Rams lean on each other
For coaches and teachers, there’s something special about seniors, and that’s especially true this season for Riverside baseball coach Ron Davis.
The eighth-year varsity mentor has six seniors, all of whom have been in the Rams program for four years. Three of them have been on the varsity since their freshman year, and a fourth came up as a sophomore.
But what makes this year unique for Davis is that, as the parent of a daughter who’s also in the senior class at Riverside, he’s come to know this group of graduates better than most, on and off the diamond.
The Riverside seniors are four-year lettermen Zak Davis, Grady Ryan and Jason Paul; Tyler Trudeau, who joined the varsity a year later; and Nick Mayfield and Brad Collier.
“I always hate to see it come to an end,” Davis said recently, “because over four years you become a family. Because of my own circumstances here, we spend a lot of time together, and I’ve got to know this group better than most.”
After what Davis characterizes as some lean times in the past few seasons, the Rams had rolled up a 12-7 overall record entering last Tuesday’s Great Northern League finale against Colville. The Rams really took off in last season’s district tournament, when they came out of nowhere to fall one win short of qualifying for the state 2A tournament.
“It’s really been rewarding to watch them mature and come to truly understand the game,” said Davis.
“I think their experience has been the key to their success this season. We’ve seemed really young for a long time, but they learned how to deal with adversity and have become a pretty tight group.”
In many athletic programs, younger players serve as caddies for juniors and seniors, but Davis’ philosophy turns that notion upside down.
“At Riverside,” he said, “our seniors are there to serve the younger kids instead of the other way around. I’d call it a mentoring approach. I remember when I was younger, freshmen were always demeaned by the older kids, and when I came here, I wanted to change that and give the seniors the responsibility of serving as role models.”
Davis also gave a quick rundown on each of the seniors.
•”Grady Ryan is a quiet leader, always there to help, do whatever he can for the team and let his playing do the talking. He’s hitting over .400 and is one of our most versatile guys.
•”Jason Paul is a dominant right-handed pitcher in the GNL and will go to Everett Community College in the fall. He’s another quiet kid, but he’s 6-4 or 6-5, and he got people’s attention in districts last year.
•”Zak Davis is our vocal leader. He’s made only one error in the last two years at first base, and he’s a good contact hitter – he’s only struck out four times all season.
•”Tyler Trudeau is back at second base after playing third last year. He’s probably our hardest worker, the first to get there and the last to leave, and other kids notice that. He loves the game.
•”Nick Mayfield is playing behind two pretty good first basemen, but he never complains and keeps everybody loose in the dugout with his one-liners. Nick’s always done whatever we need.
•”Brad Collier finally got his shot on the mound this year, and he’s filled in for us several times there.”
Davis appreciates the opportunity to coach at a school small enough that he gets to know kids on a personal level and teach them about the game. But he also teaches them about loyalty, to each other and to the program, and that – no matter what – they’re always going to be Rams.