pinned Chevy Kibbie of
Newport in 2:07 in the third-
place match.
Also placing for Herm-
iston were Marina Izaguirre
Frasser (6th, 105) and Halle
Thomas (6th, 140).
The regional tournament
is Friday and Saturday in
Othello, Wash.