Inland Empire League baseball
Defending league champ: Lake City
Defending regional champs: Lake City (5A), Sandpoint (4A)
Returning all-league picks: First team – Tom Barlow and Cory Kreighbaum, Lake City; Cody Hill, Lewiston; Cody Brubaker and Kelly Hall, Post Falls; Kevin Maurer, Lewiston. Second team – K.C. McDonald and Jeff Harris, LC; Max Lyons, Coeur d’Alene; Mike Markovich and Brandon Parker, Post Falls; Noah Hawkins, Sandpoint. Newcomer of the year – Chris Butler, Lewiston.
League: Coaches wanted to play the teams in their respective classifications more times than the others, but that created an unbalanced league schedule as 5A teams will play each other four times and play 4A teams twice, while 4A teams will play each other four times and 5A teams twice. That gives 4A teams 18 league games and 5A teams 16 league games. Athletic directors didn’t discover the uneven schedule until it was too late to modify. So they decided that the league championship will be determined by winning percentage and regional seeding will be based on games involving teams from the same division. The athletic directors also decided to go back to a balanced league schedule next year.
Postseason: The regional champs earn automatic state berths. The runners-up can also capture state berths in play-in games against District III (Boise area) teams. The state tournaments will be held May 19-21 at Borah High School in Boise for 5A and at Rodeo Park in Nampa for 4A.
In predicted order of league finish:
Lake City Timberwolves
2004 records: 21-7 overall (State 5A runner-up), 16-4 league (champ)
Current records: 4-1 overall, 0-0 league
Coach: Cory Bridges
Years coaching: 11th
Returning lettermen, starters: 8, 6
Key players: K.C. McDonald, senior, shortstop; Tom Barlow, sr., third base; Alex Capaul, sophomore, right-handed pitcher/first base; Travis Harmon, sr., catcher; Cory Kreighbaum, junior, center field/rhp; Jeff Harris, sr., outfield; Brady Capaul, jr., rhp/of; Brent Everson, jr., second base; Beck Roan, jr., rhp/of; Jestin Kraft, jr., rhp.
Coach’s comments: “There’s no doubt that our chemistry might have been the biggest intangible we had last year. It’s something that develops. I don’t think it’s something you create.”
Outlook: The Timberwolves return their infield intact to go with some proven hitting. LC must rely on defense and hitting to give an unproven pitching staff time to develop. The T-Wolves are slight favorites to defend their league and 5A regional championships. Bridges hopes the confidence gained by finishing second in state carries over this spring. “I want the kids to expect to get back to state,” Bridges said. “Playing with confidence is critical.”
Coeur d’Alene Vikings
2004 records: 10-13, 7-11
Current records: 5-1, 1-0
Coach: Brian Holgate
Years coaching: 9th
Returning lettermen, starters: 8, 4
Key players: Logan Wadsworth, jr., c; Travis Georgius, jr., c/3b; Max Lyons, sr., right field; Shea Vucinich, soph., ss; Kody Winter, sr., lf; Daley Benson, sr., left-handed pitcher; Jake Hall, jr., cf/rhp; Andy Seaman, soph., rhp/1b; Nic Duman, sr., 2b.
Coach’s comments: “Talent-wise, we’re not that far behind (Lake City). The only thing we lack is experience in big games. I’d say Lake City is the favorite, but I wouldn’t say they’re overwhelming favorites.”
Outlook: The Viks must replace their top two pitchers. Senior Jake Haux, a two-year starter, moved and senior Max Lyons won’t be allowed to pitch because of arm problems. Lyons will start in right field, Holgate said. If pitching off a talented junior varsity comes through, the Viks will be in the hunt for league and regional titles. Former Seattle Mariners pitcher Rob Ramsey has joined Holgate’s staff as pitching coach. He retired from baseball, bought a home in CdA and is finishing course work for a teaching certificate.
Lewiston Bengals
2004 records: 22-8, 15-5
Current records: 2-3, 1-1
Coach: Tom Grunenfelder
Years coaching: 11th
Returning lettermen, starters: 7, 6
Key players: Chris Butler, jr., lhp/1b; Cody Hill, sr., 2b; Kevin Maurer, sr., cf; Nick Masters, sr., rhp/infielder; Rob Roth, jr., ss/rhp; Tyler Squires, sr., of/lhp; Noah McKay, soph., of; Mike George, sr., c/rhp.
Coach’s comments: “We’re not going to be the offensive power we’ve been in years past. We can’t sit back and wait to hit it out of the park. But hopefully we’ll be good by the end of the year.”
Outlook: Grunenfelder reports the deepest pitching staff he’s had. Butler, a candidate for player of the year, has a tender arm and won’t pitch until mid-April. Don’t count out the Bengals. They’ll challenge for a state berth based on their pitching alone.
Post Falls Trojans
2004 records: 11-14, 8-12
Current records: 2-3, 1-2
Coach: Mick Zeller
Years coaching: 5th
Returning lettermen, starters: 9, 6
Key players: Cody Brubaker, sr., lhp/1b; Brandon Parker, jr., rhp/ss; Kelly Hall, jr., c; Dan Hamilton, jr., cf; Bobby Kuber, jr., lf; Ray Hansen, soph., rhp/of; Brandon Haas, soph., rhp/1b.
Coach’s comments: “We’re starting to get better athletic kids who are playing other sports. I’d much rather have a two- or three-sport athlete rather than just a baseball kid.”
Outlook: The Trojans have enough pitching to challenge the 5A teams, and are a slight favorite over Sandpoint among the 4A teams. Brubaker, who could be one of the top pitchers in the league, is working through arm problems. He won’t pitch until after spring break.
Sandpoint Bulldogs
2004 records: 14-13 (3rd at State 4A), 10-10
Current records: 2-3, 2-2
Coach: Dave Siemsen
Years coaching: 2nd
Returning lettermen, starters: 7, 5
Key players: Noah Hawkins, jr., rhp/utility; Ryan Argabrite, sr., lf; Glenn Poelstra, sr., lhp/1b; Jacob Way, sr., ss; Ricky Klontz, jr., 2b; Tyler Lichty, soph., 3b/rhp.
Coach’s comments: “Unity carried us last year. Everybody believed we could do it. They finally saw the light on what it takes to be a team and play as a team.”
Outlook: The Bulldogs, who started off 0-6 a year ago, put things together at the right time and rode that momentum to state. If they find the right mix again, they could repeat as 4A regional champ. Like other league teams, the Bulldogs must overcome a key injury to their pitching staff. Hawkins broke a bone in his throwing hand in a non-baseball related mishap a week into practice and won’t return until after spring break.
Lakeland Hawks
2004 records: 16-13, 9-6 (2nd in 3A Intermountain League)
Current records: 1-2, 1-0
Coach: Jason Bradbury
Years coaching: 2nd
Returning lettermen, starters: 7, 4
Key players: David Carlisle, sr., rhp/ss; Ryan Stewart, sr., rhp/2b; Jeremy Roth, sr., cf; Lance Carr, sr., lhp/1b.
Coach’s comments: “We need to start jelling together and playing like we can. It’ll be a challenge (moving up from 3A), but I’m up for the challenge. I just have to get my team up for the challenge.”
Outlook: Carlisle was the Intermountain League player of the year last spring, and the Hawks have two other pitchers with varsity experience in Stewart and Carr to package around Carlisle. Lakeland must play steady defense and get consistent hitting to compete with the bigger schools.
Moscow Bears
2004 records: 4-18, 2-16
Current records: 0-1, 0-1
Coach: Tyler Best
Years coaching: 1st
Returning lettermen, starters: 7, 5
Key players: Ross Steele, jr., rhp/c; Kaleb Maxwell, sr., cf/lhp; Brad Herrenbruck, sr., 3b/rhp.
Coach’s comments: “You don’t always have to have the best players, but you’ve got to have the right mentality. I’m trying to get them to buy into the winning tradition and program that I’ve played under.”
Outlook: Best is Moscow’s third coach in three years – and third coach in as many years from Lewis-Clark State College, the perennial NAIA power. The Bears lack the hitting and pitching depth to challenge for an upper-division finish. But if Best can get the Bears to believe, they may be able to challenge among the 4A teams.