LEGION BASEBALL: Lums loaded on the mound for deep run

By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

If the goal is to score runs and keep the other team from doing the same, the Coeur d’Alene Lumbermen ‘AA’ squad is fully loaded to do both this season.

“We’ve got a pretty good pitching staff,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Darren Taylor, whose team begins his fourth season at the helm tonight in the Missoula Mavericks Memorial Day Tournament. “Really in all phases of the game, we should be a pretty good team.”

On the mound will be Austin DeBoer (Post Falls High), Nate Weatherhead (Lake City), Caden Robinett (Timberlake) and Aaron Gwaltney, a former Coeur d’Alene High pitcher, who continued his playing career at the Community Colleges of Spokane. DeBoer, a left-handed pitcher, will continue his career at Washington State next spring. Robinett will play at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.

“We had some guys that had really good spring seasons on the mound,” Taylor said. “It’s a really good team. We’ll play a little defense and hit the ball a little bit. It will be something to watch.”

Isaac Ziegler, a left-handed pitcher from Post Falls, has committed to Alan Hancock College. Taylor added that Charlie Dixon (Lake City), Mark Holecek (Lake City) and Kolbe Coey (Coeur d’Alene) will also see time on the mound.

“We’ve got to develop chemistry, but they’re all good kids,” said Taylor, who played on the Lums’ last regional team in 1979. “We’ve only had three or four practices, but from what I’ve seen, they’re talented and they’ve played together a lot.”

Owen Mangini, who missed this season for Lake City with a wrist injury, is back now.

“He’s going to play tomorrow and see how it feels,” Taylor said of Mangini. “We’ve got a few guys back from last year. We’ve got a lot of good ingredients.”

Coeur d’Alene finished runner-up at state last year at Thorco Field in Coeur d’Alene. The Lums won three elimination games to force a loser-out title game against Pocatello.

Outfielder Nolan Christ (Coeur d’Alene), infielder Travis Usdrowski (Lake Cty), infielder/outfielder Ty Shepard (Lake City) and utility player Braeden Newby (Lake City) also return for the Lums, who face Vauxhall Academy and Missoula in pool play tonight in Missoula.

“Ty played in the outfield, but has looked really good at second base so far,” Taylor said. “I think that will be a good switch for us. I’m excited to watch some of these guys play after watching their spring season.”

Coeur d’Alene and Lewis-Clark, the only two teams from Area A (District 1), will play four times, with double headers on June 10 at Thorco Field and at Harris Field in Lewiston (June 25) likely determining seeding to state July 25-29 in Idaho Falls.

Before that, Coeur d’Alene will compete in tournaments in Lewiston (June 14-16), Ellensburg (June 21-23) and Yakima (June 28-30) before hosting the Fourth of July Wood Bat Classic (July 4-7) and traveling to Whitefish, Mont., (July 11-14).

“We’ve got a pretty good tournament schedule,” Taylor said. “We’ll get tested right away this weekend.”