The Bulletin • Sunday, June 2, 2013 • Special section
Bend Elks 2013 season preview
The Bulletin file
Fans watch a Bend Elks game at Vince Genna Stadium.
2013 Bend Elks schedule The Elks’ schedule for the upcoming season, which starts with West Coast League play on Wednesday:
JULY
AUGUST
Mon., 6:35 Kelowna Tue., 6:35 Klamath Falls Wed., 6:35 Klamath Falls Thu., 6:35 at Klamath Falls Fri., 7:35 at Medford Sat., 6:35 at Medford Sun., 5:05 at Medford Tue., 6:35 Top Speed-x Wed., 6:35 Medford Thu., 6:35 Medford Fri., 6:35 Medford Sat., 6:35 San Francisco-x Sun., 5:05 San Francisco-x Tue., 6:35 Klamath Falls Wed., 6:35 vs Puget Sound-x Fri., 6:35 at Cowlitz Sat., 6:35 at Cowlitz Sun., 5:05 at Cowlitz Tue., 6:35 Thurston County-x Thu., 6:35 at Klamath Falls Fri., 6:35 at Klamath Falls Sat., 6:35 Wenatchee Sun., 5:05 Wenatchee Mon., 6:35 Wenatchee Tue., 6:35 Cowlitz Wed., 6:35 Cowlitz
Going to the games
97
All Bend Elks games are played at Bend’s Vince Genna Stadium, located at 401 S.E. Roosevelt Avenue. The stadium, which originally opened in 1946, has a seating capacity of 3,500. General admission tickets to all games are available at the stadium, as well as online at www.ezticketlive.com. G.A. tickets cost $5 each and are just $2 on Tuesday. You can also get 10 G.A. tickets for $40, or 30 for $100. Field-level box seats cost $11.25 each, and preferred level seats cost $8 each. Season ticket packages for these seats are available.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11
Thu., 6:35 Fri., 7:05 Sat., 7:05 Sun., 3:05 Mon., 6:40 Tue., 6:40 Wed., 6:40 Fri., 6:35 Sat., 6:35 Sun., 5:05
Cowlitz at Bellingham at Bellingham at Bellingham at Corvallis at Corvallis at Corvallis Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla Walla
POSTSEASON
13 Tue South Division Playoffs 14 15 17 19 20
Wed South Division Playoffs Thu South Division playoffs Sat WCL Championships Mon WCL Championships Tue WCL Championships
All times p.m. Home games x-nonleague; (DH)-doubleheader • Tuesday home games: Tickets, beers and hot dogs cost $2 each • Wednesday home games: Kids under 12 get free tickets
Vince Genna Stadium
Wilson Ave.
Roosevelt Ave.
BUS 97
Fifth St.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 17 19 20 21 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Fourth St.
at Walla Walla at Walla Walla at Walla Walla at Kelowna at Kelowna at Kelowna Cowlitz Cowlitz Cowlitz Kitsap Kitsap (DH) at Kitsap at Kitsap at Kitsap at Victoria at Victoria at Victoria Corvallis Corvallis Corvallis Kelowna Kelowna
Third St.
Wed., 7:05 Thu., 7:05 Fri., 7:05 Sat., 6:35 Sun., 6:05 Mon., 6:35 Wed., 6:35 Thu ., 6:35 Fri., 6:35 Sat., 6:35 Sun., 2:05 Tue., 6:35 Wed., 6:35 Thu., 6:35 Fri., 7:05 Sat., 7:05 Sun., 1:05 Tue., 6:35 Wed., 6:35 Thu., 6:35 Sat., 6:35 Sun., 5:05
Second St.
5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 29 30
Division St.
JUNE
Reed Market Road
For more information or for season ticket pricing, contact the Bend Elks at 541-312-9259 or visit www.bendelks.com/Tickets. For group tickets, contact Randi Holm at randi@bendelks.com.
Follow the Bend Elks, online This summer, the Bend Elks’ following will grow courtesy of an innovative offering that will be a first for the West Coast League. The Elks have partnered with Teamline Sports to make all 2013 home games available to watch live online, starting with Bend’s home opener against Cowlitz on June 12. Teamline, which will host the video feed, will allow fans near and far to log in through the Elks’ website and purchase either individual games for $8 per contest or a pass for the entire season for a
flat rate of $200. In addition to video feeds for matchups at Vince Genna Stadium, the Elks will offer audio coverage of all road games and home contests via a free internet stream through the Elks’ website and Teamline. Elks broadcaster Stephen Gall will provide the play-by-play call for audio and video streams, and Tris Reisfar will join Gall in the booth for all home games. For more information or to purchase game and season passes, visit www.bendelks.com or www.teamline.cc/bend.
Change is in the air • The Elks, in their 14th year of competing in summer collegiate baseball, will have almost an entirely new roster heading into the West Coast League season The 2013 season is one of change for the Bend Elks. After finishing 24-30 last summer and fourth in the West Division of the West Coast League, the Elks, now in their 14th year, handed the player recruiting reins to second-year head coach Joe Dominiak and assistants Scott Anderson and Alan Embree. The lone notable returner is Grant Newton, a Bend High graduate who led Seattle University with a .313 batting average this spring, logging three home runs and 10 extra-base hits. Infielder Keach Ballard batted .365 for Oklahoma’s Murray State College, finishing the season with 10 home runs and 40 runs batted in. Providing some firepower for Bend this season should be Kyle Giusti, who led Abilene Christian University with a .358 batting average to go along with 40 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Feather River College’s Justin Bohn, who will transfer to Oregon State University for next season, ranked third in the Golden Valley Conference with a .335 average while stealing 30 bases. Excitement and anticipation surround Princeton University catcher Tyler Servais, son of former major leaguer Scott Servais. He started just 30 games for the Division-I Tigers this spring, but he hit .278 with 19 RBIs in 2012. On the mound, the Elks look strong. A pair of Creighton University hurlers are expected to stand out in Bend this summer, with Nick Highberger having recorded a 1.98 earned-run average in 22 appearances and Taylor Elman limiting opponents to a .266 batting average in 17 1⁄3 innings of work. Left-hander Jace Puckett went 10-3 with a conference-leading 71 strikeouts and a 1.35 earned-run average to guide Feather River College of Quincy, Calif., to its seventh straight Golden Valley Conference title, and George Fox University’s Clay Gartner comes to Bend after recording a
Rob Kerr / The Bulletin file
Madras High graduate and University of Portland standout Turner Gill, shown here with the Elks in 2010, is back with the team after a two-year hiatus.
team-high seven wins to go along with a 2.77 ERA and 57 strikeouts. A dash of local flavor could be seen on the Elks as well, with Summit High grad and pitcher Justin Huckins returning home after notching a Northwest Conference-best seven saves for Linfield College, the NCAA Division III national champion. Turner Gill, a graduate of Madras High School, returns to the Elks after a two-year hiatus. The University of Portland outfielder was limited to just seven games this spring due to injury, but in his first two seasons with the Pilots, Gill was twice named to the all-West Coast Conference first team and earned a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American selection.
—Grant Lucas
On the flip side • Turn the page over for a breakdown of the Bend Elks’ roster and a look at the rest of the West Coast League
Bulletin photo illustration
2013 PROMOTIONAL NIGHTS WED FRI SUN THURS WED FRI SAT SUN TUES WED SAT MON WED THURS FRI SUN
JUNE 12 JUNE 14 JUNE 16 JUNE 27 JULY 3 JULY 12 JULY 13 JULY 14 JULY 16 JULY 17 JULY 27 JULY 29 JULY 30 AUG 1 AUG 9 AUG 11
6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 5:05PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 6:35PM 5:05PM
Cowlitz Black Bears Cowlitz Black Bears Kitsap (DH) Bluejackets Corvallis Knights Klamath Falls Gems Medford Rogues San Francisco Seals San Francisco Seals Klamath Falls Gems Puget Sound Wenatchee Applesox Wenatchee Applesox Cowlitz Black Bears Cowlitz Black Bears Walla Walla Sweets Walla Walla Sweets
OPENING NIGHT ~ FREE Kid’s Wednesday SiliPint Night–Free SiliPint to first 1,000 guests Father’s Day Special - Dads in FREE with their families! Bark in the Park Night Fireworks in the Park Night! Cap Night to the first 1,000 fans SHARC Night Ice Cream Social, FREE Ice Cream! $2 Tuesday, 811 Call Before you Dig Awareness Night Irish Heritage Night - FREE Kids Wednesday Free Hot Dog Night Free Lunch Cooler Bag to first 1,000 guests! AirLink EMS Night Cap Night to the first 1,000 fans Free Gate Night - 2,000 General Admission tickets Free!! Fan Appreciation Night
General Admission Tickets or Hot Dogs & Sodas and More! Just $2 each! June 25, JULY 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (All games start at 6:35PM) Sponsored by:
Kids under 12 admitted FREE when accompanied by an adult.
2013 HOME OPENER!
Wednesday, June 12th 6:35pm vs. Cowlitz Bears Kids get in FREE tonight!
TICKET INFO: 541.312.9259
WWW.BENDELKS.COM
SILIPINT NIGHT
First 1,000 Fans receive a FREE Silipint! Sponsored by: Pacific Source
Friday, June 14th 6:35pm vs. Cowlitz Bears
The Bulletin • Sunday, June 2, 2013 • Bend Elks season preview
The West Coast League: Team by team
The 2013 Bend Elks roster The players expected to play for the Bend Elks this season, with name, position, school and class; compiled by Grant Lucas:
North Division
South Division
Bellingham Bells: The Bells should be solid up the middle with UCLA freshman second baseman Trent Chatterton in Bellingham. Chatterton started 30 games for the Bruins this spring and hit .260. Catcher R.J. Ybarra, who as a freshman hit .315 in 36 games for Arizona State this year, could be one of the better backstops in the league.
Bend Elks: Several players with Central Oregon roots are expected to play for the Elks this season. University of Portland outfielder Turner Gill (Madras) and Seattle University third baseman Grant Newton (Bend High) could be some of Bend’s stronger bats this summer, and Clark College’s Kevin Hamann (Summit) and Linfield’s Justin Huckins (Summit) both should see time on the mound. Mountain View grad Jo Carroll (Linfield), an infielder, and Crook County grad Zach Close (AIB College of Business), an outfielder, also expect to compete for at-bats.
Kelowna Falcons: Baylor outfielder Grayson Porter looks to provide the Falcons with some pop after hitting a team-high five home runs for the Bears in 2013. Kelowna also expects to rely on Minnesota State teammates Nolan Johnson and Stetson Olson, a former Bend Elk, who helped the Mavericks to the NCAA Division II championship game this spring. Johnson led MSU with a .356 batting average and 37 RBIs, while Olson hit .286 with a team-leading eight home runs and 37 RBIs.
Corvallis Knights: Standout Oregon State freshman Andrew Moore, who led the Pac-12 with 12 wins this spring, highlights the Knights’ projected pitching rotation. Moore was named the Pac-12 freshman of the year after posting a 1.22 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .193 batting average. Medford Rogues: A first-year WCL club, the Rogues look to rely heavily on talent from Southern Oregon. The best of the bunch may be former North Medford standout Matt Maurer, a left-handed senior-to-be at Pepperdine. Maurer, who led the Waves with 59 strikeouts as a freshman, went 6-1 with a 3.56 ERA last year and was 2-4 with a 5.36 ERA this spring.
Victoria HarbourCats: Cal Poly sophomore outfielder Jordan Ellis should be a primary contributor for the expansion HarbourCats after hitting .329 in 44 games with the NCAA tournament-bound Broncos this spring. Victoria also expects big things from Sacramento State’s Chris Lewis, who was the 2013 Western Athletic Conference freshman of the year after hitting .349 with 46 RBIs in 57 games this spring.
Kitsap BlueJackets: The BlueJackets, who hope to rebound from last year’s 14-40 mark, expect big things out of a pair of NCAA Division II teammates. Yuto Kata hit .325 in 46 games for Dixie State in southern Utah, and Kort Christoffersen went 6-1 with a 3.95 ERA for the Red Storm.
Wenatchee AppleSox: Washington State’s Jason Monda, a preseason allAmerican, joins the AppleSox on a limited basis while he takes summer classes but should be available full time by July. A twoway player, Monda hit .294 this spring with a team-high 40 RBIs and seven home runs. He also was 2-2 on the mound with a 1.57 ERA in 34 1⁄3 innings pitched.
Klamath Falls Gems: Matt Carroll, a 6-foot6 first baseman from San Jose State, should anchor the Gems’ infield. This spring as a junior, Carroll led the Spartans in batting average (.341), hits (72), doubles (15), total bases (93) and runs batted in (40).
Walla Walla Sweets: The Sweets hope to tap into the success of Linfield College this summer, with two players from the Wildcats’ NCAA Division III championship squad expected to play in Walla Walla. Catcher Jake Wylie hit .396 and started 48 of Linfield’s 50 games this spring, leading the Wildcats with 66 RBIs, eight home runs and a .642 slugging percentage. Outfielder Kramer Lindell was just as impressive, batting .389 while starting all 50 games. Lindell led Linfield with a .471 on-base percentage and stole 17 bases.
Cowlitz Black Bears: As many as four players with University of Oregon ties could end up in Black Bear uniforms this summer. Pitchers Brett Nielsen, Trent Paddon and Cody Bellinger have all committed to the Ducks, as has outfielder Austin Grebeck. — Beau Eastes
Bellingham Vancouver Bells Victoria HarbourCats
Medford Rogues
Walla Walla
84
Salem
97
Corvallis Knights Bend
5
IDAHO
WASHINGTON
Portland
5
90
Yakima
OREGON
Garrett Anderson, LHP, Seattle University, jr.: Anderson logged 11 starts and made 17 appearances for the Redhawks, striking out 34 in 611⁄3 innings pitched. Jake Bray, NOT RHP, Feather AVAILABLE River College, so.: In his first season with the Golden Eagles, Bray appeared in 10 games and recorded a 3-0 record with three saves and a 1.32 ERA. Taylor Elman, RHP, Creighton University, so.: Elman made 12 appearances in his first season as a Blue Jay, striking out 11 in 17 1⁄3 innings of work and limiting opponents to a .266 batting average. Clay Gartner, RHP, George Fox University, sr.: Gartner’s teamhigh seven wins paced the Bruins, who finished second in the Northwest Conference. Gartner also logged a 2.77 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Adam Grantham, RHP, Arkansas State University, so.: Grantham struck out 30 in 25 innings pitched to help the Red Wolves reach their fourth straight Sun Belt Conference tournament.
Ben Griset, LHP, Saint Mary’s College, sr.: Griset went just 4-4 in 13 games started, but the lefty fanned 78 batters, tied for a team high, in 82 innings pitched. Kevin Hamann, RHP, Clark College, so.: The Summit High graduate compiled a 2-2 record in seven games started and a total of 10 appearances, striking out 38 and finishing with a 3.62 ERA in his first season for the Penguins. Nick Highberger, RHP, Creighton University, so.: Highberger appeared in 22 games and had a 1.98 ERA to help the Blue Jays finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference. Justin Huckins, RHP, Linfield College, sr.: The 2010 Summit grad recorded seven saves for the Division III-champion Wildcats, the highest mark in the Northwest Conference, and finished with a 2.11 ERA in 17 appearances. Michael Jordan, RHP, University of California, so.: Jordan appeared in just two games for the Golden Bears, but he was a two-time first-team all-league honoree while at Murietta High School in California, striking out 55 in 55 1⁄3 innings of work during his senior year.
Walla Walla Sweets
Bend Elks
Mason Fishback, C, Oregon State University, fr.: The Rancho Cucamonga High School grad and relative of former MLB pro Greg Colbrunn hit .250 with two home runs as a junior and smacked six homers while hitting .477 as a freshman.
Klamath Falls Gems
Cory Mack, LHP, Westmont College, jr.: The Seattle University transfer redshirted in 2013 after appearing in 12 games for the Redhawks and limiting opponents to 11 hits in 11 2⁄3 innings pitched. Eric Melbostad, RHP, Arizona State University, so.: In his first season with the Sun Devils, Melbostad appeared in seven games and started two after being named to the all-state second team during his senior year at Pinnacle High School in Arizona. David Murillo, RHP, Lewis-Clark State College, sr.: Murillo appeared in 17 games for the Warriors, compiling a 4-0 record and a 2.80 ERA while striking out 35 in 35 1⁄3 innings. Collin Nilson, RHP, Pacific Lutheran University, jr.: The 6-foot-3 right-hander went 2-2 in nine appearances with 25 strikeouts while leading the Lutes’ offense with three home runs.
Tyler Painton, LHP, Oregon State University, jr.: Painton appeared in 11 games for the Pac-12-champion Beavers, striking out 10 in 15 innings pitched and limiting opponents to a .143 batting average. Jace Puckett, LHP, Feather River College, jr.: Puckett led the Golden Eagles to their seventh straight Golden Valley Conference title with a 10-3 record and a league-high 71 strikeouts to go along with a conference-leading 1.35 ERA. Hunter Raley, LHP, Murray State College, so.: The lefty hurler led the Aggies with a 7-3 record and six complete games, recording 78 strikeouts and a 3.23 ERA in 14 starts. Tanner Ring, RHP, Arkansas State University, so.: Ring held opponents to a .196 batting average while striking out 32 in 26 2⁄3 innings pitched and finishing with a 2.70 ERA. Jesse Scholtens, RHP, University of Arizona, so.: The 6-foot-4, 205-pound pitcher appeared in just two games for the Wildcats, but Scholtens recorded five no-hitters at Rodriguez High School in California and finished his senior season with a 1.21 ERA and 122 strikeouts.
Tyler Servais, C, Princeton University, jr.: Servais started 30 games for the Tigers, throwing out 11 base runners and collecting 10 RBIs a season after batting .278 with 19 RBIs.
Curtis Wildung, C, Pacific Lutheran University, jr.: The first-team all-Northwest Conference selection batted .275 with a team-leading 25 RBIs and 14 doubles while committing just three errors in 40 games played.
Jo Carroll, INF, Linfield College, jr.: The 2011 firstteam all-Intermountain Conference infielder and honorable mention all-state selection out of Mountain View High returns to Bend after playing primarily on the Wildcats’ junior varsity squad.
Grant Newton, INF, Seattle University, jr.: The Bend High product played in 32 of 54 games for the Redhawks, starting in 27. Newton tied for the team lead with a .313 batting average and had 10 extra-base hits, including three home runs.
Infielders Jordan Aboites, INF, Arizona State University, so.: Aboites appeared in 11 games in his first season with the Sun Devils after twice being named Suburban League MVP and garnering first-team all-CIF honors while at Mayfair High School in California.
Justin Bohn, INF, Oregon State University, jr.: Bohn ranked third in the Golden Valley Conference with a .335 batting average to go with a league-high two home runs and 30 stolen bases for Feather River College.
97
Medford
Scott Kinzler, RHP, Abilene Christian University, fr.: Kinzler closed his high school career with a 1.71 ERA, recording six complete games in nine starts with five wins to lead Texas’ Brownwood High School to a 2013 overall record.
Catchers
Keach Ballard, INF, University of Oklahoma, jr.: In 61 games played for Murray State College, the Sooner transfer logged a .365 batting average with 10 home runs and 40 runs driven in.
Wenatchee
Tacoma
5
5
Cowlitz Black Bears
Eugene
CANADA
Wenatchee AppleSox Seattle
Kitsap BlueJackets
Corvallis
Kelowna
Kelowna Falcons Bellingham
Pitchers
Derek Dixon, INF, George Fox University, jr.: With 43 RBIs and five home runs, Dixon sat in the top five in the Northwest Conference in both categories while hitting .355 and starting all 38 games. Kyle Giusti, INF, Abilene Christian University, sr.: The Division II first-team all-South Central Region selection led the Wildcats with a .358 batting average to go along with team highs in RBIs (40) and stolen bases (15).
Seth Spivey, INF, Abilene Christian University, sr.: Spivey started 52 games for the Wildcats, batting .314 with 12 extra-base hits and 32 RBIs. Anthony Villa, INF, Saint Mary’s College, so.: The 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound infielder racked up a .268 batting average in 54 games played to go along with 32 RBIs and 14 doubles, both second-highest for the Gaels.
Outfielders
Klamath Falls
2012 WCL season EAST DIVISION
Wenatchee AppleSox Bellingham Bells Kelowna Falcons Walla Walla Sweets
W 37 32 28 24
L 17 22 26 30
WEST DIVISION
Corvallis Knights Cowlitz Black Bears Klamath Falls Gems Bend Elks Kitsap BlueJackets
West Divisional Series: Corvallis def. Cowlitz, 2-0 East Divisional Series: Wenatchee def. Bellingham, 2-1 WCL Championship Series: Wenatchee def. Corvallis, 2-1
W 32 26 26 24 14
L 22 28 28 30 40
Zach Close, OF, AIB College of Business, jr.: A 2012 NWAACC Southern Region all-star, the Crook County product hit .262 in 2013 with a home run and 18 RBIs. Landon Cray, OF, Seattle University, so.: The 5-foot8-inch outfielder led the Redhawks with a .313 batting average in 48 games played after a high school career in Chimacum, Wash., that saw Cray earn firstteam all-state honors three times.
Chase Fields, OF, Seattle University, sr.: Fields hit .305 while starting 44 games for the Redhawks. The 5-foot-8inch outfielder led Seattle and ranked fourth in the Western Athletic Conference with 14 stolen bases. Turner Gill, OF, University of Portland, jr.: A 2010 graduate of Madras High, Gill was a two-time first-team all-West Coast Conference selection in his freshman and sophomore seasons and was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team.
Cullen O’Dwyer, OF, Arizona State University, so.: O’Dwyer was a 39th-round selection by the Atlanta Braves in the 2012 MLB Draft after being named firstteam all-state in New Mexico as a senior at Eldorado High School.
Coaches Head coach: Joe Dominiak Assistant coach: Scott Anderson Assistant coach: Alan Embree