Defending AAA Fourth of July champs get tough draw in Wood Bat tournament
By PAUL DELANEY
Staff Reporter
There's some concern that the Spokane Blue Devils AAA Senior American Legion team might have some vision problems and it tends to sometimes affect their ability to bat, hit and play defense.
The ailment, coach Tony Byrne said, seems to be a periodic issue with his team looking too far ahead in the schedule – to August 5-9 when they hope to be the area's automatic entry in the regional tournament at Gonzaga University. And that makes it much easier to qualify for the ALB World Series the following week.
More important business at hand for the team, which boasts a roster of a number of players from Cheney and Medical Lake, is playing and defending the championship they won in last year's Fourth of July Wooden Bat tournament.
The Blue Devils take on a talented group of teams with regional and national tournament experience over two days of play at A.K. Jackson Field at Shadle Park, and hopefully extending things to a Monday date at G.U. for the title.
In the way of that possible Monday game are some darn solid teams. “They didn't take it easy on us,” Byrne said. “Winning it last year, I was kind of teasing Mike Padden (Legion Commissioner), ‘hey you could have taken it easy on us since we're the defending champions,'” Byrne said. “His comment was, ‘If you're going to play in the regional you have to play Wyoming.'”
Tough schedule aside, playing at home for a change will be nice because his guys are able to sleep in their own beds.
“It will be a good deal for our guys, it's a good challenge,” Byrne said of the tournament. “With Pendleton, I know they are going to have a pitcher that's pretty good. Medicine Hat, they're always good, they can hit. And Wyoming they've been to a regional, and they don't host it, they've earned it.”
The weekend will offer Byrne a quick peek at what the Blue Devils could face should they win the league, and the automatic regional berth that goes with it. “I think if we play like we can we have a shot to win the whole deal.”
Prior to games earlier in the week the Blue Devils were 11 games into a 20-game league schedule and were tied for first with a 7-4 record. But top to bottom the Spokane league seems to be a tough one.
“I think there's more talent in the league this year than there has been in the past,” Byrne said. “I knew it was going to be bunched up, which it is.”
Byrne thinks there is more of an emphasis in every team winning the league because of the regional berth. “With the regional at the end of the deal we're facing everybody's best guy every time out,” he said.
The Blue Devils struggled out of the gate and Byrne said, “When we were struggling early we talked about it. We were almost too focused on that end goal.”
For Byrne it's the old, one game at a time approach. “It's the cliché deal,” he explained. “But when you're playing a league game you can't win the league unless you're playing that day.”
“That's been our biggest focus, let's win today's game,” Byrne said. “If we win enough of those games we get to play in the regional.”
As for the Cheney-Medical Lake influence, Byrne said the impact has been very noticeable and important.
“Tommy Townsend has been as good a player as there is in the league,” Byrne said. “He's just consistently really good. He's had huge hits in every game.”
Former Cheney High School player Drew Ableman suffered a hamstring injury, Byrne said, “But he's back and his return has helped settle things a bit.”
“(Cheney's) Matt Walker's been throwing really well too. He's kind of been a tough-luck loser,” Byrne said. “I think he's 1-2 but those two losses are by one run.”
Medical Lake's Ryan Wagner pitched an oddity of a complete game, taking a loss and giving up 20 hits. “It never really seemed like 20 hits,” Byrne said. “I never really thought like, he was out of control or like I had to go get him.”
Closing out a span prior to the Palouse Summer Series, the Blue Devils went 8-2, giving Byrne the feeling that his team might be close to, but has yet to really turn the corner.
“We're close,” he said, adding that getting everyone playing together has been one problems to mold consistency.
Paul Delaney can be reached at [email protected].
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