2017 Prep Baseball-Softball Preview
ARMS RACE New Pitch Count Rules Throw a Curve into Rotations — Page 3
2 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
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Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 3
New Prep Pitch Count Rule Throws Monkey Wrench into Baseball Season CURVEBALL: Leagues, Coaches Scramble to Get on Same Page With Tracking WIAA’s New Pitch-Count Rule By Jordan Nailon jnailon@chronline.com
As if the infinite intricacies that make up the grand game of baseball were not difficult enough to manage, the powers that be at the WIAA have gone and
ON THE COVER
W.F. West sophomore Brock Jones pitches against R.A. Long in Chehalis on Tuesday, March 22. Jones is one of a handful of starting-caliber pitchers in the Bearcats’ rotation, one reason W.F. West is pegged as the favorite in the Evergreen 2A Conference. Read more on page 6. (Illustration by Pete Caster / pcaster@chronline.com)
WHAT’S INSIDE
1A Baseball 1A Softball 2A Baseball 2B Baseball 2A Softball 2B Softball
Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 Page 10 Page 12
implemented a set of newfangled pitch count rules for prep teams across Washington to keep straight this year. In years past the usage rate for pitchers was governed by a simple tally of innings. Once the threshold for the week (seven innings or a single-day complete game) was reached, it was mandated that a pitcher must be removed from the mound until the next calendar week. Now, though, thanks to the new pitch count rule, a sliding scale that determines how many days a pitcher must rest between appearances. For pitchers that throw 0-30 pitches in a day, no rest is required. An outing of 31-50 pitches requires one day’s rest and an outing of 51-75 pitches requires two days’ rest. A pitcher who throws more than 75 pitches in a day will be required THE CHRONICLE / File Photo to rest for three days before their next apNapavine pitcher Wyatt Stanley delivers during a pearance and no pitcher will be allowed Central 2B League game against Toledo on Monto throw more than 105 pitches on any day. given day. That 105 pitch limit is a hard cap, that umpires will have no role in regumeaning that even if a pitcher reaches lating pitch counts or enforcing pitching 105 during the middle of an inning or an changes, so any discrepancies between at-bat he must be removed immediately teams will be left up to the home team — or else his team would be subject to scorebook or an official appeal process a forfeit. to the league, or leagues of the teams inAccording to rule 29.5.4, “Every legal volved. or illegal pitch thrown from the pitchDetermining how to most accurately ing mound to a batter will count toward record, report and enforce the new pitch the pitching limitation,” and, “The home count rule has teams and leagues scramscorebook will be the official recording bling to implement their own standard for pitch counts.” The rule also stipulates operating procedures. For instance,
some 3A schools are using an online reporting system for their league games. The Evergreen 2A Conference and Central 2B League have agreed to exchange pitching eligibility reports prior to the game at the home plate meeting and the Evergreen 1A League has not implemented any specific protocol at all. All over the state, though, coaches are looking for ways to double- and triplecheck the official pitch count, with some going so far as to hire a paid pitch-counting position. Cindy Adsit, assistant executive director of the WIAA, says she expects the new rule to become old hat sooner than later. She said that leaving official scoring decisions up to the discretion of the home scorebook is tradition for all high school sports and that teams will still have the ability to file protests with umpires and league directors in the event of a serious discrepancy. Adsit, however, said she does not expect too much turmoil from the quick implementation of the new rule. “I don’t anticipate conflicts, although it will take awhile for coaches to feel confident with the new rule, as is the case any time a rule changes,” explained Adsit. YOU CAN COUNT Rochester athletic director (former head baseball coach) Jerry Striegel as one local baseball aficionado please see COUNT, page 14
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4 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Beavers Young but Optimistic in 2017
By The Chronicle
The Beavers don’t have the most dominant pitcher in the league on the bump this year, but fourth-year head coach Conner Hogue is happy with his squad. Kaleb Strawn, last year’s Evergreen 1A League MVP, is off pitching for Columbia Basin Community College, and Tenino’s looking to a few returning starters and a few new faces to eat innings. “We’ve put a lot more kids in through the pitching staff,” Hogue said. “We’ve allowed the kids to improve a little bit, so basically it’s just a by-committee approach. We think we have really good kids that are capable of filling those Evergreen shoes.” 1A League Capable and, according to Preseason Hogue, coachable. Picks “We have some 1. HOQUIAM guys who are go2. MONTESANO ing to be new, but 3. TENINO we’ve got good se4. ELMA niors, and we’ve 5. FORKS got a team that’s willing to do anything that’s best for the team,” he said. “It’s been a fun group so far.” Heading up the pitching rotation will be left-hander (and first baseman) Dylan Stakelin, shortstop Robbie Wall and sophomore Alex Bratton. Bratton and Stakelin both pitched primarily in relief last year. Throw in Spencer Brewer, junior catcher — and quarterback in the fall — Miles Cannon, and infielder Riley Wright, and the Beavers have plenty of
out ace pitcher Skyler Jump and speedy Payton Quintanilla, both of whom are out for the season while recovering from surgery. With infielder Jerod Steen and catcher Zach Spradlin among the returning starters, though, the Grizzlies are still expected to be solid. Montesano brings back senior hurlers Nick Chapman and Austin Peterson, while Baun is Elma’s third coach in as many years.
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Coulson Chambers returns to the middle of the lineup for Tenino this season.
options on the bump. Wall, Brewer and outfielder Coulson Chambers provide both senior leadership and pop in the batting order. “There’s some experience there with our senior class,” Hogue said. “I think we have enough of our young guys who are ready to fill some roles. We have multiple kids practicing multiple positions, and they’re prepared to do what’s best for the team.”
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Hogue and Hoquiam skipper Steve Jump are the only head coaches in the league returning from last year. Todd Baun takes over as head coach in Elma, Jason Richard is the new dugout boss in Forks and Mike Osgood takes the reigns in Montesano. Hoquiam is the favorite in what’s now a five-team league, but the Grizzlies — who won the State 1A title in 2015 and finished second last year — will be with-
Tenino’s Dylan Stakelin (left) celebrates with coach Conner Hogue during the District 4 tournament last year. Stakelin, a senior pitcher, will have a bigger role in the Beavers’ rotation this season.
Tenino Beavers Coach: Conner Hogue (fourth) 2016: 12-12 (lost in regionals) Returning Starters: Dylan Stakelin (Sr., P/1B), Spencer Brewer (Sr., C), Robbie Wall (Sr., SS/P), Miles Cannon (Jr., C/3B), Coulson Chambers (Sr., OF), Jace Griffis (So., OF)
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Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 5
Strong Numbers Have Beavers Poised for Competitive Season of Softball By The Chronicle
With 25 girls tearing up the diamond for Tenino this year the Beavers are set to have a junior varsity team for the first time in head coach KaTrina Haupert’s three seasons in charge. Longtime Tenino coaching presence Wanda Blanksma has even found her way into the fold this year in order to wrangle those JV charges into formidable varsity contributors for the future. Haupert says the reinforcements are comforting but she’s most anxious to see what her varsity squad can do against unfamiliar foes. That impatience is understandable considering that three weeks into the season the unrelenting spring weather had washed out the Beavers entire schedule. “We’re just looking forward to getting some time on the field,” said Haupert, who is assisted at the varsity level by Hayley Pearce.
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
The Beavers have 25 players out and are trying to improve on last year’s 1-2 run at districts.
Last year Tenino went 1-2 in the District 4 tournament and finished the season with a 10-11 record. With a gaggle of returning starters from that team the
Beavers are hoping to sink their teeth a little deeper into the playoffs this year. Senior Felicia Gubbe will anchor the pitching rotation and will likely see some
Tenino Beavers Coach: KaTrina Haupert (third) 2016: 10-11 (1-2 in districts) Returning Starters: Felicia Gubbe (Sr., P/C), Jessica Edwards (Jr., SS/P), Ashley London (Sr., OF), Dana McCaslin (Jr., OF)
time at catcher this year while Jessica Edwards, a junior, will play shortstop and fill in at pitcher when Gubbe is gassed. Other returning starters include outfielders Ashley London, a senior, and Dana McCaslin, a Evergreen junior. 1A League Haupert expects that newPreseason Picks comer Katy Sny1. MONTESANO der will also be an 2. HOQUIAM impact player for 3. TENINO the Beavers. 4. ELMA “She’s our 5. FORKS catcher this year,” said Haupert of the freshman Snyder. “She’s one to keep an eye on this year. She’s a little all-star.”
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6 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Bearcats the Team to Beat in Evergreen 2A Conference By The Chronicle Everyone’s betting on the Bearcats, and if their season-opener was any indication, it’s no secret why. W.F. West boasts a tough pitching rotation and a ton of veteran position players, making it the easy favorite in the Evergreen 2A Conference. “They’re not going to have any trouble finding three kids to start (on the pitching mound),” Centralia coach Rex Ashmore said. “They just return so many kids, experienced kids from last year who I’m sure were expecting to Evergreen go farther than 2A Conf. they did last year. Preseason I think they’ll be Picks quite hungry to 1. W.F. WEST have a good year.” 2. TUMWATER Last year’s 3. BLACK HILLS Bearcat squad 4. ABERDEEN lost in the re5. CENTRALIA gional finals to 6. ROCHESTER Ellensburg, but brings the bulk of that lineup back this season. And it starts with that pitching rotation. Brandon White and Dakota Hawkins, a pair of right-handed juniors, combined to throw a no-hitter in their season-opening win over 3A Yelm. Throw in hard-throwing lefty Tyson Guerrero, promising sophomore Brock Jones and seniors Adrian Boites and Tysen Paul in relief, and the Bearcats are just fine on the bump. Not that it’s going to their heads. “We’re still going to be a fairly young team, and we’ve got some proving to do,” W.F. West coach Bryan Bullock said. “A
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
W.F. West’s Dakota Hawkins scores against River Ridge in the State 2A regional game last May in Centralia. Hawkins, a junior pitcher and third-baseman, returns to the lineup for a Bearcat team expected to be atop the Evergreen 2A Conference standings this season.
lot of people would pick us as the favorite just because of our four-guy pitching staff, but we know as a team and as a coaching staff that talent doesn’t win games. So we’re going to make sure we put in the work and earn everything we get.” Still, there’s plenty of talent to go
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around, even with early injuries sidelining first-baseman/designated hitter Nole Wollan and catcher Kolby Steen. Senior Drew Forgione moves from second base to shortstop, senior Tyler Pallas is back at designated hitter and first base, and Hawkins and Guerrero are both proven bats in the middle of the lineup. Jones and junior Max Miller, meanwhile, are both expected to start in the outfield. Bullock added that last year’s seniors brought more than just talent to the team. “Some guys are going to step up and be taking on some of that leadership role,” Bullock said. “Some of the guys filling in, stepping up and becoming varsity baseball players are not only good players, but they’re going to have to step up and do it at the varsity level.” Tumwater, meanwhile, is expected to be competitive again with a few standouts back from last year’s regional squad. All-league picks Noah Andrews (infield) and Noah Sirkel (outfield) are both back
to lead the Thunderbirds, while Logan Chase, Logan Hayes and hard-throwing Treyton Rodriguez will head up the pitching rotation. “With Logan Chase coming back, and Rodriguez and Hayes, they have a formidable pitching staff,” Bullock said. Black Hills brings back plenty of veterans, including hard-hitting catcher/ designated hitter Austin Parr and outfielder Nate Hutson. Experienced Ethan Loveless, meanwhile, heads up the pitching rotation. Centralia is, in a word, green. The Tigers return three starters from last year’s 13-11 squad, though that figure comes with a caveat: One, Isaiah Trevino, was a part-time starter in the infield, and the other, Hodges Bailey, started as a sophomore but missed all of 2016 with a foot injury. That leaves senior left-fielder Joey Aliff as the lone full-time starter back in please see EVERGREEN, page 7
Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 7
W.F. West Bearcats Coach: Bryan Bullock (third) 2016: 17-7; lost to in regional finals Returning Starters: Tyson Guerrero (Jr., CF/P), Tyler Pallas (Sr., 1B/DH); Nole Wollan (Jr., 1B/DH), Drew Forgione (Sr., SS), Dakota Hawkins (Jr., 3B/P), Kolby Steen (Sr., C)
Centralia Tigers Coach: Rex Ashmore (fifth) 2016: 13-11 (lost in regionals) Returning Starters: Joey Aliff (Sr., OF); Hodges Bailey (Sr., OF/P); Isaiah Trevino (Sr., IF/P)
Rochester Warriors Coach: Brad Quarnstrom (second) 2016: 6-14 Returning Starters: Chase Edminster (Sr., C), Aaron Huff (Sr., 2B/3B), Bradden Schneider (Sr., 1B), Ethan Worden (Jr., P/OF), Bryce Lollar (So., SS)
Evergreen
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Isaiah Trevino (right) saw time at second base for Centralia last season but should move into a larger role this year for a Tiger team thin on varsity experience.
Continued from page 6
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Chase Edminster (15) returns to the starting lineup at catcher for Rochester this season.
strom are also expected to fill out the middle of the batting order, Ashmore added, though he noted that finding offense is a top priority. Rochester has a few key pieces back from last year’s 6-14 squad and, like most teams, will be working a few new names into the pitching rotation. Chase Edminster, a senior catcher, returns to the lineup and will pick up innings on the mound, though junior Ethan Worden is likely to be the No. 1 starter for the Warriors. Six-foot-4 senior Bradden Schneider will also see more work on the mound, as will junior Cole
“They’re going to be good, I just don’t know how they’re going to fare playing this many games against this competition.” The Bobcats bring back all-league pitchers Grant Larson and Josh Collett. Catcher Kylan Touch, infielders Jake Metke and C.J. Oldham, and outfielder Tyler Soupommanichanh were also allleague picks last season. “They were kind of scrappy last year,” Quarnstrom said of Aberdeen, which finished 2016 on a nine-game winning streak. “They found a way to get on base, and they like to put the game in motion.”
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the lineup for the Tigers. “I think defensively and pitchingwise, we’re going to be okay,” Tiger coach Rex Ashmore said. “Finding where our offense is going to come from is probably going to be our biggest weakness. What are we going to do to score runs? When you’ve got the kids that throw for Chehalis and Tumwater, runs are going to be hard to come by.” Heading up the pitching rotation will be senior Noah Thomas, who pitched mainly at the JV level last year, and Broc Selstrom, a junior who saw a few varsity innings a year ago. Both are right-handed. “Both had really good summers for us,” Ashmore said, “and for as much as we can see so far with our nice weather, they’re both ready to go.” Beyond that, Nat Lopez, Jose Pineda and Erik Cervantes are all expected to see innings and fight for the third spot in the starting rotation. “With (the new) pitch count, you’re going to have to have three guys who can start,” Ashmore said. “I think Noah and Broc will for sure start two of the three games during the week. It’s finding that third guy that is going to be able to handle that.” Aliff, Bailey, Pineda, Lopez and Sel-
Wintrip. Schneider, Edmister and infielder Aaron Huff will be the meat of the batting order, coach Brad Quarnstrom said. “I think the strength of the team is defense, and I think we’re going to be a solid hitting club,” Quarnstrom said. “I think we’re going to be tough outs. The kids have bought into the idea of, we need to try to be as tough an out as possible, and make that pitcher throw six or eight pitches, at least, to get us out if he’s going to get us out.” Aberdeen, the other newcomer in the league, went 15-4 last season as a 2A squad playing the Evergreen 1A League. “Aberdeen’s a wild card,” Bullock said.
8 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Lewis County’s 2B Teams After More State-Level Success By The Chronicle Lewis County has had a baseball team reach the state championship game for four straight years. You have to go back to 2011 to find a year when a Lewis County team didn’t have a team competing for the state title. Don’t bet on that streak coming to an end this year. Lewis County, and particularly the Central 2B League, has been a dominant force in the baseball landscape, and appears to be another strong Central 2B contender to have League quite a few teams competing for a Preseason state championPicks ship. 1. NAPAVINE The team that 2. ADNA appears to be at 3. WAHKIAKUM the top of the pack 4. TOLEDO — as they were 5. TOUTLE LAKE in football and 6. KALAMA basketball — is 7. ONALASKA Napavine. Wyatt 8. PE ELL-WV Stanley and twins 9. MOSSYROCK Sam and Mac 10. RAINIER Fagerness lead 11. MORTON-WP a crew that up12. WINLOCK set eventual state champ Toledo in the first round of the district playoffs a year ago. “I feel good about us. We started four or five freshman (last year), and we kind of have a lot of senior leadership,” Napavine coach Brian Demarest said. “As long as our kids can continue to improve off of what we finished last year, we’ll be fine.” But there will be plenty of other
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Adna ace Spencer Burdick (right) leads an experienced Pirate squad hoping to get back to the state’s final four this season.
teams that will have something to say about Napavine’s chances in the C2BL this season, and at the top of the list has to be the defending state champion Toledo Indians. Toledo went on a run after their loss to Napavine last year all the way to the state title game, defeating Pe Ell-Willapa Valley at Wheeler Field. The ‘brotherhood’ is mostly graduated, although the Indians return seniors Dakota Robins, Dylan Hoiseck and Jackson Kuzminsky. “We’re going to be competitive, even in our league,” Toledo coach Jeff Davis said. “If we’re somewhere around 5, 4, 3, if we play like we’re capable, we’ll get in there like we did last year. We have some WILLIE’S SPORT SHOP
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young guys that will step up that didn’t get the call last year.” The Indians will be without senior Dalton Yoder for a good portion of the season, who’s still recovering from a knee injury suffered in the state wrestling finals. Toledo defeated Pe Ell-Willapa Valley in last year’s championship game, and the Titans are hoping to be reloaded for another playoff run. That won’t be easy, as the Titans graduated a big crew of seniors. Kelly Barnum has taken over as head coach after the last two seasons as an assistant coach. The Titans have plenty of talent returning this season, including slugging senior catcher Kaelin Jurek and juniors Ryan Shepherd and Cub Bair. “I’m really optimistic. We’ve got four returners that saw quite a bit of action,” Barnum said. “The JV program was really strong last year. Those guys saw a lot of decent baseball at JV, and they’ll move up and compete in varsity.” Barnum noted he believes his team will be strong defensively, but will be looking to some of the new faces to step up at the plate for PWV. Not to be lost in the conversation is Adna, two years removed from a state championship of its own. Adna has 11
players returning that started at some point last season, headed up by senior pitcher Spencer Burdick, one of the top players in the league at the plate and on the mound. He’s joined by veteran classmates Wes Wilson, Isaac Ingle, Preston Ashley and Derek Chilcoate. “Our goal is always the same. We want to do things right,” Adna coach Jon Rooklidge said. “The achievement stuff, that plays out when you do things right. We talk more about the process than the actual results. For us, it’s just about doing things right and getting into the playoffs.” There are plenty of teams that weren’t at the top of the league last year that will be looking to make a climb up the standings this year. Onalaska returns a lot of players from last season’s team, including nine players that started. The Loggers finished just outside the district tournament last season, and hopes to change their fortune this season. “We’ve improved. We’re a year older, I’m on my second year,” Onalaska coach Rocky Stanley said. “I’m used to them, they’re used to me. I know what to expect and they know what to expect. We’re young, but we’ll be competitive.” Seniors Trace Lawrence, Jack Beck and Tyler Wallace will lead a core of juniors and sophomores for Stanley. In Mossyrock, Jay Henderson takes the reigns again as head coach, coming back for his 14th season after a few years out of the head spot with the Vikings. Henderson has some talent to work with, returning eight starters from last year that includes seniors Jovani Mendoza, Randy Kearns and Cameron Fitzhugh. “We’re a lot better. I think we’ve made a lot of improvement this year,” Henderson said. “I think we’re going to be pretty competitive. I know our guys are working really hard, and I think we’re a lot more balanced pitching wise. We’re going to be OK.” The Vikings finished 5-14 last season and lost to Adna in a play-in game into the district tournament. But the Vikings are hoping the tough league schedule will prepare them to make the tournament this season. Morton-White Pass will be trying to compete for a playoff spot, returning sevplease see C2BL, page 9
Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 9
Onalaska Loggers
Adna Pirates Coach: Jon Rooklidge 2016: 16-8; lost in districts Returning Starters: Spencer Burdick (Sr., P/IF), Wes Wilson (Sr., P/ OF), Isaac Ingle (Sr., P/OF), Derek Chilcoate (Sr., C), Cody Young (Jr., OF), Conner Weed (Jr., SS), Chance Fay (So., UT), Brady Collins (So., P/OF), Camden Ryan (So., P/IF), Sawyer Burdick (So., P/ IF), Preston Ashley (Sr., P)
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Sam Fagerness (8) is one of the top hitters in the Central 2B League and a four-year starter for Napavine.
C2BL Continued from page 8
Morton-WP T-Wolves
Pe Ell-WV Titans
Coach: Jeff Rashoff 2016: 5-14 Returning Starters: Reed Worden (Sr., LF), Kade Gillispie (Jr., P/ SS), Brayden Webb (Jr., P/3B), Gavyn Higdon (So., P/CF), Kaleb Rashoff (So., P/C/SS), Dylan Pelletier (So., RF), Dylan Richards (So, 1B)
Coach: Kelly Barnum 2016: 24-4, 2nd in state Returning Starters: Kaelin Jurek (Sr., C/P), Ryan Shepherd (Jr., 1B/OF), Cub Bair (Jr., SS/P), Frank Roonsburg (So., SS/2B)
Mossyrock Vikings
Coach: Jeff Davis 2016: 22-6; state champions Returning Starters: Dalton Yoder (Sr., P/3B/C), Dakota Robins (Sr., UT), Jackson Kuzminsky (Sr., UT), Dylan Hoiseck (Sr., OF/1B), 2B Jr. Gannon Madill (Jr., 2B), Kyle Bauter (Jr., P/OF/3B), Matt Seavig (Matt Seavig (So., IF), Christian Sanjurjo (So., UT)
Coach: Jay Henderson 2016: 5-14 Returning Starters: Kord Senter (Jr., 1B), Jovani Mendoza (Sr., IF), Nick Fried (Jr., 3B), Brennan Shriver (So., OF), Randy Kerns (Sr., OF), Cameron Fitzhugh (Sr., IF/OF), Aaron King (Jr., IF)
Napavine Tigers Coach: Brian Demarest 2016: 12-11; lost in regionals Returning Starters: Mac Fagerness (Sr., SS), Sam Fagerness (Sr., C/P/ IF), Dawson Stanley (So., C), Wyatt Stanley (Sr., P/IF), Ben Woodrum (So., 1B), Mason Butler (Sr., OF), Jordan Purvis (Jr., OF), Garrett Shannon (Jr., OF), Seth Butler (So., IF)
Toledo Indians
Winlock Cardinals Coach: Scott Weinert 2016: 0-20 Returning Starters: Zach Weinert (Sr., CF), Farley Youckton (Sr., OF), Chase Miller (Sr., OF), Wyatt Dean (Sr., 2B), Brady Steveson (Sr., SS), Jake Anderson (Sr., C), Justin Lewis (Sr., 1B), Tyler Cook (Jr., 3B)
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en starters from last season’s team that was seventh in the league last season. “It was a goal last year. We missed by one,” MWP coach Jeff Rashoff said. “We’re making a big push to get into the district tournament. If we get there, we give ourselves a chance to make a little bit of noise once we get there.” Reid Worden is the lone senior returning starter on the team. But the Timberwolves have a collection of sophomores that saw playing time as 8th graders, giving the young team some added experience that could pay off down the stretch of the season. “If you can keep your errors down, you can stay in games,” Rashoff said. “You never know, we played with two of the three teams in the playoffs, errors cost us the game. I believe we are a better baseball team this year then we were last year overall.” Winlock, meanwhile, went 0-20 last season, but the early returns show a reversal of fortunes; the Cardinals won their first two games of the season, and
third-year coach Scott Weinert said the team learned a lot about itself last season. “I believe it’s going to help us out. A lot of guys with playing experience, it was a rough year last year in the wins and losses category,” Weinert said. “We looked at some other aspects of our preparation from last season, we should have a successful season. It’s just going to depend on our performance.” Winlock has perhaps the most upperclassmen team with experience, returning eight starters from last year and seven seniors. “Any team can beat any team. We’re excited,” Weinert said. “We’ve got a great senior class, we have a good class of young freshman and sophomores. I’ve seen a lot of positive things. We’re bringing that level of competition back, with guys fighting for positions. I think it will really help out our ball team. I hope to see that when we start competing.” It’s anybody’s guess who will finish on top of the Central 2B League this season. With newcomers Kalama and Rainier joining the fray, as well as state qualifiers Toutle Lake and Wahkiakum also ready for another playoff run, there’s no telling what will happen as the season plays out.
Coach: Rocky Stanley 2016: 5-15 Returning Starters: A.J. Volk (So., OF/P), Tristan Lawrence (So., P/IF), Trace Lawrence (Sr., IF), Kyle Trulson (Jr., IF), Cole Christiansen (So., IF), Cody Cooper (So., P/OF), INF/P So. Matt Kurzeika (So., IF/P), Jack Beck (Sr., C), Tyler Wallace (Sr., OF)
10 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Surprise, Surprise: Bearcats the Favorite to Repeat in EvCo By The Chronicle There’s history, and then there’s recent history. By either measure, however, the Bearcats have history on their side. Over the past five seasons, W.F. West has gone 120-13, won two state titles and won all five District 4 championships. Furthermore, this year’s five seniors have never lost an Evergreen 2A Conference game Not that there’s any pressure, according to W.F. West coach Mike Keen. “They practice hard, they work hard and they hate losing,” Keen said. “We don’t put a lot in expectations, as far as go to state or win state. The expectations are just to play Evergreen our best the next game, and they 2A Conf. really buy into Preseason that.” Picks With seven 1. W.F. WEST starters back from 2. TUMWATER a team that went 3. CENTRALIA 27-1 last year and 4. ROCHESTER finished third in 5. BLACK HILLS the state, though, 6. ABERDEEN it’s tough to peg the Bearcats as anything but the EvCo favorites. “They graduated some kids, but their program is strong all the way through,” Centralia coach Mike McDonald said. “They’ve got some really tough, solid young kids coming up, but they’ve got kids to carry the load and they’ve got the batters, the hitting to get behind it.” Pitchers Lexie Strasser, a senior headed to Central Washington University next year, and junior Ashlee Vadala are both back after splitting the EvCo pitching MVP award last year. And Kindra Davis, last year’s EvCo Offensive MVP, is Proud Supplier of
THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Juniors Olivia Dean (left) and Ashlee Vadala both return to the lineup for W.F. West, which went 27-1 last season.
back to provide perhaps the most pop in a lineup full of it. Davis, who missed her entire freshman year after an injury, hit .544 as a sophomore with 53 RBIs and 12 home runs while playing catcher. This year she’ll be splitting time between catcher and third base with
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Paetynn Lopez, the lone freshman on the Bearcats’ early-season varsity roster. “You know what? I could put her anywhere and she would be the best player at that position,” Keen said of Davis. “She is just a gifted athlete.” Also back in the starting lineup for the Bearcats are junior shortstop Olivia Dean, senior second baseman Kyndra Haller, senior outfielder and pitcher Kim Frazier, and senior outfielder Jordyn Crawford. Outfielders Taylor Barker (sophomore) and Ashley Hoven (senior) are also back on the varsity squad. Furthermore, the Bearcats have a total of 16 freshmen out this season. “There’s some real good athletes there,” Keen said, “but I’ve got to see them do something other than catch a grounder off the gym floor. They look really good in the gym.” Centralia lost six starters to graduation, including the middle of the infield,
its catcher and three outfielders. Tayler Bailey returns to the circle, where she’s been a mainstay the last two years, and sophomore Aspen Lilly — who finished last season on the varsity roster — and freshman Lexi Erb should also see time at pitcher. Hard-hitting junior Mckenna Smith moves from first base to shortstop, and infielders Chloe McLachlan (senior) and Jasmine Reyna (junior) are also back on the varsity club. “We’ve got some new kids all the way up the middle, and our flexibility right now is key,” McDonald said of his young club. “They’ve been willing to jump in anywhere we throw them and give it a shot, and I think that right there is going to help us in a big way.” Rochester, one of the two newcomers to the Evergreen 2A Conference with please see EVCO, page 11
Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 11
EvCo Continued from page 10
W.F. West Bearcats Coach: Mike Keen (15th) 2016: 27-1 (third in state) Returning Starters: Lexie Strasser (Sr., P/1B), Ashlee Vadala (Jr., P/1B), Kyndra Haller (Sr., 2B), Olivia Dean (Jr., SS), Kindra Davis (Jr., C/3B), Jordyn Crawford (Sr., OF), Kim Frazier (Sr., OF/P)
Aberdeen, has plenty of experience on the roster but graduated twins Joni and Jaelin Lancaster and Courtney Baird — who represented the team’s ace pitcher (Jaelin Lancaster), shortstop (Joni Lancaster) and top three spots in the Warrior lineup, as well as last year’s 1A Evergreen Centralia Tigers League Offensive (Joni) and Defensive Coach: Mike McDonald (second) (Jaelin) MVPs. The Warriors went 17-4 2016: 5-17 last season, losing to Washougal in a disReturning Starters: Mckenna Smith trict pigtail game. (Jr., SS); Tayler Bailey (Jr., P), Chloe That means a bit of shuffling on both McLachlan (Sr., IF), Jasmine Reyna (Jr., sides of the ball this year, especially with 1B), Kiana Poore (Sr., OF) pitcher — and last year’s cleanup hitter — Hunter Hahn out early in the season with an injury. Rochester Warriors “We’re still kind of a new team. We Coach: Jared Lancaster (seventh) have seven kids who hadn’t played in 2016: 17-4 those positions from last year,” Warrior Returning Starters: Hunter Hahn coach Jared Lancaster said. “It’s almost (Jr., P/IF), Jessica Girardin (Sr., P/IF), Alli all new people playing new positions, Hull (Sr., UT), Skylar Olson (Sr., IF), Del(but) a lot of them are athletes. We have aney Glazer (So., P/IF), Bella Phelps (Jr., a good foundation. I think we’re going to IF), Kiah Horger (So., OF) THE CHRONICLE / File Photo do OK.” Jessica Girardin (16) and Alli Hull (2) both return to the starting lineup for Rochester this season as the Sophomore Delaney Glazer and se- Warriors join the Evergreen 2A Conference. nior Jessica Girardin are the early mainstays in the pitching rotation. Senior via Owen, all of whom were All-League Alli Hull returns at catcher, junior Bella picks last year. Sophomore Sawyer Vessey Phelps moves from second base to short- takes over in the circle, and the T-Birds Since 1958 stop, senior Skylar Olson moves from the opened the season with a 15-5 pummeloutfield to the infield, and sophomore ing of Orting that featured home runs by Title Insurance • Escrow Service Kiah Horger moves to the outfield. Vessey, Ashley May and Mia Seaton. Your Locally Owned Company Tumwater, as usual, is expected to Black Hills brings back junior slugger provide the biggest challenge atop the Kassi Ward on a team with just two seleague standings. The Thunderbirds niors on its roster, while Aberdeen moves graduated five seniors, including pitcher into a tough league after going 11-8 overJocelyn Glasgo, catcher Kelsey Killough, all last season while playing against priand outfielders Kaylee Clarke and Aly- marily 1A competition.
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12 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Central 2B League Looking to Continue State Dominance By The Chronicle
Since 2007, the Central 2B League has placed three teams in the top four nine times. The lone season where three C2BL teams didn’t place in the top four? Last year, when Central 2B Toutle Lake and League Adna finished Preseason first and second, Picks respectively, and 1. ADNA Brewster ended up 2. PE ELL-WV knocking off Pe 3. TOUTLE LAKE Ell-Willapa Valley 4. NAPAVINE in the consolation 5. MORTON-WP semifinals. 6. ONALASKA Don’t expect, 7. KALAMA however, that 8. TOLEDO last year was the 9. WINLOCK start of any sort 10. RAINIER of decline for the C2BL. Adna will try to rebound from a devastating loss to Toutle Lake in the state championship game. The Pirates return a solid core of players, most notably ju-
nior pitcher Jenikka Poppe, senior outfielder Devanie Kleemeyer and senior catcher Lili Glover. Ron Aguirre takes over for Mike Raschke, who coached the team to three state titles in his nine years. Aguirre, in his 26th season coaching softball, was most recently in the dugout for North Beach. “I’m living the dream,” Aguirre said. “Lucky me that I’m coaching at Adna, I’m the guy they called and I’m very fortunate. The parents and families are great. Our team is relaxed and full of enthusiasm. They welcomed me in.” The expectations for the Adna softball program are high as usual, but Aguirre said that his expectations were the same as the Pirates’, and he plans on continuing the success right where Adna left off. “I’m all about having fun, doing your homework, just trying to be productive,” Aguirre said. “I’m not a yeller, I just want to be my best so I can lead them and guide them so they can do your best. it’s been a great two weeks, they have such a loud dugout. There’s a lot of pride there, I
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Dakota Brooks, shown here pitching in the State 2B tournament last May, is the reigning Central 2B League MVP and returns to lead Pe Ell-Willapa Valley.
just want to be a good fit for them.” Also expected to be right there at the top of the league is Pe Ell-Willapa Valley. Coach Ken Olson believes his team will be right back in the mix for the state tournament, given that they return Dakota Brooks — a two-way threat who won last year’s C2BL MVP award — senior outfielders Abby Hodel and Railey Smith. “I’m very optimistic, probably too much. I feel confident. We added three new players, top level travel team players, and they’re going to slip right into the starting rotation,” Olson said. “I think we have a legitimate shot. We’ll see.” The three seniors have never been able to defeat Adna, and the group is looking to end their prep careers by making the Pirates walk the plank. “In my opinion, we’ve got to get over the hump,” Olson said. “That motivation can work against you. We need to stay calm and believe in ourselves. We can give them a good run.” Olson recently eclipsed 300 career wins with an opening-game victory against Winlock. He had 261 wins with Centralia before taking the PWV position. Napavine is reloaded for another run to state, after missing out on the Yakima trip last spring to end a four-year streak of top-four finishes.
Napavine returns juniors Abbi Music, Maddie Thompson, Courtney Oster and Taylor Denault. Music played a prominent role on the mound for the Tigers last season, but Napavine hopes to not have to rely on her arm as much this time around. “It would be crazy not to throw her. We’re going to be smarter about how many innings she gets early on and build her up as the season goes,” Napavine coach Chad Williams said. “We’ve got a couple kids that can throw strikes. Ada and Paxton (Cooley) can throw. We want not just Abbi throwing 90 percent of the time; we want to see some other kids throw.” Napavine beat every team in the league last season except Adna, so the Tigers know they can achieve a high level of play, and hope to be playing at that level once the playoffs roll around. “We have to play well, have to hit the ball and play good defense,” Williams said. “We want to be playing our best ball in the district tournament.” Onalaska is also trying to get back to state, after beating Morton-White Pass in a winner-to-state district game last year. The Loggers return junior shortstop Alicia Vint and senior outfielder Kasey Hoyt, along with a collection of sophomores that will try to make it to Yakima. “I think teams are aware we’re at that level. We lost to MWP in extra innings the year before, so we’ve been right there,” Onalaska coach Ken Ulery said. “They always seem to reach a peak right around districts. I don’t think we got any more recognition than years past, but we can be a tough out and we want to keep that going.” Morton-White Pass is trying to improve on last year’s finish, with assistant coach Rob Hazen taking over the head position from Darin Allen. Hazen takes over a team that appears to be rebuilding, though they have some quality players to build on with sophomores Taylor Hazen, Hannah Smathers, Taylor Nilius and Molly Miller. The Timberwolves will lead on the senior leadership of pitcher Zoe McCoy and the experience of the returning sophomores to make a push for a playoff berth. “We lost our top four hitters, and three are playing college ball,” Hazen
please see C2BL, page 13
Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017 • 13
C2BL
Adna Pirates
Continued from page 12
said. “We’re sophomore strong; we’re going to be scrappy. If we hit the ball and give ourselves some chances, we’re going to be in some ball games. We’re going to fight and see how she plays out, and see if we can advance to the state championships.” Last season, MWP snapped a streak of three straight years of placing in the top four at the state tournament. The youth of the team will be the deciding factor in whether this team can turn a rebuilding year into a foundation season. Toledo’s another young squad trying to rise. The Indians return seniors Leilani Cline and Maria Carpenter, as well as sophomores Kylie Holmes and Brooke Beecroft — both of whom gained a lot of experience last season. But other than those four, Toledo will be looking for young players to step up and fill out the rest of the starting lineup. “We’re really young, but I do like what I see,” Toledo coach Taylor Woods said. “I have young girls that have played before, and I do like what I’m seeing with my mix of returners. They mesh well together.” The wild card team of the season are the Cardinals, and first-year coach Chantel Nelson is optimistic about her team. “They’re pretty excited. I hope to be fourth or higher, that would be really phenomenal,” Nelson said. Nelson coached softball in Beaverton, Ore., for the last six seasons before taking the head coaching job at Winlock. She noticed some different things about athletes at smaller schools, most notably the amount of sports most student-athletes participate in. “One of the biggest things is the realization that these girls don’t just play softball,” Nelson said. “If I could play another sport, that’s all you ever had time for. Going to a small district, it’s interesting to see how capable these girls are. They’re playing softball, soccer, basketball and in band, FFA. Each one of them are doing at least one other thing on their schedule.” Looking at her team, Nelson doesn’t see any reason to think her team won’t be competing with every team in the C2BL. “I think that without seeing any other teams, I believe that our level of pitching and catching is where it needs
Coach: Ron Agurirre 2016: 23-2; 2nd in state Returning Starters: Jenikka Poppe (Jr., P), Lili Glover (Sr., C), Darian Humphrey (Jr., IF), Kelsey Latimer (Jr., IF), Devanie Kleemeyer (Sr., OF)
Pe Ell-WV Titans Coach: Ken Olson 2016 : 21-6; t-5th in State Returning Starters: Dakota Brooks (Sr., P/IF), Abby Hodel (Sr., OF), Railey Smith (Sr., OF), Sid Pollard (Jr., SS), Bailee Betrozoff (Jr., P/IF), Grace Hodel (So., C), Kamryn Adkins (So., P) THE CHRONICLE / File Photo
Darian Humphrey is one of the top hitters back for an Adna team that finished second in last year’s state tournament.
to be to compete against other teams in the league,” Nelson said. “They are very strong players. They should go to college and play if they choose too. Those experiences should help us and get us through those games that will be a little bit tougher.” Notes: Toutle Lake, with veterans Britzy Hockett and Ashlynn Dean leading the way, has plenty of tradition and recent success on its side and started the season with three league wins by a combined score of 44-8. … Newcomers Kalama and Rainier will have their work cut out for them, and neither Wahkiakum or Mossyrock will field a team this year.
Napavine Tigers Coach: Chad Williams 2016: 15-9; lost in districts Returning Starters: Abbi Music (Jr., P), Courtney Oster (Jr., C), Maddie Thompson (Jr., SS), Solana Sanchez (So., 2B), Ada Williams (So., IF), Ashley Dickinson (So., OF), Paxton Cooley (Sr., OF), Taylor Denault (Jr., OF)
Onalaska Loggers Coach: Ken Ulery 2016: 13-15; made state Returning Starters: Alicia Vint (Jr., SS), Haylie Howard (So., C), Kasey Hoyt (Sr., OF), Adalee Sabin (So., OF), Amy Henderson (So., P)
Morton-WP T-Wolves Coach: Rob Hazen 2016: 16-7; lost in districts Returning Starters: Zoe McCoy (Sr., P/2B), Taylor Hazen (So., 2B/1B), Hannah Smathers (So., OF/3B/C), Taylor Nilius (So., C), Molly Miller (So., OF)
Toledo Indians Coach: Taylor Woods 2016: 4-19 Returning Starters: Kylie Holmes (So., P/UT), Leilani Cline (Sr., 1B), Maria Carpenter (Sr., 3B), Brook Beecroft (So., SS)
Winlock Cardinals Coach: Chantel Nelson 2016: 1-19 Returning Starters: Not available
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14 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017
Count Continued from page 4
taking the wait-and-see approach with the new rule. When you consider that back in 2014 Striegel left one of his players in for 194 pitches in a playoff game, it’s easy to understand the baseball veteran’s reluctance embrace the change. “I can see where they’re coming from, and to be honest I do believe that it is a positive,” prefaced Striegel. “What am a little concerned about is that when you have a coach who is working with his players every day and he knows his players and he’s almost always going to do what’s right for their kid.” Striegel used the 194-pitch outing by Dylan Fosnacht, which drew national attention and a Twitter lecture from thenTampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price, as an example of how a coach can properly stretch out and utilize his players over the course of a season and career. “The thing about Dylan Fosnacht, I knew every pitch he’d thrown. He’d thrown every pitch for me for four years,” said Striegel, who noted that Fosnacht went on to play at Centralia College after his momentous prep outing. “Of course when he’d thrown 194 I knew that he’d need more than a regular two days rest. … It doesn’t seem to be hampering him writing up orders at the hardware store.” As a baseball traditionalist Striegel also lamented the fact that the new pitch count rule will likely make the complete game pitching effort go the way of the dodo. “You’re going to see very few kids who can go the distance anymore. At 105 pitches, for a lot of high school pitchers, you’re talking about only the fifth inning,” Striegel said. “They (WIAA) don’t really care about that. They’ve got this
‘‘Really, what it’s doing is you have to have more arms. You have to have more guys ready to throw.’’ Conner Hogue
Tenino baseball coach
number that they care about.” Striegel added he would have preferred a graduating pitch count that increases as the season goes along. That way a pitcher would throw fewer pitches early in the season, when it’s cold and arm strength has not been fully developed, but allowed a heavier workload later in the season during warmer and more meaningful games. “I think that would have been a better way to do it than just a drop-dead at 105 pitches,” said Striegel. “I know that the farther a pitcher goes the better the odds that something will happen, but quite honestly it’s a thing that could happen to him on pitch 5 just like it could on pitch 150.” Out in Tenino, Beavers head coach Conner Hogue is not spending any precious time fretting about the new rule. Instead he’s working on developing as deep of a bullpen as possible. With 25 guys in the program this year, Hogue said all but about five of them have seen time on the mound in practice already. “Really, what it’s doing is you have to have more arms. You have to have more guys ready to throw,” said Hogue. “It it is what it at this point. Find the best arms you can and get them going.” Despite his willingness to adjust to the new rule you can count Hogue among those who are disappointed to see the concept of the complete game pitching effort largely headed for the showers. “It’s tough, but you have to keep in
please see COUNT, page 15
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mind that we are dealing with kids,” said Hogue, who noted that last year he allowed his senior ace Kaleb Strawn to go long in games later in the year. “It puts you in a tough spot late in the season when you’ve got a junior or senior kid who has the arm strength to do it and then he’s just done at 105 pitches.” However, Hogue added, “I do think at higher levels of baseball it could be a big deal and kids do lose that idea of throwing a complete game. But what I’m saying is, you’ve just got to make better pitches if you want to get that done. If anything, as a coach, I think you can turn it into a positive because you need to make the absolute best pitch possible.” Toledo appears to be one local team particularly well-positioned to make the transition to the new pitch count format. Last year, when the Indians won the State 2B championship, they made a habit of frequently rotating their pitchers in and out in order to keep arms fresh and mix up looks to the other team. Now that whack-a-mole strategy looks like it was simply ahead of its time. “I don’t think it will affect us as much as it will other teams,” said Toledo coach Jeff Davis, who nonetheless still harbors some apprehension over the new rule. “I’m not really sure right now if I like it or not. There’s some good in it but I think there was already situations where people were doing a good job of monitoring arms anyway, rather than being forced, like Little League, to say ‘No. This is as
far as any of your guys can go.’” Davis knows that, like any new system, this one will not come without its share of hangups. “For me, change requires an adjustment period to get used to something. I feel like we have done a pretty good job the last couple of years in trying to monitor our pitchers and limiting their pitches, even using the method that I use where I throw three to four pitchers in the first game and then throw the same pitchers in the second game,” said Davis. “I thought we did a pretty good job of doing that and then only having to deal with the two days’ rest.” Davis echoed a point brought up by coaches across the board when he noted the impact that rainouts will have on the quality of pitching available when makeup games get crammed together toward the end of the season. “Rainouts are going to be a big part of our schedule. Already I’m anticipating that we’re going to be playing fourplus games a week once this rain lets up. Which means that, not just for me but for everybody, you’re going to have to have a lot more pitchers throwing to try to get through the games.” Davis added that instead of leaving the all-important task of tallying pitch counts to the home scorebook he would have preferred to have seen the WIAA provide, or mandate, an impartial official to monitor pitch counts “You’re up to the mercy of what the home book has because if they miss one or have any kind of vendetta against you, even if they miss just two pitches, now you’re at 51 pitches where you thought you were at 49,” said Davis, who plans to check on the official pitch count every half inning in order to help assure accuracy.
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W.F. West’s Brandon White pitches against R.A. Long in Chehalis on Monday, March 22.
Count Continued from page 14
FROM WIAA.COM: The pitching limita-
tion rule is based upon the number of pitches thrown during a calendar day with a maximum of 105 pitches in a calendar day.
HS Pitching Limit Chart PITCHES 76 - 105 51 - 75 31 - 50 1 - 30
REQUIRED REST 3 calendar days 2 calendar days 1 calendar day 0 days
WIAA is entirely unconcerned with those opinions. “If a pitcher reaches the daily limit, he cannot finish the at-bat,” said Adsit on behalf of the WIAA. “While not your specific scenario, allowing the pitcher to finish an at-bat was discussed at length. Because the pitch count limits are in place for player safety, the WIAA Executive Board determined that the top count is the top count.” NOTE: A Frequently Asked Questions form on the rule, compiled by the WIAA, is available for review online at www.wiaa.com.
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(1) Offer valid on new 1023E Compact Tractor purchases made between 2/1/2017 and 5/1/2017. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Up to a 20% down payment may be required. Example: based on a purchase of $10,405 with $2,081 down payment, monthly payment of $99 at 0% APR for 84 months. Taxes, freight, set up and delivery charges could increase the monthly payment. Price and model availability vary by dealer. Valid only at participating US dealers. (2) Offer valid on new 3025E Compact Tractor purchases made between 2/1/2017 and 5/1/2017. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Up to a 20% down payment may be required. Example: based on a purchase of $13,500 with $2,700 down payment, monthly payment of $129 at 0% APR for 84 months. Taxes, freight, set up and delivery charges could increase the monthly payment. Price and model availability vary by dealer. Valid only at participating US dealers. (3) Beginning 1/1/2016 all Compact Utility Tractors purchased new from an authorized John Deere Dealer come standard with a 6-year/2,000 hour (whichever comes first) Powertrain Warranty. See the Limited Warranty for New John Deere Turf & Utility Equipment at dealer for details. *Coupon valid for $250.00 off the agreed upon purchase price of any new 1 Series through 6 Series tractor (up to 155 hp) from an authorized John Deere Dealer made between January 16, 2017 and October 27, 2017. In order for the coupon to be valid, customer must complete, sign, date, and submit a registration card at the Drive Green Event where the coupon was obtained and that same customer must redeem coupon within 30 days of that same Drive Green Event. Coupon valid only at participating US and Canadian John Deere dealers. Subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified at any time. Other restrictions may apply. Original coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. No reproductions will be accepted. Limit of one coupon per person per purchase. Savings applied to the total before applicable sales and use taxes and provincial environmental fees and shipping/delivery charges. Dollar amounts referenced are in currency of country of residence. See your dealer for complete details and other financing options. **Coupon valid for $150.00 off the agreed upon purchase price of any new XUV or RSX Series utility vehicle, or any Z920M or Z915B/E from an authorized John Deere Dealer made between January 16, 2017 and June 30, 2017. In order for the coupon to be valid, customer must complete, sign, date, and submit a registration card at the Drive Green Event where the coupon was obtained and that same customer must redeem coupon within 30 days of that same Drive Green Event. Coupon valid only at participating US and Canadian John Deere dealers. Subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified at any time. Other restrictions may apply. Original coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. No reproductions will be accepted. Limit of one coupon per person per purchase. Savings applied to the total before applicable sales and use taxes and provincial environmental fees and shipping/delivery charges. Dollar amounts referenced are in currency of country of residence. See your dealer for complete details and other financing options. **Not valid on attachments ordered as an option code, John Deere Merchandise or Licensed Product, selfpropelled or any equipment ordered as a base code; John Deere, A&I, Sunbelt or any private label parts and hardware. Coupon valid for $150 off the total purchase of $800; $350 off the total purchase of $1,600 worth of any new John Deere attachments for Gator™ Utility Vehicles, Commercial Mowing Equipment and 1-6 Family Tractors purchased from a participating John Deere Dealer between January 16, 2017 and October 27, 2017. In order for the coupon to be valid, customer must complete, sign, date, and submit a registration card at the Drive Green Event where the coupon was obtained and that same customer must redeem coupon within 60 days of that same Drive Green Event. Original coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase. No reproductions will be accepted. Limit of one coupon per person per purchase. Savings applied to the total before applicable sales tax and provincial environmental fees and shipping/delivery charges. Subject to availability and may be discontinued or modified without notice at any time. Other exclusions and restrictions may apply. See participating dealer for complete details. Dollar amounts referenced are in currency of country of residence.
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Due to the drop-dead nature of pitch count cap those disputed pitches could very well wind up making all the difference once the stakes for each game are amplified later in the season. One hypothetical scenario broached by area coaches involved a state championship or playoff elimination game where a pitcher is nearing 105 pitches in the final inning. Imagine the bases loaded and a full count on the hitter in a tie game. The pitcher delivers a strike on his 105th pitch, but it’s fouled off to extend the atbat. In that scenario, it is likely that another position player would have to be brought in to pitch without the benefit of any time in the bullpen to loosen up. Instead, the new pitcher would be allowed only a handful of pitches to warm up and adjust to the mound, knowing full well that just one errant pitch would result in the winning run being forced home due to a base on balls. It is a scenario that no coach wants to see happen and nearly all spectators would find to be anticlimactic, but the
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16 • Prep Baseball / Fastpitch • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 25, 2017