Grizzly seniors ready for one last hurrah
Pirates poised for next step
By Ray Rodriguez
Argus Observer
Thursday, May 14, 2009 9:59 AM PDT
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| Argus Observer file photo Both Fruitland and Payette will hit the diamond today to open the 2009 3A state baseball tournament, which is taking place at Treasure Valley Community College. Payette plays South Fremont at 1 p.m. and Fruitland battles Bear Lake at 7 p.m. |
Fruitland—Tyson Flannery looks up and down at his teammates in the dugout and reminisces of the days past with his brothers in the trenches.
Many of the names like, Nick Varriale, Kyle Blackwell and Zack Fabricius, he has been shoulder-to-shoulder with since he was 6-years-old.
For the senior hurler, he gets a last shot at immortality with chance to lead the Grizzlies to back-to-back state titles.
“I think we’re all really excited to get one last chance at another state championship,” Flannery said. “Back-to-back titles has never been done in school history, so I think we want to get it done in our final go-around. If we get that chance, I think we will be remembered as one of the best teams to walk through this valley. It will be a special time to hold that trophy for one more go.”
The first pitch is slated for 7 p.m. tonight at Elks Memorial Field in Ontario with Flannery expected to get the starting nod against an old nemesis in Bear Lake.
On the year, the Grizzlies have boasted a potent offense, scoring 283 runs for an average of 10.88 runs a game.
The lineup has speed, power and clutch situational hitting from top to bottom.
Flannery said the offense has been hitting its stride of late.
“I think our offense, we have so much speed, it’s a little bit scary,” he said. “We do really well when it comes to hitting the ball hard and hitting line drives. One through nine, I think we are stacked. Our offense has been unbelievable all year.”
Whether it is Flannery, Varriale, Fabricius, Miguel Rios or Reed Johnson on the mound, the solid core of pitchers has held opponents to 71 runs and has 10 shutouts to its credit.
In the past seven games, the Grizzly staff has allowed six runs and has posted four shutouts.
“This, by far, is the most complete team I have ever been a part of,” Flannery said. “We have a great infield, speedy outfielders and a pitching staff that I feel no one can compete with.”
Flannery, who has a batting average of .390 with two home runs and a 6-1 record from the mound with a 1.02 ERA, said he feels a little bit of pressure from the community to bring home another title.
“They have been there through football and basketball, and I think the community is waiting for us to bring back another title,” Flannery said. “The community is ready for us to bust out. We also want to win for coach (Russ) Wright. There is not a better coach to play for. To win back-to-back will be special. It will be really special to win one for him.”
Payette kicks off state action against South Fremont
Payette — For the past three seasons, the building blocks have been set for the foundation of the Payette baseball team.
Even with one more season of eligibility left, juniors Travis Blackwell and Tobby White feel a sense of urgency to get Pirate Nation its state championship trophy.
“I felt like we made some noise at state in years past, and this is the year we finally take that extra step to make it to the championship and not settle for anything less,” Blackwell said.
With a solid showing in the past three years, and coming off a gut-check district championship game against Fruitland, White said he and his teammates owe it to the community to shine brightly.
“We have been waiting for state pretty much all year. This is all that matters,” White said. “I think it is very important for us to show what Payette baseball is all about. The fans have been waiting for this for many years. They deserve a good showing.”
The first test is a hungry South Fremont team that has lost one game this season and last won a state title in 2004.
From the mound, South Fremont has three hurlers in Bryten Farley, Taylor Singleton and Justin Mackert, who can dominate.
Each allow under two runs a game and average two strikeouts per inning.
On offense, the Cougars are solid from one through five, with Payden Hathaway, Singleton, Farley and Alex Eckman spearheading the offense.
“They’re a pretty solid team. We haven’t played them before, but, from what we have heard, they’re tough,” White said.
So far, the Pirates have scored 178 runs in 26 games for an average of 6.84 a contest and have allowed 125 runs.
Payette has held opponents to under two runs on seven different occasions and has one shutout to its credit.
On offense, Brad Pollock leads the top of the order with a .480 batting average, Blackwell leads the squad with four home runs and 35 RBIs and White has put up solid numbers this year with a .400 batting average, leading Payette to an 18-8 record.
After a 7-4 loss to Fruitland in the district championship game, the Pirates sealed a state berth with a 9-1 win over Homedale in the runner-up game.
Blackwell said, from the opening of camp, the team was focused on making a return trip to the state tournament.
“I feel like we have had our ups and downs during the season,” he said. “At districts, we played great and played to our level. We’re ready for this next challenge. We seem to get better around district and state time. We seem to hit better, make less errors on defense, and our pitchers go at batters with that first-pitch strike. We have a lot left in the tank. We’re going to use that for the whole state tournament.”
Now that his team is at state, Blackwell said the focus is on getting Pollock and the other seniors that ever-elusive championship trophy.
“BP Brad Pollock) has been here longer than any of us. He has put in so many hours getting ready for the season,” Blackwell said. “He’s been there for us and he deserves a state championship. I tip my hat to the seniors. This year, they have stepped up. I want to see them holding a state championship trophy because I know it means a lot to them.”
