The Northwest Christian baseball team starts 2B District IV play on Monday as the #3 seed out of the Pacific League against Toutle Lake in Mossyrock at 6:00 PM. I caught up with head coach Damon Ford, a 1995 graduate of River Ridge, and posed him four questions about this ridiculously wet spring, districts, his seniors and the challenges of coaching a small school…

“It’s been a frustratingly wet spring, how do you keep your guys ready to play without actually playing games?”

“Yes. This has been the worst, weather wise, season I’ve experienced of my baseball lifetime. Fortunately, we do practice at Bucknell Park and get to use the turf fields when the dirt is unplayable. We try to use the gym as little as possible and to just bear the weather and have them tough through it.

As far as all the game cancellations, we will typically break down our roster of 12 into four 3 man teams and play a scrimmage game to get our pitchers and batters some live work. BP and coached-hit ground balls can only do so much. You need that live action off-the-bat-with-various-types-of-runner-on scenarios as much as possible.”

“Districts start this week, what do expect out of your team?”

“I honestly think that there is no #3 seed in any district like ours. Of course I’m biased, but I loved the competition that the Pacific had this season. Before the seeding-tie breaker game, the top 3 teams (Naselle, Ocosta & us) were all 1-1 vs each other. Defense has been our main concern this year, but we’ve really tightened that up lately. I think that if we play solid defense, and just make the plays that we are supposed to make, we have a great chance to make state.”

“You have five seniors on your roster, a couple from the 2009 state championship team. Talk about what they have meant for the program and how do you replace them next year?”

“The five seniors I have on our team have been a huge blessing to help lead this ball club. Nick Mailhot is the only remaining player who won the title in 2009. Gabe Dominguez (SS) wasnt playing yet. Troy Lincoln (OF), Ryan Penner (P) and Zach Carras are all in their first season of high school baseball. Penner tore his rotator cuff a few weeks back and is out for the season.

Zach Carras (WA All State basketball) is playing for the first time since 5th grade. He’s always played spring basketball in other leagues, but this being his senior year and last chance to play a sport, decided to give baseball a “try” again. He’s only responded by becoming our #3 hitter and tearing the cover off the ball. Having Mailhot around though to remind those kids about what state is like and what it takes to get there has been awesome.

Replacing them next year is going to be extremely tough, especially due to the fact that we have NO Juniors in the program. So yes, I will be scouting the basketball courts in the Winter!”

“What has been the biggest challenge of coaching at a small school, finding games? Filling out the roster?”

“The biggest challenge of coaching at a smaller school is the turn out, definitely. At the preseason “interest meeting”, there was approximately 18 kids that showed up. Come try outs, 13 were there (one who has since left). For the past two seasons, basically, if you show up – you’re on the team.

I love the group we have. But having more players would spark more competition as well within – which could only make the players better. It’s also hard when you’re constantly worried about the next group of freshmen coming in. As it sits at the end of this season, we will need 3 freshmen for the roster. And that’s not just to fill out a roster – that’s to START! This season we had two with Matt Thomas (CA) and Mason Stottlemyre (3B, P).”

Thanks a lot coach, and good luck at districts.