Growing Pains

POLSON — It was a busy weekend for the Mission Valley Mariners, as shortly after wrangling 60 enthusiastic little leaguers during their instructional baseball camp, the squad had to summon the wherewithal to play three games against the Kalispell Lakers. After suffering a pair of lopsided setbacks on Saturday, Mission Valley was able to salvage the weekend by grinding out a 2-1 Mother’s Day victory.

On Saturday, the Mariners would find themselves on the wrong end of a doubleheader sweep, with the Lakers piling on the runs in 15-5 and 6-0 wins.

In the 15-5 opener, center fielder Zeke Webster-Yaqui was the bright spot for the Mariners, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three stolen bases.

The Mariners would not fare much better in game two, still struggling to piece together timely hits. Jeremiah Crawford was the team’s only batter to deliver a multi-hit effort in the 6-0 defeat.

Pitching would prove to be the team’s savior on Sunday, as the team wrapped up the weekend with a 2-1 win that could provide some positive momentum for the upcoming schedule. The Mariners prevailed in the pitcher’s duel behind masterful performances from starter Jeremiah Crawford and reliever Ryan Pablo, who combined to allow just one unearned run.

Having lost so many key contributors from last year’s championship squad, Hanson knows that his team will take their lumps, saying that several of this year’s Mariners are still growing into leadership roles.

“It’s a little learning curve,” said Hanson. “It’s a matter of getting these kids to play with each other and seeing what they can do in different situations. It was good to get that win [Sunday] to boost their confidence. We know the talent is there.”

Though the team is still waiting to see who emerges as this summer’s breakout stars, a handful of players have already earned praise from their coach.

“Bradley Pichler has done a great job for us.… We’ve been relying on him to play in a lot of different spots,” said Hanson.

In the young season, Pichler has already been called upon to give the Mariners valuable innings on the mound and at numerous positions around the diamond. At third base on Saturday, Pichler showcased his good awareness by coolly turning a pair of 5-3 double plays, by stepping on third for a force out before firing across the diamond.

Besides Pichler’s strong play, Hanson said that Pablo has been an effective table-setter in the leadoff hole, Alex Killian has been rock solid behind the plate, and Webster-Yaqui has been pulling his weight in the batter’s box and in the outfield.

But their contributions will not be enough unless the team can find more consistency from its pitching staff, which Hanson indicated will be a key to the Mariners’ success this season.

“We want to make sure [our pitchers] are not trying to do it themselves,” Hanson said, emphasizing pitching to contact and throwing strikes.

Next up, the Mariners will head north to clash with Kootenai Valley in Eureka on Friday.

Baseball camp a big hit

The aforementioned baseball camp conducted by Mariners players and coaches drew approximately 60 up-and-coming ballplayers to O’Maley Park on Saturday morning.

“The campers [were] very excited and very coachable,” Hanson said of the lively bunch, who rotated from station to station receiving tips on hitting, pitching and fielding.

Hanson said that the camp places an emphasis on reinforcing the fundamentals of the game.

“We try to do it during the little guys’ season, so they can use the skills they learn,” said Hanson.

Riley Hutchin of Charlo was one of many youths having fun expanding his baseball knowledge. The current “minor-leaguer” who enjoys playing third base said he “learned to charge the ball and use two hands” among other useful fielding pointers.

“It’s good experience for when we get older,” Hutchin added.

The camp was more than just a morning devoted to the national pastime. Hanson says that the clinic is vital for instilling local youngsters with an appreciation for the game. Generating that excitement helps pay dividends down the road, as area little leagues eventually serve as feeder programs for future Mariners teams.

“If you’ve got kids learning and doing this stuff at a younger age and they’re able to carry it on, it makes it that much easier on us,” said Hanson.

Pichler commits to Dawson Comm. College

Bradley Pichler has punched his ticket to compete at the next level, after signing a letter of intent to play baseball at Dawson Community College in Glendive last week.

Pichler will be joined at Dawson by Mariners teammate Kellen Hoyt, who has also signed with the Buccaneers.

Both Jeremiah Crawford and Nick Crawford also have the opportunity to play at Dawson, but are still weighing their options according to Hanson.

Whitworth every penny

The Mariners’ biggest highlight from the weekend happened off the field, as the team nobly spearheaded a fundraising campaign to generate money and awareness to benefit local six-year-old ColeJene Whitworth, who is battling a malignant brain tumor. Proceeds from a 50/50 raffle went to help support Whitworth, who was in Spokane with his family last weekend to receive treatment.

“We’re just trying to make it a good day for him and his family,” said Hanson.

Whitworth’s fight was brought to the team’s attention by infielder Nick Grogan, who practices sign language with Whitworth’s brother, who is deaf. Grogan, himself, is legally deaf, after losing much of his hearing to an auto-immune disease in February of 2012.