Some of you may have noticed that I have added a 'Donation' button via PayPal to the home page. Your support would be greatly appreciated. The expansion from six to nine teams, and a huge increase in softball interest, has tripled the number of hits to the website. I'm sure the increased visits to the site are due to the great recaps that are coming in from several teams and perhaps to the tight race at the top and middle of the standings. The great fan support has changed the website from being a 15 hour a week hobby to a 40-plus an hour week test to see if I can keep up. Cheer me up by buying photos. Remember, that half of the profits from photos go to the booster club. I prefer selling photos to donations, but if I haven't quite got the right photo, please consider donating. Or buy photos and donate. You don't need a PayPal account. PayPal accepts credit cards.
Thanks.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
First Round Review
The cold, rainy days of April are almost behind us and the 70 degree days of May are near. Surprisingly, the MWL got all of their league games in prior to the official start of the second round last Friday. Of course, Springfield has been a road team the first round as they wait for their facility to dry out.
At the turn, the teams finshed about where I projected for the end of the season, with the big exception being Sheldon. I grouped Marist, North Eugene and Thurston as locks for the top three spots. I had Sheldon, Willamette, Springfield and South Eugene in the next batch. Churchill just outside of the middle group and Marshfield in a rebuilding year.
Sheldon's defense was phenomenal the first six games, giving up less than 2 runs per game. The two big lefties, Cason Cunningham and Brett Nielsen, were six and one in the first round. The two are a little high on the walk-o-meter, but Cunningham is over 9 k's a game, and Nielsen is sitting down 13 a game. Sophomore Ryan Land has been impressive in the outfield and at the plate.
Injuries may end up playing a big part in the finish this year. North Eugene's lefty Toby Woods pumped up the Highlanders with a 2-0 start and a 1.11 ERA, only to get injured. The Highlander's fortunes have been slipping since. Andrew Moore is 3-1, with a .50 ERA and a league leading 46 k's. But you're going to see more teams get really aggressive like Sheldon did in the first round - attacking the ball early in the count and being willing to take a k here or there in exchange for some very hard hit balls, forcing North to make plays.
Thurston was a little wobbly coming out of the gate. The Colts were skunked in their first league game against North, and scored just two runs against Sheldon in their third game of the first round. Since then the Colt bats have gotten pretty hot, and their defense has been steady for the most part. Sophomore Kyle Watson is 4-0 after Friday's round. Senior Tyler Johnson is getting stronger as the season progresses, and frosh Aaron Clift has been impressive on the mound. Watson, Johnson, Jarren Goddard, and Joey Urness have been hitting the ball well. The Colts seem to have momentum going into the second round.
Marist, my pre-season pick as MWL champions are a half a game out of first. I thought Spartan pitching would be a smidgen better than it has performed and I thought the bats would be hotter than they have been. Marist has won by big margins and had some squeakers. Marist has used four different starters to get them to within half a game of league leading Sheldon: Zach Eyster, Kevin Haskins, Alex Torres and Jerry Rouleau. Eyster has looked very sharp when I've seen him. The Marist D has had it's bad moments, but can put together great games. They'll need to be consistent the second half. Just one homer from the Spartans in the first round. I expected more.
I put a lot of pressure on returning MVP Kameron Bates to carry the Millers to a sixth place finish. Bates is coming off of a fall knee surgery. He's not quite up to speed, but he performed well the first round. However, the Miller O didn't. Bates lost a 2-3 game to South and a 2-4 game to Sheldon. Bates is 1-3 so far.
Willamette is about where I projected. I think their pitching has improved, but obviously not enough for them to make the big jump. Offensively, Tony Svennson has come off of injured reserve and is making a huge impact on the Wolverines with his bat and presence on the mound. Getting mileage out of Svennson on the mound would be a bonus. The Wolverines are relying on Trent Waggoner and his 1.8 ERA for now. Not having Svennson's bat was certainly a factor in two early losses last round. Cole Hathaway is having a year at the plate. The soph has three triples and a dinger.
South Eugene earns the honor of most injury plagued this year. Centerfielder Gus Craig has been out. That is a big hurt in the field and at the plate. Max Morrison, another solid stick for South hurt an elbow tendon and has taken a seat. There's more, but you get the picture when South is playing three freshmen.
I cautiously picked Churchill to finish 8th. They have just three returning players. But you can always expect the Lancers to play great D, and that will keep you in a lot of games. Other than getting bombed by South, Churchill has held opponents to five or less in six of their games. That's good enough to finish in the middle of the pack. And who knew Bryson Jones would pop four dingers? I've seen a couple of nice outings by junior Jake Lessel, including the win over Sheldon.
Marshfield is regularly playing one junior, five sophs and three frosh. Given the lopsided losses my alma matre sustained, I was fearful of seeing them play in Eugene. But when I saw them, and discounted for the youth, I didn't feel as bad. kids are trying hard and they all can play. They just need to hit the weights, play summer ball and work on pitching. Sophomore Doug Moulzahn is doing most of the Pirate pitching. He'll get better, and if he gets some offensive and defensive support, could end up a good one.
It's been fun getting to know the pitchers from the teams who joined/rejoined the MWL. Cunningham and Nielsen from Sheldon are fun to watch. Eyster has had some great stretches. And South's Joe Schindler has can put it all together. I hope new to the league Toby Woods gets back off of the injury list. The oldies, Bates, Moore, Waggoner are very good to great. Other pitchers I have enjoyed watching are Lessel from South and frosh Aaron Clift from the Colts. I haven't seen 4-0 Kyle Watson yet this year and haven't seen the Miller's Dudley in a start as well as a host of others. It will be interesting to see if the pitchers or hitters get stronger in the second round.
Firefox users.
Make sure you upgrade to 4.0! I had a couple of folks say they were having problems. I hadn't checked Firefox in awhile and I opened the MWL website and it was bonkers. I upgraded Firefox and Voila!
Secret Page for Blog Users
I use this format for a 'MWL At-A-Glance' softball page. Take a peek and see if you find it useful. MWL baseball at a glance.
At the turn, the teams finshed about where I projected for the end of the season, with the big exception being Sheldon. I grouped Marist, North Eugene and Thurston as locks for the top three spots. I had Sheldon, Willamette, Springfield and South Eugene in the next batch. Churchill just outside of the middle group and Marshfield in a rebuilding year.
Sheldon's defense was phenomenal the first six games, giving up less than 2 runs per game. The two big lefties, Cason Cunningham and Brett Nielsen, were six and one in the first round. The two are a little high on the walk-o-meter, but Cunningham is over 9 k's a game, and Nielsen is sitting down 13 a game. Sophomore Ryan Land has been impressive in the outfield and at the plate.
Injuries may end up playing a big part in the finish this year. North Eugene's lefty Toby Woods pumped up the Highlanders with a 2-0 start and a 1.11 ERA, only to get injured. The Highlander's fortunes have been slipping since. Andrew Moore is 3-1, with a .50 ERA and a league leading 46 k's. But you're going to see more teams get really aggressive like Sheldon did in the first round - attacking the ball early in the count and being willing to take a k here or there in exchange for some very hard hit balls, forcing North to make plays.
Thurston was a little wobbly coming out of the gate. The Colts were skunked in their first league game against North, and scored just two runs against Sheldon in their third game of the first round. Since then the Colt bats have gotten pretty hot, and their defense has been steady for the most part. Sophomore Kyle Watson is 4-0 after Friday's round. Senior Tyler Johnson is getting stronger as the season progresses, and frosh Aaron Clift has been impressive on the mound. Watson, Johnson, Jarren Goddard, and Joey Urness have been hitting the ball well. The Colts seem to have momentum going into the second round.
Marist, my pre-season pick as MWL champions are a half a game out of first. I thought Spartan pitching would be a smidgen better than it has performed and I thought the bats would be hotter than they have been. Marist has won by big margins and had some squeakers. Marist has used four different starters to get them to within half a game of league leading Sheldon: Zach Eyster, Kevin Haskins, Alex Torres and Jerry Rouleau. Eyster has looked very sharp when I've seen him. The Marist D has had it's bad moments, but can put together great games. They'll need to be consistent the second half. Just one homer from the Spartans in the first round. I expected more.
I put a lot of pressure on returning MVP Kameron Bates to carry the Millers to a sixth place finish. Bates is coming off of a fall knee surgery. He's not quite up to speed, but he performed well the first round. However, the Miller O didn't. Bates lost a 2-3 game to South and a 2-4 game to Sheldon. Bates is 1-3 so far.
Willamette is about where I projected. I think their pitching has improved, but obviously not enough for them to make the big jump. Offensively, Tony Svennson has come off of injured reserve and is making a huge impact on the Wolverines with his bat and presence on the mound. Getting mileage out of Svennson on the mound would be a bonus. The Wolverines are relying on Trent Waggoner and his 1.8 ERA for now. Not having Svennson's bat was certainly a factor in two early losses last round. Cole Hathaway is having a year at the plate. The soph has three triples and a dinger.
South Eugene earns the honor of most injury plagued this year. Centerfielder Gus Craig has been out. That is a big hurt in the field and at the plate. Max Morrison, another solid stick for South hurt an elbow tendon and has taken a seat. There's more, but you get the picture when South is playing three freshmen.
I cautiously picked Churchill to finish 8th. They have just three returning players. But you can always expect the Lancers to play great D, and that will keep you in a lot of games. Other than getting bombed by South, Churchill has held opponents to five or less in six of their games. That's good enough to finish in the middle of the pack. And who knew Bryson Jones would pop four dingers? I've seen a couple of nice outings by junior Jake Lessel, including the win over Sheldon.
Marshfield is regularly playing one junior, five sophs and three frosh. Given the lopsided losses my alma matre sustained, I was fearful of seeing them play in Eugene. But when I saw them, and discounted for the youth, I didn't feel as bad. kids are trying hard and they all can play. They just need to hit the weights, play summer ball and work on pitching. Sophomore Doug Moulzahn is doing most of the Pirate pitching. He'll get better, and if he gets some offensive and defensive support, could end up a good one.
It's been fun getting to know the pitchers from the teams who joined/rejoined the MWL. Cunningham and Nielsen from Sheldon are fun to watch. Eyster has had some great stretches. And South's Joe Schindler has can put it all together. I hope new to the league Toby Woods gets back off of the injury list. The oldies, Bates, Moore, Waggoner are very good to great. Other pitchers I have enjoyed watching are Lessel from South and frosh Aaron Clift from the Colts. I haven't seen 4-0 Kyle Watson yet this year and haven't seen the Miller's Dudley in a start as well as a host of others. It will be interesting to see if the pitchers or hitters get stronger in the second round.
Firefox users.
Make sure you upgrade to 4.0! I had a couple of folks say they were having problems. I hadn't checked Firefox in awhile and I opened the MWL website and it was bonkers. I upgraded Firefox and Voila!
Secret Page for Blog Users
I use this format for a 'MWL At-A-Glance' softball page. Take a peek and see if you find it useful. MWL baseball at a glance.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Arghhhh! I missed an almost Pirate victory
Most of you probably weren't planning on going to the Churchill-Marshfield game on Thursday. But here I was, bundled in a turtleneck, sweatshirt, gloves and longjohns ready to go to Churchill. I made a check of the school schedules on highschoolspsorts.net. No postponement. Then I checked the OSAA scoreboard and the game was postponed to Saturday. So I stayed home. As I said, "ARGHH."
Sorry Churchill fans, but I pull for the Pirates. I graduated from Marshfield in 1968. We tied Sheldon for the league title and had a good baseball run for several years in the early 70's. That was it until I returned in 2003. A soon to be 1st team all state pitcher and his 90 mph fastball, Matt Duryea, moved to Coos Bay and I instantly became a great pitching coach. Marshfield went to state for the first time ever in Duryea's senior year and once more the next year. The Pirate baseball fortunes then dropped off to the pre playoff years level.
My ties to the Pirate baseball program and the efforts of coach Quintin Hall to build the program keep me ever hopeful. So when Churchill's David Doerkson emailed me a score at 9 PM, I let out a giant "No-o-o-o!!". My wife came into my office and asked me if something had happened to my boys. I sheepishly told her the truth. The yell was a two fold yell. I missed my Pirates AND they pulled off a seventh inning five run rally to take a two run lead and got the first batter out in the bottom of the 7th. Churchill rallied and stole the victory from the Pirates.
Improving baseball in Coos Bay is a tough challenge. It's not because of the weather. North Bend has always had a solid to great program. A long time ago, Coos Bay had a great little league program and the varsity played in the heart of town at Mingus Park. The city booted the high school off the parklands for adult summer league softball and the Pirates moved their facilities 8 miles up Coos River. Out of sight, out of mind. The Pirates made another field move within a mile of the school, but the field was still literally out of sight. The Pirates finally moved to the high school, but if you've been to the facility you know how it compares to North Bend and the Eugene-Springfield schools. It's tough for the kids to look at the football/track and basketball facilities and think that the school cares much about baseball. If I ever win a big lottery, I'll help Q with one of his visions of moving home plate to the northwest corner. Then I'll throw in turf and put in lights.
Two other big issues for the Pirates are kids not staying in school or losing their eligibility and players not playing summer ball. If you saw the 2010 version of the Pirates, you noticed that there were several non seniors who looked like legit baseball players - good strokes at the plate, good footwork turning the double play, a solid catcher and more. But the team lost over half of those potential returnees. The result this year is that the Pirates are throwing a lot of babes into the fire. The good news is that these babes come with good attitudes and their are several skilled ones who just need to grow and get experience. Good Luck, coach Hall.
I haven't seen Churchill or Marshfield this year yet. The Churchill game is already listed as postponed. Marshfield and North have to make a decision soon about Marshfield driving up to Swede. With luck, maybe they'll get the game in. I'm already bundled up.
Photos
I haven't promoted my photos this year. I finally have team pages set up with direct links to the photo galleries. Half of the profit goes to the booster clubs. Purchasing photos helps pay for my gas money, photo gallery hosting, red vines and state playoff tickets.
Thanks for your support and encouragement.
Sorry Churchill fans, but I pull for the Pirates. I graduated from Marshfield in 1968. We tied Sheldon for the league title and had a good baseball run for several years in the early 70's. That was it until I returned in 2003. A soon to be 1st team all state pitcher and his 90 mph fastball, Matt Duryea, moved to Coos Bay and I instantly became a great pitching coach. Marshfield went to state for the first time ever in Duryea's senior year and once more the next year. The Pirate baseball fortunes then dropped off to the pre playoff years level.
My ties to the Pirate baseball program and the efforts of coach Quintin Hall to build the program keep me ever hopeful. So when Churchill's David Doerkson emailed me a score at 9 PM, I let out a giant "No-o-o-o!!". My wife came into my office and asked me if something had happened to my boys. I sheepishly told her the truth. The yell was a two fold yell. I missed my Pirates AND they pulled off a seventh inning five run rally to take a two run lead and got the first batter out in the bottom of the 7th. Churchill rallied and stole the victory from the Pirates.
Improving baseball in Coos Bay is a tough challenge. It's not because of the weather. North Bend has always had a solid to great program. A long time ago, Coos Bay had a great little league program and the varsity played in the heart of town at Mingus Park. The city booted the high school off the parklands for adult summer league softball and the Pirates moved their facilities 8 miles up Coos River. Out of sight, out of mind. The Pirates made another field move within a mile of the school, but the field was still literally out of sight. The Pirates finally moved to the high school, but if you've been to the facility you know how it compares to North Bend and the Eugene-Springfield schools. It's tough for the kids to look at the football/track and basketball facilities and think that the school cares much about baseball. If I ever win a big lottery, I'll help Q with one of his visions of moving home plate to the northwest corner. Then I'll throw in turf and put in lights.
Two other big issues for the Pirates are kids not staying in school or losing their eligibility and players not playing summer ball. If you saw the 2010 version of the Pirates, you noticed that there were several non seniors who looked like legit baseball players - good strokes at the plate, good footwork turning the double play, a solid catcher and more. But the team lost over half of those potential returnees. The result this year is that the Pirates are throwing a lot of babes into the fire. The good news is that these babes come with good attitudes and their are several skilled ones who just need to grow and get experience. Good Luck, coach Hall.
I haven't seen Churchill or Marshfield this year yet. The Churchill game is already listed as postponed. Marshfield and North have to make a decision soon about Marshfield driving up to Swede. With luck, maybe they'll get the game in. I'm already bundled up.
Photos
I haven't promoted my photos this year. I finally have team pages set up with direct links to the photo galleries. Half of the profit goes to the booster clubs. Purchasing photos helps pay for my gas money, photo gallery hosting, red vines and state playoff tickets.
- 4x6's are $2.00
- 8x10s are currently $5.99. Not all pictures can be blown up to 8x10s because I have already cropped them so much.
- There are options for collages, calendars, t-shirts, etc.
- Buy a lot of photos to spread the shipping cost:)
- Smugmug guarantees the photos.
- To find galleries for your school, go to the index page, hover over 'Photos', then click on your school
- I haven't photographed Churchill or Marshfield yet. Also, I'm behind on uploading pre league games.
- Reminder that game recappers get free access to pictures of their son(s) for free printing at home or use as a screensaver. Still could use recappers from Marshfield, South Eugene, and Springfield.
Thanks for your support and encouragement.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
NE vs Sheldon, Cunningham vs Moore and more
In my final preseason prediction I mentioned that I thought Marist, North Eugene and Thurston were a notch above everyone else. I picked Sheldon 4th and among a second tier of teams that include a lot of young teams who need time to mature. Sheldon ripened up in a hurry and has beaten both 6A brothers in games at Sheldon.
We are a quarter of a way through league and the teams are shaking out as expected with the exception of Sheldon at 5-0. Sheldon has yet to play two of my top three picks in the first round, so they still have a lot to prove. Wednesday is their next big test. They will step on the field at Swede to take on the 4-0 Highlanders and Andrew Moore with undisputed possession of first place on the line. And even though Moore hasn't allowed a hit or run in his first two league outings, I think the Irish have a shot at getting hits and getting a win.
Moore brings his 0.00 ERA, 28 k's and two no hitters into the game to face Cason Cunningham. Cunningham is no slouch with a 1.02 ERA, 19 k's and just 5 hits in the same number of innings as Moore. The main difference between the two besides being right and left handed, is that Moore has almost eliminated his walks. Like Moore, Cunningham has a great defense behind him. The Irish outfield might be a little better than North's because of Irish centerfielder Ryan Land. Land can cover a huge territory, plays smart and can make the diving catch.
The bats on both teams have mirrored much of the league - punchless this year, although Sheldon has flexed their muscles on occasion. I don't think you'll see either team break this game open at the plate. Both teams have two players with one home run apiece. For North, that's Garrett Harpole and Shawn Boehm. For Sheldon, Daniel Herr and Cooper Stiles. Ryan Land of the Irish has three triples. Sheldon has six players who have hit doubles while North has two. It's not likely that Moore or Cunningham are going to let these batters light it up.
Near the end of Beltline, Marshfield and Churchill will be playing each other. Each team will be trying for their first league win. I expect to see Marshfield's #1 pitcher Doug Molzahn and expect that Churchill will hold back their #1 for Thurston on Friday.
If I was correct about Thurston being one of the three best teams in the league, then they should win out the rest of the first round. The Colts face Willamette, Churchill, Springfield and Marshfield to finish the first half. Thurston could stumble, but their frosh ace Aaron Clift has done well and will improve. And Tyler Johnson had a good outing in relief against dangerous Marist on Monday.
The Millers need to pick it up if they are to make my #5 pick. It won't be easy with Marist, Thurston and Churchill left this round. Wednesday should see Kameron Bates on the mound for Springfield. But Marist probably won't use Eyster after he went six on Monday.
Willamette has played all five 5A MWL opponents, going 2-3. Now the Wolverines do-si-do with the big boys - Thurston, Sheldon and South Eugene. Great news that Tony Svennson is back for the Wolverines. He carries a big stick and will turn a few games around, if not with the upcoming games with the 6A teams, then against the 5A teams next round.
South gets the bye Wednesday. Then they face Marist and probably Eyster, followed by Marshfield and Willamette.
According to the weatherman five minutes ago, it's not raining at my house, but something wet is coming out of the sky. Let's hope we can squeeze in some games tomorrow, because the Thursday and Friday forecasts are gloomy.
Thanks to the coaches and parents who have forwarded recaps and stats. The website wouldn't be much fun without your help.
We are a quarter of a way through league and the teams are shaking out as expected with the exception of Sheldon at 5-0. Sheldon has yet to play two of my top three picks in the first round, so they still have a lot to prove. Wednesday is their next big test. They will step on the field at Swede to take on the 4-0 Highlanders and Andrew Moore with undisputed possession of first place on the line. And even though Moore hasn't allowed a hit or run in his first two league outings, I think the Irish have a shot at getting hits and getting a win.
Moore brings his 0.00 ERA, 28 k's and two no hitters into the game to face Cason Cunningham. Cunningham is no slouch with a 1.02 ERA, 19 k's and just 5 hits in the same number of innings as Moore. The main difference between the two besides being right and left handed, is that Moore has almost eliminated his walks. Like Moore, Cunningham has a great defense behind him. The Irish outfield might be a little better than North's because of Irish centerfielder Ryan Land. Land can cover a huge territory, plays smart and can make the diving catch.
The bats on both teams have mirrored much of the league - punchless this year, although Sheldon has flexed their muscles on occasion. I don't think you'll see either team break this game open at the plate. Both teams have two players with one home run apiece. For North, that's Garrett Harpole and Shawn Boehm. For Sheldon, Daniel Herr and Cooper Stiles. Ryan Land of the Irish has three triples. Sheldon has six players who have hit doubles while North has two. It's not likely that Moore or Cunningham are going to let these batters light it up.
Near the end of Beltline, Marshfield and Churchill will be playing each other. Each team will be trying for their first league win. I expect to see Marshfield's #1 pitcher Doug Molzahn and expect that Churchill will hold back their #1 for Thurston on Friday.
If I was correct about Thurston being one of the three best teams in the league, then they should win out the rest of the first round. The Colts face Willamette, Churchill, Springfield and Marshfield to finish the first half. Thurston could stumble, but their frosh ace Aaron Clift has done well and will improve. And Tyler Johnson had a good outing in relief against dangerous Marist on Monday.
The Millers need to pick it up if they are to make my #5 pick. It won't be easy with Marist, Thurston and Churchill left this round. Wednesday should see Kameron Bates on the mound for Springfield. But Marist probably won't use Eyster after he went six on Monday.
Willamette has played all five 5A MWL opponents, going 2-3. Now the Wolverines do-si-do with the big boys - Thurston, Sheldon and South Eugene. Great news that Tony Svennson is back for the Wolverines. He carries a big stick and will turn a few games around, if not with the upcoming games with the 6A teams, then against the 5A teams next round.
South gets the bye Wednesday. Then they face Marist and probably Eyster, followed by Marshfield and Willamette.
According to the weatherman five minutes ago, it's not raining at my house, but something wet is coming out of the sky. Let's hope we can squeeze in some games tomorrow, because the Thursday and Friday forecasts are gloomy.
Thanks to the coaches and parents who have forwarded recaps and stats. The website wouldn't be much fun without your help.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Big week for 6A MWL teams and Marist
I'm hearing talk of North running the table and Andrew Moore tossing more no hitters. Wow. How quickly we forget. It's tough to throw a no hitter. I've been fortunate enough to see both of Moore's gems. A great infield play saved his first no hitter, and he didn't have to face Gus Craig against South. A blooper to the outfield, a grounder two more feet to the right of the glove - that's all it takes to ruin a no-no.
It's early in the season to think a team or pitcher is going to run the table. Team wise, North has only played three games in league - 13 to go. They haven't exactly been killing the ball, although they've shown more power this year than at the same time last year. There are enough good pitchers in this league to keep North within reach throughout a game, and when a team is close, anything can happen.
It's a huge week for Marist (3-0) and a couple of the 6A teams. Marist plays 6A Thurston and South Eugene, with Springfield in the middle. Marist can line up their pitchers however they want, but they could end up seeing their opponents aces in all three games. Spartan power bats have to come out this week.
South Eugene (2-2) gets Sheldon and Marist with a bye in between. Axemen Joe Schindler could be used for both games. Schindler gives South a great shot in both games. We think of Schindler as a pitcher, but he already has 3 doubles and 4 rbis for South. South needs Gus Craig back in their line up.
Sheldon (4-0) gets South, North and Willamette. Sheldon threw Neilsen for three innings last Friday, so they may not come back with him against South. That would be lucky for South. Will Sheldon see Andrew Moore? North's Moore will probably go Monday and Friday, so Sheldon would see lefties Woods or Clatyon or both. (Note that Sheldon has a lot of left handed batters.) At the plate, Irishmen Daniel Herr shares the league lead in rbis with 5 and Ryan Land shares the lead in trips with 2.
Thurston (1-2) has two of the three undefeated teams behind them. They start the week with undefeated Marist. The Colts have a good shot at putting a blemish on the Spartans schedule. Thurston then finishes the week with Willamette and Churchill. A Colt sweep this week would put them at 4-2 and back in the pennant race. Thurston needs to get their bats going, and should, having played a tough schedule so far. Joey Urness has a couple of triples and Stephan Drake has a homer. But that's about it for Colt power.
North (3-0) has Willamette Monday. Moore is in cycle to throw this one. If North wins and Sheldon beats south Eugene, neither game a lock, North and Sheldon would be undefeated going into their game Wednesday.
Willamette (2-2) has the toughest schedule this week. North Eugene - with Moore likely on the mound, then 6A's Thurston - with Kyle Watson likely on the mound, and Sheldon. Trent Waggoner could get the Monday/Friday starts. Waggoner has 16 k's versus 4 walks in league this year. That's a ratio that should keep Willamette in both games. The Wolverine bats have been pretty solid so far. Drath and Concannon have dingers and the team has 14 doubles in four games.
The Millers have played South, North, Willamette and Sheldon. This week it's Marshfield and Marist. Bates is on cyle to pitch against Marist. Springfield has been playing good D, but their bats haven't come alive.
Churchill (0-4) and Marshfield (0-3) face each other Wednesday. Churchill has a bye Monday, while Marshfield plays Springfield in Coos Bay. There's a possibility that the Lancers and Pirates are both 0-4 when they play each other.
Pitchers ahead of batters
I'm not a big believer in the theory that pitchers are always ahead of hitters early in the season, however....
they are this year. I thought there might be two or three really outstanding pitchers this year and many solid ones. At this point, it looks like Moore will be over the top good. Springfield's Kameron Bates may come on and regain intimidator status as he regains his strength from fall surgery. He is hitting his spots with 11 k's to 2 walks, but isn't up to full speed on his fastball yet. Hopefully he'll be stronger at playoff time. There are two or three others who may end up being dominant, time will tell. Sheldon's Cason Cunningham was tough Friday against Springfield. If Cunningham gets his K to Walk ratio up to 3 or 4 to one, he'll be dominant.
Lots of non seniors are looking good. I haven't seen all teams, and if I've seen a team, I usually have seen only one of the team's starters. But here are some non seniors that are looking good. Frosh Aaron Clift of Thurston - and he was sent into Swede against Moore - that's Roman Colosseum stuff. Sophs Kyle Watson of Thurtson, Britt Neilsen of Sheldon and Joe Schindler of South. Juniors Trent Waggoner and Toby Woods of North. I'm sure there are more blossoming non seniors, but I haven't seen them play yet.
It's early in the season to think a team or pitcher is going to run the table. Team wise, North has only played three games in league - 13 to go. They haven't exactly been killing the ball, although they've shown more power this year than at the same time last year. There are enough good pitchers in this league to keep North within reach throughout a game, and when a team is close, anything can happen.
It's a huge week for Marist (3-0) and a couple of the 6A teams. Marist plays 6A Thurston and South Eugene, with Springfield in the middle. Marist can line up their pitchers however they want, but they could end up seeing their opponents aces in all three games. Spartan power bats have to come out this week.
South Eugene (2-2) gets Sheldon and Marist with a bye in between. Axemen Joe Schindler could be used for both games. Schindler gives South a great shot in both games. We think of Schindler as a pitcher, but he already has 3 doubles and 4 rbis for South. South needs Gus Craig back in their line up.
Sheldon (4-0) gets South, North and Willamette. Sheldon threw Neilsen for three innings last Friday, so they may not come back with him against South. That would be lucky for South. Will Sheldon see Andrew Moore? North's Moore will probably go Monday and Friday, so Sheldon would see lefties Woods or Clatyon or both. (Note that Sheldon has a lot of left handed batters.) At the plate, Irishmen Daniel Herr shares the league lead in rbis with 5 and Ryan Land shares the lead in trips with 2.
Thurston (1-2) has two of the three undefeated teams behind them. They start the week with undefeated Marist. The Colts have a good shot at putting a blemish on the Spartans schedule. Thurston then finishes the week with Willamette and Churchill. A Colt sweep this week would put them at 4-2 and back in the pennant race. Thurston needs to get their bats going, and should, having played a tough schedule so far. Joey Urness has a couple of triples and Stephan Drake has a homer. But that's about it for Colt power.
North (3-0) has Willamette Monday. Moore is in cycle to throw this one. If North wins and Sheldon beats south Eugene, neither game a lock, North and Sheldon would be undefeated going into their game Wednesday.
Willamette (2-2) has the toughest schedule this week. North Eugene - with Moore likely on the mound, then 6A's Thurston - with Kyle Watson likely on the mound, and Sheldon. Trent Waggoner could get the Monday/Friday starts. Waggoner has 16 k's versus 4 walks in league this year. That's a ratio that should keep Willamette in both games. The Wolverine bats have been pretty solid so far. Drath and Concannon have dingers and the team has 14 doubles in four games.
The Millers have played South, North, Willamette and Sheldon. This week it's Marshfield and Marist. Bates is on cyle to pitch against Marist. Springfield has been playing good D, but their bats haven't come alive.
Churchill (0-4) and Marshfield (0-3) face each other Wednesday. Churchill has a bye Monday, while Marshfield plays Springfield in Coos Bay. There's a possibility that the Lancers and Pirates are both 0-4 when they play each other.
Pitchers ahead of batters
I'm not a big believer in the theory that pitchers are always ahead of hitters early in the season, however....
they are this year. I thought there might be two or three really outstanding pitchers this year and many solid ones. At this point, it looks like Moore will be over the top good. Springfield's Kameron Bates may come on and regain intimidator status as he regains his strength from fall surgery. He is hitting his spots with 11 k's to 2 walks, but isn't up to full speed on his fastball yet. Hopefully he'll be stronger at playoff time. There are two or three others who may end up being dominant, time will tell. Sheldon's Cason Cunningham was tough Friday against Springfield. If Cunningham gets his K to Walk ratio up to 3 or 4 to one, he'll be dominant.
Lots of non seniors are looking good. I haven't seen all teams, and if I've seen a team, I usually have seen only one of the team's starters. But here are some non seniors that are looking good. Frosh Aaron Clift of Thurston - and he was sent into Swede against Moore - that's Roman Colosseum stuff. Sophs Kyle Watson of Thurtson, Britt Neilsen of Sheldon and Joe Schindler of South. Juniors Trent Waggoner and Toby Woods of North. I'm sure there are more blossoming non seniors, but I haven't seen them play yet.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
South Eugene, RPI test (did you fail?) ...
It's early, but South Eugene is out of the blocks in a hurry. The Axemen are 2-0 with a win over Kameron Bates of Springfield and a lopsided 16-4 victory over Churchill. Now comes the meat of their schedule - North Eugene, Thurston, Sheldon, a bye and Marist. South will likely see Moore when they face North Eugene, then they have back to back games against 6A opponents. After the 6A opponents they tackle the veteran team in our league, Marist. I consider Marist the most veteran team in the league because they have 12 seniors, while every other team is lucky if they have five seniors.
Could it be that South's 12-2 win over Cottage Grove got their bats going prior to the Churchill game? Soph Joe Schindler and junior Max Morrison lead the team (and share the league lead) with three rbi's. Frosh Jimmy Grossman and junior Ben Giland have 2 rbis each. How's that for a youth movement? What I really like is the South is getting experience with late inning wins. They pulled one out against Summit and beat Springfield by scoring in the bottom of the 7th. With all the young players in the league not having much varsity batting experience, South might be getting a jump on other teams because their bats are warming up early.
Willamette RPI test
After all of the RPI education I have dispensed, I would have thought people who took the RPI test would have done better. The question was would Willamette's 370 RPI go up (options for how much up) or down?
First you have to know the RPI formula. IF you want to be a pro, click on Frequently Asked Questions on the OSAA site. Here's the overview:
25% on Willamette's W-L record. Willamette's loss cost them 12 RPI points. Had Willamette won their RPI would have gone up another 22 points from the minute before the Marist game. That's a 32 point spread
50% on Willamette's opponents W-L record . The opponents records were about .311 before the Marist game. Marist was 8-1 (.899) going into the Willamette game so the Spartans were bound to raise Willamette's score a lot in this criteria no matter who won the game. And this criteria is 50% of the formula.
25% on Willamette's opponents opponents W-L record. Honest. Willamette's opponents opponents were winning at a 387 clip before they played Marist. Marist opponents record going into the Willamette game was about .525. Again, in this criteria Marist would be raising Willamette's score no matter what the outcome of the Marist-Willamette game. Willamette gained 11 RPI points in this category just by playing Marist.
What does it all mean? It means that early in the season your RPI fluctuates wildly, but after about 20 games there isn't much change. That's because a single loss doesn't change your W-L percentage that much late in the season, doesn't change your opponents W-L percentage much, or your opponent's opponents. Somehow, the RPI is very accurate in the end. The main issue with the RPI at this point is that the RPI does not count out of state opponents opponents records. The RPI does include the opponents record, but that is only 25% of the overall formula.
Reporters.
I'm getting great recaps from Dean Inuoye of Marist and Dave Doreksen from Churchill as well as the Willamette and Sheldon coaches. It would be great to pick up at least two more teams. If we have six of the teams reporting plus myself, it is likely that each game will be recapped. There will be one or two games where neither team has a reporter, but if we have enough reporters that won't happen often. If you would like to be a recapper/reporter please email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com. And remember, you get to shamelessly plug your own child and get extra free photo attention and free photos from me of your child. The recaps don't have to be near as long as you are seeing on the main page. And if you just want to send in just the box scores, that's fine too. Box scores look like this:
Churchill 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 2 3
Sheldon 0 1 1 0 0 1 X - 3 5 2
Lessel, Murray(6) and Kearney; Cunningham and D Lewis
WP Cunningham LP Lessel
RBI Jones, Stiles, D Lewis
HR Jones
2B Cunningham, Stiles
Gary
Could it be that South's 12-2 win over Cottage Grove got their bats going prior to the Churchill game? Soph Joe Schindler and junior Max Morrison lead the team (and share the league lead) with three rbi's. Frosh Jimmy Grossman and junior Ben Giland have 2 rbis each. How's that for a youth movement? What I really like is the South is getting experience with late inning wins. They pulled one out against Summit and beat Springfield by scoring in the bottom of the 7th. With all the young players in the league not having much varsity batting experience, South might be getting a jump on other teams because their bats are warming up early.
Willamette RPI test
After all of the RPI education I have dispensed, I would have thought people who took the RPI test would have done better. The question was would Willamette's 370 RPI go up (options for how much up) or down?
- 38% of the respondents said "Go Down". You go back to Algebra I
- 21% said up by 0 to 50%. Not bad, perhaps you didn't have the guts to move to the right answer, because an increase of 78 points for one game would be too much. I'll give you a C.
- 21 % said between 50 and 100 points. Correcto-Mundo. You get to brag to other MWL fans.
- 12% said between 100-150 points. You get a B for positive attitude. Must have been Willamette fans factoring a victory over Marist.
- 8% said 200 points or more. You get a D. It's just a hair too far into the season to see huge swings in a day.
First you have to know the RPI formula. IF you want to be a pro, click on Frequently Asked Questions on the OSAA site. Here's the overview:
25% on Willamette's W-L record. Willamette's loss cost them 12 RPI points. Had Willamette won their RPI would have gone up another 22 points from the minute before the Marist game. That's a 32 point spread
50% on Willamette's opponents W-L record . The opponents records were about .311 before the Marist game. Marist was 8-1 (.899) going into the Willamette game so the Spartans were bound to raise Willamette's score a lot in this criteria no matter who won the game. And this criteria is 50% of the formula.
25% on Willamette's opponents opponents W-L record. Honest. Willamette's opponents opponents were winning at a 387 clip before they played Marist. Marist opponents record going into the Willamette game was about .525. Again, in this criteria Marist would be raising Willamette's score no matter what the outcome of the Marist-Willamette game. Willamette gained 11 RPI points in this category just by playing Marist.
What does it all mean? It means that early in the season your RPI fluctuates wildly, but after about 20 games there isn't much change. That's because a single loss doesn't change your W-L percentage that much late in the season, doesn't change your opponents W-L percentage much, or your opponent's opponents. Somehow, the RPI is very accurate in the end. The main issue with the RPI at this point is that the RPI does not count out of state opponents opponents records. The RPI does include the opponents record, but that is only 25% of the overall formula.
Reporters.
I'm getting great recaps from Dean Inuoye of Marist and Dave Doreksen from Churchill as well as the Willamette and Sheldon coaches. It would be great to pick up at least two more teams. If we have six of the teams reporting plus myself, it is likely that each game will be recapped. There will be one or two games where neither team has a reporter, but if we have enough reporters that won't happen often. If you would like to be a recapper/reporter please email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com. And remember, you get to shamelessly plug your own child and get extra free photo attention and free photos from me of your child. The recaps don't have to be near as long as you are seeing on the main page. And if you just want to send in just the box scores, that's fine too. Box scores look like this:
Churchill 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 1 2 3
Sheldon 0 1 1 0 0 1 X - 3 5 2
Lessel, Murray(6) and Kearney; Cunningham and D Lewis
WP Cunningham LP Lessel
RBI Jones, Stiles, D Lewis
HR Jones
2B Cunningham, Stiles
Gary
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Opening Day Recap
I picked the right league opener to watch Friday. Andrew Moore threw an extremely well controlled no-no against Thurston. Just one ball left the infield and the two runners who walked were wiped off the basepaths by double plays. Nearly as impressive was Thurston's frosh Aaron Clift. Clift went five full innings before turning the ball over to TJ. Clift had a strikeout in each inning - a nice way to avoid big innings.
Coach Nicholsen had to be happy with laying down a sac bunt so early in league play this year. A batter did not lay a bunt down earlier in the game and I'm sure coach was thinking, "Oh, no. Not again this year." And, of course, Nicholsen had to be elated with Shawn Boehm's 3 run homer and the deep double by Kyle DeHaven - both with two outs!
Thurston coach Phil Dube had to be happy with his Clift. Clift didn't seem fazed by the pressure of opening the season at Swede. Dube couldn't have been happy with the Colt bats, but he knows a buzzsaw (Moore) when he sees one.
Pitchers ruled the day. Only two of the eight teams playing scored more than three runs. Willamette's Trent Waggoner had a nice day in his 7 inning, 2 hit win over Marshfield. One of my pitching keys is when a pitcher is reaching or surpassing a ratio of 4 strikeouts for every walk. Waggoner almost got to the magic 4:1 ratio with 10 k's and 3 walks. Marshfield's soph Doug Molzahn, was pretty efficient himself. Striking out 3 and walking just 1 in four innings. That's not overpowering, but pitchers have to avoid walks, and Molzahn did.
Willamette coach Jon Guldager will be hoping that soph Scott Kuvass's two doubles are a sign of good things to come. Even better, Wolverines Jalen Drath and Ryan Concannon each jacked one out. The Pirates only got two hits, which may be the situation the first round. The youngest team in the league and the Pirates have no seniors. I'm curious if any of the youngin's have started growing facial hair. Give them a round of varsity pitching and things will improve.
Following the pitching theme, the Sheldon - Churchill game had some strong pitching, but also wild pitching. Irishman Cason Cunningham went 7 innings, striking out 9, but walking or hitting 6 batters. Junior Lancer Jake Lessel also struck out 9, but in just 5 and 1/3 innings. But he too walked or hit 6 batters. If they don't get the walks down, teams will start really crowding the plate to take a few more hits on the arm. Time will tell. At the plate, Churchill senior Bryson Jones hit the lone homer in the game.
No recap, box scores or stats from the South Eugene win over Springfield. It was a 3-2 win by South. I heard it was Bates on the mound for the Millers, but no word on who pitched the gem for South.
Monday's round of games oddly don't feature any 1-0 teams facing each other. I'm going to try and make the Willamette 1-0 at Marist 0-0 game. Hopefully, it won't get rained out. The game will be a good opportunity to see what these two teams have on the mound. I've seen most of Marist's pitchers. It will be interesting to see if they can hold the Wolverines to less than the 5 runs Willamette scored against Marshfield. Willamette got seven full innings out of Waggoner against Marshfield, so they can throw anybody. If no one looks like they can go a lot of innings, it might be time for Willamette to only show their pitchers to the meat of the order one time through. Too bad the meat of Marists batting order is from 1 to about 7.
All of the other games are going to be interesting because I assume everyone threw their number one pitcher last Friday, unlike Marist who had a bye. South 1-0 at Churchill 0-1. There will be a total of 7 seniors dressed for this game. So we have two young teams. Pitching will probably drop off from opening day. I haven't seen Churchill, but I'm guessing their infield/outfield play is a little better than South's. The game should be decided at the plate, with both teams being giving the opportunity to hit the ball. If one of the teams' can pound it, they may put some pressure on the young defenses on the field.
North Eugene 1-0 at Springfield 0-1. Springfield's relatively inexperienced players at the varsity level are bound to have problems with the North lefties. High school age kids just don't see enough left handed pitching to catch on to how easy it is to hit them. This is a good opportunity for both teams to establish a solid number two pitcher on their staff.
Sheldon at Marshfield. Maybe Sheldon doesn't know the North Bend bridge is closed and you have to go around the bay. Would the Irish have to forfeit for not getting to the game? Last Friday, Sheldon squeaked by Churchill and Marshfield stayed close to Willamette. This is another game where we don't know what the falloff is in pitching to the number two pitcher. As stated earlier, the extremely young Pirates are likely to make Sheldon's number two look good as the Pirates view varsity pitching this first round of league games.
Thurston has a bye.
Looks like just as last Friday's scores reflected a lot of good number ones throughout the league, Monday's games could turn into some offensive outbursts. Hopefully, some number two's will emerge.
League stats are posted here - league stats. I received recaps or box scores from all but the South Eugene-Springfield game. If you can help out with those stats, please email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com
I haven't done a good job of teaching how the RPI works. Please take the RPI poll on the main page. The poll closes during the Willamette-Marist game.
I just noticed that three of four Monday games are at the three worst draining fields in the league. Can you guess which three?
Coach Nicholsen had to be happy with laying down a sac bunt so early in league play this year. A batter did not lay a bunt down earlier in the game and I'm sure coach was thinking, "Oh, no. Not again this year." And, of course, Nicholsen had to be elated with Shawn Boehm's 3 run homer and the deep double by Kyle DeHaven - both with two outs!
Thurston coach Phil Dube had to be happy with his Clift. Clift didn't seem fazed by the pressure of opening the season at Swede. Dube couldn't have been happy with the Colt bats, but he knows a buzzsaw (Moore) when he sees one.
Pitchers ruled the day. Only two of the eight teams playing scored more than three runs. Willamette's Trent Waggoner had a nice day in his 7 inning, 2 hit win over Marshfield. One of my pitching keys is when a pitcher is reaching or surpassing a ratio of 4 strikeouts for every walk. Waggoner almost got to the magic 4:1 ratio with 10 k's and 3 walks. Marshfield's soph Doug Molzahn, was pretty efficient himself. Striking out 3 and walking just 1 in four innings. That's not overpowering, but pitchers have to avoid walks, and Molzahn did.
Willamette coach Jon Guldager will be hoping that soph Scott Kuvass's two doubles are a sign of good things to come. Even better, Wolverines Jalen Drath and Ryan Concannon each jacked one out. The Pirates only got two hits, which may be the situation the first round. The youngest team in the league and the Pirates have no seniors. I'm curious if any of the youngin's have started growing facial hair. Give them a round of varsity pitching and things will improve.
Following the pitching theme, the Sheldon - Churchill game had some strong pitching, but also wild pitching. Irishman Cason Cunningham went 7 innings, striking out 9, but walking or hitting 6 batters. Junior Lancer Jake Lessel also struck out 9, but in just 5 and 1/3 innings. But he too walked or hit 6 batters. If they don't get the walks down, teams will start really crowding the plate to take a few more hits on the arm. Time will tell. At the plate, Churchill senior Bryson Jones hit the lone homer in the game.
No recap, box scores or stats from the South Eugene win over Springfield. It was a 3-2 win by South. I heard it was Bates on the mound for the Millers, but no word on who pitched the gem for South.
Monday's round of games oddly don't feature any 1-0 teams facing each other. I'm going to try and make the Willamette 1-0 at Marist 0-0 game. Hopefully, it won't get rained out. The game will be a good opportunity to see what these two teams have on the mound. I've seen most of Marist's pitchers. It will be interesting to see if they can hold the Wolverines to less than the 5 runs Willamette scored against Marshfield. Willamette got seven full innings out of Waggoner against Marshfield, so they can throw anybody. If no one looks like they can go a lot of innings, it might be time for Willamette to only show their pitchers to the meat of the order one time through. Too bad the meat of Marists batting order is from 1 to about 7.
All of the other games are going to be interesting because I assume everyone threw their number one pitcher last Friday, unlike Marist who had a bye. South 1-0 at Churchill 0-1. There will be a total of 7 seniors dressed for this game. So we have two young teams. Pitching will probably drop off from opening day. I haven't seen Churchill, but I'm guessing their infield/outfield play is a little better than South's. The game should be decided at the plate, with both teams being giving the opportunity to hit the ball. If one of the teams' can pound it, they may put some pressure on the young defenses on the field.
North Eugene 1-0 at Springfield 0-1. Springfield's relatively inexperienced players at the varsity level are bound to have problems with the North lefties. High school age kids just don't see enough left handed pitching to catch on to how easy it is to hit them. This is a good opportunity for both teams to establish a solid number two pitcher on their staff.
Sheldon at Marshfield. Maybe Sheldon doesn't know the North Bend bridge is closed and you have to go around the bay. Would the Irish have to forfeit for not getting to the game? Last Friday, Sheldon squeaked by Churchill and Marshfield stayed close to Willamette. This is another game where we don't know what the falloff is in pitching to the number two pitcher. As stated earlier, the extremely young Pirates are likely to make Sheldon's number two look good as the Pirates view varsity pitching this first round of league games.
Thurston has a bye.
Looks like just as last Friday's scores reflected a lot of good number ones throughout the league, Monday's games could turn into some offensive outbursts. Hopefully, some number two's will emerge.
League stats are posted here - league stats. I received recaps or box scores from all but the South Eugene-Springfield game. If you can help out with those stats, please email me at mwlnow@yahoo.com
I haven't done a good job of teaching how the RPI works. Please take the RPI poll on the main page. The poll closes during the Willamette-Marist game.
I just noticed that three of four Monday games are at the three worst draining fields in the league. Can you guess which three?
Friday, April 1, 2011
League Openers - SUNSHINE! Axemen facility improvments.
Fantastic match-ups for the league openers. And fantastic sunshine!
Three match-ups involve teams that look pretty close on paper.
I should have an accurate roster for most teams after today's North-Thurston game. Still need Marshfield's and Springfield. All rosters are on one page for ease of use. Here is the link: Rosters
You can get by inning updates from the game I attend by following mwlnow on Twitter Link to Twitter . Search for 'mwlnow' and click on follow on the right side.
Text me scores while you are at games. My text number is 541-337-1311. I need new texters from most teams. I Twitter out the results as I get them. If you are smart phone savvy, you can sit in the stands and smugly say, 'North and Thurston are tied 1-1 in the ninth and Marshfield is ahead of Willamette in the first."
Check out the new poll. It will close Monday the 4th.
Three match-ups involve teams that look pretty close on paper.
- Thurston at North Eugene. Two of the top three teams in the league. Hopefully, the pitching match-up will be Andrew Moore vs TJ. Both teams have top notch defenses behind their pitchers. The game will probably be determined on the battle between Moore and the Thurston bats.
- Springfield at South Eugene. The defending MWL champs lost a lot to graduation, as did South. But the Millers have returning MVP Kameron Bates, who should be on the mound. South has one of the best players in the league in Gus Craig in centerfield. This is a very even match between two good teams that have an opportunity to establish an identity with a win. Miller fans should take note of some great improvements at South. Check out the new drainage system for the outfield! Actually you won't see it because it is under the grass, but the usually swampy South outfield will be bone dry today. Also new is a huge concrete base for the spectator area. Batting cages will soon be in right field, shortening the right field pole from 410 feet to 340. With luck a new scoreboard will be up by the end of the season. Could South be a program on the rise?
- Churchill at Sheldon. Two teams in identical situations. Both teams graduated a ton of talent. Both teams have great programs that know how to develop players. Sheldon appears to be a little ahead of Churchill at this point, but Churchill D is always good, and if the Lancer pitcher has a good day, the tide could turn in Churchill's favor.
- Marshfield at Willamette. Willamette is my 'program of the future'. Maybe the future is now - as in today. I believe the Willamette program is moving into the world of Churchill, Marist, North Eugene, Sheldon and Thurston and establishing a long term successful program. Marshfield, loaded with sophs and frosh, but no seniors is hoping this young team establishes a new Pirate baseball attitude. The Pirates can show their new attitude by bursting the Wolverine's bubble.
- Marist has a bye.
I should have an accurate roster for most teams after today's North-Thurston game. Still need Marshfield's and Springfield. All rosters are on one page for ease of use. Here is the link: Rosters
You can get by inning updates from the game I attend by following mwlnow on Twitter Link to Twitter . Search for 'mwlnow' and click on follow on the right side.
Text me scores while you are at games. My text number is 541-337-1311. I need new texters from most teams. I Twitter out the results as I get them. If you are smart phone savvy, you can sit in the stands and smugly say, 'North and Thurston are tied 1-1 in the ninth and Marshfield is ahead of Willamette in the first."
Check out the new poll. It will close Monday the 4th.
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