Big Task Rebuilding At Wv

Thu., March 16, 2000

By Mike Vlahovich mikev@spokesman.com (509) 927-2180

West Valley baseball

Although West Valley’s baseball team has few returnees from last year, Doug Semler views the upcoming season as an opportunity.

Semler is serving as Eagle interim coach, in the absence of Ray Riggin who was placed on administrative leave recently.

“It will be a challenge, no doubt about it,” said Semler. “Why am I taking the job? What better time to see what we can do and see what happens.”

Semler faces a daunting task. He must replace virtually the entire lineup, including all of WV’s pitching.

Only three players return from last year, standout junior outfielder Matt Risley and senior infielders Tony Kopp and Jason Hollifield.

Risley moves into centerfield, Kopp is at shortstop and Hollifield at third base. Both seniors may be asked to pitch and Kopp is being tried at catcher.

“The kids know this already, they’ll have to be versatile,” said Semler. “I don’t want it that way, but we’re so inexperienced they’ve got to.”

None of the pitchers throws hard, so Semler is banking on an athlete like senior control pitcher Nick Hagarty to provide five innings of work and getting someone like Hollifield to close.

First-year varsity seniors Chris Moan, Wes Thew and Marc Larson figure to be in the lineup, with juniors and sophomores filling out the remainder of the positions.

Semler knows he has his work cut out for him. But the 1984 WV graduate opted to try baseball in college instead of accepting a football scholarship to the University of Montana.

He said he wanted to see what baseball brought him. As interim coach of the Eagles for now, he wants to find out what he can bring to baseball.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Baseball rosters West Valley Returnees

Tony Kopp, sr. shortstop/catcher

Jason Hollifield, sr. third base/pitcher

Matt Risley, jr. outfield Newcomers

Chris Moan, sr.first base

Wes Thew, sr. first base

Nick Hagarty, sr. pitcher/second base

Marc Larson, sr. outfield

Craig McIntyre, jr. outfield

Tyler Dykes, jr. catcher/infield

Justin Garner, jr. pitcher

Chris Bemis, soph. second base

Eric Roethle, soph. shortstop

Bobby Downs, soph. catcher

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.