HSSZ: Week of April 4 Capsules

#16 COTTAGE GROVE (7-4)
■ Leading off: The Lions kick off Sky-Em League play this week with a Friday doubleheader at No. 8 Marshfield. Senior captains Isaiah Cushman and Christian Spear attempt to bring Cottage Grove its first baseball league title since 2016. 

#25 CRESWELL (2-5)
■ Leading off: Seniors Landon Palmer and Cameron Leonard lead Creswell in a doubleheader against Harrisburg this Saturday as the Bulldogs search for their first conference win under new coach Kevin Feist. Creswell went 2-1 against Harrisburg last season, so the series this week will be a good opportunity to gain momentum if the Bulldogs can stop their four-game skid.

#4 PLEASANT HILL (5-2)
■ Leading off: The Billies host last year’s Mountain Valley Conference champions in No. 12 Sisters this week. The teams have a doubleheader scheduled Friday, and the Billies will need a strong outing on offense from the top four hitters in the lineup: Caden Richardson, Caleb Van Ordstrand, Hunter Allen, and Jon Fitzpatrick.

#29 SPRINGFIELD (1-7)
■ Leading off: Springfield’s off to a slow start under new head coach Alan Embree, but the Millers have a bounce-back opportunity this week against Churchill as Midwestern League play gets underway. Springfield and Churchill were two of the three bottom finishers in the MWL last season, so a win in this week’s series could set the tone early for the Millers.

#5 THURSTON (5-3)
■ Leading off: Thurston, the five-time defending Midwestern League champs, begins its league title defense this week with a series against Ashland – a team that finished second in the league last season and made the state semifinals. Senior Adam Elliott and the Colts went 18-0 in league play last year, and haven’t lost a league game since March 19, 2022.

#14 CRESWELL (4-2)
■ Leading off: Creswell has an important doubleheader this Saturday against No. 13 Harrisburg. The Bulldogs took a game off Harrisburg last year when Harrisburg finished second in the conference, and a series win this year would put Creswell firmly in the mix for a conference title of its own.

#6 PLEASANT HILL (3-1)
■ Leading off: Pleasant Hill’s game-load has been light so far thanks to three early-season games being canceled. The Billies’ schedule, weather-permitting, picks up this week with a series against Sisters. The return of star Bella Black, coupled with the continued excellence from Karley Bloxham and Raigan Obie, should give Pleasant Hill a formidable lineup on both sides.

#25 SPRINGFIELD (3-5)
■ Leading off: Springfield’s Midwestern League season begins this week with a home doubleheader against Churchill. Springfield’s only win last season was in the MWL, but the Millers haven’t won multiple league games since the 2017 season. Senior Jacey Smith has been a catalyst early for Springfield.

#22 THURSTON (2-6)
■ Leading off: Thurston’s off to a rocky start after a 15-win season last year. The Colts can get back on track this week as they begin their Midwestern League season with a series against Ashland – the team Thurston finished just above in the league standings last year. Thurston’s senior trio of Emily Spain, Katelyn Dow, and Bailey Tovey lead the way.

■ Cottage Grove had a tough week at the Hidden Valley Spring Break Tournament, going 0-3 on the weekend. The closest game for the Lions was an 8-2 loss on Saturday against No. 17 Phoenix in which Christian Spear had 2 hits and 2 Ks.

■ Creswell lost its only game last week, a 15-9 defeat to No. 10 Glide. Landon Palmer led the way in the loss with 2 hits and 3 RBI, and Tyler Pratt chipped in 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 RBI.

■ Pleasant Hill had a stellar showing at the Challenger Classic last week, going 2-1 against top-10 competition. The Billies opened the tournament with a 4-3 victory over No. 1 Douglas thanks to a walk-off single from Jon Fitzpatrick that drove in Hunter Allen. In Game Two of the tourney, Pleasant Hill fell 6-5 to the defending champions Banks in another walk-off. Alejandro Ziolkowski had 9 Ks despite the loss. In their final game, the Billies took down No. 8 Warrenton 10-4 behind 2 hits, 1 run, and 2 RBI from both Caden Richardson and Nate Curtis.

■ Springfield hosted the annual Springfield Tournament during spring break. The Millers went 0-4 in the tourney this year, with their best showing a 16-7 loss against Class 6A No. 23 Roseburg. Isaiah Navarrete and Clay Rhoades each finished with 1 hit and 2 runs in the loss.

■ Thurston traveled to Arizona for the prestigious Coach Bob National Invitational and finished 3-2 for the second year in a row. The Colts took down Monarch (Colo.) 16-9 as Kyle Miller grabbed 3 hits, 3 runs, and 3 RBI. Thurston’s second win was a 5-1 victory over Lake Park (Ill.) behind Collin Hernandez’s 7 Ks and Connor Molony’s 2 hits, 1 run, and 2 RBI. Thurston finished off the tourney with a 13-6 win over Arbor View (Nev.) thanks to Grady Saunders’ 2 hits, 2 runs, and 4 RBI – including a grand slam in the third inning.

■ Cottage Grove went 2-1 at the Hidden Valley Tournament, all against top-10 teams. The Lions fell 3-0 against No. 2 Crook County on Friday morning, but bounced back with an 8-7 win over No. 11 Hidden Valley later that day. Emily Pacheco had 11 Ks in the loss and 9 Ks in the win, and Addison Hitt recorded 2 hits, 1 run, and 1 RBI against Hidden Valley. The Lions won their final game 11-7 over Class 3A No. 8 Douglas behind Pacheco’s 8 Ks, 1 hit, 2 runs, and 2 RBI.

■ Pleasant Hill lost its first game of the season last week with a 12-9 defeat at Class 4A No. 12 Junction City. Bella Black got her first action on the mound this season with 6 Ks, and added 2 hits, 1 run, and 2 RBI in the loss.

■ Springfield split a doubleheader with Mountain View, losing Game One 10-0 and winning Game Two 2-0. Lillian Wobbe pitched the full Game Two and had 4 Ks, while Jacey Smith and Wobbe each had 1 hit and 1 run on offense.

RESULTS

BASEBALL
Tuesday, March 26
■ Glide 15, Creswell 9
■ South Eugene 10, Springfield 2
■ Thurston 16, Monarch (CO) 9
■ Mullen (CO) 3, Thurston 0
Wednesday, March 27
■ Pleasant Hill 4, Douglas 3
■ Roseburg 16, Springfield 7
Thursday, March 28
■ Hidden Valley 12, Cottage Grove 2
■ Banks 6, Pleasant Hill 5
■ North Eugene 29, Springfield 3
■ Thurston 5, Lake Park (IL) 1
Friday, March 29
■ North Valley 10, Cottage Grove 0
■ Pleasant Hill 10, Warrenton 4
■ Thurston 13, Arbor View (NV) 6
Saturday, March 30
■ Phoenix 8, Cottage Grove 2

SOFTBALL
Tuesday, March 26
■ Redmond 5, Thurston 2
■ Caldera 13, Thurston 3
Friday, March 29
■ Crook County 3, Cottage Grove 0
■ Cottage Grove 8, Hidden Valley 7
Saturday, March 30
■ Cottage Grove 11, Douglas 7
■ Junction City 12, Pleasant Hill 9
■ Mountain View 10, Springfield 0
■ Springfield 2, Mountain View 0

SCHEDULES

BASEBALL
Friday, April 5
■ Sisters at Pleasant Hill, 2 and 4:30 p.m.
■ Cottage Grove at Marshfield, 3 and 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
■ Churchill at Springfield, 1 and 3 p.m.
■ Thurston at Ashland, 1 and 3 p.m.
■ Harrisburg at Creswell, 2 and 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9
■ Sisters at Creswell, 4:30 p.m.
■ North Bend at Cottage Grove, 5 p.m.
■ Springfield at Crater, 5 p.m.
■ North Eugene at Thurston, 5 p.m.

SOFTBALL
Friday, April 5
■ Sisters at Pleasant Hill 2 and 4:30 p.m.
■ Cottage Grove at Marshfield, 3 and 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 6
■ Churchill at Springfield, 1 and 3 p.m.
■ Thurston at Ashland, 1 and 3 p.m.
■ Harrisburg at Creswell, 2 and 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9
■ Sisters at Creswell, 4:30 p.m.
■ North Bend at Cottage Grove, 5 p.m.
■ Springfield at Crater, 5 p.m.
■ North Eugene at Thurston, 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10
■ Creswell at North Douglas, 4:30 p.m.

TRACK & FIELD
Saturday, April 6
■ Cottage Grove at Prefontaine Rotary Invitational (Marshfield), 10 a.m.
■ Creswell, Pleasant Hill at Sisters Invitational (Sisters HS), 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, April 10
■ Thurston at Sheldon, 3:30 p.m.
■ Springfield at Crater, 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 11
■ MVC League Meet at Pleasant Hill, 3:30 p.m.