Gosch Aims For Next Level Cda’S Left-Hander Has State Berth In His Sites

If the pattern continues, Kirk Gosch’s pitching performance in the District I American Legion baseball tournament should be near-flawless.

The Coeur d’Alene/Atlas left-hander threw a no-hitter in the high school district championship game in the spring, earning Coeur d’Alene a trip to state.

Gosch, a senior to be at CdA, went 5-2 in the prep season, and that success has continued this summer. He goes into the Legion district tourney today with a 6-3 record, his three losses, all close, coming against high-caliber teams outside the area.

The bad news for the other five teams in the district is that Gosch seems to be pitching as well as he has all summer.

Last week, CdA stayed in the hunt for the North Idaho league title when Gosch recorded a 6-3 win over eventual champ Lewis-Clark at Lewiston.

On Monday, Gosch earned CdA the second seed in the district and stopped Prairie from winning the league title with a 13-0 victory over the Post Falls/Rathdrum club.

Half of his wins have come against rival Prairie, a fact that prompted Prairie coach Darren Taylor to call Gosch the best pitcher in the state.

That may not be true - a couple of Boise pitchers might offer an argument - but Gosch is certainly among the best. And with another year of prep and Legion ball ahead of him, he certainly will be considered among the best.

Gosch has drawn some attention this summer from pro scouts and college coaches. He’s kept it in perspective, though, suspecting that most of the attention is because he is left-handed.

“I definitely want to play as long as I can; I want to make a career out of this,” Gosch said.

Baseball runs in the family. Gosch is the youngest of three boys, and his older brother, Grant, was drafted by the Houston Astros.

Grant, a left-hander, started his three-year pro career in right field before the Astros tried to make him into a pitcher. Garrett, the middle brother and a right-hander, played briefly at Lewis Clark State College before quitting.

“He mixes his pitches up well,” said L-C coach Kevin Matthews, a former pitching coach and pitcher at Lewis-Clark State. “I was in (LC coach) Ed Cheff’s office the other day and noticed (Gosch’s) name on his desk.”

To say Gosch is competitive is an understatement.

“He rides a fine line bordering on tearing his team apart and giving us the best he can,” CdA coach Tracy Turrell said. “His aggressiveness and competitiveness lead us. We dare a lot, and he’s one of those types of players.”

Gosch believes he’s much improved over the high school season.

“My arm is getting stronger because I’ve learned a lot more,” said Gosch, who has attended a couple of camps.

Added Turrell: “He has the natural tools.”

Gosch ranks as one of CdA’s top hitters, too.

Turrell doesn’t keep statistics, but Gosch, who usually bats cleanup, figures he’s hitting near .515 - tops or in the top two on the team. He leads the team in RBIs and runs scored.

Gosch expects good things this weekend. The top two teams advance to state, which will be held Aug. 1-4 at Pocatello.

“We’re really starting to step it up,” Gosch said. “I’m proud of our team and how it’s come together.”

The favorite?

Flip a coin.

L-C, the defending district champ, CdA/Atlas and Prairie all could win the tourney.

There’s a big gap between the top three and the bottom three. So there shouldn’t be any upsets.

In openers today at North Idaho College, No. 3 seed Prairie (32-18) takes on No. 6 Sandpoint (14-19) at 10 a.m. In the second game, No. 4 Trail (20-23) meets No. 5 Moscow (20-20) at 1 p.m.

In the final game, No. 2 CdA/ Atlas (32-16) takes on the Prairie-Sandpoint winner at 4.

The tourney concludes Sunday at noon with the championship game.

Which team is hottest?

It’s hard to say. Prairie had won 11 straight before back-to-back losses against L-C and CdA last weekend.

L-C (29-15) was 23-7 at one point in the season. And CdA is coming off a big win Monday over Prairie, 13-0.