The Vancouver Jayhawks will begin their 2012 summer campaign tonight with a league opener against Granite Construction from Camas.  The Jayhawks enter 2012 with high expectations due to their loaded roster with depth at every position.  On top of depth, the Jayhawks are also big on experience, with 12 seniors and one college player leading a team of all upper-classmen.  The Jayhawks complete roster includes 18 total members, with only 13 on the regular roster and five used as tournament add ons.  

The infield is stacked with good athletes with solid hands and strong arms who are versitile enough to play multiple positions.  At third base, look for two Fort Vancouver Trappers, Andy Johnson and Anthony Gardner to see most of the playing time. Gardner was a second team all 3A GSHL selection as a utility player this past season, and participated in the 2012 senior all-star game.  The middle infield spots wll be rotated amoungst a host of solid players depending on pitching match-ups.  Mountain View senior Jake Shelly, a good athlete with great hands who was named first team all 3A GSHL this past season and a senior all star is one of a quartet of good players.  Another Thunder senior, Izayiah Allen, will also see time up the middle along with Woodland senior Troy Wasson, a first team all-league pick in 2012 and senior all-star.  Marcus Deal, a 2011 graduate of Ridgefield High School will be the other mainstay.  Deal was a first team all Trico league pick during both his junior and senior campaigns.  The infielders will have two big targets to throw to over at first base as La Center's 6'5 Levi Van Tol and 6'6' AJ Meyers will split time at the corner.   

In the outfield, the Jayhawks have a conbination of good arms and speed.  Roaming centerfield will be either Washougal senior Alec Fuller, who was tabbed by the 2A GSHL coaches as a first team pick this past season or Alex Boyer, a junior from Ridgefield who was named all 1A Trico league this season. In right, look for Mountain View seniors Connor Atchinson and Justin Rinta to shine. Both young men were named senior all-stars for 2012.  In left, La Center junior Josh Soskie, who was named second team all 1A Trico league this season, will see a lot of time. Somewhat new to baseball, Soskie is a natural athlete with extremely quick hands at the plate. 

With such an experienced group of great players, the Jayhawks main goal will be to win the Senior Babe Ruth State Championship this July in Camas, WA. With a tournament title, the Jayhawks would then head to the Pacific Northwest Regionals in Kent, WA with a shot at earning a trip to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in August.