BASEBALL SPORTS SHORTS 2010–
(Latest baseball shorts will be at the top of the section. Scroll down to check out past results. Tournament games do not count toward win/loss record. Visit the Sports Section for baseball features)

For the 2010 schedule or standings and stats, click on Maxpreps.com. FC finished 21-6 overall and 8-1 in the West Sequoia League.

BASEBALL 2010

SEASON END

FC WRAPS UP WITH TOUGH LOSS TO NO. 1 BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN–May 25
After a come back win against the Lindsay Cardinals, the Eagles had hopes of advancing to the Division V Valley Championship game, but failed to do so as they lost to the Bakersfield Eagles, 15-4, May 25.

Sophomore Trevor York says they came out strong in the first few innings, but just could not keep up with Bakersfield’s hitting.

“The game obviously didn’t turn out like we wanted, but the team was still a very beatable team,” York said. “We got on them early with one run and throughout the game our team hit fairly well. But their team was the best hitting team we’ve faced so far.”

As FC had seven hits, sophomore Trevor York hit a double in the top of the third which narrowed the gap from 6-1 to 6-3. However, Bakersfield rallied in the fourth putting up four more runs.

“My double shortened their lead to only three runs and it was just shy of a home run,” York said. “When I got the hit the count was 2-2 and I was just trying to make contact, but I ended up doing more than that.”

Co-head coach Bill McGowen says he has been able to confide in York throughout the whole year if he ever finds himself in a tough situation.

“He has been a consistent force for us as the clean-up hitter,” McGowen said. “When he was growing so fast, he couldn’t pitch this year, but he dedicated himself to playing first base and became a fixture, defensively. I can’t wait to see Trevor back on the mound next year to help lead us.”

Sophomore Austin Rurik, who played through the game with a hurt wrist, earned a hit and an RBI for the day. McGowen says Rurik has an immense amount of potential for the upcoming years.

“To finish an entire season with a .465 batting average as a sophomore says a lot about the potential of this young man,” McGowen said, “and I expect great things from him both offensively and defensively, in the future.”

Junior ace pitcher Stowe Empereur, led FC in numerous games and is amazed with the season they had this year and looks forward to the next season.

“We had a really young team and at times it showed but when we needed help the right people stepped up and delivered,” Empereur said. “Personally I feel like I had a really good season and improved a lot from last year and I am confident that we will have an even stronger team next season.”

FC DEFEATS LINDSAY DESPITE SLOW START–May 20
Behind the pitching of Stowe Empereur, ’11, the No. 4 seed FC Eagles came back from a deficit of two to beat No. 5 Lindsay, 4-3, May 20.

Empereur played all seven innings as he had nine strike outs and allowed only four hits. He says he was pleased with his performance, but felt as though his team did not get in the game until the fifth inning.

“I was pretty excited the whole game and I felt like I pitched really well,” Empereur said. “But I feel like our team didn’t really show up for the first tree or four innings. Once we got to the fifth inning the team really came to life. We were getting hits all over the place and making great plays on the field.”

Sophomore short stop Ryan Neufled, who had a double, says Empereur played with confidence and control.

“Stowe [Empereur] did a great job at locating pitches,” Neufeld said. “He kept the ball down and got a lot of ground balls for us. He is very good and is able to go the whole game when he keeps it [the ball] down.”

In the fourth through sixth innings, the Eagles’ bats came alive as they scored four. Neufeld and senior Riley Endicott hit doubles, seniors Andrew McCormick and Aaron Hedrick both had an RBI and so did sophomore Trevor York.

Hedrick knocked in the game winning run in the sixth and Austin Rurik, ’12, says he had complete trust in Hedrick the whole game.

“After Hedrick’s third at bat I knew he would bounce back as he’s done so all year,” Rurik said. “After he struck out three times he came to life getting the game winning RBI and I was so excited about it.”

Co-head coach Bill McGowen drove down to Bakersfield to watch the team practice and says they are one of the best teams he has seen.

“We will have our hands full with Bakersfield Christian next Tuesday,” McGowen said. “They are the real deal, with very few weaknesses. We will have to play our best game of the season to win this but I believe we’re peaking at the right time. I’m looking forward to a good battle.”

The Eagles will next travel to play the Bakersfield Christian Eagles in the semifinals of the CIF Central Section Division V playoffs, May 25.

EAGLES EARN NO. 4 SEED FOR PLAYOFFS, SHUTS OUT PARLIER–May 16
If FC lost to Parlier they would also lose the title of co-champions for league with Fowler High. However, the Eagles came out strong and aggressive as they kept the Panthers scoreless, 7-0, May 16.

The Eagles were led by freshman pitcher David Wells, who threw a two hit shutout as only one runner made it to second base. Co-head coach Bill McGowen says he has seen vast improvement in Wells’ game and also attributes some of that success to football.

“David just keeps getting better and better,” McGowen said. “He has poise and confidence on the mound that far exceeds his true age. I believe a lot of his confidence comes not only from getting great pitching instruction from Coach Bennett this year, but has built from years of leading his teams as a quarterback in football.”

FC rallied in the second inning to score two runs and once again in the sixth, scoring five. Seniors Riley Endicott and Tim Miller both put up two hits and two runs, and sophomore Cooper Belmont drove in three runs.

McGowen says Belmont saved the Eagles from leaving the second and sixth innings without any runs, but also is pleased to see all of Belmont’s hard work begin to pay off.

“Cooper was clutch for us in two different at-bats today,” McGowen said. “He always keeps a great attitude and work ethic and it’s always nice to see when that hard work pays off in production.”

The Eagles will next host Lindsay in the quarterfinals of the CIF Central Section Division V playoffs, May 20.

FOWLER OUSTS EAGLES BY ONE–May 11
Junior ace Stowe Empereur pitched as well as he could, but Fowler managed to pull out a 2-1 victory, May 11. The game could end up giving the Redcats a share of the West Sequoia with the Eagles.

Empereur gave up 2 runs in 5 innings, and was happy with his control and pitch location.The Redcats scored their runs in the third inning behind an RBI double by junior Kevin Magill, and an RBI single by Marc Cardenas. FC battled back on sophomore Ryan Nuefeld’s fourth inning RBI single which scored senior Aaron Hedrick.

“I got a little wild and lost control in the third, but other than that I did well,” Empereur said. “Our team did really good on defense but we had some trouble with the bats. After they scored I just tried to keep control of the game by throwing strikes and hitting my spots.”

For the game, the Eagles only produced 3 hits. Senior catcher Riley Endicott thought FC should have done a better job at the plate.

“It’s hard to win when you only have three hits and strike out twelve times,” Endicott said. “If we put the ball in play things will happen for us and we just didn’t do that. Fowler is a good team but we should’ve won, we just didn’t hit very well.”

Fowler improved to 20-14-2 (6-1 in the West Sequoia League) overall, while FC dropped to 19-5 (6-1).

The Eagle will next host Parlier, May 13.

FC SQUEEZES PAST BLUE-RAIDERS–May 7
Sophomore Austin Rurik notched the game-winning RBI single, and the Eagles beat Caruthers, 3-2, in a game that put them one step closer to clinching a West Sequoia League Championship, May 7.

With the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, Rurik’s grounder brought senior Andrew McCormick home with the winning run.

“I was nervous, but before I got to the plate I said a little prayer and said ‘God whatever happens here it’s all in your hand,” Rurik said. “I just had faith. I ended up hitting a hard ground ball to the second baseman’s left and getting the winning run in.”

Senior Aaron Hedrick, who batted ahead of Rurik, was intentionally walked, loading the bases for the leagues leading hitter.

“I wasn’t surprised that (Rurik) got a hit,” Hedrick said. “He usually makes good contact. We’ve been doing a lot better with our 2-strike approaches lately and also secondary leads because we’re been working on these things at practice.”

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, and scored again in the 6th. But the Blue-Raiders battle back with 2 runs in the top of the 7th to keep their hopes alive.

“I wanted to give credit to (Caruthers’ senior starting pitcher) Josh Gilmore,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “He pitched a great game against us and probably deserved to get the win.”

Freshman David Wells got the win for the Eagles, throwing 6 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 7, and allowing only 3 hits in a no-decision. Caruthers senior starting pitcher held the Eagles at bay in a 3 hit, 7 strikeout performance.

In addition to Rurik, sophomores Ryan Nuefeld and Trevor York finished with RBIs for the Eagles.

The win sets the Eagles up for their home matchup vs. Fowler, May 7. An Eagles win would bring home the first league championship in 8 seasons. McGowen relishes the chance to compete against a league rival team like Fowler.

“The game is huge because Fowler has dominated our league for a long time,” McGowen said. “We have the opportunity to finally win league and that’s a big thing for our program. We’ve been looking forward to having this chance for a long time.”

The Eagles will next host Fowler, May 7.

EAGLES CRUSH TRANQUILLITY–May 4
FC drove home 4 runs in the first inning and defeated Tranquillity, 13-2, May 4. The Eagles got the job done in 5 innings, with the 10-run mercy rule in effect, earning their 9th straight win.

Senior Tim Miller belted his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning, and sophomore Ryan Neufeld drove in 4 runs for the game. Meanwhile junior Stowe Empereur improved his record to 9-2 with the win.

“We didn’t play our best,” Neufeld said. “We should have played better than we did. We would have scored a lot more runs. Tim had a nice home run and David had a good double though.”

Freshman David Wells went 3-3 with a double and an RBI, sophomore Trevor York went 2-4, and senior Aaron Hedrick scored 4 runs and had an RBI.

The Eagle will next Caruthers, May 7.

“If we don’t beat Caruthers and Fowler in our next two games everything we’ve done up to this point won’t matter,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “We have home games so hopefully we’re get a good crowd out there to support us.”

EAGLES WIN 8TH STRAIGHT–April 30
Pitchers David Wells and Ryan Neufeld combined on a 1-hit shutout and the Eagles pounded out 13 hits and scored 15 runs in the first two innings to mercy rule Riverdale, 19-0, in 5 innings, April 30.

FC increased their winning streak at 8 games.

The Eagle will next host Tranquillity, May 4.

EAGLES OFFENSE EXPLODES VS. PARLIER–April 28
FC unleashed a hitting barrage, defeating Parlier, 9-1, for their sixth straight win, April 28.

Senior Aaron Hedrick led the way with a two-run home run to left field in the third inning, his third of the season. Junior Stowe Empereur eard his 8th win of the season, and only allowed 1 hit while striking out 6 batters in 4 innings.

The Eagles got on the board early, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. The went on to score 3 more in the second, 2 in the third, and 2 in the sixth.

Hedrick finished 2-4 on the day with 2 RBIs and 2 stolen bases, sophomore Austin Rurik went 2-3 with 2 RBIs, and sophomore Trevor York was 2-4 with 2 RBIs.

The Eagle will next play at Riverdale, April 30.

EAGLES DROP TOP RANKED FOWLER–April 24
Junior Stowe Empereur pitched one of his best games of the season, and FC defeated the Fowler Redcats, 4-2, for the first time since the 2003 season, April 23.

“Stowe pitched a masterful 5 2/3 innings for his 7th win of the season,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “The game was a pitchers duel until the third inning.”

FC junior Tyler Haritzalde sparked a 3-run rally in the third inning with leadoff a single to right field. Senior Aaron Hedrick and sophomore Austin Rurik followed with singles to load the bases, and sophomore Ryan Neufeld delivered an RBI line drive to score Haritzalde.

A few plays later, on a grounder by senior Riley Endicott, Fowler threw to home plate to get Rurik out. Rurik collided with the Fowler catcher, and was thrown out of the game due to the umpire deeming the collision “malicious contact.” Nuefeld, who moved to third on the play, scored on a wild pitch to give FC a 3-0 lead.

The Redcats, however, threatened that lead in the fifth inning, loading the bases for their cleanup hitter junior Kevin Magill. But unfazed, Empereur got back-to-back fly-outs to end the inning.

Finally Fowler scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but it was not enough to overtake the Eagles. With two runners already on and the score 3-2, the Eagles coaching staff decided to intentionally walk league-leading hitter senior Kenny Corona to load the bases.

The next hitter, Magill delivered a line-drive in the left-center gap but senior Tim Miller brought the crowd to its feet with a diving catch that got his team out of the inning.

FC got an insurance run in the 7th when Hedrick was hit-by-pitch, moved to second on senior Andrew McCormick’s single to right and scored on Neufeld’s RBI single to center to make it 4-2.

Nuefeld closed out the game by striking out 3 of his last 4 batters to earn his Central Section leading 5th save of the season.

FC HAMMERS TRANQUILLITY–April 16
Seniors Aaron Hedrick and Tim Miller homered, and the Eagles went on to defeat the Tigers 17-4 (mercy rule), April 16.

Sophomore Trevor York went 3 for 4 and had 5 RBIs to lead the Eagles to their fourth straight victory. Hedrick finished the game 2-5 with 3 RBIs, while Miller was 2-3 with 2 RBIs. Also contributing steady batting for FC were sophomore Ryan Neufeld (3 for 4), senior Riley Endicott (2 RBIs) and sophomore Austin Rurik (2 for 4).

Junior ace Stowe Empereur (6-2) got the win for the Eagles while throwing in preparation for Fowler next week. Empereur gave up a single run in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, but held Tranquillity to only 4 hits for the ball-game.

EAGLES COME THROUGH IN THE 6TH–April 9
While they were tied with Firebaugh, 4-4, going into the sixth inning, FC scored 3 runs in the inning to win the ball-game, 7-4, April 9.

Sophomore Ryan Neufeld (2-0) was the winning pitcher, while Firebaugh senior Ricky Hurt got the loss.

FC jumped all over Hurt early and took a 3-1 first inning lead, however, Firebaugh tied the score in the second and the teams were in a deadlock up until the 6th.

Sophomore Austin Rurik provided 2 RBIs, Neufeld 2 doubles and an RBI, and sophomore Trevor York went 3-4 for FC. Firebaugh got consistent hitting from Hurt (3-3 and an RBI), and junior Frankie Rojas (3-3 and 2 RBIs).

The Eagle will next host Riverdale, April 13, 4 p.m.

26th FOWLER (R.J. HILL HOMES) EASTER CLASSIC, March 27-30

EAGLES PULL OUT WIN, FINISH FOWLER EASTER CLASSIC, March 30
On the final day of the 26th Fowler Easter Classic tournament, FC left it all out on the field as they finished 7th and defeated Caruthers, 9-1, March 30.

Shrugging off an 0-3 tournament and chilly weather, freshman David Wells pitched the first 2 innings while junior Justin Wilson pitched the last 5. The Eagles rode the 4-run first inning to a win against the reeling Blue Raiders, who have only won one game this season thus far. Despite occasional showers, Wells only allowed 3 hits while the Eagles powered 10 of their own.

The game was essentially over by the second inning when FC led, 7-1. Eagle senior Aaron Hedrick had a triple while going 2-3, scoring three runs. Sophomore Austin Rurik went 3-4, with an RBI and sophomore Ryan Neufeld went 2-3 with 3 RBIs.

According to Rurik, center fielder, the team came into the game with low spirits due to their previous losses, but came out aggressive in the final game. However, before this he says they had too much patience costing them games.

“We would of like to been more aggressive in the tournament,” Rurik said. “We were too patient with the pitches and were looking for the perfect pitch. Are bats were just not there and defensively we didn’t keep our heads in the game. We’d make an error and lose our composure.”

Coaches and players and other stats were unavailable for Feather reporters during and after the Fowler tournament and did not return e-mail questions.

Fowler won the Classic tournament with a 6-3 win over Washington Union. It was the 8th time the Redcats won the Championship and third time over the Panthers. Fowler relief pitcher Kenny Corona was the MVP.

The Eagles next travel to play Firebaugh, April 9.

EAGLES FALL SHORT AGAINST COALINGA, March 29
FC faced off against the Coalinga Horned Toads on the second day of the tournament, but came shy losing, 4-3, March 29.

FC led through the first four innings as they scored 2 runs in the first and 1 run in the third while shutting down Coalinga. Sophomore Ryan Neufeld pitched for the Eagles and senior catcher Riley Endicott went 3-4, including a double and 2 RBIs. Sophomore Austin Rurik went 2-3 and scored a run.

“We wanted to win and were disappointed with how we did Saturday,” Neufeld said, “and we wanted to finish the tournament 2-2, so we really wanted to do good. We started off strong and had a three run lead, but they started to rally back and scored four runs in the 5th. We couldn’t execute the little things well to win the game and so we lost.”

The Horned Toads scored all 4 runs in the fifth inning, as they took advantage of a couple of Eagle errors. Coalinga’s Austin Jones went 2-3 with an RBI while Nick Luna went 2-4 with a home run and a double.

FC DROPS FIRST TWO GAMES OF 26th FOWLER EASTER CLASSIC–March 27
Despite coming into the 26th Fowler (R.J. Hill Homes) Easter Classic tournament with 9-1 record, the Eagles fell flat in a double header against Kingsburg, 7-3, then Fowler, 11-0, March 27.

Senior Riley Endicott was not happy with his team’s effort against the Division IV Vikings and West Sequoia League rival Redcats.

“We had a bunch of errors and an awful approach at the plate,” Endicott said. “We played as if we didn’t care.”

After a 1-1 tie at the end of the first inning, Kingsburg scored 3 runs in the second. But while FC added a run in the third, the Vikings added 2 more runs in the fourth inning to put the game away. Sophomore Trevor York was the lone bright spot for the Eagles; he went 2-3.

Kingsburg was led by Mitchell Scott who went 2-2, including a homerun and 2 RB1s.

In their second game of the tournament, FC was simply outmatched by the Redcats. Fowler jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning and powered 4 more runs in the third and 6 scores in the fifth inning and cruised to a 11-0 win.

Fowler was led by Kenny Corona who went 2-3 with a double, triple and 3 RBIs. FC’s lone offensive play was a double by freshman Tanner Bos.

The baseball coaches and stat book were unavailable for interview for this article.

FC will next play against Coalinga in the Fowler Easter Classic, March 29. Last year the Eagles placed 6th in the Fowler tournament.

EAGLES COMEBACK, DEFEAT HAWKS–March 25
Coming off a blowout loss to Yosemite, March 19, FC rebounded with a 4-2 victory over Liberty Madera-Ranchos, March 25.

Still reeling from their second round playoff lost to Liberty last year after taking a 4-0 lead, the Eagles looked to avenge last year’s loss and continue improve on their nearly spotless 8-1 record.

For the first three innings, it was a pitcher’s duel with the Eagles junior Stowe Empereur (5-1) being matched pitch-for-pitch by Liberty junior ace, Jacob Cox. Then, in the fourth inning, 6’5″ senior Dustin Campbell launched a blast into the wind over the left field fence to make it 2-0 Hawks.

Campbell’s ensuing jog around the base paths was too slow, and showed unsportsmanlike conduct according to several Eagles’ including senior second baseman Aaron Hedrick.

“I was mad; running around the bases that slow shows a lot of ignorance,” Hedrick said. “It was like they were shoving it in our faces. It showed disrespect to us. For the game, their sportsmanship was horrible. They were screaming the whole time, yelling stupid stuff and barking.”

Despite the 2-run deficit, FC sophomore Ryan Neufeld came up with a 2-out 2-strike single that scored both Hedrick and freshman David Wells.

The Eagles broke the tie in the sixth when senior Riley Endicott led off the inning with a single, and sophomore Trevor York reached base on an error. Then sophomore Cooper Belmont belted a double into the right center gap, scoring Endicott and York and making the score 4-2.

“At the plate this afternoon, Ryan and Cooper were clutch,” McGowen said. “Although they’re young, these kids have been winners their entire careers so we have come to expect this from both of them.”

Empereur went on to put the finishing touches on this 84-pitch complete game with 3 straight scoreless innings. The Eagle ace did not give up a single walk, and struck out five to close out the Hawks. Empereur also won his Central Section leading 5th game of the season.

“Stowe pitched a gem today in a very high-pressure ballgame that had a playoff feel to it,” McGowen said. “Our boys really stepped up today. Ryan played flawlessly at shortstop today, converting on all seven of his opportunities. It really gave Stowe the confidence to throw strikes and let his defense do the work.”

The Eagles are currently ranked No. 1 overall in the Central Section’s Division V by the Fresno Bee.

FC will next play against perennial Division IV power Kingsburg in the Fowler Easter Classic, March 25.

EAGLES FALL TO YOSEMITE–March 19
The Yosemite Badgers ended up being too much for the Eagles at Chukchansi Park as they won 17-3, March 19.

While the game did not go their way, the FC varsity baseball team will take more away from their third game in as many years at Chukchansi. Co-head coach Rich Sorenson says the experience was good for his Division V Eagles.

“It’s always exciting to play at Chukchansi,” Sorenson said. “It is a privilege to play there and good for the kids to see how a Triple-A ballpark is.”

Senior catcher Riley Endicott enjoyed his third career game at the Fresno Grizzlies’ home ballpark.

“It’s a great experience to play at the same venue as the Triple-A guys,” Endicott said. “It makes me think I’m playing in the same spot as upcoming giants like Buster Posey and Pablo Sandavol.”

“I think the backdrop of the stadium got the kids a little nervous,” Sorenson said. “Plus Yosemite hit the ball really hard and we weren’t ready for that.”

Sorenson says the Eagles would like to keep the tradition of playing at Chukchansi alive next season, but there is a good chance they may not be able to due to the cost.

Despite the tough loss, Bill McGowen, who shares head coaching duties with Sorenson, says the team will be able to bounce back this week.

“Yosemite was really good,” McGowen said. “I knew they’d be good but I didn’t know how good. But we’re ready to move on and play Liberty this week.”

In 2009, Central Valley Christian’s 3-run third inning proved too much for the Eagles to handle, as the Cavaliers defeated FC 4-2, March 19.

FC will next host the Liberty Hawks at home, March 25.

FC BEATS SIERRA–March 17
The Eagles traveled to the home of the Chieftans at Sierra (Tollhouse), but the advantage of home turf was not enough for Sierra as FC won 6-3, March 17.

“This was a quality win for us,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “Our bats came alive in the first inning and we never looked back. (Senior starting pitcher Casey) Chenoweth is a good athlete and I thought we did a good job of swinging the bats against him.”

FC had at bat first and they came out aggressive taking full advantage of the situation. They scored four in the first inning and made a quick in and out with sophomore Trevor York’s pitching only allowing the Chieftans to score one run.

6’5″ freshman pitcher David Wells led the Eagles in the third and fourth to prevent Sierra from scoring any runs.

“David is going to have a lot of success as he matures as a pitcher as he matures,” McGowen said. “He picks up on instruction very quickly and you can’t teach height and long arms. He also has great poise for someone so young.”

By the sixth inning the Eagles had a lead of 6-1, but Sierra made their move and rallied to score two runs. Ryan Neufeld, ’12, pitched the last three innings of the game, but in the sixth had some hits against him.

“Our coaches were starting to get worried, but I wasn’t because we had two outs when they had two runs,” Neufeld said. “They did have two guys on second and third in scoring position. I knew we had a good defense though and that we could pull out the win.”

McGowen was pleased with the performance of his closer, who closed the game for his fourth save in seven appearances. He says his pitching staff was the difference in the game.

“Ryan once again became the go-to-go guy for us,” McGowen said. “Day-in and day-out, Ryan is someone we can count on to be consistent force on the mound.”

Finishing up the inning without any runs scored, the Eagles went on to maintain there lead of three and win the game, 6-3. FC will next host Yosemite at Chukchansi Park, March 19, 5 p.m.

EAGLES TAKE FARMERSVILLE CLASSIC–March 13
After defeating Farmersville 12-2 to start their day, FC went on to beat Exeter 6-2 to win the Farmersville Classic, March 13. The Eagles took home 1st place hardware for the 3rd consecutive season under head coaches Bill McGowen and Rich Sorenson.

Junior Ace Stowe Empereur (4-0) led FC through the semi-final gave against Farmersville giving up only 4 hits, and was relieved by sophomore closer Ryan Neufeld, who secured the victory. Sophomore Austin Rurik once again led FC with his hitting, finishing 3-4 with 2 RBIs, while junior Justin Wilson had a double and 2 RBIs for the game.

In the championship game vs. Exeter, sophomore Trevor York earned the win after giving up only 3 hits total and holding the Monarchs to 2 runs. Neufeld came for the final two innings and earned the save for the Eagles ? his third of the season.

Wilson went 2-3 with a double, and freshman Tanner Bos was also 2-3 with 2 RBIs.

FC will next play at Sierra, March 17, 3 p.m.

FC RUNS PAST FARMERSVILLE, ADVANCES TO SEMI-FINAL–March 8
Sophomore starter Ryan Neufeld struck out 11 batters, and the Eagles rolled to their fifth straight victory ? a 9-3 win over Farmersville, March 8. The win earned FC the right to play in the tournament’s semi-final game.

Sophomore Austin Rurik went 3-4 with a double and an RBI, senior Aaron Hedrick 2-5 with 2 RBIs, and sophomore Trevor York 2-4 with an RBI. For the game, the Eagles finished with 9 hits.

“The difference in this year’s team is that the bottom of the order can produced runs as easily as the top of the order,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “There is no drop-off.”

The Eagles scored two runs in the third inning to to open up a 3-0 lead. Rurik doubled to the right-centerfield gap to start the rally, stole third and later scored when Stowe Empereur hit a ground ball to the first baseman’s right.

In the fourth, the Eagles started a two-out rally with a single from Trevor York, a single from Rurik, and a hard-hit ground ball by Hedrick which scored York. After Hedrick stole second, Empereur then followed with a single past a diving second baseman to score Hedrick and make the score 6-0. The scoring spree led to Farmersville replacing starter Lance Blake, who just a few days prier had thrown a no-hitter.

Neufeld struck-out the side in the fifth inning, and gave the Aztec batter very little to work with for the game.

“Neufeld did an outstanding job of getting ahead of hitters,” McGowen said. “If you’re batting against him, you had better be ready to hit, because he pitches like he’s double-parked. Half of the Farmersville hitters were sitting down with strikeouts before they even knew what had hit them.”

Because of the rigors of pitching, McGowen says the four days off before the tournament championship with be beneficial for his staff.

“We are going to spend some time resting our pitchers arms after playing three games in three days,” McGowen said. “We’re strong and will be perfectly set-up to make a strong run for the championship of this tournament.”

KERMAN CLASSIC TOURNAMENT, March 6, 9, 13
EAGLES BATTLE PAST MENDOTA, KERN VALLEY–March 6
With strong pitching from sophomore Trevor York and junior Stowe Empereur, the Eagles defeated first Mendota 8-2, then Kern Valley 4-3, March 7, and go 2-0 in the opening of the Kerman Classic tournament.

Against Mendota, FC made a key defensive play in the third inning. With the game scoreless, and third baseman Tanner Bos playing up for the bunt, senior left fielder Tim Miller covered the base for his teammate and dove to get an Aztec runner by inches.

“That play by Miller was a momentum changer,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “That kid is a gamer. I’ve seen him do it all year in football and now in baseball. When the chips are down, you can always count on Tim to do something amazing.”

For the game Endicott finished 2-2 with an RBI, and Bos went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and 2 doubles.

In a rematch of last year’s tournament championship, FC took on Kern Valley (Lake Isabella, CA) in the second game of the day. Empereur used an array of pitches to keep the Broncs on their toes the entire game.

Stowe Empereur kept them at bay and really has established himself as one of the premier pitchers in the tournament,” McGowen said. “Kern Valley has some hitters who can swing the sticks. Riley and Stowe worked well together today and are really finding a rythm together.”

In addition to Endicott calling the game for his pitcher, he also made a tag play at the plate on bounced relay throw to nab the runner and end the first inning. A key block of a ball in the dirt also set up an inning-ending double play in the third. To top it off, Endicott made it on-base safely in all seven plate appearances on the day.

“He (Endicott) is one of the hardest workers on the team,” McGowen said. “It’s no mystery why he’s successful.”

Sophomore Ryan Neufeld went 2-3 with a triple and an RBI, while York finished 2-3 with an RBI and a double.

“Our dugout was alway in the game cheering the whole game and helping out our runners,” Neufeld said. “We brought a lot of intensity and our hitters got some clutch hits.”

Neufeld also closed out the final inning for his second save of the season. He struck out one, and induced a game ending 6-4-3 double play to stifle Kern Valley’s chances late.

LOCATION CHANGE NO MATTER FOR FC, EAGLES SHUT-OUT IMMANUEL–Feb. 26
After the game was rained out in Fresno the day before, the teams traded locations, but the drive to Reedley did not disrupt FC’s resolve. The visiting Eagles defeated Immanuel High, 3-0, Feb. 26.

“The credit today goes out to the pitching staff and strong team defensive effort,” head coach Bill McGowen said. “In two games this year, the pitching staff has yet to give up a single run and has issued only three walks.”

FC opened the first inning with 2 scores as freshman Tanner Bos went 2-4 and senior Riley Endicott went 2-3. The visiting Eagles made the most of their opportunities, scoring once more in the 6th inning as junior Stowe Empereur won his second game of the season.

“Last year when we played Immanuel I gave up five runs and a home run,” Empereur said. “I felt like I had to really prove myself this year when I pitched against Immanuel. I was playing with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. It also helps that I have an amazing defense behind me.”

FC jumped on the board early in the first when Aaron Hedrick walked and stole second with Ryan Neufeld driving him in. Tim Miller then worked the count full and eventually walked.

After Miller stole second, Riley Endicott brought him home with an RBI single to right-center.

Fresno Christian was held at bay for the remainder of the game until Justin Wilson led off the sixth with a single to center, was bunted over by junior Tyler Haritzalde and brought home by a (junior) Stowe Empereur double.

“I am just so proud of these young men for the work they have put in to improve their skills this off-season,” McGowen said. “It is really showing huge dividends.”

The Eagles will enjoy a week of preparation before they travel to the Farmersville Tournament, where they are the two-time defending champions, March 6.

FC will next join 5 other teams in the tournament, March 6-13. The Eagles will open with a double-header, March 6: Mendota at 9 a.m. and Kern Valley (Lake Isabella, CA) at 3 p.m. All games will be played at Farmersville High School.

FC CONTROLS PRE-SEASON OPENER–Feb. 23
The Eagles pounded out 14 hits in 4 innings, and junior Stowe Empereur and sophomore Ryan Neufeld combined for a no-hit shutout with 8 K’s in a mercy-shortened 22-0 win over Orange Cove, Feb. 23.

Empereur’s (1-0) rhythm was not disrupted by the long waits in between innings while his team was at bat. FC scored 7 runs in the first inning, 4 in the second, 9 in the third and 2 in the fourth.

“Stowe threw extremely well today, especially considering the long breaks he had to endure due to our long offensive innings,” McGowen said. “His improvement this year is one of the reasons I believe we will be extremely competitive in division five. His command has been excellent.”

Senior Aaron Hedrick led a high-powered FC offense, going 3-3 with 2 doubles and 4 RBIs. Neufeld went 2-4 with 3 RBIs, senior Tim Miller 2-5 with 4 RBIs and junior Justin Wilson 2-3 with 2 RBIs.

The Eagles rebounded from a 3-2 loss March 2, 2009, to the Titans.

“Last year we had a tough game against them and lost 3-2,” Hedrick said. “It was difficult to adjust from pitchers who threw 85 miles per hour to 65. We should have beat them but we couldn’t get a hit. This year we hit a lot better and were able to connect.”

Neufeld relieved Empereur in the fourth dealing strikes from the beginning and made short work of their hitters in the final inning

The Eagles’ game against Immanuel, Feb. 25, has been rescheduled due to rain. The team will travel to Reedley and play the game, Feb. 26.

FC will next join 5 other teams and play in the Farmersville Classic tournament, March 6-13. The Eagles will open with a double-header, March 6: Mendota at 9 a.m. and Kern Valley (Lake Isabella, CA) at 3 p.m. All games will be played at Farmersville High School.