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Posts Tagged ‘Steve Hilborn’

CHS baseball coach resigns

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on September 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Steve Hilborn plots strategy. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Steve Hilborn is stepping away from the diamond.

After four seasons as head coach of the Coupeville High School baseball program, and previous stints as a Wolf assistant and Babe Ruth coach, he’s turning his focus back to farming and family.

Stepdaughter Kauri Hamilton is a CHS senior this year, and with girls’ tennis running in the same season as baseball, Hilborn hasn’t had much chance to see her play.

That will change this spring, said wife Shannon Hilborn.

With his sons, Matt and Scott, having previously graduated, there are also no family members left to coach on the diamond.

“Steve’s been finding it hard to justify the time away from the farm now that we don’t have any kids playing,” Shannon Hilborn said.

“He’s really enjoyed the time he has spent coaching both as an assistant and head coach. It’s just time for the next chapter of our lives.”

During his four years as head coach at CHS, Steve Hilborn led the Wolves to a 43-37 record, with trips to the state tourney in both 2023 and 2024.

The ’23 squad won league and district titles, finished 17-6, and beat Toledo 3-0 at the state tourney, the first big dance victory for a Wolf baseball squad since 1987.

That broke a 13,147-day dry spell, with the win sparked by timely hits from Chase Anderson and Peyton Caveness, and a big-time pitching performance from Scott Hilborn.

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CHS baseball season in jeopardy?

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on January 15, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Steve Hilborn has guided Coupeville High School baseball to state in both seasons he’s been at the helm of the program. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Time to put the rally hats on.

A combination of injuries and family moves is forcing Coupeville High School baseball coaches to scramble even before the season arrives.

The Wolves have advanced to the state tourney in back-to-back seasons but are “in danger of not having enough kids for a team this year,” said head man Steve Hilborn.

A team meeting has been set for 1:30 PM Wednesday to give coaches a better idea of how many players may be available.

It will be held in the health room inside the entrance to the CHS gym.

For Hilborn and his staff, the push to save the campaign is underway.

“Two straight years to state and then we can’t even make a team?” he said. “Doesn’t seem possible.”

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Rain’s so bright, they need shades

Posted in Baseball, Softball, tagged , , , , on March 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Aaron Lucero leads off a pack of diamond gurus. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

To shade, or not to shade, that is the question.

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous sunshine, or to take up reflective glasses against a sea of warm rays stabbing you in the eye.

Or some such nonsense.

Photo day for Coupeville High School softball and baseball brought out a mix of those who say “shades!” and those who, at least on this day, say “no shades!”

PS — It would actually be 4-3 in favor of shades, but I already ran my photo of CHS softball head coach Kevin McGranahan in an earlier story.

My only excuse? I was blinded by the potential page hits.

Morgan Payne

Brandon Bailey

Jon Roberts

Steve Hilborn

Lark Gustafson (Jackie Saia photo)

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Rapid response limits damage in prairie fire

Posted in Not sports? Tough!, tagged , , , , on July 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

An equipment barn on Terry Road meets a fiery demise. (Photos courtesy Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue)

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue led a successful fight Wednesday to prevent a fire at an equipment barn from spreading across the prairie during the height of the dry summer season.

While the structure on Terry Road, and the equipment inside are believed to be a total loss, there were no injuries or loss of life.

The property, farmed for many years by Robert Engle and his family, is currently owned by the National Park Services.

The NPS has a lease with a local farmer, Steve Hilborn, who is also the head baseball coach at Coupeville High School.

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the scene shortly after noon Wednesday and was on scene in four minutes.

Coupeville firefighters were later joined by crew from North Whidbey Fire and Rescue, South Whidbey Fire and EMS, the Oak Harbor Fire Department, Navy Region Northwest Fire Department, and Whidbey Health EMS.

Extinguishment and overhaul operations wrapped up shortly after 8:00 PM.

Site security and fire watch will extend until federal investigators arrive on scene Thursday morning.

The National Park Service will lead the investigation, with assistance from local authorities.

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Road warriors make state tourney plans

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on May 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Cole White, and the parental units, are headed to the 2B state baseball tourney next weekend. (Morgan White photo)

The road to a state title begins with a long road trip.

Fresh off winning the District 1/2 title, thumping Friday Harbor 11-0 Saturday, Coupeville High School’s baseball squad got its marching orders for the state tourney.

The Wolves, who sit at 16-5, are seeded #10 in the 12-team 2B field, and play #7 Toledo Saturday, May 20 at Castle Rock High School.

First pitch is set for noon.

The loser is eliminated, while the winner returns to the field at 3:00 PM to face #2 Toutle Lake, which is led by junior pitcher Zach Swanson, who has committed to play college ball for Oregon State.

Toledo is 18-5, and handed Toutle Lake (20-2) its only losses, beating the Ducks 1-0 and 6-1 way back in the first two games of the season.

The winner of next Saturday’s second game advances to the state semifinals, is guaranteed to play both May 26 and 27 at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium at Ephrata High School and will bring home a trophy.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

http://www.nw1a2bathletics.com/m2/tourn.php?act=vt&tid=3930#

Coupeville’s diamond dogs, who are making the program’s first trip to state since 2014, will have a much longer trip than their rivals.

It’s 173 miles, give or take a kilometer or two, to go from Central Whidbey to Castle Rock, while Toutle Lake (10.8 miles) and Toledo (14.4) are just down the street.

Sophomore Landon Roberts, seen with sister Lindsey and mom Sherry, is part of a successful Wolf diamond team. (Morgan White photo)

This is the tenth trip to state for CHS baseball, while Toledo is making its twelfth visit to the big dance.

The Riverhawks won the 2B state title in 2016, knocking off Warden, Colfax, Asotin, and Pe Ell/Willapa Valley.

Toutle Lake, which finished second last season, falling 7-6 to Brewster in the championship game, is back for the 25th time.

The Ducks have four state baseball titles, but it’s been a bit since the last one, with title runs coming in 1977, 1978, 1990, and 1991.

Toutle Lake and Coupeville have clashed twice in the state baseball tourney, with the Wolves falling 2-0 in ’90 and 8-1 in ’77, both seasons in which the Ducks finished as champs.

The Wolves also squared off with Toutle Lake at the state volleyball tourney in 2002 and 2003, splitting those matches.

The Coupeville and Toledo baseball programs have never met in a state playoff game, though the school’s girls’ basketball teams shared the hardwood at the 1998 and 2000 state championships, with the Riverhawks winning both.

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