Last week, the Spudders baseball team hosted schools from throughout Washington for a mini-tournament.
Lynden, North Kitsap, W.F. West (Chehalis), Anacortes and Clarkston high schools traveled to Ridgefield for some quality baseball action at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex from Thursday, March 14 through Saturday, March 16.
The tournament guaranteed three games for each team, Spudders head coach Nick Allen said.
“The idea behind it is a little bit like a 2A pre-state tournament if you will, like trying to find teams in every district that are competing for state playoff spots at the end of the spring and bringing them all down here,” Allen said. “It’s always good baseball. It’s a great bunch of coaches. I think, for me, more importantly, they’re teams that play the game the right way.”
For Allen, having schools from up north such as Anacortes and Lynden is a “cool deal” for him as he grew up in the Skagit Valley region. As a kid, Allen played against Anacortes and Lynden, and, as a coach, he coached against two current coaches in the tournament.
“When I started coaching at Sehome High School [in Bellingham], I coached against Cory White, the head coach for Lynden,” Allen said. “I coached against Pat Swapp when he was at Mount Vernon. He’s the head coach at Anacortes now. So it’s really cool. It’s kind of a cool deal for me. They’ve been around forever and just run great programs. It’s great to get them to come here to little ole Ridgefield and play baseball.”
On Thursday, March 14, against the Clarkston Bantams, the Spudders’ bats came to life in a 12-4 win that saw a senior newcomer perform well in all facets of the game.
After three years at Washougal, Nate Olmos, a University of Jamestown commit, is now a Spudder for his senior season. The switch-hitting catcher went 3 for 5 at the plate with four RBIs and a run scored in the 12-4 win over Clarkston High School. Olmos also made a key put-out throw to second base with a runner heading home from third to end the first inning without giving up another score.
“He’s a good player, and it was good to see him kind of get unlocked a little bit tonight and get the bear loose from both sides of the plate,” Allen said of Olmos. “If he stays on that, he’ll help us for sure. He’s done a really good job. He’s a leader behind the plate. He’s a veteran back there, knows how to handle the pitching staff. So, I mean, it’s been a really good addition. We’re really happy to have him.”
Up next for Ridgefield includes the start of league play with a two-game series at Fort Vancouver High School which began Monday, March 18 and concludes at 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 20. Monday’s game results were unavailable before press time.
“The league’s going to be great,” Allen said as his Spudders approach league play. “I love this league, and I’m really glad that we get to stay in 2A because I love the league and I love competing in it.”
