End of Line or Deja Vu for NE

End of Line or Deja Vu?

This is the time during the playoffs when 'Pitching Staff' temporarily takes over from 'Ace'  in baseball.  Unlike football and basketball, where you can keep using your quarterback or point guard game after game, baseball requires a new face to get a school to the finals.  Can you imagine Marist pulling Logan Silver out of the starting QB spot in the quarterfinals?  The one and done nature of Oregon baseball playoffs  and the 72 hour rule has already killed off 6A Southridge, ranked number two in both RPI and the Coaches Poll.  Southridge features OSU bound Jace Fry on the mound.  Fry pitched five on Monday. But, whoops, Southridge lost to West Salem on Wednesday.  West Salem is now 15-13 on the season.  Southridge finished the season 23-4.  Ouch!

North Eugene used up 7 of Andrew Moore's innings in the 5-0 win over Milwaukie, so it's not likely we'll see him Friday on just a days rest.  So,who throws for North tomorrow (Friday)? Does North throw their catcher, Kyle DeHaven? Or lefty first baseman, Chris Clayton?  Or Boehm, or Harpole?

Wilsonville is in a similar situation.  Their official number one is Jackson Luby, who has pitched the last two outings for the Wildcats.   Spencer Cumiford, 5-2 on the season, is their number 2.  Both are seniors.  Luby won Monday, with a 11 strike out four hitter.  So it's bound to be Cumiford vs ? at Swede. 

I like this round in the bracket, because this is when teams get rewarded for deep pitching staffs, great fielding and pressure hitting.  The way Wilsonville has been pounding teams in their last four games, the favorite role might tilt towards the Warriors a little.  If whoever starts for North keeps the ball on the ground, the Highlander defense will keep North in the game.  I think it will be close. North needs to get some offensive production out of their entire order for this game.  It was a good sign Wednesday against Milwaukie when #8 hitter Cory Shuster doubled and #9  hitter Toby Woods singled him in.  

This year's playoff set up is similar to North's run last year, except North had to play one more game in the playoffs last year to get to the quarterfinals.  Hopefully, you remember North's "#2" last year was Garret Mills during the playoffs.  Mills beat Corvallis 13-2 in the round of 16 and beat West Albany 11-1 in the semis.  The Highlander offense took some short breaks during their 6-0 win in the sub round,  their 3-2 quarterfinal win behind Moore and the 3-0 win over Ashland on Moore's 3 hit, four strike out craftsmanship.  Obviously, the Highlander defense was merciless throughout.

If the Highlanders beat Wilsonville Friday, then Moore could go next Tuesday and again Saturday for the championship, providing North wins in the semis.  Interestingly, North had that same option last year.  Did coach Nicholsen use Mills in the semi's because Moore was just a young sophomore?  I don't think so.  Mills had been sidelined for part of the season and was a bit of an unknown to other teams.  He could rule the strike zone as he did in his one hitter in the semi's.  Does coach Nicholsen know who can pull a Mills again this year?

Tune in Friday.

Cunningham's 17 k's verus Barlow 

A lot of old geezers like me probably were chuckling after Cunningham faced a few batters in the Barlow game.  It was obvious that the Bruins weren't ready for Cason's 85 mph  fastball.  (A Duck had the radar on Cunningham.  The Duck clocked Moore at 88 Wednesday).  Cunningham's delivery gives his fastball an 'X' factor.  If you've seen some of my photos, Cason tilts so far backwards, the batters can only see his legs and feet.  Can't see his head, can't see the ball, cant see his arm.... just that right foot, his legs and the underside of his cap bill.   Then whoosh, he explodes, and the ball is on you.  The Bruins batters were loading up and starting their swings a wee bit early, which didn't help their situation.

A bunch of Sheldon fans, including myself, were jawing with the first base coach.  He said their league only had three pitchers who could throw in the 80's, and Barlow had two of them, so they weren't prepared for Cason's heat.  I thought that's odd.  This is probably outlawed by some rule now, or maybe it turns the stomachs of today's coaches, but why wouldn't you practice against your own pitchers?  I know back in a by gone era, some coaches would take two pitchers and have them throw full throttle against their own players.  21 pitches at a time and rotate.  That's equivilant to 6 warm up pitches in an inning plus a 15 pitch inning. Do that a couple of times a week during the off season and you'll make men out or boys, and they'll think 80-85 mph is normal.  (The pitchers did hide behind screens, the coaches weren't crazy.)

McMinnville 12 Thurston 1

Not the way we want an MWL team to go out, but I'm already looking forward to watching the Colts next year.  And let's not forget, Thurston moved up from 5A ball this year.  I didn't see Thurston as much as I wanted to this year.  The expansion of the MWL from six to nine teams made it hard to get around as much as last year.  Why am I excited about the Colts for next year? I was expecting good things out of junior catcher Jarren Goddard and sophomore Kyle Watson and got it.  My big bonuses as a spectator came from Stefan Drake, who wasn't on my radar, as he hammered the ball a lot and frosh Aaron Clift, who was good on the mound and looks to have a better future ahead of him.  I think I brought good luck to juniors Joey Urness and Aaron Hoover, as both of these guys pounded the ball when I saw the Colts.   My thinking is that if Watty takes that big leap on the mound to his junior year, as sophomores often do, and Clift gets better, the Colts are looking more than good for next year.  All six of these players made all league, which should make the Colts the favorites for MWL champs next year.

Non-seniors

Non seniors should go watch as much playoff ball as possible and study the players and the team attitude.  You can't go to a quarterfinal game where at least one team isn't really focused.  There is a lot of down time in baseball.  Down time between pitches, downtime between hitting, downtime between innings.  It's easy to lose focus.  Teams that know how to focus - each pitch and each practice play and each lift or run -  are the ones left standing in the semi's and finals.  And besides, you get to see some great baseball.