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Archive for the ‘Baseball’ Category

Central Whidbey goes hit crazy!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , , on June 4, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Landon Roberts whacked three hits Saturday, including a home run, in a 19-1 CWLL win. (John Fisken photo)

They can’t be contained.

The only thing which stopped the Central Whidbey Little League Minors baseball squad from ringing up 100 runs Saturday in the opening game of the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament was a five-runs-per-inning rule.

Facing off with the defending tourney champs, CWLL rained down 16 hits, including three home-runs, en route to a 19-1 four-inning romp over the North Whidbey Mariners.

Central Whidbey, which sits at 13-0 on the season, returns to play Sunday at noon, facing host South Whidbey.

The double-elimination event, named in honor of the legendary former Falcon coach, runs June 3-12.

The hits started falling right away for CWLL, with four of its first five hitters lashing base-knocks, capped by a thunderous double off the bat of Jack Porter.

The big blows were still to come, though, as Landon Roberts launched a home-run in the second inning, followed by back-to-back moon shots from Levi Pulliam and Chase Anderson in the fourth.

Central Whidbey only went down on outs once, in the second inning, when it settled for four runs.

The other three innings, the sluggers exited once they hit the five-run cap, amassing just four (of a possible nine) outs across that time.

With the game well in hand, CWLL coach Jon Roberts divvied up time on the hill, using five pitchers to nab the win.

Anderson started, then was followed on the mound by Pulliam, Roberts, Porter (making his pitching debut) and Jordan Bradford.

Eight different Central Whidbey batters lashed hits, with Roberts and Pulliam recording three apiece.

Peyton Caveness, Mike Robinett, Porter and Bradford each had two.

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Baseball booms in Coupeville!!

Posted in Baseball, Little League, tagged , , , on June 2, 2017| 4 Comments »

   Coupeville’s Nathan Ginnings is swinging a big bat up in Oak Harbor this spring. (Photo courtesy Frank Stephan)

   Zane Oldenstadt (third from left in back) and Ginnings (front, center) are traveling to keep playing. (Photos courtesy Michelle Glass)

Oldenstadt lets rip.

Softball isn’t the only sport blossoming in Coupeville.

Baseball is also booming, with the Central Whidbey Little League Minors squad playing Friday for a perfect regular season.

The squad, coached by the hardball sage himself, Jon Roberts, is 12-0 headed into a 6 PM game at Rhododendron Park.

CWLL turns right around and plays in the Henry Pope Memorial Tournament down at South Whidbey this weekend.

The tourney is a six-team, double elimination event, which will be followed in the weeks to come by All-Stars and District play.

Two other Coupeville baseball players, fifth graders Zane Oldenstadt and Nathan Ginnings, have been traveling to Oak Harbor for their action this season.

With CWLL unable to field a Majors team due to a lack of players, the duo, who have been playing since they were five, are suiting up for the North Whidbey Little League Rays.

That squad, and their Coupeville hired guns, play in the Andrade Tournament June 3-10.

“They love baseball and have been having a great time playing with the Oak Harbor team and Coach Don Jenkins,” said Oldenstadt’s mom, Michelle Glass. “The tournament will be a great wrap to the good season they’ve had.”

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Wolves sizzle at hardball all-star games!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , , on June 2, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Wolf seniors Taylor Consford (left) and Clay Reilly (right) played Thursday in All-State baseball feeder games in Bellingham. (John Fisken photos)

Kory Score joined the duo for a final day of high school baseball.

Taylor Consford was unstoppable.

The Coupeville High School senior capped his prep baseball career Thursday with an epic day at the A/B Northwest District All-State baseball feeder games in Bellingham.

Consford was a jack of all trades, tossing four shutout innings on the mound in the first game, then moving behind the plate to catch four innings in the nightcap.

He also ripped off six hits over the two games, piling up five singles and a triple across 16-1 and 26-1 wins by his Americans squad.

Two of Consford’s CHS teammates joined him in Bellingham, with Clay Reilly pulling time in the outfield in game one and Kory Score working at first-base in game two.

The duo found themselves on the opposite side of the field from Consford, playing for the Nationals squad.

Score ripped a single his first time up, and was nailed in the wrist by a pitch his second go-around.

Reilly grounded out four times, but the combination of his work in Thursday’s game and through the season for the Wolves earned him a nomination for the All-State series.

That event, which brings together seniors from all six high school classifications in Washington (4A-1B), is held in Yakima June 10-11.

The rosters for All-State are finalized after the last of 14 feeder games is played June 5.

Coupeville coach Chris Smith, having wrapped his first season at the helm of the Wolves, came away very happy with how his first group of seniors played in the spotlight.

“Taylor was clearly a standout player in the two games played,” he said. “I was very proud of how our players represented themselves and how they represented Coupeville baseball.”

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Love of the game drives Besaw!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on May 27, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Oak Harbor High School junior James Besaw, seen here in his Washington Rush uniform. (Photos courtesy Teresa Besaw)

Besaw gets ready to rip one during select ball.

   A throwback to little league days, with James (center) hanging out with sister Kenzie and brother David.

Passing on the love of the game to a new generation.

“I think baseball has helped me out in life and kept me out of trouble.”

An athlete for all seasons, James Besaw has played just about every sport possible over the years, but at a certain point baseball became his true passion.

“I enjoy playing and watching the game,” he said. “I don’t dislike any teams or players, I like to watch them all.

“It’s having fun, doing something I love. I like being part of a team.”

A junior at Oak Harbor High School, Besaw, who flips between first base and the outfield, has been all-in on baseball the past three years.

High school ball in the spring, select ball in the summer, then fall ball, before rolling right into workouts to get ready for another season of high school and select play.

When he’s not wearing the gold and purple for OHHS, Besaw pulls on the uniform of the Washington Rush these days. Tournament play, which kicks off in Tacoma this weekend, keeps him busy.

The youngest of seven (he has three sisters and three brothers), Besaw made his diamond debut at four, inspired by his older siblings.

“I wanted to play ball like my big brother David,” he said.

Over the years, he’s honed his work ethic and it’s helped him tremendously.

Besaw lists his strengths as “speed, hitting and (being) one of the hardest-working people on the team,” but, with an eye on playing college ball at a school “that has a good medical program,” he’s always striving to get just a little bit better.

“Areas I would like to work on are just continuing to train and get better,” he said. “I hope to have my best year my senior year and I hope to be a good leader to the younger players.”

He’s already excelling at that, quietly helping one freshman with his algebra while also finding time to assist a sophomore in getting some extra practice time.

As is typical for the low-key Besaw, he doesn’t call attention to his behind-the-scenes work, but his mother notices.

“I am biased and think he is a great kid, of course,” said mom Teresa. “He is quiet and mature. I think having all those older brothers and sisters is why he is so mature for his age.

“Some find him hard to read, but if you get to know him, you know he is funny and has a great smile. He loves to teach kids to play ball and also likes to help his younger teammates.”

Besaw, who has earned academic letters to go with his athletic ones (requiring a 3.5 or higher GPA for two semesters in a row), enjoys hanging out with his friends, watching sports movies (“mostly the real-life story kind”) and his science class.

He plans to go into the medical field after school, but is still debating exactly what part of that field to pursue.

“I am still figuring out where to go with that,” Besaw said. “Thinking about physical therapy or sports medicine.”

Through baseball, school and everything else, he greatly appreciates the support and encouragement he’s received from his large family, though he singles his parents out for special praise.

“They have helped me do well in school and supported me with whatever I need for school and sports.”

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Etzell rakes in hardball honors!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on May 23, 2017| 1 Comment »

   Coupeville High School grad Ben Etzell does his best Mariano Rivera imitation as a college closer. (Libby Auger photo)

Ben Etzell can’t turn around these days without someone giving him an award.

The Coupeville High School grad, now a junior at Saint John’s University in Minnesota, was named Tuesday to a pair of All-Midwest Region baseball all-star teams.

Etzell was a Second-Team selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association and a Third-Team pick by D3baseball.com.

The selections come on the heels of him being honored earlier this month as a First-Team pick by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Two of Etzell’s teammates, freshman Wyatt Ulrich and sophomore Jake Dickmeyer, were also honored.

Dickmeyer, a pitcher, was a Second-Team pick by the ABCA, while Ulrich, the Midwest Region Rookie of the Year for his work in the outfield, was a First-Team selection by both groups.

Ulrich is eligible for All-American honors.

After working as a starting pitcher during his first two years at dad Mike’s alma mater, Etzell became the closer for the Johnnies this season.

He led Saint John’s with 18 appearances, going 3-1 with five saves and a 2.23 ERA.

Etzell held opposing hitters to a .183 batting average, lowest by any Johnnies pitcher.

Saint John’s finished 25-13 overall, 14-6 in conference play, making its eighth straight trip to the playoffs.

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