Depth ... and desire
<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Coeur d'Alene Lumberman Grant Curtis takes the mound against Prairie during an American Legion game July 5 in Post Falls.</p>
<p>SHAWN GUST/Press Prairie's Zack Reeder makes a throw from his knees during a game against the Lumbermen June 8 at McEuen Field.</p>
Coeur d'Alene has been regulars at the state AA American Legion baseball tournament in recent years.
The Lumbermen are making their seventh straight trip to state, and 12th in the last 13 seasons.
They were second in 2001, third four other times, and fourth twice.
One of the things that have kept the Lums out of the title game since '01 has been lack of pitching depth.
'It's important to get the first two wins because it sets you up for the rest of the tournament," Coeur d'Alene coach Lloyd Duman said. "If you lose that first one it makes it difficult to get back into contention."
This year, Duman thinks the Lums are better equipped to play a lot of games at the state tournament, which begins today at the College of Southern Idaho's Skip Walker Field in Twin Falls. Coeur d'Alene (39-19) opens at 3 p.m. PDT vs. the Pocatello Runnin' Rebels.
Prairie (24-23), which qualified for state for the first time since 2003, opens today at noon vs. Treasure Valley of Ontario, Ore.
Pete Hoffman and Colin Comack are Coeur d'Alene's top two starters. Jason Pattis was the No. 3 guy, but he was used at the Area A (district) tournament as a closer, and Grant Curtis became the No. 3 starter.
Also, Ransom Storm, Derek Priano and Matt Cade are available out of the bullpen.
"Even if we stumble early, it's possible (to come back)," Duman said.
The turnaround from winning the Area A (district) tournament on Sunday at Butler Park in Trail, British Columbia, to turning around Tuesday and traveling to Twin Falls, was quick. But Duman said that might be an advantage. The Lums had five days off between their regular season finale and their opener at the Area A tourney last week.
"Taking five days off, we thought, hurt us more than helped," Duman said. "In a way, it's going to be nice to be playing sooner rather than later. We have traveled so much, the kids are used to being on the road."
When Prairie beat Lewis-Clark last Saturday at Butler Park in Trail, British Columbia, to clinch a trip to state, the Cardinals celebrated but didn't exactly go crazy, considering than none of them had been to state before, second-year Prairie coach Dustin Frank said.
"We've played tough ball the past three weeks," Frank said. "We knew we could do it (get to state). If we hadn't went to state, it would have been a disappointment."
Frank played on Prairie's last state tournament team in 2003. The Cardinals tied for fifth that year under coach Bob Stamsos. The Cardinals went to state seven times in eight years from 1993-2000, but only once since until this season.
"I don't know what happened in previous years (after 2003), Frank said, "but last year these kids worked their butts off for me. These kids are a good group of kids, and it's nice to see some kids that have been in the program a long time get to state."
"I was impressed with how Prairie played (at the Area A tourney)," Duman said. "It was neat to see a team rise to the challenge."
Coeur d'Alene actually had three of its four American Legion teams qualify for state tournaments, leaving the program with the pleasant problem of scrambling to raise travel expenses for three teams at the last minute.
The Loggers won the class A Area A (district) tournament, and begin play Thursday at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore. The Loggers open vs. Hillcrest on Thursday at noon PDT.
The Lumberjacks under-16 team finished third in the Spokane "A" league district tournament, and travels to the Washington state A tournament beginning Saturday in Lacey, Wash.
The Lumberjacks beat the Lakers, Coeur d'Alene's other U16 Legion team, last Saturday night to qualify for state. Mt. Spokane beat Cheney for the district title. Rather than Cheney and the Lumberjacks playing off for the second seed, the teams opted for a coin flip, with Cheney winning for the second seed.
Coeur d'Alene added a second 16U team - the Lumberjacks - this season - to increase the number of younger players in the program.
"We were worried about the 16U experimnent," Duman said. "We were hoping to get more kids into the program, and it seems to have worked."
IDAHO AA AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
at Skip Walker Field, Twin Falls
Times PDT
Wednesday
Game 1 - Jerome Cyclones vs. Eagle Vipers, 9 a.m.
Game 2 - Treasure Valley vs. Prairie Cardinals, noon.
Game 3 - Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen vs. Pocatello, 3 p.m.
Game 4 - Boise Gems vs. Twin Falls Cowboys, 6:30.
Thursday
Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m. (loser out)
Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon. (loser out)
Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3 p.m.
Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6.
Friday
Game 9 - Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5, noon. (loser out)
Game 10 - Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, 3 p.m. (loser out)
Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 6.
Saturday
Game 12 - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 3 p.m.
Game 13 - Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, 6.
Sunday
Game 14 - Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, noon. (championship)
Game 15 - if necessary championship game, 3 p.m.
IDAHO A TOURNAMENT
at Treasure Valley Community College, Ontario, Ore.
Times PDT
Wednesday
Game 1 - Emmett vs. Burley, 9 a.m.
Game 2 - Coeur d'Alene vs. Hillcrest, noon.
Game 3 - Pocatello vs. Nampa, 3 p.m.
Game 4 - Lewis-Clark vs. Treasure Valley, 7.
Thursday
Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 9 a.m. (loser out)
Game 6 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, noon. (loser out)
Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 3 p.m.
Game 8 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6.
Friday
Game 9 - Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, 10 a.m. (loser out)
Game 10 - Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5, 1 p.m. (loser out)
Game 11 - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4.
Game 12 - Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 9, 7. (loser out)
Saturday
Game 13 - Winner Game 12 vs. Loser Game 11, 1 p.m.
Game 14 - Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 6 p.m. (championship)
Sunday
Game 15 - if necessary game, 11 a.m.
WASHINGTON A TOURNAMENT
at North Thurston High, Olympia
Saturday
Game 1 - Cheney Summer Hawks vs. Woodinville 9 a.m.
Game 2 - Oak Harbor vs. Coeur d'Alene Lumberjacks, noon.
Game 3 - Snohomish vs. Moses Lake, 3 p.m.
Game 4 - Mt. Spokane vs. Tenino Marmots, 6.
Sunday
Game 5 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 3, 9 a.m.
Game 6 - Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4, noon.
Game 7 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 3, 3 p.m.
Game 8 - Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4, 6.