Chukars host final tournament of season
by Scott Ford
Argus Observer
Friday, March 21, 2008 11:53 AM PDT
Ontario — Beginning today, the Chukars will host three more teams in a weekend event, Clackamas, Linn Benton and Olympic.
Treasure Valley Community College will open against Clackamas at 1 p.m. today followed by a date with Linn Benton at 4 p.m. The Chukars enter the tournament with an 8-6 record and are looking to get their game to the next level this weekend, TVCC head coach Rick Baumann said.
“Defensively we are not playing the way we can,” Baumann said. “We are playing well, and we are not playing well. This is our third tournament that we have hosted, and we have had high expectations, and we have high expectations going into this one as well.”
The Chukars won the consolation game of the last tournament they hosted — the Gentry Ford Baseball Classic, and then the Chukars hit the road to Twin Falls looking to sweep the College of Southern Idaho but came up seven runs short, losing 9-3.
“It seems like we get things rectified, and then we head into the next week, and we are still trying to figure things out,” Baumann said. “But it’s early and that’s what it is all about. At the end of the year we will look back at all these games as unimportant, because the games that matter begin next week.”
However, Baumann wants the team have a good tournament to build momentum heading into league play.
The teams that will compete in the Holiday Inn Baseball Classic are competitive, Baumann said.
“Clackamas and Linn Benton both have good traditions with coaches that have been in the game for more than 20 years,” Baumann said. “They always have competitive teams.”
Bauman said the Olympic team is an unknown due to having a new coach, but Baumann and the Chukars cannot take Olympic for granted because they won the Holiday Inn Baseball Classic last season.
“We know they are competitive team as well,” Baumann said.
Heading into the tournament, Baumann said he is concerned with the team’s defense. The Chukars are averaging three to four errors and game.
“We can’t even play catch right now,” the coach said. “And that has got to end.”
Baumann described them as sporadic, while the hitting and pitching have been good at times.
The team’s most recent loss, to the CSI Eagles, he blames on himself.
“It was a bad time to schedule this game. It was finals week, and we only took 18 players to the game,” Baumann said. “However, CSI played very well. I do not think they could have played any better than what they did.”
Baumann said he is grateful for Holiday Inn and all the sponsorship they do for, not only the baseball team, but the entire athletic program at TVCC.
Baumann said he still has a lot of question marks, and he hopes that this tournament will answer a few of those questions. Questions like solidifying the starting lineup, and finding those players that are ready to step up and get the job done.
Chukar Pitcher Jason VanSkike will not suit up this weekend. Baumann said he is experiencing some elbow problems and will have an MRI Saturday.
“We are hoping it is nothing serious and we will be getting him back soon,” Baumann said. “He has been a real surprise for us this season.”
Jon Keller has also caught the eye of the coaching staff in the early going with his bat. The Chukar clean-up hitter, Cameron Edman, is also seeing the ball well, and Baumann said the rest of the line up needs to start hitting ball around them.
