2013 Class 2A GSHL, All-League Baseball Team

All-league team as voted upon by league coaches.

Player of the year: Ryan Littlefield, sr., Mark Morris

FIRST TEAM

Tanner Ruffe, jr., P, R.A. Long

Riley Johnston, jr., P, Mark Morris

Joel Worden, jr., P, Hockinson

Nick Martin, jr., P, Ridgefield

Brandon Casteel, so., C, Washougal

Brock Myklebust, sr., C, Mark Morris

Tanner Brill, sr., IF, Mark Morris

Max Tilton, jr., IF, Mark Morris

Brady Hulings, jr., IF, Mark Morris

Joe Siegel, sr., IF, Ridgefield

Jarred Gomez, sr., IF, Hockinson

Sam Gillenwater, sr., OF, Ridgefield

Hiro Husakabe, sr., OF, Mark Morris

Doug Jason, sr., OF, Mark Morris

Thomas Kirschenbaum, sr., OF, Hockinson

Johnny Osborne, sr., UT, Ridgefield

Rauson Fine, sr., UT, R.A. Long

Taylor Ellensohn, jr., UT, Hockinson

Dylan Butler, sr., DH, Hockinson

HONORABLE MENTION

Spencer Thorsen, so., R.A. Long; Taylor Rennaker, jr., Hockinson; Eric Rosellini, sr., R.A. Long; Taylor Mosier, sr., Mark Morris; Ian Williams, sr., Ridgefield; Jose Hiojosa, jr., R.A. Long

 

 

 

 

All-league ballots have been totaled and the Greater St. Helens All-League team has been announced.  R.A. Long has two first team members; senior Alex Pickett was a first team infielder, and sophomore Jose Hinajosa was a first team pitcher.  Coach Castro was named the 2012 Coach of the Year and Ryan Dahl, Eric Rosellini, and Tanner Ruffe earned honorable mention honors.  The entire 2012 GSHL2A All-League team is listed below:

             Greater St. Helens 2A

 

                                     2012 All-League

 

                                                                                  MVP

                                                               Seth Pedersen Sr. Mark Morris

 

                                                                        Coach of the Year

                                                                     Jason Castro RA Long

 

                                                                         1^ST TEAM

Pitchers                                                           Outfield

Michael Capps (Sr.) Hockinson                        Casey Tilton (Sr.) Mark Morris        

Justin Babikoff (Sr.) Hockinson                         Alec Fuller (Sr.) Washougal

Jose Hinajosa (So.) RA Long                            Cy Whitmire (Jr.) Woodland

                                                                         Hiro Kusakabe (Jr.) Mark Morris

                                                                                                                                                               

Infield

Tanner Brill (Jr.) Mark Morris                           Catcher

Doug Macdonald (Sr.) Hockinson                    Bryce McQuivey (Jr.) Woodland        

Jake Manson (Jr.) Hockinson                           Tyler Purkeypyle (Sr.) Washougal

Alex Pickett (Sr.) RA Long                         

                                          

Utility                                                              Designated Hitter

Troy Wasson (Sr.) Woodland                           Ryan Littlefield (Jr.) Mark Morris

Zach Brill (Sr.) Mark Morris                                                                                                          

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GREAT MOMENTS IN

R.A. LONG BASEBALL HISTORY

  

“Jacks Win!”

 

 

#1 -  May 22, 2010                 R.A. Long 9, Ellensburg 8           @WF West’s Bearcat Stadium

 Few games, if any, match the come-from-behind excitement of Saturday’s first round state game.  The phrase “refuse to lose” was definitely on display Saturday vs. Ellensburg.  The Bulldogs, ranked 2^nd in the state, jumped out to early leads of 5-0 and 7-1.  However, R.A. Long never pushed the panic button and was able to hang around until the 7^th inning.  With the score in favor of Ellensburg 7-4, the Lumberjacks began their historic comeback.  With one out Levi Welch doubled and Jake Look followed him with a home run.  This brought the jacks to within one run.  Following a pitching change and the 2^nd out being recorded Boston Peterson was hit by a pitch and Jesse Gomez walked.  This set the stage for Tanner Chamberlain’s heroics.  Chamberlain, who quickly fell behind 0-2, hammered a pitch down the left field line for a three run home run.   This was Chamberlains second home run of the game.  The blast put R.A. Long ahead by the score of 9-7.  While Chamberlain rounded the bases mayhem ensued in the crowd as players huddled at home plate.  While Ellensburg didn’t go away quietly in their half of the 7^th, R.A. Long hung on for their first regional victory since 1996 and only the 2^nd in the history of the school.

 

 

“The Run Continues”

 

#2 -  May 28, 2010                 R.A. Long 3, Selah 1                         @ Yakima County Stadium

The 2010 Lumberjack baseball team is now the best baseball team in R.A. Long’s eighty-three year history.  No other Lumberjack baseball team has ever played in a state championship game.  The 2010 Lumberjack team earned this distinction by beating the Selah Vikings, one of the best programs in Washington state history.  Josh Johnson was the man of the hour as he completed a pitching performance for the ages.  While he merely stands 5 foot 7 inches tall he performed like a giant as he held the powerful Vikings offense to one run on seven hits.  He also struck out five while not allowing a walk.  Offensively, the Lumberjacks stepped up huge as they have all season long.  Tanner Chamberlain, Jake Look, and Michael Puvogel delivered clutch two-out RBI’s, to give the Lumberjacks the lead heading into the final inning of play.  Even with Johnson pitching a masterpiece the 7^th inning seemed to last an eternity.  However, the game ended how any good fairy-tale should; by Johnson striking out the final batter of the game.  Thus the R.A. Long Lumberjacks will play for the 2010 state championship.

 

 

“Shot heard round Longview” 

 

#3 -  May 9, 2007       R.A. Long 4, Mark Morris 3            @ Centralia’s Wheeler Field 

All season long Mark Morris was ranked #1 in the state.  The Monarchs won their first sixteen games of the 2007 season.  In R.A. Long’s three league meetings versus Mark Morris the Lumberjacks lost by a combined score of 27-8.  In the last league meeting between the two Longview schools, merely one week before the district tournament, Mark Morris thumped R.A. Long at a packed Lower Columbia’s David Story Field by a score of 16-6.  Consequently R.A. Long limped into the district playoffs as the Greater St. Helens #3 seed, while Mark Morris soared in as the #1 seed and still the #1 ranked team in the state of Washington.  After both teams lost their first round games against Tumwater and Elma of the neighboring Evergreen Conference, the two rivals were matched in a loser-out district playoff game.  Mark Morris eventually pushed across three runs, a score that held up until the bottom of the 7^th inning.  Following three straight walks, and then two strikeouts, Scott Pisapia stepped into the batters box with a chance to be a hero.  After working the count to three balls and two strikes, Pisapia launched a shot that one hopped the left field fence.  All three runners scored easily, thus tying the game at three runs apiece.  As if a triple to tie the game wasn’t exciting enough, the Monarch relay from the outfield was sent sailing into the stands above the Lumberjack dugout.  Consequently, Pisapia was awarded home plate effectively scoring the winning run and setting Jack Nation into complete pandemonium. 

 

 

“The Comeback”

 

 

#4 - April 10, 2010                 R.A. Long 14, Hockinson 13                        @ R.A. Long’s Lumberyard

With the score 13-4 in favor of Hockinson going into the last half of the 7^th inning it wasn’t looking good for the R.A. Long Lumberjacks.  However, not even a deficit of nine runs could thwart the 2010 Lumberjacks as they fought back and scored ten runs to win!  While everyone has heard comeback clichés such as, “you gotta believe – two outs so what – never say die,” I don’t believe any of them adequately captures the emotional excitement of Saturday’s game.  Up until the final inning R.A. Long was getting beat in nearly every phase of the game.  Fortunately the 7^th inning proved all that was needed for victory.  Like most big innings it began with a walk and concluded with clutch hit after clutch hit.  Michael Puvogel belted his 1^st home run of the season, a 3-run jack.  Jake Look and Boston Peterson each slugged key doubles and Tanner Chamberlain came through with the biggest hit of the season.  With the score 13-12 in favor of Hockinson, two outs, and the bases loaded, Chamberlain crushed the first pitch he saw to the left center field fence to end the marathon game.  Pandemonium ensued and the Lumberjacks eked out their 3^rd league victory.  R.A. Long runs their record to 7-1 and is off to one of their best starts in school history.

 

 

“Jacks Shock the World”

 

 

#5 – March 28, 2006              R.A. Long 3, Kelso 2             @ Kelso’s Stan Rister Stadium

Prior to the 2006 school year, Coach Castro took over as the head baseball coach.  However, since there was not a teaching position available at the school Castro was forced to remain teaching at Kelso High.  Considering the fact that both R.A. Long and Kelso were part of the 3A Greater St. Helens league, this was an extremely touchy situation.  Adding to the drama of the long awaited show down Kelso was christening a brand new million dollar stadium, that merely a week earlier was dedicated with the help of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.  When the date of the first meeting finally arrived, the first league game played at Stan Rister Stadium, Castro was met with chants of “traitor, traitor, traitor” by the almost 500 students and community members present.  Considering the fact that the Lumberjacks of a year ago merely won two games and the Hilanders earned a 3^rd place in state trophy, R.A. Long was considered heavy underdogs.  However in a circus-like atmosphere worthy of a playoff game, the Lumberjacks shocked the Hilanders by the nail biting score of 3-2.  R.A. Long went onto finish tied for 2^nd in league and earn the school’s first playoff appearance since 2002.

 

 

“Jacks Throw a Combined No-hitter”  

 

               #6 – March 26, 2011              R.A. Long 8, Molalla, OR. 1                        @ Molalla High School 

Baseball in the northwest is… “problematical.”  Saturday’s scheduled game with Molalla was a perfect example.  Questions such as, “Are we going to be able to play at all?  Will we need to bring the team here to play?  If so, can they get a bus?  Will two fields be playable in order to squeeze in a JV game?” are constantly being asked.  At the end of the day I am exhausted.  However, the Lumberjacks were able to play Saturday where they not only earned their 3^rd victory of the season but also managed to throw a combined no-hitter.  Jesse Gomez, Alex Picket, and Tyler VonDracek teamed up to throw the 2^nd no-hitter in Coach Castro’s tenure.  They also struck out a combined twelve Molalla batters.  While a no-hitter is impressive all by itself, Saturday’s feat was even more remarkable considering both teams were forced to fight wind gusts of up to 35 mph as well as intermittent rain showers.  How anyone was able to concentrate on anything more then, “I can’t feel my face” was truly extraordinary.  The Lumberjacks went on to a 15-win season, finishing 4^th in districts (one spot away from a regional berth), and tallying a school record 35-combined wins in two seasons.

 

 

“The Balk”  

 

#7 – May 3, 2006                Mark Morris 4, R.A. Long 3             @ L.C.C.’s David Story Field

While it is highly unusual to list a game that R.A. Long lost as a great moment in baseball history, “the balk” was just that: a highly unlikely game.  All season long cross town rival Mark Morris was billed as the “team to beat.”  They cruised through league with only two losses, one of which to R.A. Long.  Contrary to Mark Morris, R.A. Long was completing an improbable season in which they had the opportunity to go from last place in 2005 to league champions in 2006.  The game which was played at Lower Columbia’s David Story Field was packed to capacity seating of 1,200 and the victor would be crowned league champion.  The game itself, which was as good of a high school game as you will ever see, see-sawed back and fourth until the very last pitch was thrown.  With the score tied 3-3 the Monarchs came to bat in the bottom of the 7^th inning.  Following a strikeout, a base hit, a double, and an intentional walk, the bases were loaded with only one out.  Future league MVP, Austin Brown, stepped to the plate against R.A. Long flame thrower Karlis Liepa…this was later called the “match-up of the season.”  One could hear a collective gasp from the capacity crowd, which were all on the edge of their seat.  Prior a pitch even being thrown, Liepa came set, Brown asked for time but was not granted time by the home plate umpire.  However for some in-explicable reason Liepa, thinking time was granted, broke his hands while still on the pitchers rubber resulting in a balk and forcing the winning Monarch run home for the final score of 4-3.  While it was anti-climatic and extremely controversial whether this constituted a balk in high school baseball or not the result didn’t change.  R.A. Long lost by the final score of 4-3, effectively handing the league title to Mark Morris.  However, what truly made R.A. Long a winner was how every player and coach involved handled themselves with class and integrity in the face of trying and unusual circumstances.

 

 

“The OTHER School Finally Arrives”

 

 

#8 – April 24, 2006                R.A. Long 12, Kelso 2           @ R.A. Long’s Lumberyard

 

Just three weeks earlier R.A. Long shocked the world by upsetting the mighty Hilanders.  However, around the community the game was merely referred to as a “fluke” or “one-hit wonder.”  Consequently, the second meeting between the two local teams and league rivals was seen as a test to establish whether R.A. Long was a true contender or merely a pretender.  Consequently, the 12-2 drubbing that Kelso suffered at the hands of their cross-town rival did more than just embarrass a proud and storied program.  It went a long way in determining 1) R.A. Long’s earlier victory versus Kelso was not a fluke, and 2) this game was responsible for establishing the Lumberjack baseball program as one of the premier programs in the area.

 

 

“Casey Honey no-hitter”

 

 

#9 – April 26, 2006                R.A. Long 4, Washougal 1               @ Washougal

In a season filled with team success and much anticipated victory, there are bound to be individual feel good stories.  Casey Honey was just that; an individual that simply bought into the system and did whatever was asked of him to help the team win.  On April 26, 2006 helping the team win meant throwing a no-hitter against the league rival Washougal Panthers.  However, Casey’s night didn’t start off perfect.  The first batter of the game hit a check swing soft ground ball back to Honey on the mound.  While Casey cleanly fielded the ball he promptly launched the ball down the right field line.  When the play was finally over the batter had raced all the way to 3^rd base and easily scored on the next ground ball to 2^nd basemen Max Fisher.  However, from that point on Honey was untouchable.  He didn’t allow another base runner the rest of the game while leading the Lumberjacks to their 10^th victory of the season.  Honey’s final line score for the day was 7 innings pitched, 1 walk given up, 4 strikeouts, and most importantly 0 hits allowed.