FISH, GULLS RENEW COWAPA RIVALRY
Can the Astoria Fishermen baseball team perform the "Gator Chomp" and repeat as champs at the 4A level?
"I think the main concern is just with a lot of expectations, you don't know how you're going to deal with that," said Astoria head baseball coach Dave Gasser, who, with three previous championship rings at Madison and Lakeridge, is used to such expectations. "We just kind of sailed along pretty high in the water and we caught a gust and just kind of surprised people. This year we're not going to surprise anyone and we've got to learn to deal with that."
While Florida returned all five starters from the lineup that won the NCAA basketball title last year, the Fishermen return six starters and ten letterwinners from 2006's state championship squad, which defeated Sherwood 9-2 in a 9-inning final.
While Florida overcame a minor stumble during Southeast Conference play, losing three games in a four game stretch, the Fishermen stumbled out of the gate, losing their first three non-league games before rebounding with four straight wins coming into tonight's Cowapa League opener at Seaside.
"At Gladstone and Newport we were ahead," said Gasser. "They just kept coming and reacted like it was really, really important to put one on us. That wasn't necessarily the case next year. We'll have target on our back."
While Florida featured a balanced team with five double-figure scorers sharing the load, Astoria relied heavily on the right arm of senior righthanded pitcher Mathius Brause last season.
Brause, a 2-year all-leaguer entering his third season as a varsity starter, did not lose a game all season and went nine innings to pick up his 13th victory in the championship game, sharing 3A co-Player of the Year honors with Central's Joe Pratt. A physically strong 6-2, Brause did not overpower batters like former Astoria aces Ryan Kelly and Josh Ness, instead mixing an above average fastball with a knee-buckling overhand curveball and effective change-up. Brause's excellent command and ability to throw any pitch at any count kept hitters off-balance all season long. With the exception of one wild inning in Astoria's season opening 11-5 loss at Gladstone, Brause has picked up where he left off, steadily increasing his pitch count with each outing in preparation for tonight's matchup.
"There were times last year when we would make mistakes and Matt, literally, would carry us," said Gasser. "I've never really seen, in spring and summer, a clutcher stretch of four-and-half months of pitching in my life. And I've seen some good ones. It was almost superhuman."
"I think what's important for Matt is that we provide him with enough support that he doesn't feel like he has to carry us two years in a row. I don't know how a person could do that twice. I don't know how he did that once."
Brause experimented with a cutter last summer to complement his 2-seam fastball, which he was throwing in the low-to-mid 80's in the summer. With improved mechanics, Brause could push his top-end fastball closer to the 90-mph mark that separates good college and pro pitchers from good high school pitchers. Brause will likely follow older brother Henry, a former all-league first baseman in his sophomore year at Southwest Oregon, into the NWAAC ranks.
Brause is one of three all-state players returning to the Fishermen squad. Senior centerfielder Brent Culver, also a 3-year starter and two-time All-Cowapa League selection, is back in the leadoff role after batting .411 during last year's regular season and leading the team in runs scored with 31. Before Jordan Poyer earned accolades on the gridiron this fall, "Puppy" drew attention as a freshman with a 3rd-team all-state selection. All the freshman Poyer did was bat over .400 during the regular season, go 9-for-14 with a double and a home run in the playoffs and patrol rightfield like a seasoned veteran.
The diamond is littered with all-leaguers. Senior catcher Brendan Landwehr led Astoria in hitting during Cowapa League play with a .484 average and improved his power stroke in the playoffs and over the summer. Junior shortstop Tom Jawarski showed off a slick glove as a soph and is batting near .400 with an on-base percentage over .500 through seven non-league games this season. Jawarski and Culver give the Fishermen two of the league's top basestealing threats at the top of the order.
"There aren't many teams that have a Tom Jawarski at shortstop," said Gasser. "He's better in every way than last year and last year I thought he was pretty good. "
Senior pitcher Nick Bredleau gives Astoria two all-league pitchers, with the rapidly improving Poyer the top third arm in the Cowapa League and a future ace.
"Nick's breaking ball is getting better," said Gasser. "He's developing into a three-pitch pitcher. He did a tremendous job considering that he did not play his sophomore year. That was almost as confounding as Matt's consistency was Nick's ability to develop that fast and pitch in big games with really no J.V. background of being really successful. That didn't make much sense, but neither did our third pitcher being a 14-year old!"
Senior Joey Dursse earned all-Cowapa utility honors for his solid play in left field and ability to put the ball in play.
So what's new? Three infield positions had to be addressed after the graudation of 3rd-team All-State second baseman Kevin Berry, honorable mention All-State third baseman Kye Johnson and honorable mention All-Cowapa League first baseman Travis Wesely.
"We're pretty settled," said Gasser, "but doing the mixing and matching early certainly made some of our pitcher's pitch counts go up. There were a lot of routine balls that got turned into extended innings. Part of that was early season and part of that was figuring out who should be where. Seventy-five percent of your infield is a lot to replace from a state championship team."
While Brause will continue to play first when he's not on the mound, senior Gabe Davis, who lettered in '06, will man the bag when Astoria's ace is on the hill. Davis gives the Fishermen a solid corner defender, while Brause's younger brother Mason will likely bat in his spot in the order as a designated hitter and could also play at first. Mason, a sophomore, is the most athletic of the Brause boys--a physical specimen who can hit for power and runs well. Second base duties will be shared by juniors Jared Rummell and Hans Lund, who got plenty of experience in the summer. Both have pitched in the past and could give Astoria an inning or two if needed.
Third base was the biggest question mark entering the spring. Jordan Poyer, who played shortstop as a Babe Ruth All-Star, tried the hot corner to start the season, but is back in his comfort zone in right field. Joey Dursse, also a former shortstop, returns to the infield to man this key position. Dursse, a steady hitter, is batting around the .300 mark in the early going from the seventh spot in the order and is one of the better contact hitters on the team. Newcomer Brad Sarpola, a junior, will back up Dursse.
"Joey Dursse has been an infielder most of his life," said Gasser. "It makes sense to keep him on the infield."
Speaking of contact, Astoria is averaging ten runs per game and over nine hits per game in the early part of the season. Just about everyone in the order is batting .300 or above for a team that batted around .350 last season, while opponents hit around .200 against Astoria pitching.
Adam Koehnke is making the most of his first regular spot in the batting order. The speedy senior, who takes over for Dursse in right field, is batting over .400 with seven runs batted in after spending most of '06 as a pinch runner.
"Adam had a good summer and had a great fall in football," said Gasser. "I think he's coming into his own as an athlete. If he takes a few deep breaths and just stays mentally positive, he's a very, very, very good athlete."
"I needed to find a place for Adam. He's was as selfless as you can be last year, being a good hitter (.381 in 21 AB's in '06) and a good player, but not in our lineup. He accepted the pinch-running role and helped us a ton with it."
Juniors Oscar Carriere and Sam Johnson will provide outfield backup, while Bredleau and Sarpola and Gabe Davis may see time in the outfield.
Everyone on Astoria's roster was in uniform and in the dugout for last year's championship game.
One player who would have contributed to this year's team has been lost to injury, as Knappa transfer Brian Anderson, a pitcher and outfielder, has been shut down with a rotator cuff injury. Anderson, a key member of the basketball team who hit two game-winning shots at the buzzer, would likely have seen some quality innings on the mound. Lund enters the season as Astoria's number four pitcher. Rummell and Jawarski have each pitched in varsity games, while Johnson has pitching experience at the Babe Ruth level. Mason Brause experimented with pitching for the first time last summer in Babe Ruth baseball, but is unlikely to contribute on the mound this spring.
Astoria's season-opening three-game losing streak came against Gladstone and Newport, two teams expected to be in the mix with Astoria, Marist, Baker and La Grande in the race for the 4A baseball championship. Astoria led 3-0 at Gladstone before the Gladiators took advantage of three Brause walks in the fourth inning to tie the game, going on to win 11-5. At Newport, the Fishermen blew a 9-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one and led 6-0 in the 4th inning of game two. The Cubs are undefeated and likely will be ranked number one or two when the first 4A baseball poll is released.
"You're going to have bumps in a baseball season," said Astoria's 2nd-year head coach Dave Gasser, who will likely become Oregon's second winningest baseball coach this year. "The chances of going undefeated are practically nil. Early in a year, the losses show you what you need to do and it creates some real motivation to work on it."
Astoria picked up its first win, demolishing Clatskanie 17-0 behind five no-hit innings from Brause. The Fishermen came from 5-0 down to hand the Burns Hilanders, the state's 2nd-ranked 3A squad, their first loss of the season, winning 8-6 in eight innings at the Les Schwab Baseball Classic in John Day. Hans Lund's two-out double in the seventh tied the score and back to back sacrifice flies by Poyer and Koehnke provided the winning margin in the eighth. Jordan Poyer tossed a 1-hitter with seven strikeouts in a 11-1, six-inning win over Molalla and Brent Culver had three hits and three runs batted in as the Fishermen finished the tournament undefeated by beating La Salle 13-4.
While Astoria comes into tonight's league opener riding a four-game winning streak, the Seaside Seagulls have dropped three of their last four games, including an 11-7 loss at Warrenton on Friday. The Gulls had a 6-0 lead in the third inning and gave up a six-spot to the top-ranked 3A Warriors in the sixth inning.
The Gulls feature a senior-dominated roster, led by three-year varsity players Ben Christianson (1B), Will Beatty (OF) and Ross Knutsen (C).
Christianson, in his third year as a starter, gives Seaside a big bat in the cleanup position, although Gulls head coach Joel Dierickx will be looking for better power numbers in '07. Will Beatty is an athletic outfielder and a patient hitter with some pop who gets on base and runs well. Knutsen is a horse who is recovering from a dislocated elbow in football season. The returning starting catcher and younger brother of former Gull first baseman John Knutsen has good power potential and the necessary leadership skills to excel at the position.
Alec Carlson, a senior returning starter, emerged on the mound toward the end of last season and had a quality summer. Carlson and Salvador Oros, who was the winning pitcher in Astoria's last Cowapa League loss, give the Gulls a proven 1-2 punch on the mound. Mitch De Gandi, a rangy shortstop and relief pitcher, has shown tremendous improvement offensively, moving up to third in the order. Jon Giztavich is a returning starter at second base. Outfielder Mark Thysell is a good athlete whose career has been plagued by injuries.
The Gulls had just two underclassmen in uniform against Warrenton: sophomore infielder Jeremy Carow and junior infielder Chris Senick. Both have good speed and athleticism. Carow will play third base and move to shortstop when De Gandi is on the mound and could also pitch some.
The Seagulls won three of their first four games before dropping two of three in a tourament at Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Stadium. Both teams have lost to Newport--the Gulls were held to one hit in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs in Salem. Seaside defeated Gladstone 12-10 and split a doubleheader with Clatskanie.
The teams will square off again this week as the action moves to Astoria's Ernie Aiken Field, provided the field is in playable condition. Astoria's beleaguered home field is suffering from overuse and has problems with soft spots in the outfield and right in front of home plate. Broadway Park is in the beginning stages of a major renovation and the Gulls hope to have a multipurpose, all-weather football and baseball field in place by 2008. Neither team has played a home game yet.
"I'm optimistic with the kids I have that I think we know how to play and I think we know what we need to do," said Gasser. "We've worked really hard. Six of the last seven days we've been outside. I think we're about as ready as we could be to start league and that's what the preseason is all about."
The Cowapa League schedule is different this season. There are no scheduled doubleheaders and teams will play home and away against the same team in during the same week in the first half, before a third run through the schedule during May. Postponed games will be rescheduled as doubleheaders later in the season. All games are scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.
"I think the main concern is just with a lot of expectations, you don't know how you're going to deal with that," said Astoria head baseball coach Dave Gasser, who, with three previous championship rings at Madison and Lakeridge, is used to such expectations. "We just kind of sailed along pretty high in the water and we caught a gust and just kind of surprised people. This year we're not going to surprise anyone and we've got to learn to deal with that."
While Florida returned all five starters from the lineup that won the NCAA basketball title last year, the Fishermen return six starters and ten letterwinners from 2006's state championship squad, which defeated Sherwood 9-2 in a 9-inning final.
While Florida overcame a minor stumble during Southeast Conference play, losing three games in a four game stretch, the Fishermen stumbled out of the gate, losing their first three non-league games before rebounding with four straight wins coming into tonight's Cowapa League opener at Seaside.
"At Gladstone and Newport we were ahead," said Gasser. "They just kept coming and reacted like it was really, really important to put one on us. That wasn't necessarily the case next year. We'll have target on our back."
While Florida featured a balanced team with five double-figure scorers sharing the load, Astoria relied heavily on the right arm of senior righthanded pitcher Mathius Brause last season.
Brause, a 2-year all-leaguer entering his third season as a varsity starter, did not lose a game all season and went nine innings to pick up his 13th victory in the championship game, sharing 3A co-Player of the Year honors with Central's Joe Pratt. A physically strong 6-2, Brause did not overpower batters like former Astoria aces Ryan Kelly and Josh Ness, instead mixing an above average fastball with a knee-buckling overhand curveball and effective change-up. Brause's excellent command and ability to throw any pitch at any count kept hitters off-balance all season long. With the exception of one wild inning in Astoria's season opening 11-5 loss at Gladstone, Brause has picked up where he left off, steadily increasing his pitch count with each outing in preparation for tonight's matchup.
"There were times last year when we would make mistakes and Matt, literally, would carry us," said Gasser. "I've never really seen, in spring and summer, a clutcher stretch of four-and-half months of pitching in my life. And I've seen some good ones. It was almost superhuman."
"I think what's important for Matt is that we provide him with enough support that he doesn't feel like he has to carry us two years in a row. I don't know how a person could do that twice. I don't know how he did that once."
Brause experimented with a cutter last summer to complement his 2-seam fastball, which he was throwing in the low-to-mid 80's in the summer. With improved mechanics, Brause could push his top-end fastball closer to the 90-mph mark that separates good college and pro pitchers from good high school pitchers. Brause will likely follow older brother Henry, a former all-league first baseman in his sophomore year at Southwest Oregon, into the NWAAC ranks.
Brause is one of three all-state players returning to the Fishermen squad. Senior centerfielder Brent Culver, also a 3-year starter and two-time All-Cowapa League selection, is back in the leadoff role after batting .411 during last year's regular season and leading the team in runs scored with 31. Before Jordan Poyer earned accolades on the gridiron this fall, "Puppy" drew attention as a freshman with a 3rd-team all-state selection. All the freshman Poyer did was bat over .400 during the regular season, go 9-for-14 with a double and a home run in the playoffs and patrol rightfield like a seasoned veteran.
The diamond is littered with all-leaguers. Senior catcher Brendan Landwehr led Astoria in hitting during Cowapa League play with a .484 average and improved his power stroke in the playoffs and over the summer. Junior shortstop Tom Jawarski showed off a slick glove as a soph and is batting near .400 with an on-base percentage over .500 through seven non-league games this season. Jawarski and Culver give the Fishermen two of the league's top basestealing threats at the top of the order.
"There aren't many teams that have a Tom Jawarski at shortstop," said Gasser. "He's better in every way than last year and last year I thought he was pretty good. "
Senior pitcher Nick Bredleau gives Astoria two all-league pitchers, with the rapidly improving Poyer the top third arm in the Cowapa League and a future ace.
"Nick's breaking ball is getting better," said Gasser. "He's developing into a three-pitch pitcher. He did a tremendous job considering that he did not play his sophomore year. That was almost as confounding as Matt's consistency was Nick's ability to develop that fast and pitch in big games with really no J.V. background of being really successful. That didn't make much sense, but neither did our third pitcher being a 14-year old!"
Senior Joey Dursse earned all-Cowapa utility honors for his solid play in left field and ability to put the ball in play.
So what's new? Three infield positions had to be addressed after the graudation of 3rd-team All-State second baseman Kevin Berry, honorable mention All-State third baseman Kye Johnson and honorable mention All-Cowapa League first baseman Travis Wesely.
"We're pretty settled," said Gasser, "but doing the mixing and matching early certainly made some of our pitcher's pitch counts go up. There were a lot of routine balls that got turned into extended innings. Part of that was early season and part of that was figuring out who should be where. Seventy-five percent of your infield is a lot to replace from a state championship team."
While Brause will continue to play first when he's not on the mound, senior Gabe Davis, who lettered in '06, will man the bag when Astoria's ace is on the hill. Davis gives the Fishermen a solid corner defender, while Brause's younger brother Mason will likely bat in his spot in the order as a designated hitter and could also play at first. Mason, a sophomore, is the most athletic of the Brause boys--a physical specimen who can hit for power and runs well. Second base duties will be shared by juniors Jared Rummell and Hans Lund, who got plenty of experience in the summer. Both have pitched in the past and could give Astoria an inning or two if needed.
Third base was the biggest question mark entering the spring. Jordan Poyer, who played shortstop as a Babe Ruth All-Star, tried the hot corner to start the season, but is back in his comfort zone in right field. Joey Dursse, also a former shortstop, returns to the infield to man this key position. Dursse, a steady hitter, is batting around the .300 mark in the early going from the seventh spot in the order and is one of the better contact hitters on the team. Newcomer Brad Sarpola, a junior, will back up Dursse.
"Joey Dursse has been an infielder most of his life," said Gasser. "It makes sense to keep him on the infield."
Speaking of contact, Astoria is averaging ten runs per game and over nine hits per game in the early part of the season. Just about everyone in the order is batting .300 or above for a team that batted around .350 last season, while opponents hit around .200 against Astoria pitching.
Adam Koehnke is making the most of his first regular spot in the batting order. The speedy senior, who takes over for Dursse in right field, is batting over .400 with seven runs batted in after spending most of '06 as a pinch runner.
"Adam had a good summer and had a great fall in football," said Gasser. "I think he's coming into his own as an athlete. If he takes a few deep breaths and just stays mentally positive, he's a very, very, very good athlete."
"I needed to find a place for Adam. He's was as selfless as you can be last year, being a good hitter (.381 in 21 AB's in '06) and a good player, but not in our lineup. He accepted the pinch-running role and helped us a ton with it."
Juniors Oscar Carriere and Sam Johnson will provide outfield backup, while Bredleau and Sarpola and Gabe Davis may see time in the outfield.
Everyone on Astoria's roster was in uniform and in the dugout for last year's championship game.
One player who would have contributed to this year's team has been lost to injury, as Knappa transfer Brian Anderson, a pitcher and outfielder, has been shut down with a rotator cuff injury. Anderson, a key member of the basketball team who hit two game-winning shots at the buzzer, would likely have seen some quality innings on the mound. Lund enters the season as Astoria's number four pitcher. Rummell and Jawarski have each pitched in varsity games, while Johnson has pitching experience at the Babe Ruth level. Mason Brause experimented with pitching for the first time last summer in Babe Ruth baseball, but is unlikely to contribute on the mound this spring.
Astoria's season-opening three-game losing streak came against Gladstone and Newport, two teams expected to be in the mix with Astoria, Marist, Baker and La Grande in the race for the 4A baseball championship. Astoria led 3-0 at Gladstone before the Gladiators took advantage of three Brause walks in the fourth inning to tie the game, going on to win 11-5. At Newport, the Fishermen blew a 9-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning of game one and led 6-0 in the 4th inning of game two. The Cubs are undefeated and likely will be ranked number one or two when the first 4A baseball poll is released.
"You're going to have bumps in a baseball season," said Astoria's 2nd-year head coach Dave Gasser, who will likely become Oregon's second winningest baseball coach this year. "The chances of going undefeated are practically nil. Early in a year, the losses show you what you need to do and it creates some real motivation to work on it."
Astoria picked up its first win, demolishing Clatskanie 17-0 behind five no-hit innings from Brause. The Fishermen came from 5-0 down to hand the Burns Hilanders, the state's 2nd-ranked 3A squad, their first loss of the season, winning 8-6 in eight innings at the Les Schwab Baseball Classic in John Day. Hans Lund's two-out double in the seventh tied the score and back to back sacrifice flies by Poyer and Koehnke provided the winning margin in the eighth. Jordan Poyer tossed a 1-hitter with seven strikeouts in a 11-1, six-inning win over Molalla and Brent Culver had three hits and three runs batted in as the Fishermen finished the tournament undefeated by beating La Salle 13-4.
While Astoria comes into tonight's league opener riding a four-game winning streak, the Seaside Seagulls have dropped three of their last four games, including an 11-7 loss at Warrenton on Friday. The Gulls had a 6-0 lead in the third inning and gave up a six-spot to the top-ranked 3A Warriors in the sixth inning.
The Gulls feature a senior-dominated roster, led by three-year varsity players Ben Christianson (1B), Will Beatty (OF) and Ross Knutsen (C).
Christianson, in his third year as a starter, gives Seaside a big bat in the cleanup position, although Gulls head coach Joel Dierickx will be looking for better power numbers in '07. Will Beatty is an athletic outfielder and a patient hitter with some pop who gets on base and runs well. Knutsen is a horse who is recovering from a dislocated elbow in football season. The returning starting catcher and younger brother of former Gull first baseman John Knutsen has good power potential and the necessary leadership skills to excel at the position.
Alec Carlson, a senior returning starter, emerged on the mound toward the end of last season and had a quality summer. Carlson and Salvador Oros, who was the winning pitcher in Astoria's last Cowapa League loss, give the Gulls a proven 1-2 punch on the mound. Mitch De Gandi, a rangy shortstop and relief pitcher, has shown tremendous improvement offensively, moving up to third in the order. Jon Giztavich is a returning starter at second base. Outfielder Mark Thysell is a good athlete whose career has been plagued by injuries.
The Gulls had just two underclassmen in uniform against Warrenton: sophomore infielder Jeremy Carow and junior infielder Chris Senick. Both have good speed and athleticism. Carow will play third base and move to shortstop when De Gandi is on the mound and could also pitch some.
The Seagulls won three of their first four games before dropping two of three in a tourament at Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Stadium. Both teams have lost to Newport--the Gulls were held to one hit in a 7-1 loss to the Cubs in Salem. Seaside defeated Gladstone 12-10 and split a doubleheader with Clatskanie.
The teams will square off again this week as the action moves to Astoria's Ernie Aiken Field, provided the field is in playable condition. Astoria's beleaguered home field is suffering from overuse and has problems with soft spots in the outfield and right in front of home plate. Broadway Park is in the beginning stages of a major renovation and the Gulls hope to have a multipurpose, all-weather football and baseball field in place by 2008. Neither team has played a home game yet.
"I'm optimistic with the kids I have that I think we know how to play and I think we know what we need to do," said Gasser. "We've worked really hard. Six of the last seven days we've been outside. I think we're about as ready as we could be to start league and that's what the preseason is all about."
The Cowapa League schedule is different this season. There are no scheduled doubleheaders and teams will play home and away against the same team in during the same week in the first half, before a third run through the schedule during May. Postponed games will be rescheduled as doubleheaders later in the season. All games are scheduled to start at 5:00 p.m.
posted by Matt Richert at 12:53 PM
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