Thursday, March 29, 2012

Spartans, Falcons Remain Unbeaten in KingCo Play

Skyline and Woodinville are now the lone unbeaten KingCo 4A clubs, winning by identical scores on Wednesday. Here's a look at the action from a wet and windy Wednesday.

Crest Division
Skyline 6, Newport 2 - Junior Matt Sinatro's two-out RBI double broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning as Skyline topped Newport 6-2 in a battle of unbeaten Crest Division teams. Both starting pitchers threw the ball well, with reigning Crest Division pitcher of the week Matt Lunde exchanging blows with Newport starter Aaron Sandefur. Both allowed 2 runs in five innings before giving way to the bullpens. Skyline took advantage in the seventh, with Sinatro's double keying a four-run rally. Following the double, Jimmy Sinatro was intentionally walked. Senior Clayton Huber made the Knights pay, doubling home two more insurance runs for Skyline. Junior Corbin Powers picked up the win, working 2 shutout innings in relief of Lunde. The Knights were held to just 3 hits on the day, with their lone RBI coming from Kyle Goemmer.

Issaquah 6, Redmond 1 - Gonzaga signee Brandon Mahovlich kept the Mustang bats in check, allowing just a run on four hits as the Eagles topped Redmond on Wednesday night, 6-1. Mahovlich was effectively wild, walking six but striking out nine in the complete game victory. Issaquah scored 4 runs in the third off Mustang senior starter Peter Hendron, with Ethan Kalin driving in two. They tacked on 2 more in the 6th on a 2-run home run by senior catcher Andrew Kemmerer. Hendron, who was 2-for-3 with Redmond's lone RBI, took the loss for the 0-4 'Stangs.

Crown Division
Garfield 5, Inglemoor 0 - Senior Collin Evenson spun a 6-hit shutout and Liam McFeely doubled and drove in two as the Bulldogs evened their KingCo record at 2-2 with a 5-0 win over Inglemoor. Evenson needed just 87 pitches in the complete game victory, not walking a single batter while striking out 3. McFeely's double started the scoring in the third inning, and Garfield tacked on two more runs in the fourth and a single tally in the sixth en route to the impressive win. Junior Willie Augustavo doubled for the Vikings, who dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

Bothell 7, Ballard 5 - Rex Carlin and Brett Steiner each doubled and drove in a run as Bothell slipped past the Ballard Beavers, 7-5. The game was tight throughout, with Carlin also shutting out Ballard through five innings. The Beavers scored twice in the 6th to close the gap to 3-2. That was as close as they'd get however, as Bothell scored four times in the top of the seventh and held off a seventh inning rally. Carlin was the winning pitcher, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits in six innings of work. He was helped by Kellen Webster, who finished the day 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Frank Airey chipped in two hits for the Beavers in the loss.

Woodinville 6, Roosevelt 2 - A five-run fourth inning was the 'Riders undoing, as they dropped Wednesday night's game to the #3 ranked Falcons, 6-2. Roosevelt got out to an early lead, scoring on a Woodinville error in the first and a solo home run by Mitchell Bouldin in the third. Myles Franklin singled home a run in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Woodinville would take the lead for good in the fourth, bringing all nine batters to the plate in a 5-run inning. Cody Bauman took care of the rest, working three shutout innings to pick up the save in relief of Jeff Wyner. Bouldin had two of Roosevelt's three hits, with senior Graylin Derke taking the loss. For the 4-0 Falcons, Shea Donlin and Myles Franklin each had 2 hits, with Franklin driving home two runs. Woodinville will go for the Crown Division sweep on Friday when they host Ballard at 6:30 PM.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 1

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: March 19 - 24, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: John Armour, Sr., Eastlake
Eastlake senior John Armour had a fine week at the plate for the Wolves. In two games, the outfielder went 4-6 with one double. However, the biggest at bat came in the form of a walk off RBI against Issaquah on Thursday, completing a perfect 2-0 week for the Crest Division leading Wolves.

Pitcher of the Week: Matt Lunde, Sr., Skyline
Skyline’s southpaw, Matt Lunde, earned pitcher of the week honors for the Crest division for his dominating performance against the Redmond Mustangs. Lunde was in control from beginning to end as he tossed six innings while only allowing one hit and one walk. He also fanned eight Mustang hitters in the performance.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Shea Donlin, Sr., Woodinville
WSU bound Shea Donlin paced the potent Woodinville attack in going 4-7 in the two game week. The senior shortstop drove in four and scored three times. Donlin was also able to swipe two bases in the perfect 2-0 week for the Woodinville Falcons.

Pitcher of the Week: Danny Larsen, Sr., Inglemoor
The pitching line of the week comes from Inglemoor senior Danny Larsen. The lefthander quieted the Ballard Beavers’ bats in pitching a complete game, one hitter. He struck out two and walked none in the 9-0 Viking win.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Seattle Times 4A/3A Baseball Rankings

The first rankings are out from Mason Kelley at the Seattle Times, and the KingCo conference is well represented. At the 3A level, the defending state champion Mount Si Wildcats top the poll with their 4-1 record. Lake Washington and Mercer Island are on Kelley's watch list as teams that just missed the cut.

As for 4A, Woodinville is the highest ranked KingCo team, coming in at #3 behind Puyallup and Kentwood. Newport checks in at #6 with their perfect 5-0 record. Eastlake, Garfield and Issaquah round out teams to "keep an eye on".

You can view the entire rankings here:
4A and 3A high school baseball rankings - Week 1

Close Games the Story of Monday's 4A Action

Monday was a day for nail-biters, with the five games being decided by a total of six runs. Four of the contests were one run games, with two of them needing extra innings to declare a winner.

Crown Division
Bothell 4, Inglemoor 3 (8 inn.) - Junior Samuel Lee went 3-for-4 with a double, home run and 2 RBI as Bothell walked off on rival Inglemoor in the bottom of the eighth inning, 4-3. Zach Anderson added two doubles and an RBI for Bothell, who picked up their first KingCo win in three attempts. The Vikings had tied the game up with 2 runs in the sixth, but could never overtake the Cougars before falling in the last half of the eighth. Brady Mickelson picked up the win for Bothell, while Lucas Wimmer took the loss. Tyler Beahan had a 3 hits, including a double for IHS.

Woodinville 2, Garfield 1 (9 inn.) - Senior Nate Wilham's groundout plated fellow senior Beau Vinterun with the go ahead run in the top of the ninth as the Falcons survived a scare from Garfield in a 2-1 win. Senior and Washington State University commit Shea Donlin put Woodinville ahead in the top of the first inning with an RBI single. Garfield's Charlie Tarnoff tied the game in the bottom half of the third with an RBI of his own. The game would remain scoreless until the ninth, with both starting pitchers and relievers keeping the opponent bats at bay. Senior Cody Bauman struck out four in 2 1/3 innings of work to pick up the win. Bulldog senior John Trupin pitched great, allowing just a single run while striking out five in seven innings in a no-decision. Woodinville remains the only unbeaten team in the Crown Division at 3-0.


Ballard 3, Roosevelt 1 - Senior Caleb Jaeger was once again dominant for the Beavers, striking out 11 in a complete game win as Ballard slid past Roosevelt, 3-1. Jaeger needed just 71 pitches to go the distance, throwing just 15 balls the entire day. He allowed three hits and one earned run, while not walking a single batter. Junior Ben Welch paced the Ballard offense, going 4-for-4 with a double, while junior George Chrisafis added a double of his own. Myles Gouveia pitched well in defeat, allowing just 4 hits and an earned run in four innings of work.


Crest Division
Skyline 4, Eastlake 3 - Senior Patrick Harrod's 2-out double in the bottom of the seventh scored Brandon Fischer with the winning run, as the Spartans topped Eastlake, 4-3. The Wolves had battled back from a 3-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game, only to watch the Spartans walk off in the last half. Senior Clayton Huber was dominant on the mound, allowing just a hit in six shutout innings, but the bullpen gave up the lead, costing him the win. Josh Barokas was the losing pitcher, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in a complete game effort. Mick Vorhoff was 2-for-3 with an RBI for the Wolves, who took their first league loss of 2012. Fischer and Jack Valencia each had 2 knocks for the now 2-0 Spartans.

Newport 2, Redmond 1 - In a battle of the two Crest division co-champions of a year ago, the Knights prevailed over Redmond by the final of 2-1. Senior Billy Sahlinger starred for Newport, hitting the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth as well as tossing a complete game. Sahlinger allowed just 5 hits and didn't walk a batter, needing just 85 pitches to go the distance. Redmond senior Adam Cline was nearly as effective, as he allowed just 2 hits and 2 earned runs, also working a complete game. Newport keeps pace with Skyline at 2-0, while Redmond drops to 0-3 in KingCo play.

Monday, March 26, 2012

2012 KingCo 4A - Crown Division Preview

Crown Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Woodinville (5 first place votes) - 25 points
T-2) Bothell - 19 points
T-2) Inglemoor (1) - 19 points
4) Ballard - 12 points
5) Garfield - 9 points
6) Roosevelt - 6 points

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 5 points were awarded for 1st, 4 for second and so on down to 1 point for 5th.



Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Ballard Beavers
Head Coach:
John Lamm
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (4th in Crown division), 9-10 overall

Returning players: Frank Airey (Jr - C), Nelson Cooper (Sr - 1B/DH), Paul Crane (Sr - P), Rory Graf-Brennen (Jr - OF/2B), Joe Jacobson (Jr - P), Caleb Jaeger (Sr - P), Ryan Kangas (Jr - SS), Stewart MacGeorge (Jr - OF), Alex Stamey (Jr - 2B), Steven Weber (Sr - 1B/P), Ben Welch (Jr - SS/OF)

Top newcomers: George Chrisafis (Jr - 3B), Chris Kahn (Jr - P), Drew Lombardi (Jr- C), Damani Nkeiruka (Jr - P/OF), Carl Pearson (Jr - P), Ian Scott (Soph - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Lamm: We hit .316 as a team but we did not face all the #1 one pitchers last year. We will hit well and play defence with so many returning varsity players. Our arms will make or break us this year. If we make teams put the ball in play and not give up walks we will be competitive in most our games.



Bothell Cougars
Head Coach:
Paul Moody (14th year, 350-265 career record)
2011 Summary: 13-2 KingCo (1st in Crown division), 23-4 overall, KingCo Champions, 4A State champions

Returning starters: Sam Lee (Jr - C), Mark Woods (Sr - SS)

Other returners: Zach Anderson (Sr - 1B), Rex Carlin (Sr - 3B/P), Nik Gray (Sr - OF), Brady Mickelson (Sr - P), Kellen Webster (Soph - 2B)

Top newcomers: Jake Cooper (Jr - C), Travis Dohr (Jr - 1B/P), Daniel Fredrickson (Soph - OF), Evan Harder (Jr - P), Ryan Harder (Jr - OF/P), Ryan Hert (Jr - P), Camden McLeod (Jr - P/3B), Brett Steiner (Sr - OF/P), Jake Storer (Sr - OF), Eric Woods (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Moody: Bothell graduated a lot of seniors from 2011 and looks to rebuild.



Garfield Bulldogs
Head Coach:
Chris Moedritzer (2nd year)
2011 Summary: 3-12 KingCo (5th in Crown division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Hayes Gorecki (Jr - 3B), Chandler Honican (Jr - SS), Liam McFeely (Sr - 2B/P), John Trupin (Sr - P/1B), Zach Ward (Sr - OF/P/1B)

Other returners: Hank Droege (Sr - P/C/1B), Collin Evenson (Sr - P/OF), Sam Kennard (Sr - C/2B), Ricky Nakamura (Sr - OF), Joe Renner (Sr - P/3B)

Top newcomers: Justin Arkills-McLain (Soph - OF/P/3B), Derek Billey (Soph - OF/SS), Alex Chase (C), Duncan Skerrett (Soph - P/OF/1B), Owen Vickrey (Soph - P/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach Moedritzer: Garfield returns a large senior class, including one of the top pitchers in the conference. The sophomore class now on Varsity led JV to its first record above .500 since joining Kingco 4A in the 1990s. The pitching, offense ,and defense looks to improve from a competitive club last season. The Bulldogs hope to put it all together this year to make a playoff run.



Inglemoor Vikings
Head Coach:
Bryan McNaghten (4th year, 62-36 career record)
2011 Summary: 9-6 KingCo (3rd in Crown division), 15-9 overall, 4th place finish in KingCo tournament

Returning starters: Tyler Beahan (Sr - OF), Brandon Edwards (Jr - IF), Blake Wilson (Sr - OF)

Other returners: Kenny Holen (Jr - IF), Danny Larson (Sr - P), Jake Sleder (Jr - IF), Lucas Wimmer (Sr - P/IF)

Top newcomers: Willie Augustavo (Jr - P), Curtis Bafus (Soph - P), Dustin Bradshaw (Jr - OF), Ryan Caylor (Sr - P), Perry Pipkin (Sr - C), Josh Seefeld (Jr - C), Josh Williams (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach McNaghten: Team has lack of varsity experience – success will depend on how quickly they can elevate their game.



Roosevelt Roughriders
Head Coach:
Jason Bowie (7th year)
2011 Summary: 2-13 KingCo (6th in Crown division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Mitchell Bouldin (Jr - OF), Graylin Derke (Sr - IF/P), Tate Maider (Jr - C/1B), Spencer Maniccia (Jr - 1B/P), Zach Naon (Sr - OF), Cody Shaul (Sr - 1B), K.J. Suedel (Soph - IF)

Other returners: Bridger Hayashi (Sr - C)

Top newcomers: Nathan Aberg (Jr - 3B/2B), Nick Ferguson (Jr - P/IF), Myles Gouveia (Soph - IF/P), Paul Gray (Sr - OF/P), Julien Hayes (Jr - IF/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Bowie: The Roughriders lost some arms from last year’s squad and are hoping to have some younger pitchers pick up the slack. Pitching and defense will be the key for the Riders this year. The top half of the batting order could be pretty strong. Hopefully the crop of incoming arms can propel the Riders to a few more KingCo victories this season.



Woodinville Falcons
Head Coach:
Terry Agnew (21st year)
2011 Summary: 9-5 KingCo (2nd in Crown division)

Returning starters: Clarke Bader (Sr - C), Shea Donlin (Sr - SS), T.C. Florentine (Sr - CF), Spencer Greer (Sr - P), Marty Luckenbach (Sr - P), Beau Vinterun (Sr - 2B)

Other returners: Cody Bauman (Sr - P), Max Carter (Sr - OF), Myles Franklin (Sr - 1B), Nate Wilham (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Conner Brueske (Jr - OF), Caleb Hamilton (Jr - IF/P), Griffen Jones (Sr - OF), Matt Laitala (Sr - IF), Stephan White (Jr - P), Tommy Wick (Soph - IF), Lee Wunderlich (Soph - C/OF), Jeff Wyner (Sr - P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: Woodinville has a veteran team with starters returning in most positions. Pitching depth and team speed are two of Woodinville’s main strengths.

2012 KingCo 4A - Crest Division Preview

Crest Division - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Issaquah (4 first place votes) - 16 points
2) Newport (1) - 13 points
3) Redmond - 9 points
4) Skyline - 8 points
5) Eastlake - 4 points

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 4 points were awarded for 1st, 3 for second and so on down to 1 point for 4th.







Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Eastlake Wolves

Head Coach: Kevin Agnew (2nd year, 27-46 career record)
2011 Summary: 1-11 KingCo (5th in Crest division), 6-14 overall

Returning starters: Casey Fithian (Sr – C), John Armour (Sr – OF), Robert Nolan (Sr – IF), Andrew Stull (Sr – P)

Other returners: Grant Beahm (Jr – OF), Griffin Davis (Jr – IF), Josh Barokas (Jr – P/IF), Michael Staudinger (Jr – IF)

Top newcomers: Mick Vorhoff (Soph – P), Ryan Pladson (Jr – IF/P), Mason Pierzchalski (Soph – IF), Ryan Teasell (Jr – IF), Mitch Loofburrow (Jr – P/OF)


Season Outlook from Coach Agnew: We have great senior leadership. We have two quality starters that we will rely on heavily. Our offense will be young, but talented, and anchored by two seniors at the top in Armour and Fithian. If we can play solid defense and execute offensively we will have a shot to make the playoffs.







Issaquah Eagles
Head Coach:
Rob Reese (19th year, 306-137 career record)
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (4th in Crest division), 8-14 overall, Lost in KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Jake Bakamus (Sr - SS), Blake Miller (Sr - OF), Jack Gellatly (Soph - 3B), Ethan Kalin (Sr - P/1B), Andrew Kemmerer (Sr - P/C), Brandon Mahovlich (Sr - P/OF), Mitchell Morimoto (Soph - OF)

Other returners: Scott Boydston (Sr - P), Ryan Guiberson (Jr - P/1B), Trenton Nagasawa (Sr - 2B), Danny Rawlings (Sr - OF), Zach Walker (Jr - C), Cole Westover (Sr - P)

Top newcomers: Derek Chapman (Soph - OF), Ryan Dixon (Jr - P/1B), Blake Jones (Soph - SS), Sam Reynolds (Sr - OF), Nick Sutherland (Soph - 3B), Kyle Thomas (Jr - 2B), Justin Vernia (Jr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Reese: Eagles return 14 players from last season. Entire pitching staff plus 7 starters are back. Pitching staff should keep the Eagles in game while some young hitters develop early. Starting SS Jake Bakamus will return in the next 2 weeks from a torn ACL . His leadership will help solidify an infield with 3 sophomores currently starting. Eagles are led by Gonzaga signee Brandon Mahovlich.







Newport Knights
Head Coach:
Hal DeBerry (4th year, 36-15 career record)
2011 Summary: 11-3 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 19-6 overall, KingCo tourney runner-up, lost in 4A state quarterfinals

Returning starters: Nate Anderson (Sr - CF), Curtis Kojima (Sr - OF), Mason Paul (Sr - IF), Billy Sahlinger (Sr - SS/P), Aaron Sandefur (Sr - 3B/P)

Other returners: Kyle Goemmer (Sr - IF), Ioannis Kritsonis (Sr - 2B)

Top newcomers: Mack Barry (Jr - C), Jacob Chinery (Sr - OF/P), Trevor Creek (Sr - 1B/P), James Ferris (Jr - OF), Connor McCarthy (Sr - 3B/P), Levi Novak (Sr - P), Jordan Omoto (Sr - DH), Jacob Rosen (Jr - 1B/P), Ben Schuler (Sr - C)

Season Outlook from Coach DeBerry: We will blend a solid group of returners with several new faces. The ability to improve as we go will determine where we finish in a typical KINGCO league; an absolute battle in every game on the schedule.







Redmond Mustangs
Head Coach:
Dan Pudwill (8th year, 124-46 career record)
2011 Summary: 11-3 KingCo (T-1st in Crest division), 20-9 overall , 4th place finish in 4A state tournament

Returning starters: Cody Beliel (Sr - 2B), Peter Hendron (Sr - P/1B/OF), Patrick McGrath (Sr - SS)

Other returners: Adam Cline (Sr - P), Steven Danek (Sr - OF/P), Peyton Lutz (Sr - OF/P), Alex Miller (Sr - P)

Top newcomers: Brandon Burditt (Soph - OF), Lucas Eliason (Soph - C/3B/P), Kyle Francis (Soph - 1B/P), Brent Firth (Jr - 1B/3B)

Season Outlook from Coach Pudwill: Though 13 seniors are rostered, we are a very young team in terms of varsity experience. We do have some depth on the mound but not much elsewhere. We will have to work, scratch, and claw to find our way into the playoffs.







Skyline Spartans
Head Coach:
Chris Tamminen (8th year)
2011 Summary: 8-6 KingCo (3rd in Crest division)

Returning starters: Brandon Fischer (Sr - OF), Connor Gilchrist (Sr - OF/P), Clayton Huber (Sr - IF/P), Matt Lunde (Sr - P), Conner Reinersten (Sr - OF), Jimmy Sinatro (Sr - C), Matt Sinatro (Jr - IF)

Other returners: None listed

Top newcomers: Pat Harrod (Sr - IF), Chris Moellendorf (Sr - OF), Mike Stewart (Sr - OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Tamminen: Tough league as always. Hoping to compete at a high level and get better as season goes along.