Sandpoint Junior All-Stars cap short season
—Courtesy photo Pictured front row, from left to right: Mike Riley, Caleb Davis, Dominic Viola, Eli Daugherty and Connor Bird. Back row: Tyler Lehman, Kerry Johnson, coach Tony Viola, Conrad Becker, Kade MacDonald, manager Bill Hawkins, Will Hawkins, Trevor Brackett and coach K.C. MacDonald.
SANDPOINT — Even though they lost to Lakeland in the District 1 championship series, it was a solid season for the Sandpoint Junior All-Stars recently.
The Sandpoint bats were lively, but errors proved too much to overcome as they were swept in the best two-out-of-three series.
“The coaches are looking forward to the future of Sandpoint baseball,” said coach K.C. MacDonald. “Our young men showed some fight and even though the outcome wasn’t what we would have liked, our boys were great sportsmen and learned a lot.”
Manager Bill Hawkins echoed a similar sentiment, and sees a bright future ahead for the players.
“I am anxious to follow this group through high school,” said Hawkins. “I am guessing they will be bringing some hardware back to the high school trophy case.”
Hawkins lauded the versatility of the team, with most players able to play multiple positions. The pitching was solid in the two losses, but the defense struggled, and with only one series on the schedule, there was little margin for error.
Hawkins praised the pitching of ace left-hander Tyler Lehman, calling him a workhorse player.
“Every pitch, whether he is in the field, swinging the bat, or running the bases,” described Hawkins. “He is a real talent and will be fun to watch as he starts his high school career.”
Connor Bird also logged a quality start, keeping the Lakeland batters guessing with off-speed stuff and only allowed two runs. Trevor Brackett laid down two perfect bunts, and brings a strong bat and defense to the field.
Kade MacDonald led the team in RBIs in defeat, and his leadership caught the eye of Hawkins.
“He showed great maturity in dealing with adversity while pitching and took out his frustrations at the plate,” described Hawkins. “I could not have asked for a better team player.”
Kerry Johnson, who along with Caleb Davis, Lehman and MacDonald played on last year’s team that advanced to the Western Regionals, also had a strong series, bringing strong defense to a handful of positions.
Hawkins wished to thanks the players and parents for a great season.