Panthers Bat In Gsl Forecast With Legion Play

It is what the Mead baseball team was expected to do during the Greater Spokane League season.

In 1994, the Panthers won eight games decided by a run - and captured the GSL crown. In ‘95, the Panthers lost seven games decided by a run - and finished in seventh place.

So now, as M&L Construction in the American Legion summer league, Mead is back to doing what it does best.

Winning.

“They knew they were a better team than their 7-9 record of this last season indicated,” M&L coach Keith Ward said. “Legion has been a good opportunity to show that they were a better team.”

M&L won the North Division title with a 22-3 record, edging out Chapter 11/Longhorn Barbecue (Shadle Park), which posted a 21-4 record. Both team finished with better records than the South Division champion, Spokane Federal Credit Union (20-5).

In the first round of the playoffs, M&L swept a best-of-three series against Spokane Athletic Supply in two games, while Chapter 11/Longhorn Barbecue did the same against SFCU.

M&L and Chapter 11 will begin a best-ofthree series Friday at Shadle Park at 7 p.m.

As for the regular season, M&L made a mockery out of opposing pitchers and catchers.

Sam Chimienti, who will play at Whitworth College next year, batted .462 and drove in 18 runs.

Ray Hattenburg, bound for Washington State University to play baseball, hit .476, had 22 RBIs and was 16 for 16 in stolen bases.

“We run a lot to put pressure on the defense,” Ward said.

M&L stole 90 bases in 107 attempts.

Meanwhile, Jeff Rinck batted .339 while posting a 7-0 record as a pitcher.

John Barneson, who will be a senior next year, batted .433 this legion season. A transfer from Northwest Christian, Barneson played for the junior varsity at Mead during the GSL season.

If Barneson works hard into next year, he could become one of the premier players in the league.

Last week, Mead baseball coach Dave Vaughn received a call from Stanford University inquiring about Barneson.

Also for M&L, Nick Gonnella batted .325 while catching more than 20 games behind the plate.

Of the players on this team with more than 10 at-bats, only two are batting under .300.

“The team batting average is .369,” Ward said. “That is our strength. The pitching has been great, but our offense has been our strong point.”

And speaking of pitching, after Rinck, Pat Wise compiled a 4-0 record while sophomore Rob Elmer went 4-1 and Evan Thomas went 4-0.

Ward, who had coached some of the M&L players when they were much younger, admitted that he was somewhat surprised by the way the team played this summer.

“It’s (the American Legion season) more relaxed than the Greater Spokane League season,” Ward said. “I knew that we’d be competitive and make a run for the division crown, but I didn’t think we’d win 22 games.”

Legion baseball notes

M&L’s Chimienti, Hattenburg and Matt Armitage have been selected to represent the North Division All-Stars as they take on the South Division All-Stars at Shadle Park at 7 p.m. Sunday

Also representing the North will be Maxwell House’s (North Central) Steve Sebesta, Hillyard Boosters’ (Rogers) Cory Smiley and Shawn Carlson, and Chapter 11/Longhorn Barbecue’s Chris Wilson, Joe Dunsmoor and Aaron Hancock.

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