Mt. Spokane High Team Second In A League

The doors of Mt. Spokane High School have yet to open, but future baseball players at the school have already won a trophy.

McDonald’s, made up of players from Mt. Spokane, shared the American Legion A League North Division championship.

The team ultimately finished second in the end-of-season, four-team tournament.

North Division teams proved dominant during the playoffs.

McDonald’s ousted defending champion and South runnerup Food Rainbow/Carsten’s Marine 13-11 before losing a pair of 6-3 games to Panorama Twins.

The Twins had shared the North Division title with McDonald’s.

Mt. Spokane fielded three summer Legion teams, Including one at the AA level coached by Mead graduate Alex Schuerman.

His brother Nick, who attended Freeman, coached the tourney runnerup A team.

“Basically, (Mt. Spokane coach) Dave Whitehead asked us to do it,” said Nick Schuerman. “My brother is going to student teach there next year and is going to try and help. They didn’t have anyone for this team.”

Both had played for Whitehead in junior high and followed his style.

Four players, incoming sophomores Josh Wilson and Tim Bowman and incoming juniors Cory Freuen and Reggie Meddock, were double rostered on the two teams.

Outfielder Wilson and middle infielder Bowman, along with middle infielder Matt Binder provided pitching and defense for ace pitcher Robert Schyler on the A team.

As a result, Nick, who will play baseball as a redshirt freshman at Washington State University next year, got the upper hand over his brother, who finished his baseball career at Whitworth this spring.

“I let him know,” said Nick. “We had a pretty good year.”

Legion playoffs under way

Four North Side American Legion teams are currently involved in the AAA and AA baseball teams.

Regular season AAA champion Blue Devils, made up of players from North Central, Lakeside, Deer Park and Shadle Park high schools, played a best-of-three series against the Royals beginning with a Wednesday night doubleheader.

The team was led this summer by Lakeside’s George Petticrew who batted .426 at last report and led the league with a 2.61 pitching earned run average.

Eric Hayden (Shadle) had batted .399 and was one of four Blue Devils pitchers among the league’s top eight in ERA at 4.80.

Kris Granlund (Lakeside) was at 3.72 and Chris Eggleston (Chewelah) was at 4.77.

Three North Side teams, led by North Division champion Hess Photography/Wheeler from Mead, qualified for the six-team AA playoffs.

Hess/Wheeler finished up the season with a 16-4 league record, including two wins in three games with the runnerup Panorama Twins.

Dan Thigpen pitched a 2-1 victory at home, his teammates scoring twice in the bottom of the seventh for victory.

A 7-6 triumph in the second game of a twin bill in Colville, plus season-ending wins over Riverside and Granny’s Buffet secured the title.

Hess/Wheeler plays tonight at 8 at Central Valley against Wednesday’s Eagle Hardware/ Pepsi (Shadle Park)-Spokane Athletic Supply winner in the first game of a best of three series.

B&C Telephone/Dix from Lakeside High met Panorama Wednesday with the winner going against South Division champion Clarkston PAC in tonight’s 6 p.m. opener of their best-of-three series.

The tournament continues with two more games Friday at CV and, if necessary, games will be played Saturday at Gonzaga University.

The AAA and AA series winners advance to another best-of-three playoff July 27 and 28 at Shadle Park’s Al K. Jackson Field and GU.

The AAA champion qualifies for the Senior Babe Ruth state tournament in Selah. The AA champion qualifies for the junior state tournament in Mt. Vernon.

Spokane Cougars to nationals

The tournament-seasoned Spokane Cougars, a 16-U fastpitch softball team, are about to face their sternest test.

Monday, the Cougars fly to Chattanooga, Tenn. for national competition.

“This group is really good,” said Steve Fountain, who coaches the Cougars with his wife, Pat. “They can finish in the top 10 if they get the right breaks.”

Nationals will be the 11th tournament this summer for the Cougars who have compiled a 39-11 record and at one time had won 12 straight games.

Included was a 6-0 record in the national qualifier during which they outscored opposition 74-2.

“All our players can hit,” said Fountain. “We average 8 to 9 runs per game, usually.”

Among team members are North Side catcher-third base-outfielder Jessica Hahn (North Central), first baseman Shawna Powell and second baseman Anna Vagstad (both Mead).

Other team members are pitchers Kayla Adams and Kaylene Fountain, catcher Justine Ruddell, her outfielder sister Maria Ruddell, shortstop Haley Henry, outfielders Katie Maehl, Candice Powers and Jackie Parrott.

Fountain has been coaching for a decade and is taking his fourth team to a national tournament.

This year’s Cougar team, said Fountain, has refined its game and is improved over last year when it finished 55th in nationals.

“It’s the best team I’ve ever had,” he said.

Coach here for gymnastics camp

UCLA gymnastics coach Anton Calderon will be a part of Spokane Elite Gymnastics competitive camp July 28-Aug. 1 at the SEG gym, 1030 N. Lake in eastern Spokane Valley.

Calderon’s team won this year’s NCAA women’s championships.

He will be joined by Oregon’s Tina Welle and the SEG coaching team of Bob and Nancy Ito, Steve Von Ebers, Jenne Kissell, Adriane Leithauser and Theresa Murphy.

The camp is for levels 4-10 and high school gymnasts in the area.

Bob Ito was gymnastics coach at the University of Washington from 1980-90. Welle has coached national level athletes. Von Ebers is a recent transplant to Spokane from the Seattle Gymnastics Academy.

The camp will run from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at a cost of $175. For information call 533-9646.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: American Legion Baseball

(Final Standings) W L T AAA League Blue Devils 16 8 0 Bandits 13 8 0 Cannons 13 8 0 Royals 7 13 0 North Stars 6 18 0

AA League South PAC of Clarkston 18 2 0 Eagle Hardware (Shadle) 15 5 0 Olympic Sports (U-Hi) 12 8 0 Spokane Athletic (CV) 12 8 0 Future Shop (EV) 11 9 0 Kimmel Athletic (Ferris) 10 10 0 Spokane Fed CU (Cheney) 8 12 0 LC Boosters 7 13 0 Grocery Outlet (Freeman) 4 16 0 Strike Zone (WV) 3 17 0

AA League North Hess/Wheeler (Mead) 16 4 0 Panorama Twins 15 4 0 B&C Tel/Dix (Lakeside) 13 6 0 Deer Park Eagles 12 8 0 Downtown Toyota (NC) 11 9 0 Washington Trust (G-Prep) 8 12 0 Granny’s Buffet (Mt. Spo) 6 14 0 Rogers 4 16 0 Riverside 3 15 0

A League South Tony Roma (Shadle) 14 2 0 Groc/Carstens (CV 1) 14 2 0 Wycoff Hydraulics (EV) 13 3 0 Ferris A 10 6 0 McDonald’s (Cheney) 8 8 0 Dimensions (U-Hi) 7 8 0 Doc’s Muffler (LC) 5 10 0 Grocery Outlet (Freeman) 5 11 0 Raven Roofing (WV) 3 13 0 Spokane Insulation (CV 2) 0 16 0

A League North McDonald’s (Mt. Spo. 2) 10 4 0 Panorama Twins 10 4 0 Deer Park Eagles 9 5 0 Arby’s (G-Prep) 8 6 0 Diamond Sports (Mt. Spo. 1) 8 6 0 Houk Chiropractic (Mead) 6 8 0 Quantum Financial (NWC) 4 10 0 Imperial Data Supply (NC) 2 12 0