‘Nobody thought we’d be here.’ How Eagle baseball went from long shots to district champs
Few expected much of the Eagle High baseball team this season.
The Mustangs started the year picked sixth out of 13 teams in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll. Not terrible. But not exactly championship material either.
Eagle proved otherwise Thursday, rushing the field and hoisting its first district championship trophy since 2016 after an 8-3 win over Middleton in the decisive Game 3 of the 5A District Three championship series.
“The job is not finished yet,” Eagle sophomore Caleb Zawadzki said. “This is just the beginning. Nobody thought we’d be there.”
Few could blame those predictions. The Mustangs (21-3) won the state consolation trophy last year. But Eagle started the season with its fourth new head coach in the past five years, and he brought in a whole new staff all the way down to the freshmen level.
Turbulence rarely breeds champions. But it also breeds persistence.
“They knew they had talent,” Eagle coach Scott Deck said. “They knew they had the work ethic and drive. And they wanted to be coached.
“... It’s hard to buy in when you have coach after coach after coach. So to buy in fully and wholeheartedly for me, it’s just a joy to see.”
Eagle had to beg, borrow and steal its way to every run through the opening two games of the district championship series. But the Mustangs’ bats broke out Thursday after relying on a series of infield singles, fielder’s choices and throwing errors the previous two days.
Eagle scored in each of the first four innings and racked up 11 hits, including four for extra bases. Zawadzki led the onslaught with a two-run home run to left-center field. Declan Raglan then roped a triple to start the merry-go-round in the third inning, and Zach Johansen and Carter Ditlove followed with back-to-back doubles.
The outburst staked the Mustangs an early lead they never surrendered and made them the first team to win the three-game district championship series after losing Game 1 in the seven previous iterations.
“We got going early, and they fed off one another,” Deck said. “The last game kind of turned us in the right direction. And then this game, it just spread like wildfire a little bit.”
Bryson Shea (8-0, 1.18 ERA) earned the win. Eagle’s third ace held Middleton to three runs on 10 hits while striking out seven through 6 ⅓ innings, showcasing a deep pitching staff that will make the Mustangs tough to beat at next week’s state tournament at The College of Idaho.
The final MaxPreps rankings to seed the state tournament won’t come out until Sunday or Monday. But Eagle entered the day at No. 1 and all but clinched the top seed with Thursday’s district championship.
Not bad for a team considered a long shot to contend in its own conference in March.
“This? We’re not done yet,” Shea said. “We’re coming for that next game.”
Middleton (21-6) will also advance to next week’s state tournament alongside Owyhee (21-2) and Rocky Mountain (17-8) from the 5A SIC. Mountain View (15-10) and Capital (8-18) have one last chance to punch their tickets to state during play-in games Saturday.
4A BASEBALL: SKYVIEW CAPTURES DISTRICT TITLE
The Hawks (22-2) held off a late rally to edge Bishop Kelly 9-7 for their first district championship since 2018 and clinch a spot in next week’s 4A state tournament.
Mason Krahn cranked a solo home run and Grady Daniels went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs as Skyview built an 8-2 lead through four innings.
Bishop Kelly (15-9) whittled away though, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh and bringing the winning run to the plate before Caden Yesford came on in relief to get the final out and the save.
Bishop Kelly drops into the district’s second-place game vs. Ridgevue (13-11) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Skyview. The winner goes to state and the loser’s season is over.
2A BASEBALL: NAMPA CHRISTIAN BACK ON TOP
Jack Ihli scored the only run in the 2A District Three Tournament championship game, breaking for home plate on a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a 1-0 win over Marsing.
Ihli opened the extra inning by drawing a walk, moved to second on Brayden Schaefer’s sacrifice and advanced to third on Pete Dice’s single. He then pounced on the game-winning chance when Teagan Kinney’s pitch slipped past the catcher.
Schaefer held Marsing scoreless for 7 ⅓ innings before reaching his pitch count. He gave up three hits while striking out eight, and Kaden Mullins picked up the win in relief.
The win secured Nampa Christian (22-1) its fifth district crown in the past six tournaments. Marsing (13-11) drops into a winner-to-state, loser-out second-place game vs. Cole Valley Christian (20-6) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Nampa Christian.
This story was originally published May 9, 2024 at 10:46 PM.
