Caribou Chatter
Doug Flanagan
Business as usual for Bulldogs baseball squad
By Doug Flanagan
March 25, 2011
Not much has changed around the Cashmere High School baseball program this spring. Oh, sure, the coaches and players who were on last year’s team retain many fond memories of the Bulldogs’ run to the first state championship in the program’s history, but at the same time, they’re not going out of their way to advertise that fact.
They have the same goals as last year’s team did, but at the same time, they realize that this is a new year and what they accomplished last season means nothing now.
The Bulldogs certainly want to put themselves in a position to defend their title, but at the same time they realize that they have to properly prepare themselves to do so, and that nothing is going to be handed to them based off what they accomplished in 2010.
“We’re real proud of what we did last year, but we realize that this is a different team,” said head coach Jeff Carlson. “We don’t talk a whole lot about defending a championship, but we know (we are) because everyone else around here is talking about it. We take a lot of pride in playing the game the right way. We’re just trying to play the game correctly every time out. We’re more concerned with that than talking about championships.
“I don’t think we’ve done anything different this year. Every year we try first and foremost to compete for the league title, and that’s the goal again this year. Everything that happens after that is icing on the cake if we’re lucky enough to (get that far). The guys have a lot of confidence and high expectations. They expect to win every time they go out there.”
It certainly helps that Cashmere returns six starters from a year ago. The Bulldogs’ rotation in anchored by Nick Tarver, a first-team all-state pitcher. In addition, juniors Trenton Johnson and Cooper Elliott both return on the mound, and catcher Tyler McNair, a four-year starter, was an all-league honorable mention selection in 2010.
That kind of returning experience will surely pay dividends this year.
“Last year, when we got to the (semifinals), we felt that all four teams had a good chance to win,” Carlson said. “We got the clutch hits when we needed them, and our pitchers got key outs in key situations. You have to have some luck on your side, and everything went our way last year. If we’re lucky enough to get back there this year, we might have the confidence (we need).”
That said, Carlson is perhaps more enthused about his players’ physical developments.
“We had four sophomores start for us last year, and the biggest difference is that they’re just physically more imposing,” Carlson said. “Not only did (last year’s state title run) help their mental approach, but they’ve come back bigger, faster and stronger. The jump from the sophomore year to the junior year is big, and I think we’re just stronger than last year. The guys have put in time in the weight room, and they’re prepared for this year.”
Cashmere has won its first two games of this season, beating Royal 12-0 and Orting 16-3. On Tuesday, they’ll open its Caribou Trail League schedule against Omak, the only CTL team to defeat the Bulldogs last season.
Carlson thinks his team has enough talent returning to potentially make another deep postseason run.
“We have a lot of pitching depth,” he said. “Another one of our strengths is (our defense). If we can manufacture runs against the teams that have some of the tougher aces in the state, I think (another run) is possible because our pitchers throw strikes and we play (well) defensively.”
Cashmere’s ascension as a baseball power is all the more remarkable considering the fact that Carlson is entering just his fourth year as a baseball coach on any level. He was a star athlete at Cascade High School and played baseball and basketball at Wenatchee Valley College. He transferred to the University of Puget Sound and played for the Loggers basketball team, then served short stints as an assistant basketball coach for the UPS and WVC men’s basketball teams.
Shortly after he was hired as a teacher in Cashmere several years ago, the head baseball coach position opened, presenting Carlson with an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“Cashmere has such great kids,” he said. “The baseball program here never had a lot of success. We won our first league title in school history in 2009 and went to the (state semifinals). We followed that up in 2010 with a state title, and that’s brought a lot of excitement to the program and the community. Now we’re working on building on that tradition. It all starts by having great kids. We try to play the game the right way, preach fundamentals, and I’ve got a great staff. There’s a lot of excitement around the program. It’s an exciting time.”
