Bulldogs named to All-IEL team

SANDPOINT — Not surprisingly, a host of Bulldogs from the state championship team were named to the All-Inland Empire League baseball team.

Mike Givens was named the 4A coach of the year, and second baseman Ricky Klontz and third baseman Tyler Lichty both garnered first team honors at their respective positions. Lichty would have qualified at pitcher as well, but league rules stipulate that you can only qualify at one position.

Making the second team were Zac Manor at pitcher, Noah Hawkins at shortstop, and Cory Hawkins and Alex Wolfe as outfielders.

Jake Howell and Clay Montgomery were both named to the honorable mention team. Of the eight players, only Lichty (Jr.) and Cory Hawkins (So.) were underclassmen.

Head coach Mike Givens talks about the attributes that landed each player on the team:

Tyler Lichty — "Your typical Bulldog, takes the mound with a chip on his shoulder and has a strong will to win."

Ricky Klontz — "He intellectually knows the game well, sees things before they happen and has great instincts. His fundamentals are clean and crisp."

Alex Wolfe — "Team leader, took the bull by the horns and always kept guys pumped up when things were down."

Zac Manor — "Solid on mound, kind of the quiet guy, he got wins when we needed wins."

Noah Hawkins — "Team captain for us. Would keep everyone focused and cohesive. Was solid on defense, made all the routine plays for us and just got the job done."

Cory Hawkins — "He could hit the fastball. Had great speed and arm in the outfield. He was runner up for newcomer of the year and had a will to get it done."

Jake Howell — "By the end of the season he was nails behind the plate. When we needed him the most, he delivered."

Clay Montgomery — "Quiet No. 2 hitter. I don't know how many times he started a rally; he got us going."