Central Valley loaded with experience

Baseball coaches like veterans. Players who have been through the thrust and parry of the season, who know both the landscape and the emotional wear-and-tear of the season.

That’s what makes Central Valley baseball coach Barry Poffenroth one happy baseball coach. Well, as happy as a baseball coach can be before the season starts.

The Bears start six three-year starters. His entire infield is made up of players who have started since their sophomore season and his pitching staff is built around starters with two seasons of Greater Spokane League experience under their collective belts.

“This group has been together as a group since the eighth grade,” Poffenroth said. “They played together on the school team and they’ve played together in summer league. They like playing together on the same team.”

Two years ago, when Dane Berg, David Borgman, Cory Mack, Joe Arlt, Scott Simon and Fano Pau were first put on the CV line-up card, the coach figured the team would take a few lumps.

“I did think that,” he said. “But they surprised me. We were pretty competitive right from the start.”

Having already played together for several years, the group came with its own team chemistry.

“We’ve been playing together so long that we knew each other,” Borgman said. “If one of us have a bad game or starts to get down, we know just exactly what to say to help bring them back up. That helps a lot, especially when you’re in a nervous situation.”

Starting as a sophomore in the Greater Spokane League, facing pitchers, many of whom have gone on to play for Division I college teams, is enough to make any young player nervous.

“It was a little scary taking over as sophomores,” Borgman said. “I know I was nervous. I was taking over at second base for a very good second baseman. Luckily I have a very good coach (former major leaguer Bump Wills) who understood what I was dealing with and helped me settle in.”

The young Bears got over their nerves quickly.

By the end of the year the team finished with a winning record, won its way through the district tournament and reached the Class 4A regional.

“That was pretty heady stuff – getting that close to making the state tournament as sophomores,” Borgman said. “We were excited.”

“For me, it was all about not letting down the seniors we had on that team,” said Mack, an outfielder and pitcher. “My brother was a senior on that team (catcher K.C. Mack) and I wanted to make sure he had the best possible senior year.”

Now the sextet wants to do the same for themselves.

“I have been so excited for this season that it’s hard for me to explain it,” Mack said. “Last year didn’t end so well for us and that’s been eating at me ever since. It’s what made me want to do everything I could do to make myself ready for this year.”

In Mack’s case, that meant an intense training regimen.

“I worked with Drew Buchkoski at APX Strength,” he explained. “He works with a lot of the Ferris football players. I’ve never worked that hard in my life and it’s made a world of difference. I’m in better shape than I’ve ever been before and I can already see the difference, even in my pitching velocity.”

Mack was one of several pitchers who struggled with injuries a year ago – all the more motivation for his new workout program.

“We had a lot of guys struggle with injuries, especially pitchers,” he said. “We did our best to fight through it, but we just couldn’t do it and we never made it out of district. This year we want to play for a state championship – Central Valley hasn’t done that in a very long time.”

In a nutshell, that’s the kind of attitude Poffenroth wants to see this season.

“I told the team from the beginning that they couldn’t just come in here, start as sophomores and not get better,” he said. “They had to keep working to get better if they were going to be successful. To be honest, I’ve been waiting to see from this group. You’re going to always have a few guys who stay committed and some that get interested in other things.

“That’s the difference between the guys who want to go on and play at the next level and those who are going to play their last game as a high school senior.”

The group started to see some breakthroughs last year, despite falling short of their playoff goals. Berg was the All-GSL shortstop a year ago and Simon was the second-team All-GSL first baseman.

“I know I want to keep playing beyond this year,” Mack said. “No question about it.”

“I want to keep playing at the next level, but it’s going to be strange,” said Borgman. “I’ve been playing alongside Dane for so long that it’s going to be strange having to give up my shortstop.”