Prep baseball: Freeman carries depth into state play

All the pop flies, double steals and suicide squeezes have finally led to this: the state high school baseball playoffs.

Several area teams are preparing or traveling to various sites for Saturday games to try to etch their names into the history of their schools.

After dominating the league awards, including an MVP award for sophomore pitcher McKabe Cottrell, the Freeman Scotties (18-4) head to Moses Lake Saturday to take on Zillah in a 1A showdown.

“These guys have put a lot of work in,” Freeman coach Chad Ripke said. “They’ve won a lot of games. Now it’s time to get over that postseason hump and hopefully make a deep run in the playoffs.”

The Scotties’ pitching lineup starts with Cottrell who won eight games with a 1.03 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 54 innings.

Behind Cottrell is last year’s Most Valuable Player, Jake Phipps, who had a record of 4-2 and recorded five saves with an ERA of 1.75.

Phipps and Cottrell combined on a no-hitter on April 18 in a 6-0 win over Medical Lake. Three days later, Cottrell pitched one of his own in a 7-0 win over league foe Colville (16-4), which plays Cashmere in Eastmont.

“That’s the strength of our team,” Ripke said of his pitchers. “We just do a good job of not beating ourselves.”

Cottrell is also hitting .400. He’s joined by catcher Jack Paukert’s .364; first-team all-league second baseman Isaiah Crane, .338; outfielder Derek Smith, .378; and first-team league pitcher Ian Johnston, .344.

All told, the Scotties had the MVP, five first-team all-league selections and three second-team members, including Paukert and Smith.

The Scotties had all their weapons working on April 24 when Freeman won both games of a doubleheader against Riverside with a combined score of 39-0 in 10 innings.

But Ripke said he expects a tough game from Zillah.

“They sound a lot like Colville,” he said. “They are very athletic with a lot of upperclassmen. They can swing it and pitch it well. We just have to play good fundamental baseball.”

The Scotties won the league on a dramatic 11th-inning two-run double by Preston Hoppman to beat Colville last Saturday.

“Games like that will only make you more battle-tested for the postseason,” Ripke said. “That’s going to help us in the playoff-pressure type situations that we’ll be facing this weekend.”

Mt. Spokane seeks to make big run

Mt. Spokane coach Alex Schuerman said he expects to throw Greater Spokane League co-MVP Matthew Pulliam in the 3A showdown against Columbia River (18-4) at Whitworth’s Merkel Field.

Pulliam, who is also an offensive force, suffered a back injury during the season. But Schuerman said he’s fully recovered.

“The boys would rather travel. There is a lot of fun in traveling,” he said.

“But I think from a competitive standpoint, I think it’s (playing in Spokane) going to benefit us.”

The Wildcats have 13 seniors, including shortstop Tyler Bailey (.483), who narrowly missed the GSL batting title.

Bailey led the league with 24 RBIs.

“We have such a senior-laden group,” Schuerman said. “Most of these guys have been in competitive situations all year, so they just know how to react.”

Mt. Spokane came within one run last season of advancing to the state championship game.

“They’d love to make that run again,” Schuerman said. “But they also know that every game is going to be tough.”

U-Hi continues surprising year

The 4A University Titans ended Gonzaga Prep’s season last weekend and are seeking to make history for themselves.

U-Hi (13-9) leaves today for its game with Gig Harbor in Heidelberg Park in Tacoma.

Coach Tom Hoiland said everyone keeps asking him how long it’s been since the Titans have been in the baseball playoffs.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “But it’s been awhile.”

Hoiland said he expects to throw junior Nathan Awbery, who sports a nasty curveball. The Titans also have the services of senior Brian Hill, who won the GSL batting title with a .491 average.

Senior Jared Smith led the league for much of the season before finishing seventh (.429, 19 RBIs, 15 SBs).

The Titans have been up and down all year. On May 8, U-Hi lost 7-3 to G-Prep for the district championship.

The Titans then beat the Bullpups 7-5 in extra innings last weekend to knock them out of the playoffs.

“It was disappointing losing the district championship game,” Hoiland said.

“But I would trade going to state for the district championship any day. This team has exceeded all expectations. We are just going to ride that as long as we can.”