Coupeville 8th grader Camden Glover made an impressive high school baseball debut. (Photo courtesy Stevie Glover)
Welcome to the Camden Glover Experience.
Making his high school baseball debut while still attending middle school, the burly right-hander had an immediate impact Saturday as a pitcher, hitter, and fielder.
Five strikeouts in four innings of work on the mound. Two hits and four RBI at the plate. A perfect read on a bunt back to him.
Toss it all together, liberally season with strong work from his teammates, and it’s not a surprise Glover paced the Coupeville High School JV baseball team to an 8-5 win over visiting Mount Baker on opening day.
The victory, coming as a few fat rain drops mixed with gusts of prairie wind, gave the Wolves hardball program a split on the afternoon and offers the promise of good days ahead for Central Whidbey baseball.
Glover — giving mom Stevie, aunt Alexa, Grandma Tammy, and all of his lil’ family fan club members plenty of opportunities to cheer — didn’t pitch like an 8th grader.
Or at least he didn’t show off any of the butterflies one might expect, as he picked up exactly where he left off after dominating little league play.
Camden busted through the first two innings, notching three strikeouts while getting an assist from Cole Hutchinson, who made a pretty snag on a fly to right.
With their ace throwing liquid heat, the Wolves jumped on Mount Baker, rolling up three runs in the bottom of the first, then sending another three runners across in the third inning.
Cole White stroked a leadoff single to center to get the opening rally going, followed by another base-knock off the bat of Seth Woollet.
That set up Glover, who promptly mashed a two-run double to straight-away center in his first high school at-bat, providing the answer for a trivia question which will likely be asked one day.
A balk by the Baker pitcher sent a third run home for the Wolves, who came back around to match the run total two innings later.
Cole White? He can beat you with his bat, and his arm. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
The third inning started off with back-to-back walks for White and Woollet — though the latter had to wear a ball as he was plunked.
Glover punched an RBI single to keep the good times rolling, while Coop Cooper and Marcelo Gebhard brought runs home with a fielder’s choice and an infield single, respectively.
Coupeville’s only stumble on defense came in the top of the fourth in a five-inning game.
Putting together a string of singles, while also taking advantage of a couple of Wolf miscues, Mount Baker shaved the lead all the way down to 6-5.
That was when Glover seized the moment, punching out the final batter he would face on this day, stranding the tying run on base.
Coupeville made up for its defensive letdown by tacking on a pair of insurance runs in its half of the fourth, with Woollet and Glover picking up RBIs.
Up 8-5, three outs away from the win, the Wolves needed their version of Mariano Rivera, and they found him in the lanky (and lethal) Cole White.
He may not have entered the game to the strains of Enter Sandman, like the greatest relief pitcher in Major League Baseball history always did, but Riley White’s big bro proved to be just as devastating with the ball in his mitt.
Making his first-ever pitching appearance, Cole walked his first opponent — on a questionable call — then dropped the hammer.
A strikeout, with the batter catching nothing but the last gusts of prairie wind as he swung, then a force-out at second, and a soft fly ball to center.
Save #1 for White, win #1 for the Wolf JV.
The legend begins.
Glover (2), Woollet (2), White (2), and Gebhard (1) rapped hits for CHS, with Zane Oldenstadt, Hutchinson, Johnny Porter, Woollet, and White eking out walks.
Kai Wong and Cooper rounded out the opening day lineup for the JV, which returns to action Mar. 16 with a game at Lynden Christian.
Wolf football star Kai Wong, making his baseball debut, helped spark his team to a season-opening victory. (Photo courtesy Becky Terry)
Coupeville Sports 