Ben Etzell | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Ben Etzell’

9 for 9: Diamond dandies delight

Posted in Baseball, tagged 9 for 9, baseball, Ben Etzell, CHS Wolves, Jake Tumblin on August 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Aaron Curtin brings the heat. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

This blog turns nine years old August 15, and to mark the occasion, I’m picking what I view as the best nine Wolf athletes from each active CHS sport.

To be eligible, you had to play for the Wolves between Aug. 2012-Aug. 2021, AKA the “Coupeville Sports” years.

So here we go. Each day between Aug. 2-15, a different sport and (probably) a different argument.

The little league champs still rule.

Central Whidbey’s juniors hardball team won a state title in 2010, when I was still writing for the Coupeville Examiner.

Jump forward into the blog years, and the guys from that title team stayed in the news, with many of them playing a full four years of high school ball.

Five of my nine picks from the diamond were part of that group, and they headline a mythical nine which includes two sets of brothers.

Hunter Smith is just here for the strikeouts.

Josh Bayne — A beast. The only Wolf player I’ve seen jack an out-of-the-park home run on Coupeville’s field, and that ball is still going up and far, far away, years later.

Aaron Curtin — He had a wicked touch as a hurler, a lively bat, and could stare down anyone.

Ben Etzell — Coupeville’s only league MVP, in any sport, during the 1A/2A Cascade Conference years, when ATM was the big baddie. Big bat, bigger arm, a strikeout machine who went on to a strong four-year college career as a pitching ace.

Cole Payne — From younger brother to team leader, he rose through the ranks to leave a large impact on the program, then tipped his hat and walked away, a winner to the end.

Morgan Payne — Big bro patrolled short and provided a dangerous bat; a quiet, very-effective player from little league through Senior Night.

CJ Smith — Captain Cool, he pitched Coupeville to its first baseball league title in 25 years, while seemingly never breaking a sweat.

Hunter Smith — Maybe the most-talented player to ever take the CHS diamond — a force on the mound, at short, and at the plate, where he had pop, speed, and an uncanny knack for big-game heroics.

Aaron Trumbull — Severely underrated, he was a steadying force for the Wolves wherever he played, whether taking the mound or hovering at first base. Also a class act who always put team first, a stand-up guy who never left a teammate hanging.

Jake Tumblin — Rock-solid behind the plate, he was the rare catcher who was also the quickest player on the team, hurtling around the base-paths to create perfectly-orchestrated havoc.

Aaron Trumbull, firing BB’s.

Next up: We head to the cross country trail.

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Come together, for dance and community

Posted in Dance, Fundraisers, tagged Ben Etzell, community, dance, Lucas Etzell, Mr. South Whidbey on June 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

All your pertinent details, in a snazzy poster. (Photo courtesy Ben Etzell)

You can dance the afternoon away, and also support a good cause.

Former Coupeville High School baseball star Ben Etzell is back on the Island and is throwing a “Down 2 Boogie” event next Sunday, June 16.

The event runs from 2:30-5:30 at the Coupeville Rec Hall, and is free to the public.

It will also double as the kickoff to Lucas Etzell’s campaign for Mr. South Whidbey.

Lucas is Ben’s younger brother and one of four children in the family to graduate from Coupeville High School.

“I created the event in celebration of everyone’s unique abilities,” Ben Etzell said.

“Inspired by my brother Lucas, his experience with Down Syndrome, and the impact he’s had on others, my goal is to bring together communities for an afternoon of music, movement, and true connection.”

There will be a donation station at the event, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of Friends Medical Support Fund.

You can find out more about the group, which helps South Whidbey families pay medical bills, by popping over to http://fofmedicalsupportfund.org/.

Every dollar donated also counts as a vote for Lucas as he competes for Mr. South Whidbey, which awards its title in October.

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Etzell exits with perfecto!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, Ben Etzell, CHS Wolves, NCAA D-III, Saint John's University on May 14, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Ben Etzell (3) pitched in 50 games as a college hurler. (Libby Auger photo)

Ben Etzell’s college baseball career ended a few days earlier than expected.

The Coupeville grad and his Saint John’s University teammates were unexpectedly snubbed Sunday night by the committee picking the 58-team field for the NCAA D-III tournament.

While the Johnnies fell in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tourney to Bethel, which kept them from nabbing an automatic bid, they were expected to get an at-large spot.

Saint John’s piled up a school-record number of wins this season, going 33-8.

Five of those losses were by just a single run, and the Johnnies overcame terrible Minnesota weather which compressed their schedule, forcing them to play multiple doubleheaders in the final two weeks.

SJU rallied, winning the regular season MIAC title by two games over Bethel, its 14th overall and first outright title since 1994.

The Johnnies then split four games at the postseason tourney, with Etzell’s final performance being three innings of no-hit ball against Bethel May 12.

It was his 50th appearance as a college hurler.

Etzell finished his senior season with a 2-2 record, notching a save as he compiled a 1.56 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 13 appearances.

He tied fellow pitcher Jake Dickmeyer for the team lead in games, and had the lowest ERA of any Johnnie with more than five appearances.

For his career, Etzell, who started college as a starting pitcher before morphing into a relief ace, went 10-4 with eight saves.

He threw 110.1 innings in 50 appearances, held foes to a .266 batting average, and finished with 90 K’s.

During Etzell’s four-year run, SJU went 116-51 (.695) overall, 55-23 (.705) in league play.

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High, hard cheese to the end!!

Posted in Baseball, Wolves in college, tagged baseball, Ben Etzell, CHS Wolves, double digit wins, Saint John's University, win streak on May 5, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Ben Etzell (sportin’ the goatee) tossed three no-hit innings Saturday to nab his 10th win as a college pitcher. (Libby Auger photo)

Double digits, baby.

Coupeville grad Ben Etzell tossed three innings of scoreless, no-hit relief Saturday, picking up his 10th win as a college pitcher.

With the former Wolf keeping his squad afloat in a scoreless game, Saint John’s University rallied to win its 13th straight baseball game, knocking off St. Olaf 3-0 on a walk-off home run from center-fielder Max Jackson.

And while the Johnnies had their streak snapped in the nightcap to a doubleheader (they fell 10-3), SJU sits at 29-6 heading into the final day of the regular season.

Saint John’s, which is 14-4 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, plays another doubleheader Sunday, this one against St. Thomas.

Win one of the two games and the Johnnies clinch a share of their first regular-season title since 1998 and earn a bye in next week’s league tourney.

Etzell, who will be honored during Senior Day Sunday, came on in relief of starter Joey Stock with the game scoreless after six.

He whiffed a pair of batters while refusing to give up a hit, and the win evened his season mark at 2-2, while dropping his ERA to a sizzlin’ 1.88.

For his career, Etzell, who began college as a starter before morphing into a relief ace, is 10-4 with eight saves in 49 games.

During his time in Coupeville, he was a three-sport star, going to state as a tennis player and being named the 1A/2A Cascade Conference MVP in baseball after his senior campaign.

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Burnin’ up the diamond!!

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, Ben Etzell, CHS Wolves, Saint John's University, winning streak on May 3, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville grad Ben Etzell (3) nailed down the save Thursday as Saint John’s University won its 12th straight game. (Libby Auger photo)

Want the door slammed? Call Ben.

The Saint John’s University baseball team is soaring, and the Johnnies handed the ball to Coupeville grad Ben Etzell when it mattered most Thursday afternoon.

Pitching a scoreless seventh inning, he notched his first save of the season and sealed the deal on a 3-2 win over host Saint Mary’s.

After starting the frame with a pair of fly outs, Etzell gave up a single, but then came back to end the game on an exclamation point, whiffing the final batter.

The victory, Saint John’s 12th straight, lifts SJU to 28-5 as it makes a run towards the postseason.

The Johnnies have a pair of weekend doubleheaders left, facing St. Olaf College Saturday and the University of Saint Thomas Sunday.

After that comes the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tourney May 10-13, where SJU will vie for a berth in the NCAA D-III tourney.

Etzell, a senior, has pitched in 11 games this season, going 1-2 while posting a 2.38 ERA. He has 11 strikeouts and has surrendered just three runs across 11.1 innings.

For his career, the former Wolf is 9-4 with eight saves and 87 whiffs.

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