PREP BASEBALL: Mound mindset ... Area teams hope pitching depth is key in play-in games this week
By JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writer
At this point in the season, teams have a good idea of what their team can do, and do well.
This weekend will be about surviving and advancing to the new look state baseball tournament starting next Thursday.
Coeur d’Alene (16-4), as the fourth seed, will face the winner of Friday’s game between No. 9 seed Highland (18-9) and No. 7 and qualifier host Lake City (13-8) on Friday afternoon.
“It’s a little of both right now,” said first-year Coeur d’Alene coach Brandon Williams of waiting on the early game winner. “We don’t need to see Lake City again because we know what we’re going to get out of them. Everyone gets up for that game and we’ve seen them. It’s kind of exciting to see Highland up close and personal. It could be a good thing or bad thing. No matter what, we’ve got a game on Friday, and we’ve got to show up and play.”
Lake City coach Mike Criswell, in his third year, was hoping to see a few more teams from the north have a shot at state. Now, only one is going to get that chance next week.
“I’m really happy to host,” Criswell said. “That’s cool and exciting. When we came up with this, we thought it was more of a chance to have teams from the north represented. Now, like last year, we’ve got to play each other. I’m excited to play Highland and think we’re closely matched. I’m not a little bummed to play Coeur d’Alene for an eighth time but bummed that it didn’t map out that way.”
Highland faces Lake City at 1 p.m. on Friday, with the winner advancing to face Coeur d'Alene at 4 p.m.
Williams added that senior Kai Wheeler, who hasn’t pitched since April 22, could be used at some point this weekend.
“We just haven’t found that moment for him, but feel he’ll be a dark horse,” Williams said. “I think we’ll figure out a way to unleash him somehow.”
Winners of the four three-team statewide qualifiers advance to the four-team double-elimination state tournament at Memorial Stadium in Boise May 15-17. Owyhee won the 5A — now 6A title — last year.
“I’m ready to go to battle with our guys,” Williams said. “No matter who’s on the mound or at-bat, they’re going to give 100% on the field. And that’s all that matters.”
Lake City has relied on the pitching of Kyle Johnson, Avrey Cherry and Tanner Franklin for most of the season.
“We’ve been really conservative with our arms and don’t think we ran anyone out over 100 pitches,” Criswell said. “We just don’t feel comfortable doing that. I think we’re going to be OK in that regard and hopefully we’ve got some life left in our arms.”
In 4A, qualifiers are broken into four best-of-3 series, with the first game on Friday and second on Saturday, with if-necessary games later on Saturday to advance to state at Melaluca Field in Idaho Falls.
“It’s a little more straight forward than other sports,” Timberlake coach Bryce Johnson said. “Baseball is a sport where there’s not a bunch of film and the ability to go scout someone. You’re just relying on GameChanger and your connections across the state.”
With the best-of-3, it sets up not using a lot of pitching in a given weekend.
“You don’t have to worry about losing an arm for the weekend, so it’s kind of a blessing in disguise,” Johnson said. “We’ve prepared by this with playing a best-of-3 with Bonners Ferry the last few years, so we’ve either got to bounce back or be able to put a team away. It’s still a three-day tournament and that was a big (former Timberlake coach) Bill Rider thing, who was a huge proponent of having three starters and trying to develop three guys and have them be able to throw really well.”
Cole Valley Christian (21-5) of Nampa is in its first year in the 4A classification.
“They were a little young last year, and still are, but so are we,” Johnson said. “All three of their starting pitchers are sophomores and it’s a tough league they’re in.”
Timberlake (14-3) opens with Cole Valley Christian at Post Falls High on Friday. The Chargers beat Grangeville 3-2 and 5-0 in a doubleheader on March 15 in Nampa.
Game 1 is Friday at 5 p.m., with Game 2 on Saturday at 11 a.m., with an if-necessary game on Saturday afternoon. Sugar-Salem was last year’s state champion and hosts Homedale — who was second last year — in the East qualifier.
“We’re as healthy as we can be right now,” Johnson said. “Our guys are ready to go.”