Baseball Season Preview/Review

2008 Season Preview

The Community Colleges of Spokane baseball program will seek to climb back atop the Eastern Region in 2008. Spokane, who finished second in 2007, will have to replace seven starters on offense and all four starting pitchers. Spokane has brought in one of the deepest and most talented recruiting classes in recent memory.

Returning sophomores Adam Smith, Braden Friesz and Cody Reeves all saw action in 2007 and will be counted on to lead the young squad in 2008. Smith is Spokane’s lone returning all-league player. Smith was placed on the Eastern Region’s Second Team as a utility player in 2007 and saw action as both a catcher and at second base. Friesz started the majority of Spokane’s games behind the plate and Reeves saw action as a utility infielder.

Catcher
Behind the plate the Sasquatch will be in good hands with veterans Braden Friesz and Adam Smith. The tandem caught nearly every inning for Spokane last season. Both will split time behind the plate during the 2008 season. Friesz caught the majority of the innings last season. He is a physical presence behind the plate with good receiving skills and tremendous arm strength. Adam is one the program’s best athletes. He has a quick release and has worked hard to clean up his receiving and blocking skills. Adam played a lot of second base in 2007 and will see some action there this season. Freshman Aaron LaPlante will also compete for innings behind the plate this spring.

Infield
In the infield Spokane will be replacing all four starters from a year ago. Spokane will rely on a talented and versatile group of freshmen to do so. Up the middle, Kevin Ricker and Justin Loya will compete for time at shortstop. Ricker is a dependable shortstop who has improved his footwork since arriving on campus in September. Kevin is a solid offensive player that will add some punch to the Sasquatch lineup. Loya will be used as the clubs utility infielder. He has the ability to play both up the middle and at third base. Both players come from successful programs and have a lot of game savvy. Kelly Gau will also be in the mix up the middle. He will most likely begin the season as the starting second baseman. Kelly is a hard-nosed guy who had a great fall. Cody Reeves and Adam Smith will also see time in the infield as utility guys. Ian Atkinson had a great fall and will control the hot corner for the Sasquatch. Jordan Johnson will see a lot of innings at first base. Jordan is a solid defender who will sit in the middle of our order all year. Jordan will also see innings on the mound for Spokane. Tanner Hamilton has transferred from the University of Washington and will compete for innings at first base and as the designated hitter.

Outfield
Speed in the outfield will be one of the strengths of Spokane’s team in 2008. Matt Starr and Mark Purser are gifted defenders in the outfield. Matt was outstanding in the fall and will see most of his innings in centerfield. Mark is one of the club’s top pitchers and will start in left field. Brandon Haas was the MVP of the fall world series and will see a lot of innings out in right field or as the designated hitter. Sophomore Cody Reeves can play any position on the field. He had a great fall and could see innings in the outfield or as a designated hitter. Cory Kreighbaum, a transfer from Columbian Basin College is close to making a full recovery from shoulder surgery and will fight for innings in the outfield as well. Other guys vying for time in the outfield will be Jon Osterburg a transfer from Lamar CC in Colorado, Colby Crawford who is a two-way player and freshman Scott Ferguson.

Pitching Staff
The pitching staff is also talented but inexperienced. Left hander Mike Richard has established himself as the staff ace in the fall and winter. Mike has the ability to be an elite pitcher in the NWAACC. Other rotation candidates are freshman left hander Adam Hill. Adam is tremendously consistent. He throws a ton of strikes and gets a lot of balls in play. Freshman righty Paul Smith has the ability to be electric on the mound and his ability to throw strikes consistently is improving on a daily basis. Josh Davis is a sophomore transfer from Lamar CC. Josh is a big strong kid and was a pleasant surprise in the fall. Sophomore lefty Tucker Seitz will also compete for innings as a starter. Tucker threw some innings during his freshman year and had a great fall. Previously mentioned, Mark Purser is a candidate for either a rotation spot or to serve as the team’s closer in the spring. Alex Brueske has great make-up and is improving every day. He will be used as a swing man for the Sasquatch this spring.

The 2008 bullpen will be a little deeper than in years past. Sophomore right handers Ryan Reitmeier and Brian Bradshaw will compete for innings and provide some leadership out of the bullpen. Bret Riggin will return from Tommy John Surgery last year. He has made a full recovery and will be a great asset for the Sasquatch. Freshman lefthander Casey Mitchell has thrown well in his off season bullpens. Other freshmen competing for innings are Colby Crawford, Colton Hiles, Travis Bradshaw and Charlie Webb.

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