WEBBTIDE 2001-2002 @ SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Volume 37 No.14 Apr. 26 - May 09, 2002 [ ARCHIVE ] [ FEEDBACK ] [ HELP ]
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Baseball team suffers from absent coach

.
      The Dolphin baseball team has had a problem in the last two weeks. They have no coach.
      On the first weekend of April the Dolphins finally eliminated the zero from their win column following a four-game slump. After tacking on two wins against Everett (6-6 in regular season, 8-11 overall), coach David Bingham suddenly went on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons, leaving the Dolphins to fend for themselves in the six-team North Division. Meanwhile, assistant coach Kyle Kleindel was absent on vacation.
      Since Bingham's departure, the team has slipped to 3-11, which ties them for lastplace. "We need a coach," second-year pitcher Steve Simpson said. "It hurts the order and structure of the team."
      The last two weeks have consisted of informal practices and tough losses for the Dolphins, a team now headed by "elected coach" Steve Stone - who also happens to double as a pitcher for the team.
      Despite the downturn, the Dolphins shocked first-place Bellevue (13-2, 18-10) in a ninth-inning rally to upset the division leaders 5-1 April 21. Down by one run, Shoreline scored all five times in the ninth to give the Dolphins their most notable victory thus far.
      In contrast to the highly-unexpected victory, Shoreline gave Grays Harbor their first win in a 10-0 shut-out April 10. During the previous weekend the team fell to Olympic 8-4 and loss twice, 6-0 and 4-0, to Edmonds (8-4, 14-9).
      Prior to the Bellevue win, the Dolphins allowed 42 runs and scored only six times since Bingham's departure. The closest thing to a victory was an extra-innings game against Olympic which was eventually postponed after being dragged out into the 12th inning.
      "We're missing our clutch hits and we have little team chemistry," second-year pitcher Jason Werle said. "We have a lot of talent that just isn't coming together."
      The Dolphin defense has formed a barrier against a disastrous season, however, holding their opponents to 79 runs in 14 games.
      "Our pitching isn't what's keeping us from winning," Stone said.
      Werle agrees. "We have good defense. Pitching is our strong point."
      Meanwhile, their offense has only scored 19 runs, placing the Dolphins last in the divison. "Our offense has really been an issue," Werle said.
      Some players have stepped up, however, putting up respectable numbers to a largely disappointing season.
      Leading the Dolphins in hitting is left-hander Chris Jones, hitting .321 with three RBIs. Onthe mound, second-year pitcher Pat Kelley has provided the arm-strength for his team, striking out 24 this season.
      Despite injuries, 11 losses and being one coach short of having any coach at all, the Dolphins are holding out for a winning record in the end.
      "We're hoping for a spot on the top four or anything better," center-fielder Danny Fahey said.
      If the Dolphins can overtake Everett (7-8) or Skagit Valley (8-7), the team will secure one of the top four spots in the North Division. This will automatically give the Dolphins a shot at the NWAACC championship, assuming that Olympic continues to lag behind.
      But with the upset victory over Bellevue in recent memory, anything seems possible now.
      "If we make the playoffs, we can go a long way," second-year pitcher Zack Spencer said.
      As of April 22, the Dolphins hope to see Bingham rejoin the squad come April 26. Currently, assistant coach Kyle Kleindel is directing the team now that he has returned from vacation. But even if the team remains without a head coach, hints of resolve remain.
      "If we can string a couple wins together, it'll start working out," Werle said.

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by Chris Collins

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Baseball team suffers from absent coach
.	The Dolphin baseball team has had a problem in the last two weeks. They have no coach. On the first weekend of April the Dolphins finally eliminated the zero from their win column following a four-game slump. After tacking on two wins against Everett (6-6 in regular season, 8-11 overall), coach David Bingham suddenly went on administrative leave for undisclosed reasons, leaving the Dolphins to fend for themselves in the six-team North Division. Meanwhile, assistant coach Kyle Kleindel was absent on vacation. Since Bingham's departure, the team has slipped to 3-11, which ties them for lastplace. "We need a coach," second-year pitcher Steve Simpson said. "It hurts the order and structure of the team." The last two weeks have consisted of informal practices and tough losses for the Dolphins, a team now headed by "elected coach" Steve Stone - who also happens to double as a pitcher for the team. Despite the downturn, the Dolphins shocked first-place Bellevue (13-2, 18-10) in a ninth-inning rally to upset the division leaders 5-1 April 21. Down by one run, Shoreline scored all five times in the ninth to give the Dolphins their most notable victory thus far. In contrast to the highly-unexpected victory, Shoreline gave Grays Harbor their first win in a 10-0 shut-out April 10. During the previous weekend the team fell to Olympic 8-4 and loss twice, 6-0 and 4-0, to Edmonds (8-4, 14-9). Prior to the Bellevue win, the Dolphins allowed 42 runs and scored only six times since Bingham's departure. The closest thing to a victory was an extra-innings game against Olympic which was eventually postponed after being dragged out into the 12th inning. "We're missing our clutch hits and we have little team chemistry," second-year pitcher Jason Werle said. "We have a lot of talent that just isn't coming together." The Dolphin defense has formed a barrier against a disastrous season, however, holding their opponents to 79 runs in 14 games. "Our pitching isn't what's keeping us from winning," Stone said. Werle agrees. "We have good defense. Pitching is our strong point." Meanwhile, their offense has only scored 19 runs, placing the Dolphins last in the divison. "Our offense has really been an issue," Werle said. Some players have stepped up, however, putting up respectable numbers to a largely disappointing season. Leading the Dolphins in hitting is left-hander Chris Jones, hitting .321 with three RBIs. Onthe mound, second-year pitcher Pat Kelley has provided the arm-strength for his team, striking out 24 this season. Despite injuries, 11 losses and being one coach short of having any coach at all, the Dolphins are holding out for a winning record in the end. "We're hoping for a spot on the top four or anything better," center-fielder Danny Fahey said. If the Dolphins can overtake Everett (7-8) or Skagit Valley (8-7), the team will secure one of the top four spots in the North Division. This will automatically give the Dolphins a shot at the NWAACC championship, assuming that Olympic continues to lag behind. But with the upset victory over Bellevue in recent memory, anything seems possible now. "If we make the playoffs, we can go a long way," second-year pitcher Zack Spencer said. As of April 22, the Dolphins hope to see Bingham rejoin the squad come April 26. Currently, assistant coach Kyle Kleindel is directing the team now that he has returned from vacation. But even if the team remains without a head coach, hints of resolve remain. "If we can string a couple wins together, it'll start working out," Werle said.	.
by Chris Collins