Kamiakin Braves took home the 3A State Softball crown today. They beat the Everett High School Seagulls 6-1.

"The fifth inning saw Kamiakin (28-0) bat around the order, with four singles and two hit batters. The two-out rally might have been avoided had a solid throw to the plate from rightfielder Cherise Shaver resulted in a third-out tag, but Deditius barely missed the runner, giving the Braves the game's first run. The next three Kamiakin batters reached base to put four more runs on the board before the two teams each added a run in the sixth."

Kamiakin Braves took home the 3A State Baseball crown today. They beat Eastside Catholic 3-2.

Photos can be found here.

Kamiakin Girls Track also Won State

Photos can be found here

GO BRAVES!!!!

In 0 to 0 struggle, Puyallup scores the go ahead run in the 7th inning and holds off the Bombers to advance to the 4A State Baseball Championship.

Each of the pitchers did a great job controlling the game with great help from their respective defense. Each team was able to keep runners from scoring for the first 6 innings. That was until Puyallup played old school baseball to move the runner around the bases with bunts and sacrifices to score the winning and only run of the game.

The Bombers could steal bases and were not deterred with the left handed pitcher, but couldn't string things together to drive a runner home. The loss ends Richland's attempt for another State championship.

In a fluke accident an errant pitch glanced off the home plate umpire ripping a chunk out his arm. A quick bandage from the onsite medics and he back behind the catcher.

More photos can be found here.

We have worked with the Tri-City Fever to put together Little League night.

Game is on May 26th at 7:05pm against the Sioux Falls Storm.

Ticket must be ordered before the day of the game
Call (509) 222-2215 to Purchase

Wear your Little League hat

Photos can be found here

The 3-Rivers Lacrosse hosted the 2012 Shootout at Columbia Park in Kennewick.

Photos can be found here.

The Tri-City Americans drop their second game. They trail the Winterhawks 0-2.

Photos can be found here.

Written by Tyler Brett

Columbia Basin Big Nine 4A

Richland Bombers
2011 Record: 10-2 (2nd place)
2012 Outlook: The Bombers will return seven players from their varsity squad last season. The offense will be led by seniors Corey Morris, who hit .480 last year with 17 RBI and five stolen bases, and Dylan Klute, who batted .375 in 2011. They will be asked to fill the void left by graduate Zach Rapacz, who hit .400 with five home runs and 19 RBIs, and Kenton Brunson, who hit .388 with three HRs and 18 RBIs. Pitching will be anchored by Junior Mason Hilty, who posted a 3-1 record last season as a sophomore with a 3.86 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Expect the experience of last year’s run at state to propel the Bombers to a league title this season.

Davis Pirates
2011 Record: 6-6 (3rd place)
2012 Outlook: Davis will return nine players from their varsity team last season, including four players who were sophomores in 2011. The Pirates will look to replace the speed and hitting of graduate Jackson Marquis, who hit .482 last year and lead the CBBN 4A with nine stolen bases. There should not be too much of a drop off, however, as Davis returns three players who hit better than .400 last season, in seniors Damon Lybeck (.467) and Jens Jensen (.433), and junior Carlos Vijjaro (.410). The pitching staff will be missing two major contributors from last season in Jason Klingle, who went 3-0 with a league-leading 1.17 ERA in 2011, and Avery Mottet, who went 2-1 with a 1.75 ERA. The staff this season will be anchored by junior Trenton Dupree, who pitched 25 innings last season for a 4-0 record and a 3.50 ERA. The experience gained from a young 2011 Pirate team will help Davis improve on last season’s 6-6 record and make a push for the league title.

Walla Walla Blue Devils
2011 Record: 11-1 (1st place)
2012 Outlook: The Blue Devils are returning only six players from their 2011 league title winning squad, losing 11 varsity players to graduation. They lose last year’s league leader in batting average, Kevin Toon (.596), RBIs in Matt Watson (28), and wins and strikeouts in Drew Christina (8-0, 67). Watson acted as a Mr. Everything for Walla Walla last season, hitting .386 and stealing five bases to go along with his 28 RBIs. On top of that, he was second on the team in wins, going 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA while striking out 35 batters in 34 innings. Christina, meanwhile, leaves a big hole in the Devils’ rotation, as he was their certifiable ace in 2011. While going 8-0 and striking out 67 hitters, he posted a 1.50 ERA during 42 innings of work. The offense will look to senior Taylor Lemke, who hit .360 last season with two home runs. Meanwhile, the pitching rotation will hope someone can step into the ace role Christina vacated. Any time you lose more than 60 percent of your roster to graduation, you can expect a bit of a step back, but when they were as good as Walla Walla’s 2011 senior class, it’s almost a guarantee. It would be shocking if the Blue Devils were able to repeat last season’s league title, but they won’t slip too far.

Chiawana Riverhawks
2011 Record: 4-8 (5th place)
2012 Outlook: Chiawana was the youngest team in the league last season, returning 13 players from their varsity squad of 2011. They lose only three players to graduation, which will help the team maintain continuity. While the Riverhawks did not produce any players in the top tier of any statistical categories, the experience this young team gained in 2011 should help them come out ahead of the pack that finished in a three-way tie for fourth place last season at 4-8 and move closer towards the .500 mark. This team is still a few seasons away from making a legitimate run at the league title.

Wenatchee Panthers
2011 Record: 4-8 (4th place)
2012 Outlook: Wenatchee has struggled to break out of the middle of the pack in the CBBN 4A, regularly finishing with three to six wins over the last several years. Last season, the Panthers continued the trend, finishing at the head of a 4-8 logjam for fourth place. The Panthers were without a star presence last season and will likely find themselves in the same boat this year. Middle of the pack seems to be this team’s ceiling and will more than likely be where they finish again in 2012.

Eisenhower Cadets
2011 Record: 3-9 (7th place)
2012 Outlook: The Cadets finished last in the CBBN 4A division last season, and graduated seven members of last year’s varsity squad. Five players return this year, including two sophomores who got varsity experience last season as freshmen. While the team failed to win as many games as they would have liked, there is something to be said for experience, even terrible experience. Expect the young Eisenhower team to improve on their win total from last season, but not by enough to rise too far out of the cellar of the division.

Moses Lake Chiefs
2011 Record: 4-8 (6th place)
2012 Outlook: The Chiefs will be the team hit hardest by graduation, losing 14 players from last season’s varsity squad. Moses Lake will look to senior Bryton Redal, the only senior on this year’s team to be listed on the varsity roster last year, to lead the offense and improve on his .385 batting average and five stolen bases in 2011. He will try and replace the lost offense of Cameron Alverado, who hit .489 last season and stole seven bases, and Tony Hernandez, who hit .368. The pitching rotation will also need to retool and find a replacement for Mitch Yada, who finished last season with a 1.79 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 43 innings. The void left on the roster will be a setback to a team that struggled in 2011, and the Chiefs will slide into the cellar for 2012.

Columbia Basin Big Nine 3A

Kennewick Lions
2011 Record: 11-3 (2nd place)
2012 Outlook: The Lions boasted the youngest team in the CBBN 3A and returns 11 players from last year’s squad. Kennewick brings back five hitters who batted over .400 to replace the outgoing offense of Drew Loftus, who hit .477 last season and stole six bases. Trek Stemp (.574), Sam Guin (.550), Jarod Gonzales (.487), and Troy Fulton (.429) will lead the senior class in the 2012 season along with sophomore JJ Hancock, who batted .478 in 2011. The pitching staff will look to replace Frank Murillo, who pitched to a 4-1 record last year with a 2.45 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 20 innings, by asking for increased production from senior Stetson Plew, who threw a 2.62 ERA in 16 innings last season. The Lions will ride the experience of last season’s success to take the next step as the class of 2012 leads the team in its try for a league title.

Southridge Suns
2011 Record: 13-1 (1st place)
2012 Outlook: The Suns rode the Player of the Year, Ty Jackson, to a CBBN 3A league title last season. Jackson led the Suns with a .545 batting average with three home runs, 26 RBIs, and four stolen bases while also pitching 23 1/3 innings for Southridge, going 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA and 27 strikeouts. His presence will be missed, but Southridge does return nine players off last season’s varsity roster. Senior Matt Mendenhall, who hit .519 with five home runs and 26 RBIs, will try and replace the production of Jackson, along with AJ Henderson, who hit .543 with four stolen bases, and Bryce Jackson, who hit .478 with 21 RBIs. The pitching staff will look to junior Connor O’Neil to lead them this season and build off his 19 2/3 innings last season where he struck out 19 batters and posted a 1.78 ERA. The Suns will miss the outstanding senior season of Jackson, and they will slip slightly back, falling just short of the league championship.

Hanford Falcons
2011 Record: 8-6 (4th place)
2012 Outlook: The Falcons graduate nine players from their 2011 varsity roster, bringing nine back for this season. Senior AJ Hoskins, who hit .547 with three home runs and 22 RBIs with six stolen bases, will step into the leadership role on the offense left by Blake Eastman, who hit .477 his senior year. In the pitching rotation, senior Colin Serkowski, who recorded three wins last season, will be asked to step in to replace the production of Dan Scheibe, who recorded a 3.44 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings pitched. The Falcons will use the experienced and productive returning varsity players to improve on their 2011 win total making a failed push for the league title.

Kamiakin Braves
2011 Record: 10-4 (3rd place)
2012 Outlook: The Braves will bring just five players back from last year’s varsity squad, losing 10 players to graduation. Senior Drew Oord, coming off a 2011 season where he hit .489 with 26 RBIs, will be turned to as the lead to replace the production gone with Blake Raekes, who hit .531 with 25 RBIs and four stolen bases, Justin Berneski, .523 with 18 RBIs, Joey Jansen, .517 and nine stolen bases, and AJ Griffiths, who hit .404 in 2011. In the pitching rotation, the Braves will look for a replacement for Garrett Anderson and his 6-0, 1.86 ERA, and 39 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings during the 2011 season. First in line will be junior Logan Jackson who threw 17 strikeouts in 16 innings with a 1.75 ERA last season. The missing production from the 2011 senior class will be a big hurdle for the Braves to overcome and the team will fall back a bit from their 10-win 2011 season.

West Valley Rams
2011 Record: 5-9 (6th place)
2012 Outlook: The Rams will lose 10 seniors from last season’s team, returning just six players. West Valley will be without their leading offensive producer from last season, Steven Wager, who hit .400 with three home runs. Wager also contributed in the pitching department, going 3-2 last season with a 2.56 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. The team will search for someone on this year’s squad to fill the void left by Wager. The Rams will struggle to recoup the lost production and will stay in the lower tier of the standings in 2012.

Eastmont Wildcats
2011 Record: 7-7 (5th place)
2012 Outlook: Eastmont will only return four players from last year’s varsity squad, losing 12 players to graduation. The Wildcats will struggle to replace the outgoing production at the plate from Tygar Garces, who hit .457 last season, and Jay Seabeck, who hit .406 with three home runs. Their pitching staff will also struggle without Ian Sagdal who went 4-1 last season for Eastmont, posting a 2.46 ERA. It remains to be seen who will step up into the lineup and offset the loss of those players, but Eastmont will have to find out quickly, or risk falling further off of their 2011 win total.

Pasco Bulldogs
2011 Record: 2-12 (7th place)
2012 Outlook: The Bulldogs had a rough 2011 season, finishing in second-to-last place in the division. The outlook does not appear any brighter this season, as Pasco will struggle to make up the gap between them and the rest of the CBBN 3A ahead of them. I would not expect too much noise from this squad this season, as they need another few seasons of solid rebuilding in order to become a contender again in the league.

Sunnyside Grizzlies
2011 Record: 0-14
2012 Outlook: The team that failed to win a game in 2011 will not have a terribly bright outlook in 2012. Sunnyside has proven themselves to be far behind the rest of the league in terms of their ability to win games, and will need to make some drastic improvements to make a move out of the cellar, but it won’t happen this season and the Grizzlies will spend another season at the bottom of the standings. 

Big Changes
for Eisenhower

IKE gets a new head coach, new field,
new players and a new season.

Written by Daniel Huston

With the 2012 Girls’ Softball season around the corner, Eisenhower is going through some big changes. A new coach, new players, new field, and above all, a new season.

The team that went 8-12 overall last season and fell short of the district playoffs by one game is currently looking for a new head coach now that Harry Pratt has resigned. Pratt plans to go back to school and pursue another career. Eisenhower is currently interviewing candidates and is expected to announce the hiring of their new coach as soon as the process is complete.

The team is returning a young, strong, and experienced group of girls who think they have what it takes to take the program to the next level.

“Last season was fairly successful,” says assistant coach Gary Jimenez. “Even though we came short of the playoffs, we graduated a great group of seniors who helped change the attitude and culture of our program.” The group that Jimenez speaks so highly of turned the program around and made IKE a legitimate league opponent for the first time in years. This season the team and coaches are looking forward to the leadership and strong play from returning players like Morgan Frost (shortstop) and Samantha Solomon (second base). These two together make up a strong infield. Also, Abigail Watkins (pitcher) and Josue Saldua (catcher) make a solid combo battery for opposing hitters. Ralynn Kelly (outfield) is also ready to take on any challenges in the outfield.

The big changes don’t stop there for the IKE softball team. As you drive by Eisenhower High School you might notice the construction taking place on campus. If you pay close enough attention you might notice that this construction is taking place where the baseball and softball teams practice and play their home games.  

The major construction project started in June 2011. The project is what Yakima voters approved by passing the May 2009 school bond measure. The district-wide plan has three phases. They include the replacement of Eisenhower High School in phase one, new sports facilities in phase three ($112,653,200), a major modernization of Davis High School ($85,697,044), and a number of other schools around Yakima. Currently phase one is on schedule, phase two is on hold, and phase three doesn’t start until phase one is complete. The project is being paid by state and local funding. The total cost is estimated to be $218,095,817 and is expected to be completed in June 2013. 

For the next several years, the IKE ladies are practicing and playing games at the Kiwanis parks across town. “The construction process will pay off in the long run, but it does create some difficulties in the short term,” says Jimenez. Practicing across town “will create some logistical issues on a daily basis.” For example, the school district operates an extra bus to carpool players back and forth after school. But don’t think this will hold the girls back from moving forward and achieving their season goals.

Make sure to follow up and catch a game as the Eisenhower girls compete in the talented Big 9 conference. They will use last year as a stepping stone as they face rivals Davis, Moses Lake and Richland, and compete for a 2012 playoff spot.