Lakeside High Hopes To Have Another Winning Season

GNL baseball

It may be difficult for Lakeside High to duplicate last year’s one-loss league baseball effort and 18-4 overall season.

But the Eagles should be in the hunt when the new Great Northern League season begins today.

Lakeside will be tested by a veteran Colville team, which finished third in the Frontier League last season, and Pullman, which placed in the middle of that league before switching conferences.

Riverside also has moved from the Frontier to the GNL.

“We’re right back in it,” Ram coach Dennis Schweitzer said. “It’ll be an interesting league. I’d pick Colville and Pullman but you can’t discredit the other teams.”

Least of all Lakeside. And a veteran Deer Park will be improved.

Lakeside coach remains confident

Despite losing seven seniors to graduation, Lakeside baseball coach Matt Sullivan is quietly confident about his squad’s chances.

“This is supposed to be a rebuilding year,” he said, “but I think we have a strong group of kids.”

Lakeside fields six seniors, four of whom already have two years of varsity experience and were starters last season.

Heading the class is last year’s number two pitcher Kris Granlund, who was all-league last season.

Third-year second baseman Jason Belyea, second-team all-league third baseman Jason Christen, and starting outfielders Tim Weisser and Ian Ashley, a .342 hitter, all return. Senior Jim Spiger will break the starting lineup this year at first.

The remainder of the team includes nine juniors and one sophomore from a junior varsity team that lost one league game last year.

Included are pitcher-players Josh Taylor a sophomore left-hander, juniors Adam Christen, Jake Roney, Miles Rowde and Aaron Williamson.

Pitching and defense will be among Lakeside’s strengths.

“We can throw the ball over the plate and our defense will be strong,” said Sullivan. “One of our main weaknesses will be our inexperience behind the plate.”

Riverside improved over last year

Inexperienced pitching may be the only obstacle for Riverside baseball to overcome this year.

However, the Rams will be better than last year’s 1-17 league record, said Schweitzer.

“We used to talk about just competing and staying in the game instead of winning,” he said. “We’re gonna go beyond that.”

Senior Aaron Vangrimbergan pitched some last year. Newcomer junior Jay Patton looks promising.

Schweitzer also believes the team hitting has improved.

Vangrimbergan and returning senior B.J. Summers are the team’s top offensive players. Returning junior left hander Seth Schurtz and senior Kirk Taylor provide backing.

Defensively, the infield is “very solid,” said Schweitzer.

Senior Jose Ng, is new at shortstop. Brandon Morris, a returning junior, is at second. Newcomer Jason Pangerl, is in the outfield and returning junior, Nick Vannatter, will catch or play outfield.

“There’s no way we could be considered anywhere near the top,” Schweitzer said. “Then again I think we’re gonna surprise people.”

Deer Park on the rise

After a frustrating two years for the Deer Park boy’s sports program, baseball coach Glen Poland is gearing up his team to end the bad-luck streak this spring.

Poland returns for his seventh year of coaching the Stags after his team went 2-17 last year.

“It’s just been real tough the past few years and rough on the kids,” said Poland.

The Stags return all but two players from last year’s lineup. One graduated. The other, outfielder Nolan Jones, the Stags’ top hitter last year, injured a shoulder in wrestling and will miss the season.

“Jones was a great player and it’s too bad because he really wants to play,” said Poland.

Senior Willie Davis, who led the team in hitting with a .370 average, will also pitch for the Stags.

Other returning seniors are pitcher Josh Mitchell, catcher Andrew Helm, third baseman Michael Balfour, second baseman Adam Stevens, and power-hitting first baseman Greg McCollough, who hit .340.

Junior third-year player Brad Martin returns at shortstop and will be on standby as a pitcher.

“We’re further along at this point than we were last year because we’ve been outside and the fact that we have all the returners,” said Poland.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Mike Vlahovich Staff writer Correspondents Rob Milligan, Kathryn Crum and Dustin Newlun contributed to this story.