For a team that graduated just two seniors last year, there’s sure a lot of new faces in the W.F. West lineup.
The end result, though, hasn’t changed much.
The Bearcats kicked off the 2010 baseball campaign with a 12-0 Evergreen 2A Conference win over Hoquiam Tuesday in Chehalis, bunching together 5 runs in the first inning and 7 in the fourth to bring the game to an end after five innings.
One of those new faces — sophomore pitcher Mitch Gueller — made a splash in his first game, allowing just one hit and striking out seven in five innings’ work.
“I didn’t throw as many strikes as I’d’ve liked to,” Gueller said, “but (catcher) Colton (Schoelkopf) really helped me settle down.”
Gueller was also solid at the plate, going 2 for 3 and driving in a run.
“I thought he was pretty impressive,” Bearcat coach Tom Zuber said. “When you look at Mitch, you can see the athleticism oozing out there.”
The Grizzlies fell into a hole early. Erik Forgione led off the Bearcat side of the first inning with a walk, and came around to score on a double from Schoelkopf. Gueller and Yasser Khan stroked singles, Colton Boucher reached on an error, and Bryce Hanson drove in a pair with a single up the middle to put the Cats up 5-0.
Hanson led off the fourth inning with a double and came home on a Justin Wilson double. Robert Pehl knocked in 3 runs with a double a few at-bats later, and Wilson drove in two more runs with his second double of the inning a few plays later.
Hanson, playing right field, finished the day 2-2 and was a pleasant surprise to the Bearcat coach.
“I’m just thrilled for him,” Zuber said. “He’s a likeable guy, and his teammates love him. He’s going to help, especially in light of all the injuries we’ve had.”
Various ailments have taken three returning starters from last season out of the lineup. Outfielder Kylon Bonagofsky and pitcher/first basemen Edgard Burgos are out for the season, and second baseman Brennan Casteel is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered during the football season and will miss a few more weeks.
Wilson went 2-3 with 3 RBIs, and Schoelkopf was 2-3 with an RBI.’
The Bearcats (1-0) are at Hoquiam today, and host Timberline on Friday in a nonleague contest.
