Cougars come to play as the start of the season begins

Break in your glove and shake off that winter rust, baseball season is just around the corner. After months of practice the Cougars look to aim high this season. After a fifth place finish at the 2009 Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Championships that ended with a rough loss to rival Mt. Hood, the Cougars appear poised to make a splash this season.

With a host of returning sophomores includ­ing All-NWAACC relief pitcher Taylor Hill, top hitter and first team all-Southern Region outfielder David Greenstein and defensive mastermind and second team all-Southern Region second baseman Johnny Wade, the Cougars return strong players.

Hill went 3-2 with six saves, a 1.70 ERA, and 36 strikeouts in 16 appearances last sea­son, while on the offensive side Greenstein hit for a .372 average and 30 RBIs. Wade hit for a .331 average.

Head coach Robin Robinson said, “We’ve been working really hard. [We] feel really good about the club.”

Robinson highlighted the pitching and defense as the most improved aspect of his Cougars. Last season, the pitching staff was top-ten in NWAACC statistical categories of wins, saves, ERA and strikeouts. The Cougars flamethrow­ers tossed a NWAACC-best 342 strikeouts.

In their first games of the season the Cougars played in The Dalles on March 6, the Cougars defeated Linn-Benton, 8-1 and Spokane, 9-3. However, the next day would not fare so well for the promising squad. Spokane and Linn-Benton figured the Cougars out and they subsequently dropped both games, 6-8 to Spokane, and 5-6 to Linn-Benton. They were hard fought loses but the Cougars keep their heads held high as they look to continue the season.