New formula, same result. Owyhee baseball responds for another 6A district title
A power-hitting lineup carried Owyhee to a district championship last year. But the Storm captured a repeat title Saturday at Fort Boise Park with a new strategy.
Owyhee rode its high-pressure, small-ball strategy to a 4-2 victory over Eagle in the championship game of the 6A District Three Tournament, adding more hardware to the Storm’s already busting-at-the-seams trophy case.
“We got guys who are dirtbags, like we like to say,” Owyhee senior Nathan Keith said. “We’ll steal bags. We’ll read a ball in the dirt every time. We’re getting to second as many times (as we can). We’re getting into scoring position.”
Owyhee (22-5) put that ethos on display all afternoon Saturday, dropping bunts, pouncing on small mistakes and putting runners in motion at every opportunity.
The Storm scored their first run courtesy of a bases-loaded walk, then made it 2-0 in the third inning thanks to Shelby Pease’s infield single.
Eagle tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth. But Owyhee responded in the bottom half of the frame, using Zander Jakovac’s sacrifice fly and a double steal to bring Jack Hallenbeck home and build a 4-2 advantage.
That lead proved more than enough for Keith, who has reprised his fireman role in the Owyhee bullpen this season. He entered a tie game in the fourth with runners on first and third, and all the momentum in Eagle’s dugout. But he earned a quick groundball to escape the jam, and he retired nine of the 10 batters he faced for 3 ⅓ scoreless innings and the victory.
“Nate is just built different,” Owyhee coach Matt Rasmussen said. “He’s a complete competitor. That’s whether he’s behind the plate catching, whether he’s playing shortstop, or he’s on the mound as a pitcher.
“I’ve never seen a kid that competes like he does. Nothing scares him. Nothing phases him.
“... I have him in PE. We’re playing dodgeball, and he’s doing flips and stuff. You play kickball or you take him out and play a game of soccer or ultimate football, he is the best player in the PE class at everything he does.”
Most shirk from pressure situations like Owyhee tosses Keith into regularly. But he instead thrives as the stakes increase, dropping his ERA to 0.46 in his ninth outing of the season.
“It’s super fun,” Keith said. “If you think about it, all eyes are on you. At the same time, you’ve got to go out there and perform. Whether you had a horrible day the day before, or you have a horrible day the next day, it doesn’t matter.
“You’ve got to go out there and perform when the time is given to you. I love it. It’s just an enjoyment to be out there.”
Both Owyhee and Eagle (18-6) clinched berths and home-field advantage in next week’s regional round Thursday. That meant both teams had little more to play for than pride Saturday.
But Ramsummen said running through the tournament and beating every team in the conference gives the Storm a mental edge as the regional and state tournaments loom on the horizon.
“To finish the season on top of the SIC is a big accomplishment itself,” Rasmussen said. “Obviously, there is a bigger trophy down the road that we’d like. But no one can take this from us. It’s a banner that goes in the gym, and we’re in the paper and on the news.
“SIC champs is pretty cool. So we’re pretty proud of the moment. But we’re anxious to get back to work next week and try to earn our way into that final four again, and go from there.”
REGIONAL MATCHUPS COMING SUNDAY
The Idaho High School Activities Association will release the seeds, at-large berths and tournament draws for regionals Sunday. The four at-large berths are determined by MaxPreps.com rankings.
The regional round pits 12 teams against each other in four separate three-team, double-elimination tournaments. The winner of all four regionals advances to the state tournament May 14 to 16 at Garden City’s Memorial Stadium.
NORTH STAR REPEATS AS 2A DISTRICT CHAMPS
After starting the season 1-8, the Huskies rallied to win 10 straight to capture their second straight 2A District Three Tournament championship and the right to host a regional series.
North Star Charter (11-8) crushed Garden Valley 21-0 in five innings Friday at Glenns Ferry as Carlos Guzman and Luke Fox combined to throw a two-hit shutout. Guzman threw four shutout innings, giving up one hit while striking out nine. Fox finished off the district title game with a scoreless fifth inning.
The Huskies scored in every inning, including an eight-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth. Andrew Marron went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, and Jackson McReynolds and Tristan Neumann both finished the afternoon 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs.
