Yakima Beetles preview -- Bounce back
Beetles look to last year's start, finish for inspiration
by Scott Spruill
Yakima Herald-Republic

SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima’s Tyler Berman mans third base during a 2007 game against Kennewick.

SARA GETTYS/Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima’s Scott Wall, a La Salle graduate now attending Pacific Lutheran University, pitches during a 2007 game against the Kennewick Bandits.
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YAKIMA -- Year-old memories are still fresh for the veterans back for another summer with the Yakima Pepsi Beetles, and they aren't graded by positive vibe.

Just as meaningful as the 13-3 finishing run that reached deep into the state tournament was the 2-9 start.

"The way we started last year is still on the minds of the guys we have back -- very much so," said second-year coach Mike Bailey. "They've made it perfectly clear to our younger guys that they need to be ready to play hard and perform. That's given us a good focus for the start of the season."

Which gets under way tonight at 7 o'clock with a nine-inning home game against the Spokane Dodgers. The Beetles open Central Washington League play on June 8 with a doubleheader at Walla Walla.

Once the early issues were ironed out, Yakima closed with a rush, using an eight-game win streak to capture second place in last year's league campaign.

"I think they finally realized what they could do," Bailey said. "We had a lot of questions with a new staff early on and those questions got answered. We did get a good run going, but the guys have said they didn't get the job done (going 2-2 at state) and that's their mentality."

After a 35-21-1 freshman season, Bailey finds himself with a good core but mostly a new team. Seven players return, while eight others on the 18-player roster move up from the Junior Legion Blues.

Of last year's 57 games, 13 were started by pitchers who are back. The veteran of that crew with seven starts is right-hander Scott Wall, a La Salle grad who played for Pacific Lutheran University this spring.

That's a lot of innings to fill and a couple of new workhorses will likely be Eisenhower's Tyler Schultz, among the CBL leaders in wins and strikeouts, and Highland's Matt Summers, a first-team SCAC pitcher for the Scotties.

Kevin Komstadius is fresh off pitching East Valley into the Class 2A state finals, but Bailey said his role for the Beetles would be more as a closer.

"He knows we'll have to go to him once and a while, but mostly we want him concentrating on hitting and defense," the coach said. "His arm could use a rest."

Bailey had hoped to return Evan Morris, the CBL 4A pitcher of the year for Davis, and catcher-outfielder Lawrence Cacchiotti, a 2007 La Salle grad, but they made other plans. Komstadius could also be pulled away from the program if a tempting offer comes at next month's Major League draft.

In addition to Wall and Komstadius, other returning players for the Beetles include Ryan Van Beek, Jose Meza, Gibby Briones and Tyler Berman. Tyler Doornink played for the Blues last season but was moved up to the Beetles for the postseason and pitched in three games.

The Central Washington League will be comprised of the same seven teams, led by reigning two-time champion Twin City, but there will no longer be a district tournament. The top three teams will earn direct berths into a new state tournament that begins with four regionals, much like the format used in high school. The CWL's No. 4 and 5 teams will have a playoff for the league's fourth and final state berth.

"Being in a league that's top to bottom the best in the state, I like the new format," Bailey said. "When I look at what we have I get a strong feeling we'll be in the thick of it. When we come together we'll be tough to deal with."