Nic Seems Determined To Delay Retirement Party

Jack Bloxom doesn’t have anything against his fishing pole or his 9-iron. He just wouldn’t mind delaying his retirement.

The North Idaho College baseball coach announced earlier this week he would retire following this, his 30th season. His team doesn’t seem too eager for goodbye hugs or parting gifts.

NIC thumped Treasure Valley 14-4 and 8-0 on a sunny Friday afternoon to move into a tie with the Chukars for third place in the Region 18 North standings and set up an important regular-season finale at noon today.

The team that wins takes third place and the final berth into the Region 18 Tournament next week at the site of the South Division champion. The loser chucks the equipment into storage.

“I think we’re just a lot more determined,” said Cardinals’ DH Ryan Novak, who had five hits, three doubles and six RBIs on the day. “We just want it more for Coach Bloxom.”

The Cards (15-18, 6-11 league) know what they’ll be up against. Treasure Valley (19-33, 6-11) pitcher Rick Bauer, slapped around by NIC in the first inning of Friday’s opener, will start.

Bauer, who shut out NIC in March, didn’t make it out of the first. Paul Wilson hit a two-run homer and Novak added a two-run double. Add a couple of errors, including one by Bauer, and NIC had a six-run first.

Several scouts were on hand to watch Bauer, a rangy 6-foot-5 right-hander who has thrown in the low 90s.

“Maybe he got it out of his system,” said first-year Treasure Valley coach Gary Van Tol, who has heard from scouts that Bauer could go as high as the top five rounds in the amateur draft. “If we’re going to lose, we’re going to lose with our big guy.”

NIC’s big guy, Novak, 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, whacked another two-run double in the second inning. Wilson’s triple and the last of Nate Lynch’s four singles scored NIC’s final run in the sixth, ending the game due to the 10-run rule.

“The only difference today (from the rest of the season) is we got people on base and scored them,” Bloxom said. “We haven’t played badly all year.”

Shelby Hawkins, a tough-luck loser in several previous starts, was rewarded by the offensive support. He labored into the sixth inning, gave up eight hits and walked six but got by without his best stuff.

Second-game pitcher Marc Pizzoferrato allowed only four hits and one walk.

Again, Novak (two runs, a double and his first stolen base of the season) and Wilson (three hits, two runs) fueled the offense. Joel Gorham hit a two-out single in the first to plate NIC’s first run. In the sixth, Al Bevacqua’s two-run double and Jason Bay’s RBI single provided breathing room.

“The momentum is in their favor,” Van Tol said, “and we’ve got to try to take it away.”

NIC 14-8, Treasure Valley 4-0

TVCC 210 010 - 4 8 5

North Idaho 620 141 - 14 15 0

Called because of 10-run rule Bauer, Thomason (1) and van Kampen (5) and Moorhouse. Hawkins, Packard (6) and Pendell. W-Hawkins (4-5). L-Bauer (3-6).

HITS: Treasure Valley-Lowe 2, Glover, Hayes, Moorhouse, Stroschein, Price, Oliver. North Idaho-Nelson, Bevacqua, Wilson 2, Gorham, Lynch 4, Novak 4, Larson. 2B-Novak 2. 3B-Wilson. HR-Wilson (3).

TVCC 000 000 0 - 0 4 1

North Idaho 120 104 x - 8 10 2

Schumacher, Wilson (6) and Moorhouse. Pizzoferrato and Dorame. W-Pizzoferrato (3-3). L-Schumacher (3-2).

HITS: Treasure Valley-Lowe, Stroschein 2, Oliver. North Idaho-Nelson, Bevacqua, Wilson 3, Bay, Gorham, Dorame, Novak, Larson. 2B-Bevacqua, Wilson, Novak.

, DataTimes