<p>Hermiston Spuds’ Cam Day rounds second and heads for third during the team’s 13-2 victory against Columbia Gorge in the Class AAA American Legion Zone 1 championship game last Saturday. Day, a senior at Heppner High School, has hit in the leadoff spot for the Spuds most of the year and has a .410 batting average.</p>

For the Hermiston Spuds Class AAA American Legion Baseball team, its been awhile for any kind of state tournament play.

After 1992, a Hermiston ballclub hasnt been to the Senior Legion state tournament until now.

For the 2011 Hermiston Spuds, its more than just getting to the tournament they are looking to do well during their stay in Eugene.

They will open tournament play at 7:30 p.m. July 27 against the host team, the Bi-Mart Eugene Challengers. The game will be carried line online at www.radio84.com with Paul Yarbrough providing the play-by-play action.

The Challengers pose a big problem to any team that plays in their yard, Swede Johnson Stadium. The Eugene club is 26-2-1 inside the friendly confines and 33-11-1 overall. 

 

 

Its the host site for the state tournament this year.

The Challengers didnt have to qualify for the tournament through district play or the super regionals round since they are hosting the tournament.

The two games the Challengers lost at Swede Johnson were a 14-inning marathon with the Salem Highwaymen, another team in the tournament field, and to Bothell, Wash. Both games were one-run losses.

Its too bad the Spuds couldnt get the Challengers anywhere outside Eugene, where they are 7-9.

Eugene finished second in Zone 4 with a 10-6 record. They split the season series with the high-powered Medford Mustangs (winners of Zone 4), another club in the tournament, 2-2. All the games were decided by one run.

The Challengers probable starter on the mound is South Eugene High School junior Joe Schindler. This season he sports a 3-1 record with a pair of saves and a miniscule 1.69 ERA. His curveball is one of the best around, and he goes to it quite often when hes in a jam.

If they dont go with Schindler, the Challengers have another guy thats quite capable of throwing a gem.

Sheldons Cason Cunningham, who threw a no-hitter and struck out 17 batters twice during the high school season, could see some innings. Cunningham is a hard-throwing left-hander, his fastball reaches almost 90 miles per hour, with a devastating breaking ball and solid change up. 

He doesnt have much to show for his skill level this summer, though. Hes 1-2 with a 3.28 ERA.

Other pitchers for the Challengers that could possibly throw against the Spuds include Jake Lessel (5-1, 3.28 ERA) and Zach Eyster (4-1, 1.89 ERA).

On the hill, Hermiston can counter with their own aces, Tim Rude and Quin Grogan.

Rude has been the workhorse of the staff this year with 39 innings pitched and five wins to his credit. Rude has thrown 13 more innings than the Spuds second-most used pitcher, Devin Bailey of Stanfield.

Rude has 42 strikeouts and opponents are hitting .212 against him.

Grogan, meanwhile, hasnt seen a ton of innings this spring but thered no hiding the talent in his right arm.

The Stanfield fireballer has 22 strikeouts in just a little more than 14 innings pitched. He has a 2.93 ERA and opponents are hitting just .170 against him.

On the offensive side for the Challengers, they are hitting .341 as a club with a .441 on-base percentage.

They are led by a member of the 2010 Class 5A state title-winning North Eugene Highlanders, Garrett Mills. While he didnt play baseball in the spring in college, he can still hit a baseball extremely well. 

He leads the club with a .418 batting average and hit two home runs in one inning in a game last week. He slugs at a .582 clip and is the teams leader in runs batted in. He hopes to play next season for Linn-Benton Community College in Albany. 

Brad Birch, a Treasure Valley CC player this spring and Churchill High School gradaute, is also a threat at the late for the Challengers. He usually hits in the clean-up spot and carries a .398 batting average.

For the Spuds, they have five players hitting above .400 this summer. Tommy Bevington is the teams leader with a .480 average, followed by Camran Pollicks .465 and Tate Gabriels .455. Cam Day and Grogan are hitting .410 and .404, respectively.

If anyone is due for a big tournament, its the Spuds Jeremy Holden. 

After tearing the cover off the ball during the high school season, hes not quite having the summer he was hoping to have. However, Holden drove in six runs and hit a titanic home run to end the Zone 1 championship game with Columbia Gorge and could be back to his old ways once again and hitting the ball around the yard.