South to face Medford in Northwest Regionals Cinderella in Alaska, South Post 4 hopes the clock doesn’t strike midnight at the Northwest Regional in Eugene, Ore. After a storybook run to win the title at the Alaska State Tournament, South earned the right to represent The Last Frontier at the Legion World Series qualifier. The 19-win Wolverines will face the Medford Mustangs [32-13] in the first round of the Northwest Regional on Thursday at 3 p.m. ADT. South has won seven straight entering tomorrow’s game. “I think our pitching gives us a chance,” Wolverines manager Cliff Butcher said. “We rely on pitching and defense. We have a good team. I think we have a very good chance to win a game.” The offense is led by Alec Valdez, who hit .588 at the state tournament. Other key hitters are Jake Crapps, Sage Dudick and Tommy Koloski. “We’re patient at the plate,” Butcher said. They will have to be against a marvelous Medford staff that is anchored by Colton Westfall, who went 6-2 with a 2.20 ERA and struck out 47 batters in 47 innings this year. The Mustangs sport a sparkling 2.25 team ERA. Medford beat Northwest Regional host 6-1 in the Oregon state championship game. “I think they’re comfortable with playoff settings,” Mustangs manager Nate Mayben said. “They understand what your approach needs to be and making sure you’re not too big in the moment or let it overcome yourself. They’ve been in big situations.” Only the host Eugene Challengers and defending Northwest Regional champion Waipahu of Hawaii are back this year. To follow the Northwest Regional, use this link: legion.org/baseball/tournaments/regional This story was written by Van Williams, a freelance writer in Anchorage and the ALB Media Director.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 07:36:16 +0000
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