Coupeville Sports

Ben there, won that!!

March 16, 2016 by David Svien

Former Wolf ace turned college hurler Ben Etzell. (Photo courtesy Kristi Etzell)

Ben Etzell’s back at it again, with the wins.

The Coupeville High School grad, now a sophomore pitcher at Saint John’s University in Minnesota, earned his first victory of the season Saturday.

Making the start for the Johnnies against Concordia-Wisconsin in Tucson, Arizona, Etzell went four innings, giving up six runs on eight hits and two strikeouts in a 10-7 win.

It was his second appearance on the mound for Saint John’s (3-3) this season, following a relief appearance against the University of Jamestown.

With the victory against Concordia, Etzell is 2-0 with two saves lifetime in college ball. He notched a 2.71 ERA as a freshman.

The former Cascade Conference MVP is swinging an active bat, as well, this season.

Etzell is 4-11 (.364) at the plate, with three runs, three RBI, a double and two walks.

In the field, he has an .875 fielding percentage, with three assists.

Saint John’s returns to action with a road trip to Ft. Myers, Florida over Spring Break (Mar. 20-25), where the Johnnies will play 10 games.

When he’s not playing baseball, Etzell is pursuing a degree in Elementary Education at the school that dad Mike, a CHS baseball coach, graduated from in 1988.

Posted in Baseball, Wolves in college | Tagged Arizona, baseball, Ben Etzell, first win, Saint John's University, Spring Break | Leave a Comment »

Snappy pics, as far as the eye can see!!

March 15, 2016 by David Svien

Wolf hurler Katrina McGranahan, throwin’ heat on a cold day. (John Fisken photos)

Hard-court assassin Sage Renninger delivers another winner.

Freshman phenom Matt Hilborn comes up firing at third.

Net ace Jazmine Franklin gives one final look back at the opponent she just toasted.

The mound was a little mucky, but Hunter Smith’s pitches were downright nasty.

Having tagged the runner out, Mikayla Elfrank can taste the double play she’s about to finish.

Hardball guru Chris Smith (left) has a meeting of the minds with catcher Cole Payne and son Hunter.

No softball gets past Jae LeVine. Why? She’s too quick. They don’t call her “Flash” for nothing.

Silhouetted against the prairie (and the ever-present rain clouds), new Wolf softball coaches Kevin and Justine McGranahan enjoy a quiet moment with their easily-excitable squad.

The prairie was poppin’ Monday.

Despite the ever-present threat of rain (it never fully arrived) and wind (mostly absent for once), all three Coupeville High School sports teams in action were able to put an (almost) full day in.

The Wolf softball and baseball squads dropped close contests to Sultan, while the CHS netters were drubbing 2A Granite Falls when their courts got too slippery to continue.

Madly bouncing around from site to site, travelin’ photo man John Fisken snapped away, and the pics above are courtesy him.

To see more, and possibly purchase some, thereby helping fund college scholarships for CHS student/athletes, pop over to:

Baseball — http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=10939&league=21&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0

Softball — http://www.olympicleague.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=10937&league=21&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=24&sport=0

Tennis — http://www.cascadeathletics.com/index.php?act=view_gallery&gallery=10934&league=2&page=1&page_name=photo_store&school=21&sport=0

Posted in Baseball, Girls Tennis, Softball | Tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, girls tennis, John Fisken photos, Softball | Leave a Comment »

Benway a diamond dazzler!!

March 15, 2016 by David Svien

Hannah Benway (John Fisken photo)

No one gets a workout at a Coupeville High School softball game like Hannah Benway.

The bubbly freshman is always on the fly, charging out of the dugout and running down every foul ball, near or far, huge smile on her face as she retrieves even the hardest-to-find yellow softball.

“I told her some of the other girls can share the job, but she just looks at me and says, nope, I got it,” CHS coach Kevin McGranahan said with a chuckle. “Great kid!”

Benway, who is playing softball for the first time, greatly enjoys diamond life.

“I started playing softball because I’ve loved watching baseball, and I wanted to get out on the field and play,” she said. “And baseball wasn’t open to girls so I went for the next best thing, softball.

“The team work, the game itself, and running after the foul balls,” she said with a laugh. “Because I can’t play (varsity) I like getting the fouls.”

Benway continues to work on all aspects of her game with the same devotion she shows to shagging foul balls.

“I really want to work on my fielding and base running,” she said. “Getting on varsity, becoming a better player, hitting as many balls as I can, and catching everything that comes to me.”

When she’s not around the diamond, Benway bounces from activity to activity, brightening up the world everywhere she goes.

In school she enjoys guitar, choir, science, math and history and loves music in all its facets.

“I love playing my guitar, singing, and being in choir,” Benway said. “My favorite songs to play on my guitar are: Love Yourself by Justin Bieber, Viva la Vida by Coldplay, Fast Car by Tracy Chapman and all the church songs.”

She’s an audio visual tech at her church, and helps keep things humming along during services and other events.

A huge part of her success, in sports and in everyday life, has come from absorbing the teachings of friends and family, and she holds them dearly.

“Lisa Hoagland, whom I’ve known since preschool, has helped me so much with battling my freshman year, along side my mom,” Benway said. “And Tim Keil, who died last year, but when he was here always had the best advice for me and he had great life lessons for me.

“My family and friends have had a big impact on me,” she added. “My dad, mom, brother, sister, and my best friend James.

“Mom, dad, and James have helped me become who I am because of how much they love me. They’ve taught me valuable life lessons.”

Posted in Softball | Tagged CHS Wolves, Coldplay, Hannah Benway, Justin Beiber, Softball | Leave a Comment »

Lucero chases big baseball dreams!!

March 15, 2016 by David Svien

Dane Lucero

Dane Lucero would like to be wearing red on the baseball field for a long time.

The Coupeville High School freshman, who started and whacked an RBI double Monday in the season opener for the Wolves, grew up rooting for another team that heavily features that color on their uniforms.

“I have played baseball since I was six years old,” Lucero, a Missouri native, said. “I started playing because I enjoyed baseball, wanted to play ball with my friends, and I wanted to play for the St. Louis Cardinals.”

He made an immediate impact in his Wolf baseball debut, swinging a big stick for Marc Aparicio’s young squad.

It’s something he hopes to keep doing as the season goes forward.

“I want to drive in as many runs as possible to help my team win and play to my potential in the field and on the mound,” Lucero said.

Also a football player for CHS, he can often be found putting in work in the weight room.

A hard worker all around, Lucero knows that’s the key to building on his early success.

“I’m a solid hitter, pitcher, and fielder, but I can improve those aspects of the game more,” he said. “This includes my speed and athleticism.

“I like the fact that it takes a lot of work to be good at the sport and it’s not a sport you can just pick up a bat and be great at.”

When he’s not playing, Lucero enjoys watching TV, hanging out with friends and exploring his new state. A fan of rap music and comedy and action films, he’s also strong in the classroom.

“I enjoy history, because I like learning about important things that happened a long time ago,” Lucero said.

As he moves forward in his baseball career, the hard-hitting frosh is quick to acknowledge those who have helped him, and continue to do so.

“I am thankful that God gave me the ability to play the game that I love,” Lucero said. “I am also thankful for my coaches and my parents for letting me play travel ball and always getting the coaching that I need to play at the next level.”

Posted in Baseball | Tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Dane Lucero, Missouri, St. Louis Cardinals | Leave a Comment »

Wolf frosh rockets to success!!

March 15, 2016 by David Svien

Matt Hilborn (John Fisken photo)

Matt Hilborn wasted little time.

The Coupeville High School freshman stepped right on the field Monday, starting for the Wolf varsity baseball squad and making an immediate impact in the first game of a new season.

Playing in a one-run game against Sultan, he took the mound in the seventh, after previously playing at third, and set the side down one-two-three to give the Wolves a fighting chance.

His success in his high school debut was the continuation of a long run that started when he first played t-ball at age five.

Hilborn’s dad, Steve, a longtime local coach, got Matt started and he’s come to love the diamond game.

“I enjoy defense mostly and pitching, because baseball is the only sport where you start with the ball on defense,” Hilborn said. “I think my strengths are playing middle infield and third, and also pitching.”

A two-sport athlete at CHS (he also played football in the fall, starring for the JV and getting some snaps and a tackle at the varsity level), he enjoys spending time with friends and chooses gym as his favorite class.

For the moment, he’s intently focused on baseball, and wants to continue to improve on the stellar work he put in Monday.

“I would like to work on hitting,” Hilborn said. “My goals for the season are to play varsity and hit/pitch well.”

He credits his extended family for all chipping in to help make him the player he is fast becoming.

“Shout out to my parents for making me the person I am,” Hilborn said. “They have had a big impact on my baseball career.

“Also my cousin Justin and uncle Charlie helped me get better at baseball.”

Posted in Baseball | Tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, football, gym, Matt Hilborn | Leave a Comment »

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