They’ve coached state titles and Division I athletes. They’ve seen winning and losing seasons. They’ve had experienced and inexperienced teams.
For Jake LeDuc and his two assistants — Jon Rooklidge and Mark Mounts — they aren’t throwing the book at the Centralia High School baseball team.
Rather, they are going over simple defensive alignments and hitting situations.
“There’s going to be some learning pains and some teaching at the moment,” LeDuc said. “That’s what we’re here to do. You have to work at it and I enjoy that.”
Learning may turn into winning.
Just four players that took the field for meaningful varsity innings return to a Tigers group that is turning the pages towards a younger side for 2025.
Jon Leedy, Kellan Rooklidge, Hudson Chambers and Jacob Johnson make up the quartet of players that will take the rest of the varsity roster under their wings.
“The main success would be trying to teach the younger guys and build a better team for next year,” Leedy said. “So we can continue the Tiger legacy.”
Mounts came over from being an assistant at Black Hills last spring. LeDuc has already praised the work he’s put in with the pitchers.
And they are green with experience.
Kadin Yeung and Brock Boone have garnered starts through the first three games and Rocco Waring has come in relief in all three meetings. Leedy pitched in the season-opener versus Montesano.
Yeung, Boone and Waring saw time on the mound this summer with LeDuc’s legion team.
“They’ve got to be sponges, they've got to take that coaching and implement it into their game,” LeDuc said. “The game moves faster when you get to the varsity level.
Most of the impact bats graduated. Leedy returns to his staple as Centralia’s leadoff hitter and the rest of the returners make up the rest of the top-four spots in the lineup.
Guys like Boone, Yeung and Mykal Sneller were mentioned by LeDuc as guys that could be household names by the time May rolls around.
This spring also marks the first time the Tigers will be able to play on newly-turfed Ed Wheeler Field. They’ve played three home games so far, with an 0-3 start, but haven’t played on the main field.
The last time they did, they left in heartbreak.
Centralia lost to former Evergreen Conference rival Rochester in a game that gave the latter the inside track at a Class 2A District 4 pigtail spot.
Leedy hasn’t forgotten the feeling.
“It is still a pain in our sides,” he said.
Aberdeen and Black Hills — like Centralia — underwent some graduation departures. Two of those teams will end up playing playoff baseball.
Leedy is hopeful this time, the Tigers can celebrate.
“Just having fun,” Leedy said.
