Valley teams prepare for challenges

Scratch the surface of every baseball or softball coach and, underneath, you’ll find an expert on the properties of dirt.

It’s a necessary expertise.

When the “spring” high school sports season technically begins in late February, you need a solid, working knowledge of things like frost layers and drainage patterns. It’s one thing to manicure a field for a game in June. It’s another to get ready for a season that begins play the second full week of March and, on the first day of spring turnouts, your field is covered in a blanket of snow and ice.

“We’ve been out pretty much the whole time,” University coach Jon Schuh said. “We were inside the first couple days. We’ve been on the JV field. Once the frost layer thawed our field drained right away and we were able to get on it and start work.”

At West Valley, coach Paul Cooley was pleased with the way his varsity field shaped up after a string of days when the temperature cracked 50 degrees. But his outfield was a concern.

The Eagles share their complex with the boys soccer team. The day before the team opened its nonleague season with a home game with Priest River, the soccer team was busy with a nonleaguer of its own.

“They do a pretty good job of chewing up right field,” he said. “Not only that, they drag a bench out there and leave huge holes in the field. It makes playing right field a real challenge.”

The primary challenge for the three Greater Spokane League teams in the Spokane Valley will be contending with defending state champion Shadle Park, led by one of the most dominant pitchers in the country, senior Sam Skillingstad – the league’s Most Valuable Player her first three seasons with the Highlanders.

North Central, too, has a top-ranked flamethrower in the middle circle in sophomore Kelsie Vallies, a first-team All-GSL pitcher a year ago, leading the team to a fourth-place finish at the state Class 3A tournament.

Central Valley Bears

“We graduated three all-league seniors who are all now playing college softball,” said coach Jeff Van Horne said. “That tells you a little bit about the kind of players they were. I really admire players who have that kind of dedication and desire. I really do.”

The toughest loss from last year’s regional qualifying-team was first-team All-GSL catcher Mickenzie Alden, now playing a continent away at Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey. Two-thirds of the Bears outfield last year also is now in the community college ranks. Outfielder Emily Anderson is at Walla Walla while Ana Rockstrom is at Blue Mountain.

The cupboard is not bare on Sullivan Road, however.

Junior shortstop Alexa Morales, one of the league’s most potent bats, was a first-team All-GSL designated hitter a year ago while utility player Alyssa Erickson was a second-team selection. Senior Stefanie Siddoway, now at third base, was an all-league outfielder following her sophomore season.

The catching chores will go to senior Hailey Saxby, with sophomores Becky White and Rachel Ford seeing some playing time behind the plate as well.

Junior pitchers Lauren Mandler and Alyssa Ericson are starting their third season in the middle circle for the Bears. They were 14-5 as freshmen and hurled the team to a 15-10 record a year ago.

East Valley Knights

The Knights lost just two players from last year’s 6-14 team.

Three-sport standouts Morgan and Bryana Manchester will play shortstop and second base, respectively, this season. Morgan Manchester started the season at short a year ago, but moved to the outfield

A trio of sisters will see action as well.

Senior Ryleigh Riggan, sister of former Knight Bret Riggan, who now pitches for Spokane Falls Community College, is the team’s starting pitcher. Sophomore Allie starts at third base while freshman sister Baily will swing between the varsity and jv. She will catch and play shortstop for the varsity and short for the jv.

“Baily can really play anywhere,” coach Kurt Krauth said. “We want to make sure she gets a lot of playing time. She’ll be a quality back-up for us on the varsity and play everyday with the JV.”

Junior Justine Simpson returns at first base and junior Kelsey Kurtz has blossomed behind the plate.

“Kelsey started for us last year, but I don’t think she really believed she should be there,” Krauth said. “But she had an outstanding volleyball season and I think that success carried over for her. She’s confident this year and it shows. It’s amazing how success in another sport translates.”

Junior Echo Abramson pitched and played outfield a year ago; this year she has given up pitching. Senior Marissa Ragan is a leader in the outfield

University Titans

The Titans, who finished second a year ago with a 16-4 league record, got their defense fine-tuned in the fall, winning the slow-pitch title by holding off CV in the championship game.

“You can do a lot of good things with the slow-pitch season,” Schuh said. “Obviously you can get a lot of work in on your defense – especially with your outfielders. They see a lot more chances in slow-pitch then they ever do in fast-pitch,

“And even with your hitting, you can work on your fundamentals.”

The infield defense is set, with junior Ali Warren, an all-league first-team pick a year ago, at third, and seniors Amanda Hickman at shortstop, Lexi Obenchain at second and Riki Schiermeister at first. All four have been together a long time.

“Riki is a four-year starter at first base and while Lexi wasn’t a starter right away, she ended up filling in when Riki got hurt in the district and regional tournaments her freshman year,” Schuh said. “The thing is, we’re going to lose a big group of quality seniors after this year.”

The outfield is in solid shape as well. Senior Alyssa Hawley, a first-team All-GSL pick a year ago, is a veteran center fielder, as is senior Kayla Roberts in left.

Senior Shelby Bethel was a second-team All-GSL pitcher a year ago and sophomore Mollie Beulow is solid. Freshman Devyne Johnson is likely to see action in the middle circle as well as a utility infielder. Sophomore Alene Bethel steps in behind the plate, replacing the graduated Ashley Fargher.

Sophomore Ashley Moon is a solid utility player who will see action all over the infield.

West Valley Eagles

The Eagles finished tied with Clarkston for third-place in their first season in the Great Northern League. Both teams finished with 8-6 league records, far behind league champion Colville, which went undefeated at 14-0, and Pullman, which finished 12-2.

“Colville just has a great program in place up there,” Cooley said. “Once you have a program like that in place, it has a way of sustaining itself.”

West Valley lost just two starters from last year’s squad, leaving a solid, veteran core to build on.

The Eagles return all-league outfielder Chelsea Bowman, but all-league DH/catcher Allie Isaac is not out. Senior Stephanie Hjortedahl was a second-team all-league first baseman a year ago and center fielder Brittany Anderson was a second-team pick as well.

Shannon Garbe and Camille Mackey both are veterans in the infield, as is Missy Carey, who joined the team Monday after helping lead the girls basketball team to its first state tournament appearance in 11 seasons. Carey will start at second base while Mackey shifts to right field, where she is joined by returning starter Hannah Begley in left.

Sophomore Candace Boyd moves from third base to behind the plate.

Sophomore Rachel Meagley already is a veteran pitcher. Seniors Chelsea Bowman and Lindsay Shephard both will pitch as well.