Top-Notch Duo Help North Stars Lead League Matt Armitage, Grant Reeves Excel In Legion Play

Maybe it is because they and their team are having banner summers, but two baseball players are enjoying this summer’s inaugural Spokane American Legion AAA season.

Matt Armitage and Grant Reeves of the league-leading North Stars, are among the leaders in just about every offensive statistical category and - in some pitching categories as well - in the new league.

The league setup Spokane is experimenting with is patterned after other leagues in the state where teams draw from more than one school.

The AAA league is composed of five teams, each drawn from several high schools. The North Stars, for example, have players from Mead, Rogers, Chewelah, Deer Park and Riverside.

“When you draw the best players from several different schools,” said North Stars coach Scott Rogers, “you increase the talent, depth and ability to play the game.”

Those are ingredients that jump out at centerfielder Armitage, at last report the league hitting leader with a .485 average.

“I think it has been pretty effective,” said Armitage, who went to state with Mead’s team last summer.

“The games are a lot closer. You go into every one knowing the other team has quality pitching.”

Armitage was an all-GSL rightfielder for the Panthers and will play baseball at Olympic Community College. Even though he’s playing in tougher competition, his batting average is 100 points higher than during the school year and he leads the league in runs and doubles.

“Summer ball is just more relaxed,” Armitage said of his success. “And I’ve been told to hit everything up the middle.

“In school ball I was pretty much pulling everything.”

The 58-game schedule his team is playing, including 25 league games plus games against outside teams, has been beneficial.

“I think it has been good for me because we’re playing a lot of games and seeing good players,” said Armitage. “I’m playing in college and need as many repetitions as possible.”

Teammate and first baseman-pitcher Reeves has other reasons for liking the concept. He said he wants to play at the highest level of baseball possible.

Because he wasn’t good enough last summer to make Mead’s state-qualifying team, Reeves took that as a challenge and had an all-star season for another squad.

So far this year he is the league leader in home runs and RBIs. He also has won three games as a pitcher and leads the league in strikeouts.

Pitching is a secondary avocation for Reeves, whose wildness keeps hitters on their toes.

“Last Legion season was the last time I pitched, in the ninth inning of the All-Star game because I was the only one left,” he said.

If he did pitch, it was for batting practice because he is left-handed, or when the junior varsity had a huge lead.

“I didn’t know I could do it. I don’t even know if I’ll pitch next year in school ball,” said Reeves.

But because he took a devil-may-care approach to the position, he’s enjoying unexpected success.

“I wasn’t a pitcher so I didn’t care how I did,” he said. “Getting on the mound was just a blast.”

Their successes and that of their teammates, who are 15-5 in league and 28-15 overall, are a product of the new program, said Rogers.

“All bring different things to the game,” said the Legion coach and assistant at Gonzaga University. “All were stars where they came from, and this group has done an exceptional job of identifying roles and strengths.”

For example, Mike Williams from Rogers has won a league-high eight games. Tony Johnson of Mead has seven saves as a closer in relief.

Second baseman Dan McRae of Chewelah bats leadoff and is among the runs leaders.

The North Stars at one point had the top three run-scorers, top four RBI producers, top three home-run hitters and the leaders in doubles and triples.

But that isn’t the reason the team is in first place, said Rogers. Other teams have hitters who are just as good or have stronger pitching.

“The talent level from team to team is consistent. There is not one that is physically superior to the others,” said Rogers.

Minimizing mistakes, said Rogers, is what wins baseball games.

, DataTimes