Bulldogs looking upward in 2009

SANDPOINT — Hopes for the Sandpoint softball team are as high as Derek Dickenson has seen in his tenure as the Bulldogs coach, and while he isn’t actively talking about it with the team, opting to keep the focus on the next game instead, returning to the state playoffs in 2009 is very much on his mind.

“It’s definitely been a goal to get back there,” said Dickenson on the Bulldogs’ state hiatus. “We’re way more competitive this year. We’d be fooling ourselves if we said we didn’t have aspirations for state.”

Leading the way will be juniors Rachel Hammack and Molly Givens, each returning with plenty of varsity experience. Hammack, who moves to shortstop this year, spent the last year playing club softball and returns as one of the Inland Empire League’s best players.

“She’s put herself at the top of the league, in the upper echelon of players,” said Dickenson of Hammack. “She’s had a big bat so far (this year).”

Givens is the staff ace, featuring one of the top change ups in the league, and will share most of the innings with sophomore Kym DaVault. Hammack will pitch in a closer role on occasion.

Dickenson said pitching has been keeping them in games this year, and while his hurlers won’t dominate anyone, they’ll hit their spots and make teams put the ball in play.

Freshman first baseman C.J. Semones provides a spark at the top of the order and is hitting more than .300 so far this season. She’ll only play one year at Sandpoint, before moving back east to join her father Doug Semones, who is coaching football at Yale.

Dickenson is also high on senior Nicole Adams, who will hit fifth in the batting order and be a key cog defensively.

“She’s the leader of the outfield, taking charge out there,” he said. “She’s also been able to produce some runs.”

As usual, Sandpoint will battle with Lakeland and Moscow for the lone state berth in 4A North. It’s a wide open race this year, with Sandpoint losing 4-3 to Lakeland in a game that could have gone either way. They’ll host Moscow in a doubleheader Saturday, with a chance to see where they stack up with the Bears.

“I like where we’re at,” said Dickenson. “We should battle with Lakeland all season, and be right in the mix.”