Tildon behave!
Junior Tildon Coffman had himself quite the inning for Klamath Union in a late-March tournament game against Neah-Kah-Nie. He hit a grand slam and three-run bomb in the same inning for the Pelicans in a 22-7 win. Coffman added another hit and an eighth RBI in the game, and, the next day, was the winning pitcher over Crook County in the title game at the White Buffalo Classic.
Slump buster
Cottage Grove / Yoncalla had lost three in a row before senior RHP Micah Spear took the mound on Tuesday against Creswell. The righty was near perfect in the Lions’ 2-1 win, fanning 12 and walking just one in a complete-game no-hitter.
Apollo oh no!
Sunset, the pre-season 6A favorite, went 1-3 in Arizona over spring brack, but that didn’t stop two Apollo stars from heating up in the Southwest sun.
Kruz Schoolcraft, who is expected to be a top 10 pick in the July MLB draft, batted .692, with a homer and four RBIs. Senior OF Gabe Coltman also shins in the Arizona sun, hitting .417 with a long ball and six RBIs.
Cruse control
Grant infielder Kaeden Cruse is off to a scorching hot start to his senior season. Through seven games, Kruse was hitting .526 with three home runs, seven RBIs, seven walks and seven runs.
The wait is over
Crosspoint Christian had not had a varsity baseball team since Covid. The Warriors made the most of their return to competition on March 24, with a 16-3 mercy-run win over St. Mary’s of Medford. Chase Knecht, one of only two seniors on the 13-player squad, threw a five-inning complete game, fanning eight. Wyatt Moyles and Brayden Grimes, two of eight freshmen on the team, sparked the offense with two hits and two RBIs apiece.
More outlooks…Look out!
Last week, we published almost 60 team outlooks for the spring baseball season. We challenged coaches then to continue to complete the forms if they had not done so previously.
Eight coaches responded to the call. Here are those outlooks:
6A
Grant has started 4-4 and looks to be a favorite to win the PIL. The Generals. Who were 19-8 a year ago, have lost only twice in Oregon so far, to West Linn and South Salem, and have the majority of their team back, including seven who earned All-League honors in 2024. Kaeden Cruse, a senior RHP/INF; and senior C Brady McCarthy are the top returning players. Both were First Team All-League picks last year. Senior OF Rafferty Cruikshank and junior OF Martin Elardo were Second Team picks. Grant also welcomes back senior RHP Cooper Yudhishthu, who missed most of last year with an injury. He’ll fill a hole left by the graduation of a two-year starting pitcher. Grant is an experienced team with good chemistry. If the Generals stay healthy, they will demonstrate an ability to complete with the top teams in the state.
5A
Eric Dazey has returned to the top step after assisting Kevin Gregg at Corvallis the past three seasons. The longtime head coach for the Spartans watched Corvallis go 13-14 last year and make the playoffs despite graduating nine from the season before. Corvallis has started 4-2 this season despite graduating almost all of its pitching innings. The Spartans do have a deep and strong position player group back, led by All-League infielders Roy Bannister, Ben Weiss and Andrew Street, senior All-League catcher Gavin Price and senior All-League OF Axel Prechel. If the pitching comes around, this is a dangerous group.
Putnam is off to a 4-1 start under first-year head coach Todd Graham. The Kingsmen were 11-14 last year but made the 5A playoffs. They have not been a state contender, however, since losing in the quarterfinals in 2012. Putnam graduated six starters off of last year’s team, including its most experienced pitchers. But the team back, though young, has proven to be grinders up for the challenge. Two senior leaders, SR/RHP Ian Pollard and OF/LHP Calvin Booth, led the way for Putnam, as do junior INF/RHP Nolan Edwards, who could have a bearkout year; and sophomore OF/RHO Joe Salvione, who had a strong freshman campaign. Others to watch include pitchers Ben Boman and Mason Ford and junior OF Grady Cram, who already has a dozen RBIs through five games.
4A
Junction City started 4-0 before losing at Newport, 12-2, on Tuesday. The Tigers are coming off a 17-9 campaign in 2024 that included a Sky-Em League title after graduating 10 players off of the 2023 team. Though Junction City has never won a state title, it has won at least once in the post-season every year since 2017. This year’s team returns its meat of the order and starting pitching, making it formidable if there are strong leaders to fill the void led by the three graduated starters. Six All-League performers return, including senior LHP Jayden Lucas, the league Pitcher of the Year. Junior INF Kaden Shafer, senior INF Josh Berry, senior INF Owen Cooper and senior OF Dane Gibson also return. Sophomore catcher Madix Waldrop and a couple of lefty aces should have the Tigers positioned for a long playoff run.
3A
Sutherlin went 8-18 last year in Coach Brett Prock’s fourth year, but is primed to win in double digits after graduating no starters. Senior OF Tauj Flora is the top returning player for the Bulldogs, who have seven seniors on the roster. This is a strong defensive team that should contend for a league title and playoff berth with good health.
2A/1A
Umpqua Valley Christian is a state small-school power with four state titles since 2002, including last year, when the Monarchs were 26-5. UVC graduated a massive core of its team, including most of its infield and 80 percent of its pitching staff. The Monarchs don’t rebuild, however; they retool, and have started 7-1. It helps to have state POY Ty Hellenthal, a senior RHP/C; First Team All-State senior INF/RHP Logan Anderson and First Team All-League OF Caleb York, a sophomore, back. Most of the team have significant baseball experience, though not at the varsity level. Longtime coach Dave York said that last year’s JV played a difficult schedule to prepare players for this season. UVC will hit the ball faily well, complete on the mound and play strong up-the-middle defense.
Monroe, in a co-op with Alsea this year, has made the playoffs 25 times in the last 29 seasons, including last year, when the Dragons were 10-16. Coach Bill Crowson’s team returns 15 of the 16 who played on varsity last year, including six who made All-League last year, only one of which – senior INF/DH Blake Mattson – will graduate this year. The top players are junior C/RHP Owen Roberts and junior 1B/RHP Asher Strand. Both were First Team All-League last season. This team has a deep staff, an experienced, talented catcher in Roberts and a strong freshman group, four of whom are making a varsity impact. The team has started 2-3 but looks like the kind of nine that will make rapid improvements during the year and should be a state qualifier once again..
Union / Cove is 5-0 to start the team after last year’s Bobcat team went 13-12 and made the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The roster is pitching strong and filled with a group of dedicated, motivated seniors intent on reclaiming a baseball culture that has done missing for the past several years.
Going going gone goodbye!
Everyone digs the long ball.
Here, we recognize those Oregonians who have cleared the fences three or more times so far this season.
4 – Isaac Pfeifer, senior C, Tualatin
3 – Kaeden Cruse, senior INF, Grant
College-Bound!
In this space, we list 65 players, in the current senior class and younger, who have made a commitment to attend a college or university of their choice and play baseball.
Jordan Araiza, senior RHP/UTIL, Tualatin – Mt. Hood CC
Fischer Barber, senior RHP, Bend – Tacoma CC
Greg Bologoff, senior 1B, Westview – Ottawa University-Phoenix
Noah Boria, senior SS/RHP, Nelson – Lower Columbia CC
Carson Boyer, senior LHP, West Linn -- Gonzaga
Brayden Buck, senior OF, Tualatin – Tacoma CC
Dakota Chun, senior C, Sunset -- University of Portland
Gabe Coltman, senior OF, Sunset – University of South Carolina Upstate
Braden Corgain, senior C, Thurston – Lane CC
Brodan Curtiss, senior INF/OF, Barlow – Chemeketa CC
Manny Ehinger, sophomore 3B, Lakeridge – University of Oregon
Joe Fagan, senior SS, Scappoose - University of Portland
Will Goodman, senior INF, Bend – Pepperdine University
Max Green, junior INF/RHP, Sandy – Mt. Hood CC
Calvin Gregory, senior LHP, Lakeridge – Oregon State
River Hamilton, senior RHP, Barlow – LSU
Cam Hammer, senior INF, Ida B. Wells – Willamette University
Zack Hayden, senior LHP, Reynolds – Mt. Hood CC
Aiden Herrera, senior OF, Tualatin – Clackamas CC
Torsten Hersom, senior RHP, La Salle Prep – Bushnell University
Cooper Hibbs, senior OF, Sandy – Mt. Hood CC
Orion Houck, senior INF/RHP, Burns / Crane – Blue Mountain CC
Kiyo Kiyokawa, senior INF, Barlow – Clark College
Ian Kolmer, senior RHP/OF, Ida B. Wells – University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
Noah Kovac, senior RHP, Nelson – Mt. Hood CC
David MacDonald, senior INF, Thurston – Redwoods CC
Diego Martinez Griffin, senior 1B, Grant – Columbia Basin CC
Talon McGrorty, senior RHP/INF, Warrenton – Linn-Benton CC
Tyson McGrorty, senior C, Warrenton – Linn-Benton CC
Boyd Messman, senior C/1B, Sprague – Bushnell University
Andrew Mhoon, senior SS, Sprague – Loyola Marymount
Connor Molony, senior 1B/RHP, Thurston -- University of Oregon
Jayden Nakamura, senior SS, Aloha – University of Washington
Sawyer Nelson, junior SS, South Salem – Loyola Marymount
Bryson Nygren, senior RHP, Silverton – Linn-Benton CC
Connor Parry, senior RHP/1B, Sherwood - University of Portland
Isaac Pfeifer, senior C, Tualatin – University of Portland
Addison Postlewait, senior INF/RHP, Hood River Valley – Diablo Valley College
Gavin Price, senior C, Corvallis – George Fox University
Gavin Price, senior OF, South Salem – University of Louisiana-Monroe
Jackson Poole, senior OF, Ida B. Wells – Clackamas CC
Parker Raubuch, junior RHP, Sunset – Centralia CC
Aiden Rice, senior INF, Central Catholic – University of Portland
Cody Roletto, senior C, Ida B. Wells – Ohlone College
Brett Ronson, senior OF/1B, West Linn – Mt. Hood CC
Kainoa Santiago, senior OF, Jesuit – Gonzaga University
Grady Saunders, junior RHP/Utility, Thurston – Oregon State
Noah Scharer, senior OF, South Salem – Linn-Benton CC
Kruz Schoolcraft, senior (reclassified) LHP/1B, Sunset -- Tennessee
Luke Schoeffler, senior RHP/OF, Crescent Valley – Linfield University
Avery Schwartz, senior RHP, The Dalles / Dufur – Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho)
Teagan Scott, junior C, South Salem – Oregon State
Dylan Sheaffer, senior LHP/1B, Barlow – Clackamas CC
Brayden Sievertsen, senior RHP/UTIL, Sandy -- Centralia CC
Landon Sigler, senior INF, Mountainside – Warner Pacific University
Johnathin Silvis, senior C, Sandy -- Clackamas CC
Will Slater, senior RHP/1B, Sunset – Eastern Oregon
Kobe Sparks, senior SS/RHP, Sandy – Mt. Hood CC
Mikey Terry, senior C/INF, Crescent Valley – Clarke University
Alex Via, senior RHP, Summit -- University of Portland
Danny Wideman, senior SS/OF, West Linn – University of Oregon
Mark Wiepert, senior C/3B, Wilsonville -- Oregon State
Fisher Winchester, senior RHP/3B, Sandy -- Lower Columbia CC
Owen Zerr, senior OF, Sprague – Centralia CC
Teague Zimmer, senior RHP/1B, Ida B. Wells – Napa Valley College
Email johnt@osaa.org to make corrections or add to this list.
johnt@osaa.org
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