At least every other week during the spring season, we’ll talk some Oregon high school baseball. This is the place!
McNary hurler Jordan Araiza threw zeroes at South Salem in Wednesday’s 6A win (Ezekiel Gonzalez)
Playoff shockers!
Anything can happen in baseball, but there were two major upsets in the first round of the OSAA state playoffs this week.
On Monday in 6A play, Barlow stunned third-seeded Lakeridge, 1-0, thanks to clutch performances from sophomore RHP River Hamilton, an Oregon State recruit who tops out at 94 miles per hour; and Kiyoshi Kiyokawa. Kiyokawa’s single in the top of the seventh scored the game’s only run and Hamilton made it stand up, getting three outs in the bottom of the frame to complete a seven-inning masterpiece where he struck out nine while yielding just three hits.
“It was incredible,” said coach Brady Burdick. “We outhit them, battled a top pitcher, and played the best team game of the year.”
Lakeridge lefty Paul Wilson’s last high school outing lasted 3+ innings. The senior, whose fastball registers in the upper 90s, allowed three hits and no runs. The Oregon State signee is expected to be a high pick in the July MLB entry draft.
***
On Tuesday in 5A play, No. 16 La Salle Prep upended top-seeded Summit, 6-4, in eight innings. The error-filled game was knotted at 3-3 after seven when La Salle Prep got consecutive hits from Sawyer Portash and Declan O’Brien with one out. Two errors and a passed ball helped the Falcons plate three.
In the bottom of the frame, Summit loaded the bases with one out. Junior catcher Finn Edwards then hit a line drive to LSP shortstop Torsten Hersom, wh0 briefly caught the ball then dropped it as it tailed to his right. Hersom picked up the ball and tossed it to 2B Finbar O’Brien for the force. Finbar O’Brien, who had thrown a gem for 7.1 innings before hitting his pitch count, then relayed the ball to 3B Declan O’Brien who applied the tag on the advancing runner, who had frozen on the line drive, for the game’s final out. Check out this video to see the game’s final, crazy play: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsoVm5bMgxf/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==
Other first-round action…
6A No. 1 West Linn got home runs from Baron Naone, Ryan VandenBrink and Jake Holmes in a 10-0, five-inning win over Century. Gabe Howard and Blake Crawford teamed to pitch two-hit ball.
Sherwood defeated Roosevelt, 4-0, on a combined no-hitter from Nolan Umlandt, who went six, striking out 14; and Jaxson Bowen, who finished up. The Bowmen were one fielding error short of a perfect game.
Ida B. Wells snuck by McMinnville, 8-7, in 6A play. Sophomore Lucas LeGare, swinging the stick for the first time since mid-April because of a shoulder issue, had a double and bases-loaded walk to spark the Guardians. Sophomore catcher Cody Roletto was 2-for-2 in his first game in a month. In his previous game, 30 days earlier, he also was 2-for-2…
Adam Elliott had a two-run single in the bottom of the fourth to break a 2-2 tie in No. 2 Thurston’s 4-3 win over Hood River Valley in 5A play. Grady Saunders went the distance on the hill, striking out seven, and was 2-for-2 with a double at the dish. Jordan Webber had a solo shot for HRV in the loss.
No. 4 West Albany eliminated Bend, 11-5, in a 5A contest. The Bulldogs trailed, 4-1, going to the bottom of the fifth, but put up 10 runs to pull away.
No. 6 Mountain View dominated Central / Kings Valley Christian, 12-1 in five innings, in 5A action. Cougar hurler Simon Lemke took a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Mountain View scored eight runs in the third inning, blowing the game open on a bases-clearing triple from Cal Pickhardt.
No. 2 Gladstone blanked Seaside, 13-0, in a five-inning 4A contest. Hayden Smith struck out nine and yielded just one hit over the five-inning game and Brayde Owen was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer.
Cooper Mullens’ two-out triple in the sixth inning gave No. 3 Marist Catholic a 2-1 lead in a fierce battle with Astoria in 4A action. Kaden Starr later hit a double to score the third run in the 3-1 win. Starr went six innings on the bump, fanning 11, and Peyton Tyner was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Defending 4A champion La Grande got a strong performance senior pitcher Jace Schow in leading the Tigers over Madras, 6-0.
No. 6 Pendleton shut out Newport, 8-0, in 4A. Senior Jack Lieuallen threw a gem! He went 6.1 innings, struck out 15 and allowed no hit. Indeed, only three balls were put in play off of him. Luke Bensching came in for the final two outs and added two more Ks in the combined no-hitter. Lieuallen also was a standout at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double.
No. 7 The Dalles got by Stayton, 7-3, in another 4A contest. Riley Brock of The Dalles and Cody Lemming of Stayton were locked in a pitcher’s duel with The Dalles leading, 2-1, going to the bottom of the sixth inning. Cooper Klint hit a two-run triple for the Riverhawks as part of a five-run frame to break the game open. Brock threw six innings for the win, allowing just one earned while fanning nine.
Tyson Martinez threw six strong and he and Hayden Forman both homered in Crook County’s 13-6 4A win over Henley.
Logan Macy struck out 17 and had both of Culver’s hits and scored both of Culver’s runs in a 2-1 win over Oakland in 2A/1A play.
Playoff recaps from last night
They are already up on OSAAtoday, but here they are again in case you missed them.
Quarterfinal action in all classifications occurs tomorrow.
6A
No. 1 West Linn 2, No. 17 Sheldon 0 – Senior lefthander Drew Gabel tossed a shutout at the Irish, allowing two hits while striking out nine in a complete game effort for the defending champions. Baron Naone and Jake Holmes had doubles in the sixth inning to add an insurance run after Ryan VandenBrink drove in the game’s first run.
No. 25 McNary 6, No. 9 South Salem 5 – McNary trailed 5-1 after two innings, but scored five unanswered to win on the road. The Celtics scored three in the fourth to knot the game at 5-5. A lead off walk by Trevor Ratliff, followed by singles from Carter Hawley and Jesiah Bartlett loaded the bases. Noah Fischer and Anthony Cepeda had RBI ground balls to score two, then a two-out single by Jake Allen tied the game. McNary scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, thanks to a leadoff walk from Jordan Araiza, a Ben Allen sacrifice and a two-base throwing error on the South Salem catcher. Araiza pitched five scoreless innings for the win.
No. 5 Mountainside 2, No. 12 South Medford 1 – Junior Lucas Plenert tossed a complete game for the Mavericks in the home win.
No. 4 Lake Oswego 2, No. 20 Tigard 1 – Tigard led 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, when a Declan Francis single plated the tying run. A passed ball subsequently scored Grant Maxwell with what proved to be the winning run. Francis was the winning pitcher for LO. He went the distance and benefited from a strike ‘em out throw ‘em out double play to end the game.
No. 14 Roseburg 2, No. 30 Barlow 0 – Evan Corbin went the distance on the mound, fanning 10, and also drove in the game’s only two runs in the home win for Roseburg.
No. 6 North Medford 4, No. 22 Tualatin 3 (8 innings) – Dominic Daffron went eight innings for North Medford, which won on a walk off sacrifice fly from Easton Curtis, which scored Davis Carr. Carr, Frankie Rutigliano and Trey Newmann each went 2-for-3 and combined for all four runs scored and three RBIs for the Black Tornado.
No. 7 Sprague 6, No. 10 Sherwood 5 – Brandon Stinnett’s second home run of the game, in the bottom of the seventh, propelled Sprague to the home win. The senior infielder finished with four runs batted in.
No. 2 Jesuit 14, No. 15 Ida B. Wells 3 (five innings) – Ryan Cooney and Noble Meyer teamed to score six runs and Levi Jones hit a homer for the Crusaders, who won in five innings at home. Ida B. Wells rattled Jesuit starter Ty Alleman, scoring three runs in the top of the first on three hits, including a Quinn Dufort three-run homer, but it was all Jesuit after that.
3A
No. 1 Cascade Christian 13, No. 17 Siuslaw 0 (5 innings) – Owen Thompson and Cole Stofflet combined on a no-hitter, Thompson hit a long home run and Liam Benade and CJ Bonner drove in two runs apiece to lead the Challengers.
No. 8 Sisters 4, No. 9 Neah-Kah-Nie 3 – In a closely-matched game, Neah-Kah-Nie pushed over the tying run in the top of the seventh, but Sisters walked it off on a Patrick Silva double with two outs and a passed ball that scored Silva with the winning run.
No. 12 Pleasant Hill 5, No. 5 Yamhill-Carlton 2
No. 4 Brookings-Harbor 3, No. 13 Douglas 0 – Austin Dietrich struck out nine without walking a batter over seven innings in the Bruins’ win. Seth Valliere sparked the offense, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored. Douglas swung the bat well, hitting multiple balls deep to the outfield, and consistently applied pressure with runners on, but could not get any across home plate.
No. 3 South Umpqua 7, No. 14 Valley Catholic 2 – Jace Johnson pitched into the seventh inning, striking out 12, and both he and Tanner Beckham homered as the Lancers started defense of their 22022 state title with a convincing win at home.
No. 6 Warrenton 7, No. 11 Santiam Christian 0 — Dawson Little, Talon McGrorty and Dylon Atwood combined to throw a one hitter, with seven strike outs, at the 2022 3A runner up. Little powered the offense with a two-run dinger in the sixth. McGrorty, Odin Wilson and Kaison Smith all had two hits for the Warriors.
No. 10 La Pine 8, No. 7 Joseph / Enterprise / Wallowa 4 – Lane Rouse had a three-run homer for Joseph, but La Pine was scored in six of the seven innings and came away with the road win. La Pine scored in 6 out of 7 innings. Deakon Looney and Tyson Flack had two hits apiece, with Flack’s leadoff double in the first setting the tone for the Hawks. Flack and Looney shared mound duties for La Pine, with Flack whiffing nine in 4.2 innings. “Beautiful setting for a playoff game, great atmosphere and our kids did a good job of making the long trip and showing up to play,” said coach Tommy Niebergall.
No. 2 Banks 10, No. 15 Taft 0 (5 innings) — Justin Walters hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to set the tone for the Braves, who won by the mercy rule. Logan Kind pitched into the fourth inning to get the win. He allowed just one hit and struck out six. Kind also finished 3-for-4 at the plate with five RBIs.
2A/1A
No. 1 Kennedy 16, No. 16 Country Christian / North Clackamas Christian 3 — Charlie Beyer (two home runs) and Ethan Kleinschmit each drove in four runs and Andrew Cuff pitched three scoreless innings for Kennedy for the win. Matt Hopkins, Brett Boen and Owen Bruner all scored twice for the Trojans. Gage Cavanaugh highlighted Country Christian’s effort with a two-run single.
No. 8 Heppner / Ione 4, No. 9 North Douglas / Elkton 0 – Tucker Ashbeck tossed a two-hitter in Heppner’s win. Caden George’s run-scoring double in the third would give Ashbeck all the run support he needed.
No. 5 Knappa 5, No. 21 Lost River 4 – Two two-out errors and a double allowed Lost River to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Knappa won in the bottom of the frame on a bases-loaded walk. Treven Moreland pitched brilliantly for Knappa, going 6.2 innings while allowing just one hit and two earned runs while fanning nine. Jaxon Dietrich earned the win in relief.
No. 4 St. Paul 16, No. 13 Gold Beach 0 (5 innings) – St. Paul won only its second playoff game of all-time, and first at home, by outhitting Gold Beach 14-1 in a game truncated by the mercy rule. The Buckaroos scored 11 runs in the third and were sparked by the bottom of the order, which combined to go 9-for-11 with 7 RBIs.
No. 3 Blanchet Catholic 3, No. 14 Grant Union / Pacific City 0 – Carson McNally threw a complete-game one-hitter and struck out 12 in Blanchet Catholic’s win. Sheldon Lenz threw all six innings for the Prospectors in the loss.
No. 6 Reedsport 7, No. 11 Culver 6 – Reedsport needed a rally to drop the Bulldogs at home.
No. 7 Bandon / Pacific 2, No. 10 Regis 0 – Untimely errors by Regis allowed Bandon / Pacific to score two unearned runs in the home win. Colton Siewell went the distance for Bandon, allowing just three hits.
No. 2 Umpqua Valley Christian 11, No. 18 Bonanza 0 (5 innings) — Daniel Withers and Tygue Barron combined for a 4-hit shutout and UVC scored six in the second inning to get off to a big lead in the home win. Kevin Shaver, Tyler Haynes and Levi Heard each went 2-for-2 for the victors.
Unbeatens
Defending 2A/1A champion Kennedy (28-0) remains the only unbeaten team in Oregon.
No team has won an OSAA state championship without losing since Knappa (24-0) in 2018. Kennedy faces Heppner / Ione tomorrow in a playoff quarterfinal.
News and notes…
West Linn has shut out six of its last seven opponents. The other game during that stretch was a 22-3 win over Oregon City…
Roosevelt earned its first playoff berth since 2007 this year after a 14-12 regular season.
“We have really turned things around here at Roosevelt,” noted coach Daniel Stauffer. “We had eight dedicated seniors who worked very hard this off-season to accomplish this goal of making the playoffs and I am so proud of them. We played Sherwood last night and lost 4-0, but our guys never stopped fighting and they gave it all they had. We were in it until the very end, and, again, I just want to say how proud I am of them. We are going to build off this year’s success and continue to grow as a program.”
STAT SUPERLATIVES
In this space, we have recurring categories that will appear in every baseball notebook for the rest of the season. Varsity coaches may add to these categories by email to [email protected].
Low ERA
In this space, we recognize pitchers, with 35 or more innings completed, who have a current earned run average of 1.00 or lower.
0.56 — Bryson Nygren, sophomore RHP, Regis
0.71 — Trey Newmann, senior RHP, North Medford
0.72 – Ethan Kleinschmit, senior LHP, Kennedy
0.83 — Owen Thompson, senior RHP, Cascade Christian
0.92 – Andrew Cuff, senior RHP, Kennedy
0.93 – Nolan Needham, sophomore LHP, Union / Cove
1.00 – Jaxson Dietrichs, junior RHP, Knappa
Going going gone goodbye!
Everyone digs the long ball.
Here, we will recognize those Oregonians who have gone yard five or more times so far this season. We will add to it in subsequent Baseball Notebooks as coaches tell us about the players who are dinger ringers.
9 — Maddox Molony, senior SS, Thurston
7 – Ryan VandenBrink, junior C, West Linn
6 — Kellen Segel, senior UTIL, Grant
6 – Easton Lasich, senior SS, Roosevelt
6 — Maddox Montoya, junior INF, Sunset*
6 – Ryan Prescott, senior 1B, Willamette*
6 – Levi Jones, senior 3B, Jesuit
5 – Evan Martin, junior INF, Douglas
5 – Noble Meyer, senior 1B, Jesuit*
5 — Hunter Schwenk, senior 3B, Crater
5 – Ben Christensen, senior INF, Grant
* – total as of last week
It’s a blur
Throwing hard in high school is the easiest way to get outs.
Here, we recognize those Oregon hurlers who hit 87 mph or higher when they get on the bump.
Ty Alleman, senior RHP, Jesuit
Ben Christensen, senior RHP, Grant
Ryan Cooney, senior RHP, Jesuit
Blake Crawford, junior LHP, West Linn
Finn Edwards, junior RHP, Summit
Drake Gabel, senior LHP, West Linn
Max Gregg, senior RHP, Corvallis
River Hamilton, sophomore RHP, Barlow
Gabe Howard, senior RHP, West Linn
Zach Justice, senior RHP, Summit
Matt Koskerka, junior RHP, Sandy
Payton Lambert, senior RHP, Pendleton
Jack Lieuallen, senior RHP, Pendleton
Noble Meyer, senior RHP, Jesuit
Connor Molony. Sophomore RHP, Thurston
Maddox Molony, senior RHP, Thurston
Trey Newmann, senior RHP, North Medford
Finbar O’Brien, senior RHP, La Salle Prep
Connor Parry, sophomore RHP, Sherwood
Ryan Rivers, senior RHP, Lebanon
Grady Saunders, freshman RHP, Thurston
Kruz Schoolcraft, freshman LHP, Sunset
Kellen Segel, senior RHP, Grant
Kaden Starr, senior RHP, Marist Catholic
Grant Strother, senior RHP, Sprague
Drew Talavs, senior RHP, West Linn
Owen Thompson, senior RHP, Cascade Christian
Nolan Umlandt, junior RHP, Sherwood
Alex Via, sophomore RHP, Summit
Sam Weber, senior RHP, Barlow
Mark Wiepert, sophomore RHP, Wilsonville
Paul Wilson, senior LHP, Lakeridge
Speed merchants
In this space, we recognize Oregon baseball players who have 25 or more stolen bases at this point in the season, based on the information we have received.
38 — Noah Koenig, junior C, Regis
36 – Zack Dugas, sophomore SS, Illinois Valley
35 – Xane Hopkins, freshman OF, Days Creek
33 – Tanner Crandall, junior C, Country Christian / North Clackamas Christian
32 – Brayde Owen, senior C, Gladstone
31 – Sheldon Lenz, junior SS, Grant Union / Prairie City
31 – Tyson Smith, freshman SS, Country Christian / North Clackamas Christian
29 – Sam Weber, senior SS, Barlow
29– Brandon Krabill, senior SS, Central Linn
28 — Cole Collins, senior SS/C, Oakland*
27 — Ethan Kleinschmit, senior OF, Kennedy
26 — Luke Cordry, senior UTIL, Lincoln
26– Jaxon Wirth, senior 3B, Central Linn
25– Cody Dickerson, Junior OF, Central Linn
* = total as of last week
Get a whiff of this!
Missing bats is an art.
This list recognizes those pitchers who have fanned 100 or more batters so far this season.
158 — Tyson Smith, freshman RHP, Country Christian / North Clackamas Christian
144 – Ethan Kleinschmit, senior LHP, Kennedy
132 — Owen Thompson, senior RHP, Cascade Christian
116 – Boyd Davis, senior RHP, Irrigon
114 – Noble Meyer, senior RHP, Jesuit*
111 — Trey Newmann, senior RHP, North Medford
110 — Cole Collins, senior RHP, Oakland*
106 — Ryan Rivers, senior RHP, Lebanon
102 – Tucker Ashbeck, senior RHP, Heppner / Ione*
100 – Taylor Van Cleave, junior RHP, Grant Union / Prairie City
* = total as of last week
Wait! What?
In this space, we recognize hitters who have put up outrageous stat lines in a single game.
Cody Agidius, sophomore 1B/DH, The Dalles – 3-for-4 with three-run homer and two doubles in 10-9 win over Madras on April 12
Cody Agidius, sophomore 1B/DH, The Dalles – 3-for-4 with two HRs and 6 RBIs in 18-8 win over Crook County on April 24
Greg Bologoff, sophomore 1B, Westview – 2-for-3 with two-run double and go-ahead three-run homer for five RBIs in 9-5 win on March 3 versus Corvallis
Zach Busche, senior OF, Westview – 3-for-5 with a home run, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored in win over Mountainside on April 11
Robert Campbell, senior SS, Franklin – 2-for-4 with grand slam, 7 RBIs and 3 runs score in 21-13 win, March 31 versus Glencoe
Eli Crist, junior INF, Thurston – 2 for-4 with two doubles and 6 RBIs on March 16 in 9-1 win over Sheldon at PK Park
Nate Davis, senior C, Sunset – 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and three RBIs in win over Aloha on May 15
Jackson Fera, junior 1B, Rex Putnam – 4-4 with a double and three HRs, 5 RBIs, 4 runs scored and a steal in an 8-3 win over La Salle Prep on May 12
Sam Giansante, senior OF, Grant – 4-for-4 with two doubles and 4 RBIs in 10-8 win over Lowell of San Francisco on March 29
Brayden Gutierrez, sophomore 1B, Santiam – 3-for-4 with 5 RBIs in 13-6 loss to Regis on April 28
Zach Justice, senior C, Summit – two homers and 6 RBIs in 15-5 five-inning win over Tualatin on April 7.
Brandon Krabill, senior SS, Central Linn- 3-for-3 with two home runs, 4 RBIs and a stolen base in a 22-13 loss to Glide on March 31
Riley Lantis, junior C, Riverside – 4 for 5 with two doubles, a triple and 5 RBIs in 23-20 win over Stanfield / Echo on March 25
Mitchell Melton, senior OF/3B, Amity – 5-for-5, all singles, with 6 RBIs and two runs scored in a 25-3 victory over Willamina on March 17.
Maddox Montoya, junior INF, Sunset – 4-for-4 with 5 RBIs in a 15-6 win, March 30, versus Desert Mountain of Arizona
Maddox Montoya, junior INF, Sunset — 2-for-3 with two HRs and 5 RBIs in May 15 win over Aloha
Brayde Owen, senior C, Gladstone – 3-for-5 with a triple, 4 RBIs and 4 steals in 10-1 win over Madras on May 1
Maximus Reynolds, sophomore 2B, Siuslaw – 4-for-4 with a triple and two doubles, April 25 versus Harrisburg
Jaxson Roberts, freshman DH, Stanfield / Echo – 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and 6 RBIs in 15-8 win over Weston-McEwen on March 13
Frankie Rutigliano, junior SS, North Medford — 4-for-4 with a walk, two doubles, a triple, 5 RBIs and 2 runs scored in 11-1 win over Willamette on May 2
Braden Schwartz, senior 3B, The Dalles – 4–for-4 with three doubles and 5 RBIs on March 22 in 15-1 win over Taft
Tyson Smith, freshman RHP, Country Christian – 4-for-5 with six RBIs on April 26 versus Colton AND pitched a complete game with 19 Ks
Jordan Webber, junior 1B, Hood River Valley — 2-for-3 with two home runs and 6 RBIs in 13-3 win over Glencoe on March 31
Jaxon Wirth, senior 3B, Central Linn – 5-for-5 with three doubles, 4 RBIs and three stolen bases in an 18-7 win against Dufur / South Wasco County on March 28
Perfecto!
Below, we recognize pitchers who have thrown seven-inning no-hitters this year.
Wyatt Anicker, senior LHP, Scappoose – April 7 v. Seaside (whiffed 14 with just two walks in 2-0 win)
Cole Collins, senior RHP, Oakland — March 20 v. Riddle / Glendale (fanned 17 in 11-0 win)
Gabe Howard, junior RHP, West Linn – April 26 v. Tualatin (fanned 15 and faced one over the minimum in 5-0 win)
Dane Kissel, sophomore RHP, North Valley – May 11 v. Coquille (fanned 15 and faced one over the minimum in 4-0 win)
Carson McNally, sophomore RHP, Blanchet Catholic – April 4 v. Culver (fanned 9 in 4-0 win)
Connor Parry, sophomore RHP, Sherwood – April 19 v. Century (Perfect game! Struck out 13 in 3-0 win)
Ryan Rivers, senior RHP, Lebanon – April 11 v. Silverton (fanned 19 and faced one above the minimum in 6-0 win)
Kruz Schoolcraft, freshman LHP, Sunset — April 5 v. Mountainside (struck out nine, walked one in 1-0 win)
Griffin Scott, junior LHP, Ida B. Wells – April 25 v. Roosevelt (fanned 8 in 7-0 win)
.500 or better batting average
Below, we recognize those hitters who, with a minimum of 50 plate appearances, are hitting .500 or better on the season.
.689 – Nolan Needham, sophomore 1B, Union/ Cove
.587 – Warren Rose, senior 1B, St. Paul
.582 – Eli Aldred, senior C, Vale
.564 — Maddox Molony, senior SS, Thurston
.538 — Jaxon Dietrichs, junior 3B, Knappa
.522 – Payton Lambert, senior SS, Pendleton
.521 – Dawson Cook, senior SS, La Pine
.508 – Tyler Crawford, senior 3B, St. Paul
.500 – Clay Smith, senior UTIL, St. Paul
.500 — Kaden Starr, senior 3B, Marist Catholic
.500 – Zack Dugas, sophomore SS, Illinois Valley
.500 — Evan Martin, junior INF, Douglas
35 or more RBIs
Below we recognize those Oregon hitters with 35 or more runs driven in this season.
45 – Evan Martin, junior INF, Douglas
44 – Braden Schwartz, senior 3B, The Dalles
43 – Jaxon Dietrichs, junior 3B, Knappa
41 — Kaden Starr, senior 3B, Marist Catholic
40 — Maddox Montoya, junior INF, Sunset*
39 – Tyler Crawford, senior 3B, St. Paul
38 — Eli Crist, junior INF, Thurston
38 – Andrew Cuff, senior 3B, Kennedy
37 – Ben Christensen, senior INF, Grant
37 – Gabe Coltman, sophomore OF, Lincoln
35 – Ryan VandenBrink, junior, West Linn
35 – Warren Rose, senior 1B, St. Paul
35 — Ayden Holcomb, senior 1B, Madras
* = total as of last week
Catcher pick offs
In this space, we list those catchers who have, at least 15 times this year, cut down would-be base stealers at second or third, or back picked a runner at any of the infield bases.
28 – Caiden Gould, junior C, North Eugene
19 – Micah Jaynes, sophomore C, Union / Cove
16 – Tanner Crandall, junior C, Country Christian / North Clackamas Christian
15 – Parker Hughes, junior, Harrisburg
15 — Spencer Kowalski, senior, Blanchet Catholic*
* = total as of last week
Outfield assists
In this space, we list those outfielders who have, at least three times this year, thrown out runners trying to take an extra base.
8– Cody Dickerson, junior OF, Central Linn
7 – Jordan Baumgartner, junior, Valley Catholic
5 – Blake Edwards, senior, North Eugene
4 – Kyle Miller, sophomore, Thurston
4 – Syrus Workman, sophomore OH, Grant Union / Prairie City
4 — Talen Schaffer, sophomore OF, Illinois Valley
4 — Axel Prechel, sophomore, Corvallis*
3 — Jozia Williams, junior OF, Illinois Valley
3 — Reuben Elliston, junior, Grant
3 —Sawyer Chalmers, senior, La Salle Prep*
3 –Conor Garvey, sophomore, La Salle Prep*
* – total as of last week
College-Bound!
In this space, we list those players, in the current senior class and younger, who have signed National Letters of Intent in baseball or have made a commitment to attend a college or university of their choice. Congrats! It can be so demanding but at the same time is so rewarding.
Here are the 112 commitments — a massive number — we have so far. A total of 88 seniors are on the list. Of those, 18 are going Division I, while another 41 will start their college careers at the community college level.
Ty Alleman, senior RHP, Jesuit – Santa Clara University
Ben Allen, junior C, McNary — University of Portland
Luke Anzellotti, senior C, Central Catholic – Chaminade University (Honolulu)
Fischer Barber, sophomore RHP, Bend – Oregon State
Jonah Barkoff, junior LHP, Lake Oswego – University of Oregon
Luke Bents, senior OF, Summit – Whitworth
Jake Bernardy, senior LHP, Bend – Chemeketa CC
Luke Beyer, senior SS, Kennedy — Chemeketa CC
Nick Biagi, senior 1B, Marist Catholic – Linn-Benton CC
Brady Bloss, senior OF, Lincoln – Shasta College
Jake Brady, senior OF, Clackamas — Eastern Oregon
Buddy Brands, senior RHP, Tigard – Iowa Western CC
Elliot Brown, senior INF, Grant – Lane CC
JD Cannon, senior INF/RHP, Tigard – Mt. Hood CC
Owen Combs, senior 3B/RHP, Franklin – Mt. Hood CC
Ryan Cooney, senior SS, Jesuit – University of Oregon
Easton Corey, senior RHP, Pendleton – Oregon State
Ronak Crossley, senior INF, Newberg – Hastings College
Andrew Cuff, senior RHP/3B, Kennedy — Centralia CC
Owen Cummins, senior SS/RHP, Gresham — Lower Columbia CC
Nate Davis, senior C, Sunset — University of Oregon
Andrew Demianew, senior Utility, Pendleton – Linn-Benton CC
Kaden DuChene, senior OF, Tigard – Linfield
Quin Dufort, junior LHP, Ida B. Wells – University of Portland
David Duvalle, senior RHP, Mountain View – Pacific University
Blake Edwards, senior OF, North Eugene –Chemeketa C.C.
Adam Evans, senior RHP, Canby — Yakima CC
Joe Fagan, sophomore SS, Scappoose – University of Portland
Michael Fitzgerald, senior LHP, Sunset – Mt. Hood CC
Tyson Flack, senior LHP, La Pine, Umpqua C.C.
Henry Fovinci, senior OF, Lincoln — Whitworth
Declan Francis, senior RHP/1B, Lake Oswego — Linfield
Carson Gantz, senior RHP/INF, Jesuit – Regis University
Cade Gehlen, junior OF, Central Catholic – University of Portland
Graham Geibel, senior OF, Newberg – Pacific University
Sam Giansante, senior OF, Grant – Linn-Benton CC
Nate Goodman, senior INF, Bend – Occidental
Will Goodman, sophomore INF, Bend – University of Washington
Calvin Gregory, sophomore LHP, Lakeridge – Oregon State
Parker Guinn, senior C, McMinnville – Cal State Bakersfield
River Hamilton, sophomore RHP, barlow – Oregon State
Isaac Hertzog, senior SS, Tigard – Linn-Benton CC
Ryan Hill, senior SS, Crater – Mt. Hood C.C.
Aiden Horsley, senior OF, North Medford – Lower Columbia CC
Gabe Howard, junior RHP, West Linn – University of Oregon
Kaden Isola, senior 1B/OF, Bend — Sacramento City College
Levi Jones, senior 3B, Jesuit – Oregon State
Jack Joyce, senior RHP, Canby — Mt. Hood CC
Zach Justice, senior C, Summit — University of Oregon
Johnny King, senior INF, North Medford – Mt. Hood CC
Ethan Kleinschmit, senior LHP/OF, Kennedy – Linn-Benton CC
Caden Koffler, senior C, Willamette – Walla Walla C.C.
Spencer Kowalski, senior C/OF, Blanchet Catholic — Centralia CC
Payton Lambert, senior SS, Pendleton – Santa Clara
Easton Lasich, senior SS, Roosevelt – Eastern Oregon
Brock Leitgeb, senior C, Jesuit – University of Michigan
Simon Lemke, senior RHP, Mountain View – Columbia Basin College
Armand Lettiere, senior RHP/OF, Central Catholic – University of Puget Sound
Zach Lyon, senior OF, Lebanon – Chemeketa C.C.
Ethan Matsuoka, junior INF, Tualatin — University of Portland
Noble Meyer, senior RHP, Jesuit – University of Oregon
Connor Malony, sophomore 1B/RHP, Thurston — University of Oregon
Maddox Molony, senior SS/RHP, Thurston – University of Oregon
Cooper Mullens, senior INF, Marist Catholic – University of Michigan
Jayden Nakamura, sophomore SS, Aloha – University of Washington
Carter Nelson, junior RHP, South Salem – University of Oregon
Sawyer Nelson, freshman SS, South Salem – University of Washington
Trey Newmann, senior RHP, North Medford – University of Oregon
Jacob Ogden, senior OF, Wilsonville – Chaminade University
Chase Olsen, senior INF, Scappoose – Centralia CC
Russell Petersen, senior RHP, Ida B. Wells – Whitman
Anthony Pezqueda, senior 2B, North Valley – Lassen CC
Cal Pickhardt, senior INF, Mountain View – Yavapai College
Isaac Pfeifer, sophomore C, Tualatin — Arizona State
Ryan Prescott, senior 1B/LHP, Willamette – Walla Walla C.C.
Cooper Rathbun, senior 1B/RHP, Ashland — Oregon Tech
Aiden Rice, sophomore INF, Central Catholic – University of Portland
Caleb Ruchaber, senior INF, Jesuit – University of La Verne
Dawson Santana, senior 2B, Lakeridge – University of Oregon
Kainoa Santiago, sophomore OF, Jesuit – Gonzaga University
Grady Saunders, freshman RHP/Utility, Thurston – Oregon State
Colton Schmokel, senior 1B, Lincoln — Centralia CC
Teagan Scott, freshman C, South Salem – Oregon State
Kellen Segel, senior RHP/Utility, Grant – Linn-Benton CC
Kaden Starr, senior RHP, Marist Catholic – University of Portland
Walker Still, senior C/INF, Crescent Valley – University of Redlands
Brandon Stinnett, senior INF, Sprague – Seattle University
Connor Stone, senior 1B/OF, Sunset – Centralia CC
Grant Strother, senior RHP, Sprague — Tufts
Garrett Strube, senior INF, Clackamas — George Fox
Charlie Sturm, senior C, Jesuit – Chapman University
Matthew Tacheny, senior RHP, Clackamas — Linfield
Drew Talavs, senior P, West Linn – Oregon State
Owen Thompson, senior RHP, Cascade Christian – Lane CC
Owen Tilden, senior C, Canby — Missouri Baptist University
Sam Tsiatsos, senior Utility/RHP, La Grande – Blue Mountain CC
Slater Tsuma, senior INF/RHP, Westview — Chemeketa C.C.
Nolan Umlandt, junior RHP, Sherwood – University of Portland
Ryan Vanden Brink, junior C, West Linn – Oregon State
Joe Vaccaro, senior OF, Mountain View – Chemeketa CC
Alex Via, sophomore RHP, Summit — University of Portland
Jake Von Lubken, senior OH/ RHP, Hood River Valley – Linn-Benton CC
Kayden Wagner, senior LHP, South Salem — Chemeketa C.C.
Tyler Walker, senior RHP, Lebanon — Chemeketa CC
William Wallace, senior RHP, Jesuit – Pomona Pitzer
Triston Wallace, senior C, Cascade Christian – Umpqua CC
Carson Waples, senior RHP, Silverton — Mt. Hood CC
Sam Weber, senior SS/RHP, Barlow – Lewis & Clark State College
Cole Weiland, senior OF/RHP, South Salem — Whitworth
Mark Wiepert, sophomore C/3B, Wilsonville — Oregon State
Paul Wilson, senior LHP, Lakeridge – Oregon State
If you are a HS coach and want to add someone to the list, by all means email me, [email protected], put “baseball commitment” in the subject line and provide the info in the manner shown above.