Mission Valley M's skipper evaluates top-notch competition

The Mission Valley Mariners earned the No. 5 seed in this week’s American Legion District Tournament that is set to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday morning in Hamilton.

The young M’s, who earned the No. 5 seed, will play the No. 4-seeded Kalispell Lakers in the first-round of the winner’s bracket in American Legion District play.

In Tim Rausch’s fisrt-ever season as manager, he has managed to take a young M’s team to a respectable 24-22 record. Now Rausch said he felt his team has as good of a chance as any other team in the conference to win District, with respect to the top-caliber teams in the District including the No. 1 seeded Glacier Twins and the Kalispell Lakers.

Rausch talked about what he felt made some of the other American Legion teams such as the Glaclier Twins and the Bitteroot Red Sox successful.

Bitteroot remains one of the top teams in the District year-after-year, and Rausch said he felt they are consistent is every phase of their game.

“They hit the ball and they have a very good mechanical swing,” Rausch said. “They put the ball in play and they force your team to make plays.”

Rausch said he felt the Red Sox’s big success is generated by their offense.

“They are a mostly an offensive team,” Rausch said. “They have two guys (in their pitching rotation) that are dominant and (outsdide of them) they really don’t have much on the pitching side I don’t think.”

Rausch said he felt the Glacier Twins are solid across the board.

“(It was huge for them) to gain a No. 1 seed,” Rausch said. “They are very solid hitting and fielding and they compete and their attitude is consistent- they play very solid baseball all across the board and they have one standout pitcher and (all of their pitchers) throw for strikes and can hit the ball.”

Aside from the elite teams, such as the No. 1 seeded Twins and the No. 2 seeded Red Sox, Rausch said this year’s District Tournament could be anyone’s game.

“It’s very plausible that if we win game one and have a good game two that we have a chance to come out Districts,” Rausch said.