NI Lakers 16U signifies the growth of baseball in Sandpoint

The NI Lakers 16U are heading to their second straight Washington State "A" Division tournament under head coach Ken Oler.

Oler has been one of the driving forces behind growing and developing the sport of baseball in the city of Sandpoint.

He's coached at the little league, legion, and high school levels throughout his 15-year tenure in Sandpoint.

"There's more of an appetite for baseball due to Sandpoint's recent success," Oler said. "15 years ago, when I came to Sandpoint, I coached the 10U all-star team. We'd go against Coeur d'Alene, Hayden, and Rathdrum."

Those three programs routed Sandpoint during the tournament, leaving a sour taste in Oler's mouth.

"I had people telling me not to take it that hard. No one expects anything out of Sandpoint," he said. "That irritated me. I told them that they were wrong and things were going to change."

15 years later, and Oler's words reigned true for all levels of baseball in Sandpoint. From little league, Sasquatch, legion, and high school.

"It's just like anything else there's a core group of kids who are passionate about the sport," Oler said. "Most of our guys are multiple sport athletes but their passion lies with baseball."

That growth couldn't be more apparent than with the 2022 NI Lakers 16U legion baseball team..

The Lakers finished the regular season 26-7, winning the district championship with a mixture of great hitting and pitching.

"This year's team has a good balance of kids who are extremely coachable," Oler said. "They're buying into the process and the training."

One of the most important parts of a young baseball team is its pitching staff. Luckily, for the Lakers, they have a deep bullpen with several guys who all do different things well.

The ace on the mound for the Lakers this season has been 14-year-old hurler Dallen Williams.

"(Dallen) Williams has been lights out as a starter," Oler said. "I recognized early that he's much more effective as a starter than a reliever, so we started to focus a lot more on the mental aspect of the game."

Breathing, positive aspirations, and confidence have been something that Oler continuously teaches his team.

"He's one of those guys where I'll reassure my confidence in him when he starts," Oler said. "Then he'll go out and believe in himself and get the job done. He has all the physical stuff to be a great pitcher."

Brothers Chase and Cole Sanroman have also spent significant time on the mound for the Lakers this season.

The Clark Fork natives have brought a level of leadership and positivity to the team, according to Oler.

"The Sanroman's are natural athletes," Oler said. "The thing I really enjoy about them is their leadership ability. They have a ton of positive energy and they're very light hearted. They take the game seriously, but they have fun and the game is supposed to be fun."

Jorden Tyler has spent some time on the mound for the Lakers, but he mostly stays behind the plate as the Lakers signal-caller.

"I watch a lot of baseball and coach a lot of guys and I think there's three or four guys who will be premiere players in the northwest," Oler said. "One of those guys is (Jorden) Tyler. He's phenomenal behind the plate and he's still learning. When you have a catcher with a great throw and accuracy, coaches don't feel good about moving runs, which means not a lot of runners get into scoring position."

Lakers first baseman Jacob Hansen also received a nod as having the potential to be one of the area's best.

"He's the best first baseman in the northwest," Oler said. "He's just unbelievable over there. When you have a first baseman like (Jake) Hansen, it doesn't matter how good the infield throws are, he can still make the out."

The bats and base running have also been at the forefront for the Lakers in 2022.

They brought home double-digit runs in five out of their final 10 games.

"Again, it's just them buying into the system," Oler said. "Just as an example, our two-strike approach involves us loading up and turning. We're just chipping away until the pitcher makes a mistake. I don't know how many hits we've had with two strikes, but it's been a lot."

The NI Lakers 16U will face off against Medical Lake in the first round of the Washington State "A" Division tournament on Saturday at 9 a.m.

"I predicted that we'll win state," Oler said. "I've been there a few times and I know the level of competition and these guys are ready to compete."

Oler's confidence comes from the talent of the players in the dugout.

"I tell the guys it's all about attitude and effort," Oler said. "Even though we're a small town in north Idaho, if you bring attitude and effort and play as one, you'll compete. I've seen them fall behind and not get phased and put up six runs in an inning, and we're effective on the base pads."

Along with undeniable talent, the coaching the team has received all the way up to where they're at now also plays a huge factor.

"You watch other teams and you can kind of tell the level of coaching that they've had," he said. "Everything starts earlier with the Sasquatch and legion ball, and our guys are doing things that give them a high baseball IQ. The team's that we see aren't doing a lot of that and it gives you an edge in the competition."