The Chronicle Baseball & Fastpitch

Baseball & Fastpitch 2013

Small-Town Boys, Big-Time Arms

— Pages 8-9

John Pomeroy & Mack Gaul

2 �• �Prep �Baseball �/ �Fastpitch �• The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 23, 2013

By The Chronicle The frontrunner in the SWW 1A League Evergreen Division is a famil-iar one. Montesano, led by lanky left-handed Washington State University signee Layne Bruner, is the odds-on favorite to repeat as the league’s regu-lar season champions, with Hoquiam, Tenino, Rochester and Elma also ex-pected to contend. “I think the top four or five teams in our league could kind of go either way,” Rochester coach Jerry Striegel said. “It’ll be just kind of who can get it done.” Bruner was an All-League first-

team pitcher last year, as was Bulldog catcher Tucker Ibabao, infielder Shad Rogers and outfielder Elliott Menden-hall, all of whom return to the lineup. Hoquiam, which brings back second-team catcher Ronnie Espedal and in-

fielder Josh Steen, is expected to finish second. Tenino, the league runner-up last season, will be solid at the plate and de-fensively. Center fielder Devante Har-ris, a two-time All-League first-team

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The Chronicle 2013 Prep Baseball/Fastpitch

Table of Contents

SWW 1A League Baseball page 2-3Central 2B League Baseball page 4-5Evergreen 2A Conf. Baseball page 6-7Fastball Friendship: Mack & JP page 8-9Evergreen 2A Conf. Fastpitch page 10-11SWW 1A League Fastpitch page 12-13Central 2B League Fastpitch page 14-15

SWW 1A LEAGUE BASEBALL

WSU-Bound Bruner Makes Montesano a Frontrunner

Brandon Hansen /� [email protected]

Zack Chamberlain will pitch and catch for Tenino this year.

Prep �Baseball �/ �Fastpitch �• The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 23, 2013 • �3

pick, hit .438 last year, stole 26 bases and will once again bat leadoff, while junior Zack Chamberlain (.459, 17 RBIs last season) will provide power in the middle of the lineup and pitch and catch. Shortstop Dustin Hammond, second baseball Zeb Chamberlain and outfielder Gabe Egge also return to the starting lineup, and the Beavers will get a boost from transfer Mac Shaw, who was an All-League second-teamer for Rainier last season. Cody Cleeves, Da-kota Bellrose and Kolton McKitrick will move into larger roles this sea-son, and left-handed freshman Kaleb Strawn will provide pitching depth. Rochester, meanwhile, has plenty of experience in the infield and on the pitcher’s mound. “I don’t think we have kids that are going to hit for power like we had in the last few years, so we’re going to have to manufacture runs and make things happen on the bases,” Striegel said. “And that’s more the kind of club we have.” Dom Angwood, a left-handed pitch-er and outfielder, hit .350 last year, when he was a second-team selection. Dustin Wilson returns as the Warrriors’ start-ing catcher, after hitting over .300 last year, and Dylan Fosnacht and Lucas Eastman return to start in the middle of the infield. Angwood, Wilson and Jordan Colombo will anchor the pitch-ing staff.

TRICO DIVISION Five-team defending SWW 1A League Trico Division champion Ka-lama will try to fight off Toledo-Win-lock, La Center and Woodland to win its sixth-straight league crown in 2013.

The Chinooks have plenty of expe-rience in catcher Tanner Vossen, Aubie Lien and Austin Vaughn, and will play under first-year head coach Darren Gardner. Kalama put up a whopping 51 runs in two games against Ilwaco to open the season. The Warhawks, playing as a com-bination squad for the third year, are led by University of Washington signee Mack Gaul, along with returning start-ers Jacob Givens (catcher, .389 average), Enrique Hernandez (infielder, .476 av-erage) and Cody Meier (infielder, .341 average). A host of young pitchers, in-cluding Joel Martin and Connor Ver-milyea, will provide company for Gaul in the pitching rotation. La Center will be led by lefty hurl-er Isaiah Block, who went 6-0 on the mound last season as a sophomore, and Woodland has dropped down from the 2A ranks and has a first-year coach in Steve Shorts. Stevenson will led by junkball pitcher Chris Penner and in-fielder Brandon Van Pelt, Castle Rock returns pitchers Nate Williamson and Kole Beckers, and former Onalaska baseball and football coach John Hal-lead has taken the reins in White Salm-on.

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LEAGUE PROJECTIONSSWW 1A Evergreen1. Montesano2. Hoquiam3. Tenino4. Rochester5. Elma6. Rainier7. Forks

SWW 1A Trico1. Kalama

2. Woodland3. Toledo-Winlock

4. La Center5. Castle Rock6. Stevenson

7. White Salmon8. Ilwaco

Tenino BeaversCoach: Jesse Elam (sixth)2012: 17-6; second in 1A Evergreen, lost in districtsReturning Starters: Devante Har-ris, Zack Chamberlain, Zeb Chamber-lain, Gabe Egge, Dustin HammondPitchers: Zack Chamberlain, Zeb Chamberlain, Kolton McKitrick, Kaleb Strawn

Rochester WarriorsCoach: Jerry Striegel (seventh)2012: 9-10; missed playoffsReturning Starters: Dom Ang-wood, Jordan Colombo, Dustin Wil-son, Dylan Fosnacht, Lucas EastmanPitchers: Dom Angwood, Dustin Wilson, Jordan Colombo

Toledo-Winlock WarhawksCoach: Brian Demarest (third)2012: 15-6; third in Trico; lost in districtsReturning Starters: Mack Gaul, Jacob Givens, Enrique Hernandez, Cody MeierPitchers: Mack Gaul, Joel Martin, Connor Vermilyea

SWW 1A LEAGUE BASEBALL

Brandon Hansen /�

[email protected]

Jacob Givens returns as Toledo-Winlock’s starting catcher this season. Givens hit .389 last year for the Warhawks.


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By The Chronicle The Vikings, with long arm of John Pomeroy leading the way, are the favor-ite to win a third-straight Central 2B League championship. "The Pomeroy kid's kind of the big dog of the bunch," Adna coach Bryan Zurfluh said of the 6-foot-5 righthand-er. "Obviously he's a big kid. His velocity has always been good, he throws awful hard, and he's also developed a pretty good curveball. He's kind of grown into himself." Pomeroy, though, isn't the only threat Mossyrock brings to the table. Cody Shriver, Lucas Allen, Ryley Stan-ley, All-League first-team shortstop Kyler Hazen, Logan Gootgeld and Nick Couch all return to the starting lineup. Pomeroy, who hit .373 last year and posted a 2.46 ERA, will anchor the pitching staff, with Shriver, Allen and 6-foot-2 right-hander Shaun Stephens working from the mound.

CENTRAL 2B LEAGUE BASEBALL

Vikings in the Market for a Threepeat


Mossyrock’s Shaun Stephens receives the baseball in an effort to catch Napavine’s Layne Hellen stealing during their Central 2B matchup last Friday in Mossyrock.

Prep �Baseball �/ �Fastpitch �• The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 23, 2013 • �5CH492562cz.ke

Adna PiratesCoach: Bryan Zurfluh (first)2012: 14-7; second in District 4, lost in regionalsReturning Starters: Cooper Zurfluh, Lane Wasson, Brenden Web-ster, Austin McCloskey, Mike SmithPitchers: Lane Wasson, Cooper Zurfluh, Brenden Webster

Morton-White Pass T-WolvesCoach: Keith Coleman (first)2012: 11-9; lost in districtsReturning Starters: Kylon Gil-lispie, Kraig Lind, Dustin Matchett, Austin Coleman, Rylon Kolb, Brian Reynolds, Zach Hanson, Zach CountsPitchers: Rylon Kolb, Zach Counts, Zach Hanson

Mossyrock VikingsCoach: Cole Kanyer (fourth)2012: 20-7; first in C2BL, third in District 4, third in stateReturning Starters: John Pome-roy, Cody Shriver, Lucas Allen, Ryley Stanley, Kyler Hazen, Logan Goot-geld, Nick CouchPitchers: John Pomeroy, Cody Shriver, Shaun Stephens, Lucas Allen

Napavine TigersCoach: Bryan Bullock (11th)2012: 10-10; lost in districtsReturning Starters: Jensen Lindsay, David Grace, Layne Hellem, Jorden Hartley, JT Kaut, Cole Dough-ty, Brady WoodrumPitchers: David Grace, Jensen Lind-say, Cole Doughty

Onalaska LoggersCoach: Kyle Smaciarz (second)2012: 3-16 (SWW 1A League)Returning Starters: Travis McMil-lion, Jacob Mager, Wyatt Smeall, Trevor Lawrence, Gabe Hall, Jared WilsonPitchers: Travis McMillion, Jacob Mager, Wyatt Smeall, Trevor Law-rence

Pe Ell TrojansCoach: Hal Arrington (second)2012: 3-15Returning Starters: Andy Pickens, Devin Toepelt, Quincy Skeen, Austin Smith, Nick Bailey, Derick Justice, Austin ArringtonPitchers: Austin Arrington, Derick Justice, Devin Toepelt

LEAGUE PROJECTIONSCentral 2B League

1. Mossyrock2. Toutle Lake3. Morton-WP

4. Adna5. Napavine6. Onalaska

7. Pe Ell8. Wahkiakum

CENTRAL 2B LEAGUE BASEBALL

Toutle Lake, last year's District 4 champion, returns arguably the top hit-ter in the C2BL in Ryan Olver, and is picked to finish second in the league. Morton-White Pass graduated pitcher Kyle Kelly but returns the re-mainder of its starting lineup, high-lighted by pitcher/infielder Rylon Kolb — who most recently went 6 for 7 with four doubles in a rain-shortened twin-

bill against Naches Valley's JV squad. Zach Counts and Zach Hanson will fill out the pitching rotation for the Tim-berwolves, with Brian Reynolds — an All-League first-team pick last year — again starting behind the plate. Kraig Lind, Dustin Matchett, Austin Cole-man and Kylon Gillispie also return for MWP, which will be coached by first-year man Keith Coleman. Adna returns a strong senior con-tingent, led by All-League first-team-er Cooper Zurfluh, who hit .417 last year. Zurfluh and classmates Brenden Webster and Lane Wasson will handle the pitching duties for coach Bryan Zurfluh, who assisted former head coach Rex Ashmore for the past 15 sea-sons. "We should be right there in that middle tier of teams," Zurfluh said. "It just kind of depends on how the breaks go, and if we step up and improve. If we keep getting better, our core group of kids is enough to be competitive, but we're not going to overpower anybody." Second-baseman Mike Smith and outfielder Austin McCloskey also re-turn for Adna, which finished second in last year's district tournament. Napavine will be led by pitcher/in-fielder David Grace, a first-team pick last season when he hit .413. Jensen

The Chronicle /� File Photo

Adna’s Brenden Webster takes a swing during a Central 2B League game against Pe Ell in Adna last season. Webster, a senior, returns to the starting lineup and will pitch for the Pirates in 2013.

please see C2BL, page 16


By The Chronicle There's new faces in the dugouts of both Twin Cities clubs this year, but the personnel they'll be employing hasn't changed a lot since last year. Tommy Elder has stepped into the role of head coach and takes over a Bearcat squad trying to defend its Ev-ergreen 2A Conference title, while Rex Ashmore has returned to his alma ma-ter and will try to push Centralia into prominence. The biggest thing both teams have going at this point in the season is pitching. W.F. West returns All-EvCo first-team selection Brady Calkins, the right-handed ace of this year's staff, while Centralia brings back veteran left-handers Derek Putman and Bran-don Conradi. The team with the most pitch-ing prowess, though, is league favorite Aberdeen. The Bobcats will be led by

6-foot-5 flame-throwing lefty Collin Nord, with Charlie Dietrich and Reilly Fairchild — both of whom have seen plenty of varsity innings — rounding out the starting rotation. Catcher Ash-ton Williamson, Nord (designated hit-ter) and Fairchild (infield) were each All-League second-team picks a year ago. The Bearcats are picked to fin-ish second, buoyed by returning All-League first-team designated hitter and Tacoma Community College signee Keylen Steen (catcher) and second-teamer Toby Johnson (second base). Johnson's brother Elijah, a freshman, will pitch and play in the infield, while Lower Columbia College-bound Mi-chael Forgione will again start at short-stop and senior Dugan Shirer provides spark in his return to center field. Tumwater, picked to finish second, returns All-League second-team in-

fielders Justin Graham and Anthony Correia and first-team outfielder Gar-rett Terrell. The Tigers should be solid defen-sively and on the mound, and will fill the heart of their order with standouts from the 2011 Babe Ruth 15-year-old all-star team. Joe Blaser, Ty Housden, Pat Neely and Chuck McKeever hit in the middle of the order, Zach Wood will play in the outfield and Putman will share the lion's share of pitching duties with Conradi.

River Ridge returns a handful of starters from a team that missed the district tournament, highlighted by three-sport standout Brad Wallace. Black Hills returns starters Adam Meyer, Austin Heyland, Austin Lee and Brendan Herd, all of whom earned All-League distinctions last year. Last year's District 4 champion, North Thurston, moved up to the 3A ranks this year, replaced by drop-down Capital.

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Evergreen 2A Conference Baseball

Experienced Bobcats the EvCo Favorite

Pete Caster /� [email protected]

Brandon Conradi (above) and fellow lefthander Derek Putman will anchor the Tigers’ pitching staff under first-year head coach Rex Ashmore.


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W.F. West BearcatsCoach: Tommy Elder (first)2012: 21-3; first in EvCo, second in District 4, lost to Lynden in regionalsReturning Starters: Brady Calkins, Keylen Steen, Toby Johnson, Dugan Shirer, Michael ForgioneTop Pitchers: Brady Calkins, Logan James

Centralia TigersCoach: Rex Ashmore (first)2012: 12-10; fourth in EvCo; fourth in District 4Returning Starters: Michael Stuart, Brandon Conradi, Derek Put-man, Ty HousdenTop Pitchers: Derek Putman, Bran-don Conradi

Evergreen 2A Conference Baseball

LEAGUE PROJECTIONS

Evergreen 2A Conference1. Aberdeen2. W.F. West3. Tumwater4. Centralia

5. River Ridge6. Black Hills

7. CapitalBrandon Hansen /� [email protected]

W.F. West seniors Keylen Steen (left) and Dugan Shirer (right) are key returning starters at catcher and center field, respectively, for the defending Evergreen 2A Conference champions.


By Aaron VanTuyl

[email protected]

Mack Gaul's first real memory of John Pomeroy dates back to when the boys, both in the fourth grade, were on the same baseball team. "He's up to bat, and no one can find him," Gaul recalled, barely getting the story out through his own laughter. "Coach was like, 'Where's John?' We had to take an out. He's in the bath-room!" The boys have formed a pitcher's bromance over the eight years since Pomeroy cost his Little League team an out. They've played on several teams together since then — most recently with Mudville Pinnacle over the sum-mer — Gaul, a right-handed pitcher and left-handed hitter, and Pomeroy, a lefty hitter and righty pitcher. Gaul, ace of the Toledo-Winlock staff, is headed for the University of Washington next year. Pomeroy, the monster arm in

Mossyrock red, has committed to Or-egon State. Gaul has grown into a crafty, cere-bral pitcher. Pomeroy has grown so big he couldn't get lost between innings if he tried.

Big JP The figure on how fast, exactly, John Pomeroy can throw a baseball depends on who you ask. Mossyrock coach Cole Kanyer, hasn't put a radar gun on him this season. "It wouldn't serve much purpose," Kanyer said, citing the weather and early point in the season among his rea-sons. "But definitely in the upper 80s, for sure. Maybe around 90 a little bit." Kanyer's conservative in his estima-tion. Gaul, offhand, threw out 95 or 96 miles an hour as an estimate of the 6-foot-5 hurler's fastball. On one hand, that's a number coming from a friend; on the other, it's coming from a fellow

pitcher and accomplished hitter. "Since his junior year to summer ball, it moved up probably like 7 miles per hour," Gaul offered. Pomeroy was in no hurry to answer the question, but settled on 94 miles per hour as a responsible answer — a fig-ure that has pro scouts searching Map-

quest for Mossyrock. Three arrived at the Vikings' field for a rained-out game against Rochester in early March. "I'm really, really excited," he said of the big-league attention. "I'm a little nervous sometimes, but there's a lot to look forward to this season. I'll just kind of go with it."

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The Fastball FriendshipViking John Pomeroy and Warhawk Mack Gaul are Longtime Pals — and Two of the Best Pitchers in Southwest Washington

Courtesy Photo /� Julia Gaul

Mack Gaul, left, and John Pomeroy, right, played together for the Mudville Pinnacle 18U select baseball team out of Seattle last year.

Cover Story

Prep �Baseball �/ �Fastpitch �• The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis, Wash. Saturday, March 23, 2013 • �9CH492458sl.ke

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Gaul saw Pomeroy pitch against Woodland at Castle Rock's preseason jamboree, during which Pomeroy bounced a fastball of a Beaver hitter's elbow. "I felt so bad for that kid," Gaul said. "No one could even hit him. They were all hitting it off the handle, and the ball was going right back to him." Pomeroy, in his first outing of the year, struck out 11 and allowed one hit in an 11-0, five-inning win over Napavine, and the stage has been set for a big senior year out of the big guy. "It's going to be interesting having pro scouts at our games," Kanyer said. "He's such a great kid, and a great per-son to be around. He's got a great family behind him, and it's going to be a great year for him. We're definitely going to miss him down the road."

Mack Pomeroy calls Gaul an outstanding pitcher and one of the most deceptive hurlers he's ever seen. "There's about, I'd say, 16 to 18 miles per hour in his split, from his fastball to his curve," Pomeroy said. "And his fast-ball, when it comes in, it looks — this is gonna sound weird — but it looks slow-er than it does when it leaves his hand." Gaul’s pitches also tail off, he added. "I've played catch with him a lot, and he's got an unbelievable amount of tail on his fastball," Pomeroy said. "He's got great sweep."

And it's all coming from the left side, which leaves coaches drooling and hitters befuddled. Kanyer, who coached the pair on the Lewis County Mer-chants American Legion team in the 2010 and 2011 summers, called Gaul a mental pitcher. "He knows what pitches to throw at what count," Kanyer said, "and he can throw three pitches across at any count." Pomeroy, naturally, heard all about Gaul's first outing this season, in which he struck out 18 over nine innings against Stevenson and allowed one hit. He wasn't surprised. He was at a Mudville game over the summer in which Gaul held the opposition hitless through seven innings. One of the op-posing batters was Jack Meggs, the son of University of Washington baseball coach Lindsay Meggs — with whom Gaul has since signed to play next year. "It was an unbelievable perfor-mance," Pomeroy said. "He no-hit them through seven and had a ton of strike-outs. No performance would surprise me from Mack." How would the big guy — a .373 hitter last year — do against Mack? "I would like to say that I would do pretty well," Pomeroy said. "But I'm not sure. He's an excellent pitcher, and I'm not sure what would happen." Gaul managed to one-up himself after the Stevenson incident, tossing a five-inning perfect game with 12 strikeouts against Ilwaco in his second

outing. "He's going to be very successful this year," Pomeroy said, "and I'm very proud of him."

Senior Seasons Gaul and the Warhawks will try to escape the always-tough District 4 1A tournament this season, and make the state playoffs for the first time since 2006, when Toledo lost a regional con-test to Bellevue Christian. La Center and Woodland, Gaul said, are the early frontrunners in the SWW 1A League Trico Division, and defending league champ Kalama hits the ball well. "I think we'll be right up there with the rest of the teams," he said. "We'll all be in the hunt." Pomeroy and the Vikings, mean-

while, won't be happy with merely mak-ing the Final Four state tournament. Mossyrock finished fourth in 2010 and third last year, losing to DeSales in the semifinals. "I think we're going to be at the top of the league, but that's just my confi-dence in my team," Pomeroy said. The pressure from scouts shouldn't be an issue for a pitcher who threw in the Area Code games — a national ex-hibition series for 250 of the top pros-pects in the country — over the sum-mer, though Gaul offered his friend a bit of advice. "I told him to tell 'em, go 20 miles west, go south a little bit, and find me," Gaul joked. Given how well he's started his se-nior year, though, the scouts won't need any help finding him.

Mack Gaul, Toledo-Winlock6-foot-1 LHP2012 Statistics7-2; 0.41 ERA, 89 Ks; 51 inn..490 average, 22 RBIs

John Pomeroy, Mossyrock6-foot-5 RHP2012 Statistics9-3; 2.46 ERA; 113 Ks; 66 ⅔ inn..373 average, 22 RBIs

Courtesy Photo

John Pomeroy (back row, far right) and Mack Gaul (front row, second from right) first played base-ball together in the fourth grade.


By The Chronicle The Evergreen 2A Conference crown this season will go through Che-halis — though the Bearcats aren't even the defending league champions. W.F. West finished second in the league last spring, but once EvCo play was finished blasted the Bearcats blast-ed their way to seven straight postsea-son wins and scored a record 15 runs in the state title game — against EvCo champion Tumwater. The Bearcats may have a target on their back from last season, but rival Centralia is the preseason favorite to win the EvCo. Centralia lost a loser-out, winner-to-state game to Aber-deen in the District 4 tournament and returns the bulk of its roster, includ-ing Arkansas-bound shortstop Parker Pocklington (.508 batting average, five home runs), all-league honorable men-tion pitcher Mackenzie Wasson and All-Area third baseman Erika Brower (.333 average, five home runs). A hand-ful of freshmen, including Pockling-ton's sister Payton at second base, have moved into the lineup and given the Tigers a potent mix of experience and youth. The Bearcats, meanwhile, return five starters, but graduated the left side of their infield. Amongst those start-ers are center fielder Marissa Reynolds,

a Princeton signee who hit five home runs last year and batted .455, and pitcher Ali Graham, a sophomore who went 3-0 in the postseason last year. Tumwater, the defending league

champion, will have a few holes to fill with key cogs from last year's state run-ner-up team now playing college ball. Aberdeen, picked to finish fourth, will be led by veteran starting pitcher Mo

Donovan. Capital, a league newcomer, is ex-pected to join River Ridge and Black Hills in the lower half of the league standings.

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Evergreen 2A Conference Fastpitch

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Centralia’s Erika Brower (left) and Parker Pocklington (right), shown here during a nonleague win over Hoquiam, will anchor the left side of the infield and the heart of the lineup for the Tigers this season.


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Evergreen 2A Conference Fastpitch

Centralia TigersCoach: Candy Hallom (second)2012: 11-11; fourth in EvCo, fourth in District 4Returning Starters: Parker Pock-lington, Erika Brower, Sy Braaten, Tucker McAuley, Mackenzie WassonPitcher: Mackenzie Wasson

W.F. West BearcatsCoach: Mike Keen (11th)2012: 22-3; second in EvCo, first in District 4; State 2A championsReturning Starters: Chloe Lewis, Kenna Tornow, Kaitlin Moore, Ma-rissa Reynolds, Ali GrahamPitchers: Ali Graham, Mattie Boucher

LEAGUE PROJECTIONS

Evergreen 2A Conference1. Centralia

2. Tumwater3. W.F. West4. Aberdeen

5. Capital6. Black Hills

7. River RidgePete Caster /� [email protected]

Princeton-bound slugger Marissa Reynolds, shown here batting during the District 4 tournament last May, will provide the pop in the middle of the defending State 2A-champion Bearcats’ lineup.


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By The Chronicle The Bulldogs are the favorites in the SWW 1A League Evergreen Division. Montesano, the defending league champion and runner-up at last year’s District 4 tournament, brings back a stable of talent, including All-League first-teamers Megan Choate (infield) and Bobbi Fry (outfield). Second-team-ers Courtney Swan, LeeAnn Rhoden and Staci Schneider are also back for the Bulldogs. “They’re solid defensively, and fun-damentally sound,” Rochester coach Jared Lancaster said. “They don’t make mistakes.” Elma, with all-around standout Brook Goldsmith pitching and Regan Wollen behind the plate — both of whom were All-League first-team picks last year — is also expected to contend for a title, while Rochester has plans to make the District 4 tournament. “Every one of my players has been

successful in select fastpitch,” Lancaster said. “I don’t know if many teams in Rochester have been able to say that in the past. When you have those type of programs feeding your program, you can’t go wrong.” Jessica Glacken, an All-League first-team pick last year as a freshman, returns to the Warriors’ lineup, along with second-team utility pick Kami McElwain, who will handle a lot of the pitching this season. Second-teamer Sierra Seymour will return behind the plate, and Lancaster’s daughters — freshmen twins Joni and Jaelin — are expected to make an impact. “We could be right up there,” the coach said of his young team. “They’re a hard-working bunch, they’re fun, and they’re used to winning and enjoy win-ning.” Tenino will try to improve on last year’s campaign, with first-year head coach Angie Christensen leading the way. Freshmen Merissa Richardson and

SWW 1A LEAGUE FASTPITCH

Warriors Hope to Keep Bulldogs From Repeating in 1A Evergreen Division


Rochester’s Sierra Seymour makes a throw to first during the Adna Softball Jamboree.


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Rochester Warriors

Coach: Jared Lancaster (third)

2012: 9-9; fifth in 1A Evergreen

Returning Starters: Jessica Glack-

en, Sierra Seymour, Kami McElwain

Pitchers: Kami McElwain, Jaelin

Lancaster

Tenino BeaversCoach: Angie Christensen (first)2012: 0-16; eighth in 1A EvergreenReturning Starters: Shanowa Bond, Kelli Hammond, Kara Hanson, Arianna RichardsonPitchers: Morgan Masters, Merissa Richardson, Shanowa Bond

Toledo-Winlock WarhawksCoach: Ryan Arnold (first)2012: 9-5 league; 0-2 at District 4 tournamentReturning Starters: Kailyn Whipp, Karlee Coverdale, Taylor Thomas, Kennedi CollinsPitchers: Shelby Davidson, Nikki Smith

LEAGUE PROJECTIONSSWW 1A Evergreen1. Montesano2. Elma3. Rochester4. Hoquiam5. Rainier6. Tenino7. Forks

SWW 1A Trico1. Woodland

2. Castle Rock3. Toledo-Winlock

4. Kalama5. La Center

6. Ilwaco7. White Salmon

8. Stevenson

SWW 1A LEAGUE FASTPITCH

Morgan Masters will be spending plenty of time in the circle for the Beavers. “After getting their feet wet this year, (they) will be two to watch in the next four years,” Christensen said. Left-hander Shanowa Bond pitched last season and returns to the lineup, as do Kelli Hammond, Kara Hanson and Arianna Richardson.

TRICO DIVISION Toledo-Winlock has just one re-turning senior and a new head coach leading it into the 2013 SWW 1A League Trico Division softball season. Kailyn Whipp returns to her spot in center field for the Lady Warhawks. “She’s our staple in centerfield. She’s got ownership and pride out there,” first-year coach Ryan Arnold said. The Warhawks will look for big things out of pitchers Shelby Davidson and Nikki Smith, and returning start-ers Karlee Coverdale, Taylor Thomas and Kennedy Collins. Collins, a sophomore who started last year, played a lot of offseason ball and has proven her ability to get on

base, Arnold said. “Last year we relied on a lot of pow-er hitters,” Arnold said. “Our effort as

a coaching staff is making up a game with some small ball and moving play-ers around the bags.” Castle Rock, last year’s league champion, returns Trico MVP Tierney Uhlenkott and should be among the top teams in the league, and Woodland has dropped down from the 2A ranks — and returns 2012 Greater St. Helens 2A League MVP Makayla Lefever and Defensive Player of the Year Emily Tes-dale.


Winlock/Toledo sophomore Sarah Subjeck rounds third base after an overthrow during nonconference softball action against Ilwaco on Monday.


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CENTRAL 2B LEAGUE FASTPITCH

By The Chronicle Napavine's the defending league champion. Toutle Lake's the defending district champion. Pe Ell's the defend-ing state champion. Throw in perennial power Adna, newcomer Onalaska and a Morton-White Pass team with something to prove, and the Central 2B League should be just as strong as ever. Napavine, the team with what's ex-pected to be the best pitching staff in the league, is projected to finish in first place again. The Tigers, for the third year in a row, will rely on the arms of Alexa Peters and Mackenzie Olson, and return a trio of All-League first-team-ers in Peters (.427 average), Olson (.525) and Demi Sahlinger (third base, .475) and second-teamers Brittany Mitchell (designated hitter, .371) and Teryn Pan-nette (second base, .442). Toutle Lake, which upset eventual state champion Pe Ell in the first round, returns first-team pitcher Paige Deffen-baugh and slugging first-team catcher Joelle Iverson. "Toutle Lake is very athletic," Adna coach Mike Raschke said. "And they play small-ball with you. They're going to be tough." Pe Ell will have a new pitching staff, with the graduation of four-year start-er and two-time C2BL MVP Amanda Woods, but shouldn't miss a beat as far as hitting is concerned with first-team infielders Kayla Capps and Kayla Hoke back in the batting order. Brittany Kaech has taken over for her dad, John Woods, as the head

coach, and will rely on slugging from Capps (.439 average) and Hoke (.559) to power the offense. Mattie Miller, who logged innings in relief of Woods last year, and Lexi Brooks will anchor the pitching staff. Morton-White Pass returns All-League first-team infielder Ashley Kel-

ly, who hit .528 last year, at shortstop, along with a slew of other starters and pitchers Madison McCoy and Taylor Brooks, with a solid crop of freshmen filling in the lineup, including Kylie Al-len. Adna, which finished third in the league standings last year, returns starting catcher Emma Brattain (.391 batting average), third-baseman Alexa Bond (.397), first-baseman Cheyenne Gilbertson (.429) and second-baseman Rachel Diaz De Leon (.333) to the start-ing lineup. The Pirates will have to revamp their pitching staff, but bring in fresh-men Sam Rolfe, Savannah Massing-ham and Tabitha Dowell to split time in the circle. "We'll be able to throw all three of them, and no one's going to be able to see the same pitcher," Raschke said. "It's go-ing to be nice to be able to mix it up, and they definitely have great work ethic."

LEAGUE PROJECTIONSCentral 2B League

1. Napavine2. Toutle Lake

3. Pe Ell4. Adna

5. Morton-WP6. Onalaska

7. Mossyrock8. Wahkiakum

C2BL Sports Three Returning Champions

The Chronicle /� File Photos

Napavine’s Alexa Peters (left) and Pe Ell’s Lexie Brooks (right) will both handle a share of the pitching duties for their respective teams this season.


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Adna PiratesCoach: Mike Raschke (sixth)2012: 21-7; third in C2BL, second in District 4, third in stateReturning Starters: Emma Brat-tain, Alexa Bond, Rachel Diaz De Leon, Cheyenne GilbertsonPitchers: Sam Rolfe, Savannah Massingham, Tabitha Dowell

Pe Ell TrojansCoach: Brittany Kaech (first)2012: 23-4; second in C2BL; fourth in District 4; first in stateReturning Starters: Taylor Ratkie, Mattie Miller, Kayla Capps, Bailey Lusk, Kayla HokePitchers: Mattie Miller, Lexi Brooks

Mossyrock VikingsCoach: Marci Bower (fifth)2012: 2-13; sixth in C2BL, lost in District 4 tournamentReturning Starters: Autumn Moorcroft, Kelsey Moorcroft, Kylie Blackburn, Jenny Quinlan, Shayne Fried, Tori Nelson, Jocelyn Stanley, Sara Smith, Alejandro Mendoza, Calli HenschPitchers: Calli Hensch

Napavine TigersCoach: Kurt Olson (second)2012: 23-7; first in C2BL, third in District 4, fourth in stateReturning Starters: Alexa Peters, Teryn Pannette, Demi Sahlinger, Brittany Mitchell, Ratanna Griffith, Mackenzie Olson, Taylor White, Sage Atkins, Brittany DickinsonPitchers: Alexa Peters, Mackenzie Olson

Morton-White Pass T-WolvesCoach: Darin Allen (second)2012: 11-11; fifth in C2BL; lost in District 4 tournamentReturning Starters: Ashley Kelly, Darian Atkinson, Christina Robbins, Kayla Reynolds, Sharon HazenPitchers: Madison McCoy, Taylor Brooks

Onalaska LoggersCoach: Ken Ulery2012: 21-7 (1A); first in District 4; fourth in stateReturning Starters: Autumn Du-rand, Jessi Paxton, Karlee HutchisonPitchers: Gabby Wright, Colee Masciola, Tommy Hoyt

CENTRAL 2B LEAGUE FASTPITCH


Savannah Massingham delivers a pitch for Adna during the Pirates’ jamboree matchup against Rochester on March 9.

Underclassmen Shanay Dotson, Kendra Stajduhar, Riley Wellander and Haley Minkoff will also see a lot of field time for the Pirates. Onalaska, after a successful seven-year stint under Billy Barnes at the 1A level, will join the Central 2B League with Ken Ulery as head coach. The team brings back starters Autumn Du-rand and Jessica Paxton in the infield, and after missing her junior year with a knee injury Karlee Hutchison returns for her senior campaign.

"We're trying to get better as we get closer to districts," Ulery said. "We're not a power-hitting team. We're going to try to produce runs, and take advan-tage of mistakes." Mossyrock, which went 1-2 in the district tournament last season, returns a slew of starters, including All-League shortstop Autumn Durand, and will try to improve on last year's sixth-place league finish.


Lindsay (.268 average), Layne Hellem (.395 average, 21 RBIs), JT Kaut, Cole Doughty and Brady Woodrum also return to the lineup, and Jorden Hart-ley — who played JV last season after transferring from Chehalis — will start in the outfield. "I believe that our league is the best, top to bottom, that I have seen in quite a while," Tiger coach Bryan Bullock said. "Every team has experienced, quality baseball players. We are going to have to compete at a high level every night to qualify for the postseason." Onalaska, the newcomer to the league after playing in the 1A ranks last year, returns nearly everyone but standout pitcher Kyle Shepherd from last year's squad. Travis McMillion will star for the Loggers, starting at short-stop when he's not pitching, with right-handers Jacob Mager and Wyatt Smeall and lefty Trevor Lawrence filling in the pitching staff.

"We're new to the league, so there are lots of question marks," Onalaska coach Kyle Smaciarz said. "Hopefully the challenges we faced last year will lead to growth and improved success this year."

Pe Ell returns six starters, led by hard-hitting catcher Andy Pickens and Austin Arrington. Arrington, the team's top pitcher, hit .330 last season. Quincy Skeen, Austin Smith, Nick Bai-ley and Devin Toepelt return in the

outfield, with Derrick Justice coming back to the infield. Wahkiakum will rely on big things from do-it-all athlete Lars Blix to make the playoffs.

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C2BLContinued from Sports 5


Pe Ell’s Austin Speck (left) and Napavine’s David Grace pitch in early-season games for their respective teams this season.

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