Legion Powers Make Their Pitch

Nine innings. Pitchers who can go that distance will be the most valuable players to their respective teams throughout the District I American Legion baseball tournament at Harris Field in Lewiston.

First-round games in the four-day, double-elimination event start Saturday morning at 9 when No. 4 seed Prairie of Post Falls (26-24) meets No. 5 Sandpoint (13-23).

Defending champ Atlas of Coeur d’Alene (20-24) is seeded third. The Lumbermen take on No. 6 Moscow (5-37) at 12:30 p.m.

The Game 2 winner returns to play No. 2 Trail, British Columbia (29-9), at 4, followed by No. 1 LewisClark of Lewiston (31-15) vs. the Game 1 winner at 7:30.

The championship game will be played Monday, with an if-necessary game scheduled for Tuesday.

Three teams advance to the State AA tournament Aug. 5-9 at the same site. LC, however, has an automatic state berth as the host.

“The big thing is nine innings - which pitchers can make it nine, if any,” Prairie coach Darren Taylor said. “Then you start running down your pitching staff. You’ve got guys who have to fill the gaps, two or three innings. All of a sudden, you need about five or six pitchers.”

League games are seven innings. Now, pitchers can work no more than 12 innings in three consecutive days and make only four appearances in four days.

“As far as playing is concerned, it’s not a big deal,” LC coach Bo Cummings said. “Pitching staff is the biggest concern - who (are) you going to fill in after one of the players goes seven innings? Who’s going to be your stopper?

“We’ve built our team on having deeper personnel in pitching.”

The Twins have eight regular pitchers, plus three others, led by Ryan Baerlocher (7-0), Adam Gomez (6-2) and Mike Wilson (5-3).

LC won 21 of its last 26 games, and is the only team Atlas has yet to beat. The rivalry is heightened by the fact that Lewiston and Coeur d’Alene finished one-two at the Idaho A-1 prep baseball tournament in May.

“We’re right up there with (LC),” Atlas coach Paul Mather said. “The percentages are, we’re going to get them.”

The Lumbermen won six of their last eight games, including a no-hitter pitched by Scharnhorst (4-3) last week at Moscow.

“In the district tournament, there will be a lot of close games,” Mather said. “It always gets down to who has the pitching at the end.”

Prairie favors a four-man pitching rotation, topped by lefty Brett DeBoer (9-3).

“The key for us, it’s simple: If our pitchers throw strikes and if we make the routine plays,” Taylor said. “We’ve got two kids with over 50 RBIs (Joel Gorham and Ryan Novak).”

The Cardinals have just two 18-year-olds on their roster, but finished second at state in 1993 and fifth in 1994.

“Trail has got the advantage,” Taylor said. “Nobody knows any of those kids. They’re almost a new team from last year.”

Sandpoint is Cummings’ dark horse, especially behind pitcher Mike Lindgren (5-8). “Don’t let their record fool you,” he said. “Anything can happen.”

Basketball coach named

Bonners Ferry High has selected Kenny Robertson as its boys basketball coach. He replaces Dick Hollenbeck, who concluded his second tour of Badgers coaching by taking Bonners to the state tournament.

Robertson, 37, previously coached the Badgers’ freshmen team for five years. He played at Lewis-Clark State College and also was head coach at Colton (Wash.) High for one season.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Robertson said. “We’ve got a great bunch of kids coming and they’re good ones to work with.”

His assistant will be Mike Cowley, who will also handle the JV.

Kerns shines

Jennifer Kerns, used to wearing blue from her basketball career at Coeur d’Alene High and Lake City, helped the Blue team win two more games on Tuesday and Wednesday at the World Youth Tournament in Milwaukee, Wis.

Kerns had eight points to help her USA Parade high school All-American teammates drub the Milwaukee Blazers 63-35. The Blue improved to 4-0 in the tourney with a 64-53 victory over Metro Magic Five, an all-star team from Wisconsin and Illinois. Kerns chipped in six points.

Kerns’ club was off Thursday and begins the championship round today as one of only two unbeatens to emerge from pool play.

Triathlon gears up

The Coeur d’Alene Triathlon, set for Aug. 12, is accepting entries.

Entry forms can be picked up at athletic clubs and bike shops in Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

Info: (208) 667-3589.