At least every other week during the spring season, we’ll talk some Oregon high school baseball. This is the place!
UVC 86’s Kennedy’s state-record 46-game winning streak
Umpqua Valley Christian scored three runs in the bottom of the first yesterday and never trailed in handing two-time defending 2A/1A champion Kennedy (8-1) an 8-2 defeat yesterday. The loss snapped Kennedy’s 46-game unbeaten streak spanning three seasons, a state record.
"That was a good win against a good program," UVC coach Dave York told a local paper. "They lost a lot from last year (12 seniors) and are pretty inexperienced, but it's always good beating those guys. They're well-coached, and have had our number the last few years, so it's good to come out on top."
“Breaking a streak didn’t mean as much to us as getting a good win against a quality opponent and program,” York added.
UVC won in all facets. The Monarchs out-pitched, out-hit and out-fielded Kennedy.
Sean Simonson threw six strong for the victors, striking out 10 while walking none and yielding just five hits. Tygue Barron led the offense, going 3-3 with a double and four RBIs. Daniel Withers, Ty Hellenthal and Tyler Hanes added two hits apiece.
There’s no shame in losing to UVC. The Monarchs won state in 2019, finished runner up to Kennedy in 2022 and made the state semifinals last year.
Kennedy had set the all-time record of 43 wins in a row just one week earlier.
“We didn't play poorly; they played well,” said Kennedy coach Kevin Moffatt. “And we had some things that have gone our way for a while not go our way: a ball a guy lost in the sun, missing a ball by an inch, things like that. And they are very good. They do everything right and are very well coached. No disappointment at all on this one.”
Coincidentally, Umpqua Valley Christian also broke Knappa’s Oregon record streak of home wins and wins in the state of Oregon in 2019.
Unbeatens
The 2024 season is barely three weeks old and how many of the OSAA’s 199 teams are still undefeated? A grand total of six!
What’s most surprising is that four of the undefeated teams reside in 6A. Sprague is 10-0, South Salem and Sandy are each 9-0 and Sunset is 7-0.
In 4A, Ontario is 7-0.
In 2A/1A, Crosshill Christian has yet to lose but has played just two contests.
Sandy’s 9-0 start includes a 3-0 shutout of vaunted Lakeridge yesterday. Senior RHP Matt Kosderka tossed a no-hitter at the Pacers, with 15 strike outs.
The Pioneers went 4-0 in Arizona over Spring Break. The winning formula was strong pitching, excellent defense and doing the little things well to help win games, said coach Eric Fogle.
South Salem’s ninth win in a row came at the expense of Roseburg yesterday. Senior right hander Carter Nelson struck out seven in a five-inning perfect game in the 13-0 win.
“Missing Link” has career day
Shortstop Reid Linkmeyer missed almost all of 2023 with an injury. He almost made up for it on one day this season.
Last Thursday, at Nelson High School versus Milwaukie, the junior swung the bat three times. Three times he hit no doubt blasts, driving in nine in a 16-7 win. After being hit by a pitch in the first inning, Linkmeyer hit a three-run homer in the second, two-run homer in the third and grand slam in the fourth.
“The wind was blowing out, but these weren’t wind aided in my opinion,” said Liberty coach Ryan Raagas.
Linkmeyer’s big day put him in the Oregon record books. His three homers tied him with 16 others for most homers in a game in Oregon prep history. And his nine RBIs, the most by any player in a decade, put him in a tie for eighth place on the all-time single-game list.
5-5 x 2
In a game at Grants Pass on March 25, BOTH senior SS Zane Garvey and senior OF Kaz Kalish went 5-5 in Southridge’s 11-1 win. Each had a 2B, an RBI, and two runs scored. I wonder who was the copycat…
How did they manage to go 3-1?
Ida B. Wells went 3-1 on its baseball trip to San Diego over Spring Break, but it’s a wonder the Guardians were able to concentrate on the field at all given the whirlwind they experienced off of it.
One of the players commented that it was more like a guided tour than a field trip for baseball.
Over 10 days and nine nights on a chartered bus, here’s a look at some of the things Ida B. Wells experienced in addition to playing baseball:
Alcatraz tour
Utah at Cal baseball game
“Team behind the team” tour at Oracle Park
Griffith Observatory
Santa Monica Pier
Balboa Park Museums
BP at The Brickyard Cages
Padres/Mariners spring training game
USS Midway tour
OSU vs USC at UC Irvine
Six Flags-Magic Mountain
News and notes
Grant went 4-0 at the Coach Bob National Invitational in Phoenix over Spring Break, including a comeback win in the final game, when the Generals scored four runs in the seventh inning.
Junior OF Rafferty Cruikshank had some clutch hits for Grant, and drove in nine runs in the four games in Arizona. He also hit .461 in the Grand Canyon State, a stat exceeded only by senior 3B Patrick Lawes, who hit .500.
Sophomores Elliot Raiton and Jinki Tomita and junior Kaeden Cruse all performed well on the mound for the Generals.
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North Eugene senior C Caiden Gould has had a Midas touch throwing out baserunners to start the year. The Linfield commit has gunned down seven of the 13 trying to steal on him this year and has also back-picked two others!
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Marshfield went 2-1 at the Hidden Valley Spring Break Tournament. The Pirates were led offensively by junior Lucas Folau, who hit .500 with four extra base hits; and sophomore Traiven Karow, an on-base machine who scored four runs and had three steals.
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Mountain View went 4-0 in the Major Division of the San Diego Lions Tournament over Spring Break. The Cougars defeated Rancho Buena Vista, 7-1, for the championship. Junior 2B Ethan Bruce took home MVP honors, going 9-11 at the plate over four games.
STATS CATEGORIES
We debut our stats categories for 2024. The idea here is to recognize only those players achieving at the highest levels in the state of Oregon. They are not designed to produce massive, labor-intensive lists.
Any varsity baseball coach wanting to add someone to a list may email [email protected], list the category and supply the name of a player using the specific format for the category.
Going going gone goodbye!
Everyone digs the long ball.
Here, we will recognize those Oregonians who have gone yard three or more times so far this season. We will add to it in subsequent Baseball Notebooks as coaches tell us about the players who are dinger ringers.
5 -- Reid Linkmeyer, junior SS, Liberty
4 – Gavin Price, junior OF, South Salem
3 – Kaiden Roberts, senior IB/INF, Harrisburg
It’s a blur
Throwing hard in high school is the easiest way to get outs.
Here, we recognize those Oregon hurlers who hit 87 mph or higher when they get on the bump.
Drew Bartels, junior RHP, Blanchet Catholic
Blake Crawford, senior LHP, West Linn
Slater de Brun, junior LHP, Summit
Gavin Derr, senior LHP, Mountain View
Finn Edwards, senior RHP, Summit
Gabe Howard, senior RHP, West Linn
Aidan Kelly, senior RHP, Sherwood
Matt Kosderka, senior RHP, Sandy
Andy Manning, senior RHP, Sherwood
Connor Molony, junior RHP, Thurston
Connor Parry, junior RHP, Sherwood
Isaac Pfeifer, junior RHP, Tualatin
Grady Saunders, sophomore RHP, Thurston
Justin Schramm, senior RHP, Wilsonville
Kruz Schoolcraft, junior LHP, Sunset
Griffin Scott, senior LHP, Ida B. Wells
Nolan Umlandt, senior RHP, Sherwood
Alex Via, junior RHP, Summit
Mark Wiepert, junior RHP, Wilsonville
Speed merchants
In this space, we recognize Oregon baseball players who have 10 or more stolen bases at this point in the season, based on the information we have received.
18 – Braden Marthaller, freshman 1B, Toledo
15 -- Mason Koker, junior 3B, Toledo
13 -- Maddox Law, freshman OF, Toledo
13 -- Riley Tyler, freshman SS, Toledo
12 – Wilson Medina, junior OF, Sherwood
12 -- Christian Retherford, senior C, Toledo
12 – Teagan Scott, sophomore C, South Salem
11 -- Ayden Aleckson, junior OF, Toledo
10 -- Jace Bateman, senior 3B, Nyssa / Adrian
10 – Colby Crowell, sophomore C/SS, Riverside
10 -- Ramon Iniguez, senior 1B, Nyssa / Adrian
10 -- Hudson Hughes, junior C, Stayton
Get a whiff of this!
Missing bats is an art.
This list recognizes those pitchers who have fanned two or more batters per inning after a minimum of 10 innings pitched.
Drew Bartels, junior RHP, Blanchet Catholic – 24 Ks over 12 innings
Jace Bateman, senior RHP, Nyssa / Adrian – 27 Ks over 13 innings
Will Booth, junior LHP, The Dalles – 21 Ks over 10 innings
Drew Camp, junior LHP, South Umpqua -- 35 Ks over 17.1 innings
Braden Marthaller, freshman RHP, Toledo – 39 Ks over 17 innings
Grady Saunders, sophomore RHP, Thurston – 41 Ks over 20 innings
Kruz Schoolcraft, junior LHP, Sunset – 33 Ks over 16.1 innings
Sam Shaver, senior LHP, The Dalles – 22 Ks over 10.1 innings
Tyson Smith, sophomore RHP, Country Christian – 44 Ks over 21.2 innings
Wait! What?
In this space, we recognize hitters who have put up outrageous stat lines in a single game.
Tygue Barron, senior 1B, Umpqua Valley Christian – 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in 8-2 win over Kennedy on April 2
Drew Bartels, junior SS, Blanchet Catholic – 3-for-4 with a home run and six RBIs in March 16 win over Thomas Jefferson of Washington
Brayden Buck, junior OF, Tualatin – 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and two runs scored on March 15 in 6-2 win over Willamette
Dylan Cuff, junior C, Blanchet Catholic – 2-for-2 with a double, triple and five RBIs in April 2 win over Dayton
Reid Linkmeyer, junior SS, Liberty – 3-for-3 with three HRs and nine RBIs in 17-6 win, March 28 versus Milwaukie
Gavin Price, junior OF, South Salem – two three-runs homers in 9-0 win over Reynolds on March 28
Kaiden Roberts, senior 1B/2B, Harrisburg – 2-for-2 with two HRs, including a grand slam; five RBIs and three runs scored in March 16 rout of Sheridan
Teagan Scott, sophomore C, South Salem – 4-for-4 with five steals and an RBI in a 5-0 win over Tigard on March 18. Scott also threw out a would-be base stealer
Perfecto!
Below, we recognize pitchers who have thrown seven-inning no-hitters this year.
Matt Kosderka, senior RHP, Sandy – Struck out 15 and walked none (two errors) in 3-0 win over Lakeridge on April 2
.600 or better batting average
Below, we recognize those hitters who, with a minimum of 20 plate appearances, are hitting .600 or better on the season.
.714 -- Teagan Scott, sophomore C, South Salem
10 or more RBIs
Below we recognize those Oregon hitters with 10 or more runs driven in this season.
20 – Kaiden Roberts, senior 1B/INF, Harrisburg
18 – Reid Linkmeyer, junior SS, Liberty
17 -- Gavin Price, junior OF, South Salem
16 – Dylan Cuff, junior C, Blanchet Catholic
15 – Grayson Grover, senior 3B, Scappoose
15 – Drew Bartels, junior SS, Blanchet Catholic
13 – Cody Agidius, junior 1B, The Dalles
13 – Tyson Smith, junior OF, Blanchet Catholic
12 – Noah Hancock, junior 2B, Blanchet Catholic
11 – Carson McNally, junior 1B, Blanchet Catholic
10 -- Quinton Olson, junior 2B, Scappoose
10 -- Riley DuBois, junior C, Scappoose
10 – Brayden Webb, senior SS, Oakland
10 – Rafferty Cruikshank, junior OF, Grant
ERA of zero
Below we recognize pitchers with a current earned run average of zero with 10 or more innings pitched.
Drew Bartels, junior RHP, Blanchet Catholic -- zero runs over 14 innings
Will Booth, junior LHP, The Dalles – zero runs over 10 innings
Carter Nelson, senior RHP, South Salem – zero runs over 21 innings
Kruz Schoolcraft, junior LHP, Sunset – zero runs over 16.1 innings
Griffin Scott, senior LHP, Ida B. Wells, zero runs over 11 innings
College-Bound!
In this space, we list those players, in the current senior class and younger, who have signed National Letters of Intent in baseball or have made a commitment to attend a college or university of their choice. Congrats! It can be so demanding but at the same time is so rewarding.
Here are the 69 commitments that have been reported to us. Of those, 33, including 17 seniors; are going Division I, a massive number and evidence of the continued surge in baseball talent across the state.
Ben Allen, senior C, McNary -- University of Portland
Jake Allen, senior OF, McNary-- University of Portland
Fischer Barber, junior RHP, Bend – Oregon State
Jonah Barkoff, senior LHP, Lake Oswego – University of Oregon
Jaxson Bowen, senior RHP, Sherwood - Centralia CC
Blake Crawford, senior LHP, West Linn – University of Oregon
Eli Crist, senior 3B/RHP, Thurston -- Bushnell University
Gavin Derr, senior LHP, Mountain View -- Washington State
Alex Dexter, senior LHP, Lincoln – Occidental College
Nolan Donivan, senior INF/RHP, The Dalles - Lane CC
Ervin Dorsett, Jr., senior INF -- Sacramento State
Quin Dufort, senior LHP, Ida B. Wells – University of Portland
De’Quan Duncan, senior OF, Tualatin – Mt. Hood CC
Adam Elliott, senior OF, Thurston -- Mt. Hood CC
Reuben Elliston, Sr.. OF, Grant - Centralia Community College
Jace Elzy, senior SS, North Valley - Oregon Tech
Quintin Esmay, senior RHP/OF, Canby – Blue Mountain CC
Parker Fabrycki, senior RHP, Sherwood - Eastern Oregon University
Joe Fagan, junior SS, Scappoose - University of Portland
Reece Fisher, senior OF, Lincoln – Clark CC
Cade Gehlen, senior OF, Central Catholic – University of Portland
Will Goodman, junior INF, Bend – University of Washington
Caiden Gould, senior C - North Eugene -- Linfield University
Calvin Gregory, junior LHP, Lakeridge – Oregon State
Grayson Grover, senior 3B/RHP, Scappoose - Southwestern Oregon CC
Luke Haener, senior RHP, Wilsonville- Regis University
River Hamilton, junior RHP, Barlow – Oregon State
Joseph Herbert, senior 2B, Marshfield -- Simpson University
Gabe Howard, senior RHP, West Linn – University of Oregon
Cole Katatyama-Stall, senior RHP/INF, Westview -- University of Portland
Aidan Kelly, senior RHP, Sherwood - Eastern Oregon University
John Kent, senior RHP, Grant - Kenyon College
Liam Kliever, senior C, Sherwood - Pacific University
Kheller Larson, senior INF/ RHP, Wilsonville- Arizona Christian University
Luke Larson, senior OF, Wilsonville - George Fox University
Nykori Lewis, senior C, Tualatin – Mt. Hood CC
Glen Maduro III, senior 1B/RHP, Tualatin – Mt. Hood CC
Ethan Matsuoka, senior INF, Tualatin -- University of Portland
Mickey McClaskey, senior RHP, Jesuit – University of La Verne
Nolan McCormack, senior 1B, Tualatin – Mt. Hood CC
Nolan Miller, senior LHP, Sheldon – University of Portland
Connor Molony, junior 1B/RHP, Thurston -- University of Oregon
Jayden Nakamura, junior SS, Aloha – University of Washington
Carter Nelson, senior RHP, South Salem – University of Oregon
Sawyer Nelson, sophomore SS, South Salem – University of Washington
Connor Parry, junior RHP/1B, Sherwood - University of Portland
Gunnar Pedersen- senior INF, Westview -- Eastern Arizona College
Isaac Pfeifer, junior C, Tualatin -- Arizona State
Riley Pratt, senior RHP. Blanchet Catholic – Corban University
Trevor Ratliff, senior SS, McNary -- Umpqua CC
Berkley Reents, senior INF, Wilsonville- George Fox University
Aiden Rice, junior INF, Central Catholic – University of Portland
Jeremiah Robbins, senior C, North Medford – Umpqua CC
Mitch Rowe, senior SS, West Linn – Centralia CC
Frankie Rutigliano, senior SS/RHP, North Medford – University of Portland
Kainoa Santiago, junior OF, Jesuit – Gonzaga University
Grady Saunders, sophomore RHP/Utility, Thurston – Oregon State
Garrett Schmokel, senior RHP, Lincoln – Everett CC
Justin Schramm, senior RHP, Wilsonville - Colorado Mesa University
Griffin Scott, senior LHP, Ida B. Wells – University of Utah
Teagan Scott, sophomore C, South Salem – Oregon State
Bryant Starr, senior RHP/SS, Lebanon - Linn Benton CC
Nolan Umlandt, senior RHP, Sherwood – University of Portland
Ryan Vanden Brink, senior C, West Linn – Oregon State
Alex Via, junior RHP, Summit -- University of Portland
Ezra Vice, senior OF, Westview – Lane CC
Danny Wideman, junior SS/OF, West Linn – University of Oregon
Mark Wiepert, junior C/3B, Wilsonville -- Oregon State
Kellen Willer, senior RHP/1B, North Medford – Grays Harbor College
Email [email protected] to make corrections or add to this list.
