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| A summer of opportunity |
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| The future of Molalla Indians baseball begins its development in preparation for next season |
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 | | Photo By Alex Tam | | Molalla junior-to-be John Fawcett pitched 2-2/3 innings, allowing five runs in the Indians’ 10-3 loss to Canby at Canby High School on June 15. Fawcett is one of several young pitchers that Molalla coach Rick Dishner is looking at for next season to replace all-league first-teamer Nick Chance. |
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By Alex Tam
A new era begins for the Molalla baseball program.
Gone are several of the team’s mainstays from the past couple of seasons due to graduation, including Nick Chance, Ross Naylor, Andy LaPlante, Scott McMullin, K.C. Swain and Caleb Taylor.
Coming in for the Indians is an influx of young and talented juniors-to-be, who the Molalla coaches are excited to bring up next season.
“I told (JV) coach (Phil) Hansen going into last year, he was pretty loaded and that’s probably one of the best JV teams we’ve put on the field, because some of those kids were an injury or a break away from playing varsity ball,” coach Rick Dishner said. “And quite honestly, maybe they were capable of being there towards the end of the season.”
Molalla (1-1 overall) began its new era last week, splitting a pair of games to begin the Junior State baseball season, defeating Clackamas 10-4 on June 14, and falling to Canby, 10-3 on June 15 at Canby High School.
Part of Dishner’s excitement for the program’s future is attributed to having his core for the next two seasons. The team is expected to carry just two seniors — Sheldon Baker and Aaron Liechty — on next year’s squad.
Dishner said one of the changes people will see with his new team is more aggressiveness on offense, putting players in motion and stealing bases. Against Canby, Molalla had four stolen bases by four different players.
“It’s what’s going to keep us in ballgames,” Dishner said.
The development of the team’s young pitchers this summer will also be crucial heading into next year with the Indians losing Chance, who was a Capital Conference first-team selection and finished the regular season with a 1.92 ERA.
Expected to replace him on the mound are a combination of Riley Falk, Baker, Jeremy Sprague, John Fawcett and Mike Fowler, who started Molalla’s first-round district playoff game.
“Mike Fowler is going to be a big part of our pitching staff, but he’s been having a little bit of some elbow problems,” Dishner said. “... (But) he should be back getting ready to not only get in the starting rotation, but doing some spot relief for us sometime (this) week.
“Our pitching is young, so we’re going to need to do some things to help us along and help ourselves with some runs and give our pitchers some run support, so maybe they can relax a little bit.”
In the loss to Canby, Liechty started for Molalla and lasted 1-1/3 innings, allowing four runs and no strikeouts.
Fawcett came in relief, allowing five runs in 2-2/3 innings and no strikeouts. Baker pitched the final inning and allowed one run.
Fowler, Brandon Koos and Devin Walker each had an RBI for Molalla.
Dishner said he’s excited about Koos, a catcher who will replace LaPlante. The junior-to-be batted cleanup against Canby and had a stolen base.
“Brandon does a good job back there,” Dishner said. “There’s some fundamental things that we need to work on with him, but I think by the time he’s done, he’s going to be a pretty good one.”
Sprague, a junior-to-be shortstop, is also expected to be one of the program’s core players for the future as he was a varsity starter this past season.
Also looking to be contributors are outfielder Steven Furlow, first baseman Peter Borowczak and outfielder Troy Popiel.
In the Junior State baseball season, Molalla is scheduled to face several 4A teams, including Silverton, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tualatin and Canby.
This week, the Indians faced North Marion on Monday, Rex Putnam on Tuesday and will face Gladstone on Wednesday.
All games are on the road and begin at 6 p.m.
“Our goal going in every year is to go at least .500 during summer ball,” Dishner said. “And I think they got it in them.”
Former Molalla players earn chance to play at college level
Naylor and Chance each paid a visit to Linn-Benton Community College last weekend for an opportunity to play at the next level, according to Dishner.
Naylor, an outfielder, was invited to play at the 27th annual North-South 3A Baseball Series this past weekend that recognized 36 of the top 3A players in the state.
“(Naylor’s) going to have to continue hitting the ball and work as hard as he has right now,” Dishner said. “He’s got good speed. I don’t know if he’s a centerfielder at the college level — maybe move him into left field, so that’s a possibility. He has the tools as does Nick Chance.”
Dishner said Naylor’s strengths are his speed, defense and work ethic.
“He’s just a hard worker and if he has some shortcomings, he’ll work them out so they’re no longer weaknesses,” Dishner said. |
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