The Cheney High baseball team opened its season with a 10-0 shutout against the Quincy Jacks, March 10.
New head baseball coach Glenn Chamberlain said he had some uncertainties about how his team would perform before the game, mainly because they had no outside practices before they left Cheney that morning.
“We left at 9:30 a.m. and had a practice on their field, then had to turn around and play the game,” Chamberlain said. “It was our first time on a baseball field all season.”
Cheney took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and continued it from there. Andrew Witt capped the Blackhawks’ scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the sixth. He went 3 for 4 at the plate. No other individual stats were available as of press time.
“A lot of the guys put the ball in play and put pressure on their defense,” Chamberlain said. “We missed a few signs, but overall it went well.”
Dylan Arthur (1-0) got the win on the mound after he shared pitching duties with Matt Riggs, Julian Chabot, Johnny Owings and Devin Cook.
Chamberlain took over the program from Mike Cagle, who led the Blackhawks for three seasons. He has some familiarity with Cheney baseball, coaching the freshmen team that went 20-2 last spring, and the 15U Summerhawks squad last summer. Prior to coming to Cheney, Chamberlain coached baseball in Idaho.
Chamberlain said from a varsity standpoint, his team is young, but there are a handful of “guys who are baseball players,” many of whom come in with varsity and JV experience.
The Blackhawks have several returning players, including Arthur, Riggs, Jack Peabody and Cade VanWormer.
As far as infield positions are concerned, Chamberlain said VanWormer will be behind the plate, while Witt will play second base with Peabody at first, Cook at third and Peyton MacPherson at shortstop. The team’s bullpen currently consists of Arthur, Cook, Riggs and Kolby Holt.
“There’s always a chance that a JV player can move up to varsity,” Chamberlain added.
This year, Chamberlain has implemented 7 a.m. workouts on Mondays and Wednesdays to help players with their conditioning. He and his coaching staff are also helping players develop their mental toughness.
“Having that mental toughness helps you in life, not just baseball,” Chamberlain said.
In 2016, Cheney finished with a 9-13 overall record and was eliminated in the second round of the District 7 playoffs.
“We want to win a league title and districts and go to regionals,” Chamberlain said, in reference to his team’s goals. “We haven’t beaten West Valley in a while and we’re looking to do that, but I told the guys ‘if you want to win league, you’ve got to put the work into it.’”
The Blackhawks’s March 14 nonleague game against Northeast A League’s Medical Lake was rescheduled for March 24. They travel to Lakeside tonight (March 16) to play the NEA Eagles and 4A Columbia Basin Big 9 League’s Sunnyside, March 18, for nonleague contests.
“There’s a lot of work to do, but I was pleased with how we did in that first game,” Chamberlain said. “We just have to keep that momentum going.”
Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.
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