Eagles, Knights: Which Will Have Most Diamond Sparkle?

Frontier baseball

Don’t let last year’s East Valley and West Valley baseball records deceive.

Runaway league champion and regional qualifying EV finished with a 17-6 record. The Eagles, meanwhile, were 8-16.

Records notwithstanding, both teams should be in the hunt for this year’s Frontier League regular season title.

Each returns most of their lineups and EV had all it could handle against WV last year in a taut two-game district playoff final.

“West Valley has a good team and we’ve got to beat them,” said Knight coach Kurt Krauth. “I always tell the kids that.”

Eagle coach Ray Riggin said, “East Valley is the team to beat.”

The Knights graduated four players from their first Region IV tournament appearance in 13 years.

West Valley brings back all but two players, including its entire pitching staff and seven position starters.

Amid all that experience are two individuals - EV’s Raymond Ruiz and WV’s Chris Hilsabeck - who will each be a starter for a fourth year.

“That is a rare thing,” said Krauth. “Those are two great players and two good kids.”

Ruiz plays shortstop and pitcher. Hilsabeck is in centerfield.

“People will have a chance to see two incredible talents who are really good friends,” said Riggin. “Who’ll be the league most valuable player?”

It could come down to whichever team wins the league championship.

This year’s Frontier League counts just nine games instead of last year’s 12. Like last year, league champion is byed into the four-team district finals and must lose twice. One team qualifies for regionals in Yakima.

Knights seek to repeat titles

The talent is there for EV to duplicate last year’s league title.

It just might not come as easily.

“We should be really good,” said Krauth. The league, he added, will be improved.

Ten players are back for the Knights. Almost all can pitch, including Ruiz, Josh Bauch, middle infielders Allen Krant and Adam Stultz.

Other pitching prospects are junior backup catcher Chris Morgan, centerfielders Steve Henderson and junior newcomer Matt Monte.

“We have a lot of non-league games which is an opportunity for everybody to get innings and find out who’s better,” said Krauth.

Senior Ty Windhorst returns at catcher. Junior David Marlow moves to first base. Third-year player Justin Lanphere is at second and his brother, sophomore Shae Lanphere is back in right field.

Completing the squad are senior third baseman Chris Elam and junior leftfielders Patrick Valenzuela and Joey Binder.

“Our goal is to win league,” said Krauth. “I feel we have a good chance.”

WV builds on season’s end

After a horrendous start, the Eagles won six of their last 11 games.

Included was a victory and one-run loss against EV in the district finals.

“We had a lot of young kids and none of them had experience,” said Riggin. “By the end of the season all our fundamental work paid off.”

Those players are back, hoping to build on the strong finish.

They include Hilsabeck and pitcher-third basemen Eric Biesen and Joe Cahalan.

“I thought by the end of the season we had the two best pitchers in league,” said Riggin.

The veteran lineup also features pitcher Shane Bilderback, catcher Ryan Box, first basemen Matt Hietala and Brad Mertens, shortstop Ian Harty, second basemen Jason Hollifield and Tony Kopp and outfielders Matt Risley, a sophomore, and Corey Cossette, a senior.

Transfer newcomers are senior pitcher Derrien Waldron and junior outfielder Brandon Strobel.

Riggin doesn’t want to get his hopes too high, but he is optimistic about West Valley’s chances.

This year’s Eagles, he said, might be the most complete he’s coached when compared with previous teams that won three league titles and two district championships to qualify for regionals.

“It sounds like I’m setting ourselves up for a fall,” he said, “but we have pitching, we have hitting and we have speed. I think it will be a fun season.”