Are you having trouble focusing lately?

The weather is lovely, classwork is piling up and you need to squeeze as much fun out of what time is left with your friends.

Unfortunately, Linfield students, our baseball and softball teams are not going to help you focus. Both teams begin regionals in the next week and a half—softball on May 9 and baseball on May 15—and you will not want to look away.

How come? Well, Linfield has two amazing programs. Linfield baseball is number one in the country, while Linfield softball is number six in the country.

Baseball is looking to reach the NCAA tournament, and softball is looking to return to the Division III championship game for the fourth year in a row.

That’s right, the fourth year in a row. This has only happened once in the 31-year history of Division III softball when The College of New Jersey reached the championship game four times from 1982-85. Linfield students, we could possibly witness history being made.

Two of the best pitchers in the country—juniors Karina Paavola (22-2, 1.81 ERA) and Shelby VandeBergh (12-3, 2.12 ERA)—anchor the rotation, while the lineup was by far the best in the NWC, with a slash line of .361/.425/.564. Seniors Karleigh Prestianni, Rachelle Ridout and Megan Wallo could amazingly advance to the finals in every single year of their career. The softball team—and the rest of the Division III softball teams—discovers their fate with the announcement of Regional brackets today.

As for baseball, the team narrowly missed advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2011. The sting still remains for the players who were a part of the team.

“It’s nice to see that all of the hard work…paid off. What would mean more…is making a run at a championship and bringing back some hardware from Texas,” senior Tim Wilson said.

But the baseball team has a good chance to break through the regional barrier this year. With three of the best pitchers on the West Coast—sophomores Chris Haddeland and Aaron Thomassen and junior Zach Brandon—the pitching staff is excellent. Wilson and juniors Jake Wylie, Kramer Lindell and Nick Fisher have raked all year with cartoon-like OPS numbers of 1.057, 1.055, 1.134 and 1.076. Plus, excellent senior leadership and solid play have come from Nate McClellan, Jordan Harlow and Kyle Chamberlain.

Linfield students have been spoiled all year with fantastic baseball and softball. Now, when everyone is busy and trying to remain focused, the teams are rounding third and heading into the home stretch.

Good luck with focusing on everything. These two teams will make it difficult to look away.

Tyler Bradley/Sports columnist

Tyler Bradley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

His baseball career began in kindergarten when his parents tossed wiffle balls to him, swinging a large plastic bat that was as tall as he was.

Sophomore Aaron Thomassen now sports #42 from the pitcher’s mound for the Linfield baseball team. At a young age, his father told him he could be a good ballplayer if he committed himself and put extra effort in to improve his game.

“Baseball is very different because it is a game where failure occurs more often than success,” Thomassen said. “The game forces me to deal with not always getting my way and has taught me leadership on and off the field. I know my actions can affect others so I’ve learned to tame some of my emotions.”

Thomassen enjoys Linfield baseball because it is a collective effort to succeed. He says baseball does not rely on one person to get the win, and it is a game that is usually won by multiple players.

“At Linfield, baseball is all about the team,” he said. “We know we have talent from the returning players, but we have witnessed that talent does not always win games. We have strong leadership from the upperclassmen and underclassmen who want to compete for positions. The team chemistry this year is unlike any other team I’ve played for. We compete with one another while still having fun, and we all expect to win.”

As a pitcher, Thomassen feels he can control the game and help his team succeed.

“Baseball is a game of momentum,” he said. “If I can control the other team’s momentum, it gives my team a better shot of winning. I’m a pretty high energy guy when I’m pitching, so if I get out of a tough situation, I generally won’t hold back my excitement.”

Thomassen says success never gets old, and he enjoys sharing the team’s accomplishments with his supportive family and friends.

“I’m looking forward to a couple more dog-piles, hopefully,” he said. “Surprisingly, they never get old.”

Aside from his teammates, Thomassen shares his baseball success with friends and family. He shares a unique bond with his grandmother, Joelle, who pays close attention to the team’s stats and conference standings.

This summer he will play baseball for the Fort Collins Foxes in Fort Collins, Colo., in preparation for next season.

“I enjoy playing baseball because their is a feeling unlike any other feeling when you succeed in sports,” Thomassen said. “For me, the sport is baseball, and I have always cherished succeeding with my teammates. Nothing gives me the drive to succeed as much as baseball does.” 

Sarah Mason/Features editor

Sarah Mason can be reached at linfieldreviewfeatures@gmail.com.

In hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, the track and field team competed at the Oregon Twilight and Pacific Twilight on May 3 and 4.

At the Oregon Twilight Meet, sophomore Halsie Peek finished fourth in the first section of the 100-meter with 12.71 seconds.

“Being that it was potentially my last meet, my main goal was to just go out and enjoy my last time racing,” Peek said. “I didn’t run any PR’s or do anything too exciting so it was just a normal day on the track, but the atmosphere of the University of Oregon is something to be valued.”

Senior Melany Crocker finished in seventh in the second section with 12.77 seconds. Crocker also finished seventh in the 200-meter with 26.29 seconds.

Junior Anna LeBeaume got ninth in the hammer throw, throwing 48.53 meters.

Senior Lester Maxwell finished in ninth as well in the 800-meter with a minute, 55.12 seconds.

At the Pacific Twilight Meet, senior Jill Boroughs finished ninth in the 5,000-meter run, with 19 minutes, 31.47 seconds.

Freshman Morgunn Ewing finished fifth in javelin. Ewing threw 54.25 meters.

The Wildcats will next compete at the George Fox Final Qualifier on May 17. This will be their last opportunity to qualify for the national championships.

Ivanna Tucker/Sports editor

Ivanna Tucker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Linfield baseball team discovered that runs scored are as prevalent in Lewiston, Idaho as wineries are in the Willamette Valley.

The ‘Cats finished their regular season at the Inland Cellular Tournament on May 4 and 5 in Lewiston, Idaho by breaking the scoreboard. They dispatched Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth 7-3 and 14-5, respectively, while getting slaughtered 20-8 against tough NAIA opponent Lewis-Clark State.

Senior Tim Wilson added another milestone to his amazing career during Saturday’s doubleheader, swiping four bases to bring his career total to 68. He is now the Linfield record holder.

In game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, junior Jake Wylie launched his seventh home run of the season — a grand slam — and added a double and another RBI as well. He continued to rake in game two, going 2-4 with a run scored.

“The tournament was fun,” Wylie said.

Sophomore Chris Haddeland (11-1, 1.16 ERA) continued his dominant season, firing seven innings of scoreless ball. He gave up just one hit and two walks, while striking out six.

Game two was a demolition, but for once, Linfield took the beating.

Sophomore Aaron Thomassen (10-1, 2.67 ERA), one of the best pitchers in Division III all season, was lit up for 10 earned runs on nine hits and three walks. With the outing, his ERA ballooned from 1.51 to 2.67.

The bullpen did not do much better, with sophomores Joseph Stevick and Garrett Miller combining for nine runs, eight earned, on 12 hits and one walk. Senior Kenny Johnson, backup shortstop, completed the final inning, giving up one run.

Despite the pitching woes, the offense did put up eight runs on the board. Highlighted by a home run from junior Clayton Truex—who went 2-2 with three RBI—and a 3-5 day from junior Nick Fisher.

“It was a different experience than we are used to…it’s something that we remember but also move on from to our ultimate goal and keep winning,” Wylie said when asked about the loss.

Game three was a 14-5 Linfield victory against Whitworth.

Wilson went 4-6 with three RBI, and senior catcher Kyle Chamberlain crushed a two-run home run as a part of a 3-4 day with three runs scored and three RBI. Fisher added three RBI and Johnson also added three hits.

Junior Zach Brandon gave up five earned runs in five and 2/3 innings but still picked up his seventh victory of the season. Junior Justin Huckins picked up a long save—his seventh of the season—of three and 1/3 innings while striking out two.

Sophomore shortstop Corey VanDomelen also hit a triple during the game.

The ‘Cats carry their number one Division III ranking into a week off. On May 15th, Division III regionals begin, and the ‘Cats are looking forward to the day.

“We just need to keep focused and keep having great practices like we have done all season. We just need to stay sharp,” Wylie said.

Tyler Bradley/Sports columnist

Tyler Bradley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), in conjunction with the Athletic Training programs, hosted a 5K benefit run to raise funds for a Wildcat athlete who has brain cancer May 5.

Approximately 70 people came out between the competitive run and the fun run/walk.

Participants included Linfield cross-country runners and members from the Linfield and McMinnville communities, said Katherine Brackman, sports information and marketing assistant at Linfield, in an email.

The SAAC raised about $720, although more donations are on their way in from individuals who weren’t able to attend the event, Brackman added.

This money will be combined with the $617 collected during the SAAC’s coin drive that took place this past basketball season, she said.

“This was an extremely fun event to plan for a very worthy cause,” Brackman said in an email.

Individuals could pay $10 for one or $17 for two to run.

The 5K featured two options, a competitive timed race and a fun run/walk.

The run/walk led participants from the Oak Grove down Founders Way to Cowls and Lever streets, around the Wellness Trail to the front of the library, down Renshaw Avenue to Linfield Avenue and back to Founders Way to the I.M. field, said junior Courtney Alley, one of the event’s organizers.

“I was really excited about the event. A good amount of people showed up and some came by just to donate money,” Alley said.

Alley said that the SAAC is waiting to present the money to the student-athlete until a large enough sum has been collected.

The committee is also talking about having a T-shirt sale in the fall during football games, Alley said.

Jessica Prokop/Editor-in-chief

Jessica Prokop can be reached at linfieldrevieweditor@gmail.com.

The track and field team’s throwing crew had top finishes at the Lewis & Clark Invitational on April 20.

The men’s team placed second with 112.5 points, while Pacific University took first with 137 points.

Senior Drew Wert finished first in shot put, throwing 13.38 meters. Junior Mike Maierhofer finished close behind in second with 13.02 meters. Freshman Stephan Hordes tied for third with Lewis & Clark’s Matt DeRosa, throwing 12.62 meters.

Junior Nick Fairhart got fourth for the discus, with 38.79 meters. Fairhart also finished third in hammer throw. Freshman Morgunn Ewing finished in second with 54.88 meters right behind Lewis & Clark’s John Berokoff.

The women’s team finished in fourth overall with 85 points.

Juniors Anna LaBeaume and Courtney Alley both had top finishes in their throwing events. LaBeaume got first in both shot put and hammer throw and second in the discus. Alley finished on top in discus, throwing 37.25 meters. She also took third in the hammer.

Junior Jason Cheyne finished second in the 100-meter dash, with 11.13 seconds.

Freshman Tom Steelhammer got fifth in the 400-meter run, with 51.58 seconds.

Linfield swept third through seventh in the 5,000-meter, including sophomore Calvin Howell, freshman Flint Martino, junior Jason Hight, senior Nic Miles and junior Brennan Lester.

Freshman Clay Monahan finished in fourth for the 110-meter hurdles with 18.09 seconds.

Junior Charlie Poppen took second in the high jump with 1.93 meters.

Senior Melany Crocker and sophomore Halsie Peek finished third and fourth in the 100-meter, completing in 12.33 seconds and 12.43 seconds.

Junior Hannah Greider got fourth in the 1,500-meter, with four minutes, 55.09 seconds.

Meghan Lockwood received fifth in the long jump, with 4.65 meters. Lockwood also finished fourth in the triple jump, with 10.12 meters.

The Wildcats will compete next at the NWC Championships on April 26 in Salem, Ore.

Ivanna Tucker/Sports editor

Ivanna Tucker can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

To conclude the National Collegiate Athlete Association’s Division III week, a guest speaker spoke at Linfield College to Wildcat athletes in Ted Wilson Gymnasium on April 15.

Will Keim, a former college athlete at the University of the Pacific, spoke about being successful, not only in sports, but in life.

Keim started his lecture by saying how great Division III sports are. Unlike Division I, Division III sports are not solely influenced by money, and focus on the academic side of the college experience. Division III athletes may miss a few days of class because of travel, but it is nothing like Division I athletes, where softball players can miss up to 40 days in a trimester for their sport.

As Keim continued, his emphasis focused on how college students’ actions impact their future.

“You are setting the banquette table for the feast of the rest of your life,” Keim said.

Keim then spoke of different actions that everyone should incorporate in their life like thinking, feeling, hoping and loving.

One of the most important actions that college students have to focus on is the thinking portion, as our actions can affect the rest of our lives. Keim gave four things to think about before anyone makes a choice: why am I doing this, is it legal, is it consistent with my moral principles and what are the consequences. If students follow this process they will generally make good decisions.

Keim gave examples of success in other lives and his own, where he had lost 140 pounds.

To continue with the success trend, Keim talked about majors and how you should love your classes, because your work will be similar.

“Find something you love to do and do it well enough so someone will pay you to do it,” Keim said. “You won’t have to work a day in your life.”

Keim currently speaks all across the country and is the softball coach at Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Ore.

This lecture concluded Division III week at Linfield College, where student athletes were celebrated for their pursuit of sport and academics.

Chris Haddeland/Senior reporter

Chris Haddeland can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Linfield swept George Fox by scores of 6-1, 10-3 and 2-1  April 20 and 21 to clinch the NWC title.

Game one of the doubleheader was a pitching duel between Linfield’s sophomore Chris Haddeland and Fox’s Clay Gartner, but a six-run Linfield eighth inning broke the game open.

Junior Nate McClellan led off the eighth and lined the first pitch he saw into right-center field. After freshman Finn McMichael replaced McClellan as a pinch runner, he took off on a hit-and-run play and senior Clayton Truex delivered with a base knock into right field. Senior Jordan Harlow stepped to the plate and smoked the first pitch of his at bat into left field to drive in McMichael and tie the game.

A sacrifice bunt from senior Kyle Chamberlain (who caught all three games this weekend) forced Fox’s hand, and they chose to walk senior Tim Wilson and load the bases for sophomore Corey VanDomelen. VanDomelen worked the count to a favorable 3-1 before hitting a hard grounder up the middle—just out of the reach of the second baseman—to plate two more runs.

A RBI single by junior Jake Wiley followed by a two-run double by McMichael made it 6-1. The double was McMichael’s first career at bat and hit.

Haddeland (9-1, 1.12 ERA) struck out seven during the outing without issuing a walk. This was his sixth complete game of the year, and he needed only 100 pitches to do so against the hard-hitting Bruins. Enough can’t be said about the Linfield infield in this game and throughout the series. Haddeland issues a lot of groundballs, and the infield made zero errors and routinely made tough dribblers or scorching groundballs look easy.

Game two was a 10-3 Linfield shellacking highlighted by home runs from junior Kramer Lindell (who nearly had a second home run in the eighth inning), Truex and McClellan.

The best highlight of the game came in left field in the eighth inning. Wilson tracked a massive fly ball off the bat of George Fox first baseman Derek Dixon to the fence. He timed his leap perfectly and snagged the ball over the fence and brought it back in to record the out and prevent a two-run home run. The crowd erupted in awe on both sides, and the catch was a deafening blow to an already distant comeback chance for George Fox.

Truex’s home run in the fifth inning to make it 7-2 was met with controversy. There was no doubt about it clearing the fence, but the George Fox manager and team disagreed with two ball-strike calls from earlier in the at bat. The disagreement led to an ejection for the George Fox manager, and he continued to voice his displeasure for the umpire’s decision making.

Game three on Sunday was an intense 2-1 extra inning battle that ended in Linfield’s favor. The winning run came in the bottom of the 13th inning. Wiley, 3-4 with two walks on the day, walked on four pitches, which sent Lindell to the plate. Lindell roped one over the third baseman’s head down the line and it was fair by maybe a hair. Wiley slid into home without a throw to seal the victory for the ‘Cats.

Wiley’s teammates mobbed him at the plate before moving onto Lindell and piling on top of him near the pitcher’s mound.

Linfield heads back on the road April 27 and 28 to battle last place Lewis & Clark (9-27, 6-15 NWC) in a three-game series.

Tyler Bradley/Sports columnist

Tyler Bradley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Some athletes may travel from state to state playing their sport. Senior Lynette Cole did much more than that as she traveled across the pond in 2011 to study abroad in the United Kingdom.

While in the U.K., Cole played lacrosse for Lancaster University.

“I wanted to play while I was abroad,” Cole said. “I would have played rugby if not for lacrosse, it just made sense.”

Playing for Lancaster University gave Cole the opportunity to work on her skills, as she was one of the top players for the team.

“I learned how to drive the ball,” Cole said. “I became more confident with the ball and the flow of the game came more naturally to me.”

Cole started playing lacrosse in college so the sport was fairly new to her, especially when she was abroad as a sophomore.

“The more contact with the stick you get makes you better,”  Cole said. “I came back as a whole new player.”

Cole said her lacrosse experience in the U.K. was great, but the best part was the social aspect of the sport.

“All my best friends [in the U.K.] played lacrosse,” Cole said.

The men and women’s lacrosse teams would hang out regularly and this is where they developed their friendships.

“The social aspect was the best part,” Cole said.

Cole proceeded to say that every student should study abroad and maximize their experience by participating in different activities.

“Everybody should study abroad,” Cole said. “[While abroad] don’t be afraid to join clubs or even sports.”

The Wildcats’ 2013 lacrosse season ended April 12. Cole concluded her college career by playing midfield for the team, starting every game.

Chris Haddeland/Senior reporter

Chris Haddeland can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

Post-season play is on the doorstep. There was a need for a lead. It was the final day where a home game was possible.

The No. 7 Linfield softball team needed to get something started if it was to avoid extra innings. But it had either been tied or trailed defending Division III champions Pacific Lutheran all game. The game was now tied 2-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Leading off the inning for the ‘Cats was one of just two seniors on the entire roster.

The senior, Karleigh Prestianni, coolly laced the second pitch into left field for a base hit. Just what the playoff doctor ordered (yes, there is a playoff doctor. Not sure about his/her pay grade, but it must be substantial). Prestianni would come around to score in the inning, and Linfield would not relinquish the 3-2 lead.

“We’ve seen [Pacific Lutheran pitcher] Kaaren Hatlen quite a few times over the years so I knew I was going to get something inside…in the at bat and I got it on the second pitch…and it worked out,” Prestianni said.

With the win, Linfield took home the NWC tournament crown on its home field and clinched an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

After losing a lot of talent from last year’s team that finished runner up to Pacific Lutheran University in the National Title game, and with just two seniors on the roster, Linfield dominated the NWC this season.

When asked about the success of this young team, Prestianni said, “We lost a lot of talent from last year, but this team has been so much fun to play on because everyone has so much heart…the underclassmen have stepped up huge, and it’s cool to see them growing up and getting better every day.”

It’s true, this team is by far the best in the NWC. It won the NWC regular season by seven full games. The top three leaders in batting average in the NWC are all Linfield players—sophomore Erin Carson, Prestianni and junior Ashley Garcia. The leader in home runs is Linfield sophomore, Lisa Yamamoto. The three leaders in ERA are all Linfield pitchers—sophomore Montana McNealy, and juniors Karina Paavola and Shelby VandeBergh. Paavola leads the league in strikeouts by a staggering 40 total strikeouts. Linfield’s sophomore Grace Middlestadt leads the league in stolen bases.

Get the idea?

It has even saved its best play for the final half of the season. After a loss to Chapman University on March 22, Linfield has won 19 of its past 20 games. The team is on fire when the games are beginning to matter more.

“I think we have a great shot in the postseason. It’s all about who plays good at the right time and I think we a have a very good opportunity to do that,” Prestianni said.

With the NWC tournament victory, Prestianni said, “today was like our real senior day.”

One of the perks of winning the league is hosting the conference tournament. Of course, hosting the tournament is only made sweeter by winning said tournament.

Now the ‘Cats embark on an NCAA tournament journey. They just picked up another perk: they are guaranteed a spot. Based off of the success of the team this year, if it is in need of a lead in the coming games, it can get the job done.

Just ask the rest of the NWC. This team is one of the best.

Tyler Bradley/Sports columnist

 Tyler Bradley can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.