Crater Baseball -Central Point Legion Post 129-completed its undefeated run in the 2013 American Legion ‘A’ Northwest Regional Tournament with a 10-0 victory over Northern Utah. At the ‘A’ level, there is no national tourney.  The kids also did it with class, winning the Sportsmanship trophy, which was awarded by the umpires. Additionally, Ty Fix was named the tourney MVP. The Comets finish the season 40-13. Bobbio’s Pizza will be hosting a Championship Reception for the team Thursday, August 15th, at 3:30. The boys are expected to arrive (directly from Montana) at approximately 4:00.

Special thanks to Bobbio’s Pizza for hosting the local broadcasts of the games, to Lithia Dodge for providing vans in which to travel, and to the community of Wheatland for hosting the tourney. You can replay video and radio broadcasts of the games at Wheatland Radio.

Round 1: From Wheatland, Wyoming, Friday, August 9: Central Point defeated Roy, Utah, 19-3. They play Laramie, Wyoming at 11:30 PDT in 2nd round winner’s bracket action on Saturday, August 10th. You can listen to the game on WheatlandRadio.com.

Round 2: Announcers are calling the Central Point team “The best team in this tournament” after the Comets beat Laramie 12 to 1 in second round play. The Comets will play Laurel, Montana, tomorrow (Sunday) at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Listen live by clicking here. Or even better, come on down to Bobbio’s Pizza and watch the game live on the big screen!  UPDATE: The estimated start time was delayed by about an hour due to thunderstorms. Check that. Now it’s a 5:30 start.

Round 3: Central Point is assured of a spot in the Championship Game on Tuesday after beating Montana 9-7 today. The Comets play again tomorrow against Alaska, but they advance regardless of the outcome. A win on Monday, however, means their opponent would have to beat them twice on Tuesday. You can watch or listen to tomorrow’s game at 5 p.m. by following this link. We’ll also be gathering at Bobbio’s for another attempt at watching it. (Our apologies for the technical difficulties today. The feed from Wyoming was disrupted and the links to the radio segment had changed). Go Comets!

Round 4: Central Point defeated Alaska 17 to 7. They’ll play Tremonton, Utah, tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11:00 Pacific time. Because the Comets are the lone unbeaten team, Utah would have to beat them twice to deny them the championship. You can listen and watch the game live or pre-recorded by following this link. Bobbio’s will again have the game on the big screen. Hum Babe!

The 2013 American Legion ‘A’ State Champions.

All three Crater high school teams had successful 2013 seasons. The Freshmen overcame a host of injuries and finished 20-5. The JV team finished 17-5 including a perfect game performance behind pitcher Brady Roland vs. North Medford. The Varsity team finished second in league play and 6th in the state Power Rankings. The team made it to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs where they suffered a dramatic 2-1 loss in the bottom of the 7th inning to a powerful Sheldon team.

Evan Erskine and Anthony Martin were awarded 2nd Team All-State honors. Erskine, Martin, Tyler Aplin, Taylor Tibbets, and Taylor Pardee were named to the Southern Oregon Hybrid 1st Team. Lane Ullom, Paul Turner, Nolan Bastendorff, Ty Fox, Dylan Pearce, and Blake Fahndrich were named to the SOH 2nd Team.

Click on the “Schedules” tab to see game times for both squads.

Baseball tryouts begin on Monday, Feb. 25th at Anhorn Field on Upton Road in Central Point. Players need to be warmed-up and ready to begin promptly at 4:00. They should bring their glove, cap, and appropriate shoes (cleats are recommended but not required until officially on a roster). The weather is expected to be cold and wet, so be prepared. Crater students in grades 9-12 are eligible to try-out. The Varsity, JV, and Freshmen squads will be formed as the week progresses. Students must have a blue card from the Athletic Department indicating the student is passing the required number of classes, has had a physical, and is insured. For official requirements, click here. Good luck!