Richland, Kamiakin baseball teams atop Mid-Columbia standings. A showdown is coming
Keep the date of April 26 open. That’s when Kamiakin’s baseball team visits Richland for a big Mid-Columbia Conference doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m.
As of April 4, those two teams are ranked No. 1 (Richland) and No. 2 (Kamiakin) in the first WIAA state RPI rankings for Class 4A.
Richland is 12-0 and Kamiakin stands at 10-0. On Tuesday, April 9, Kamiakin visits Kennewick in a single game at Roy Johnson Field. First pitch is at 5 p.m.
Latest Mid-Columbia Conference standings through April 6:
1. Richland 8-0 MCC, 12-0 overall
2. Kamiakin 6-0, 10-0
3. Kennewick 6-2, 11-2
4. Hanford 4-2, 7-4
5. Walla Walla 4-4, 7-4
5. Chiawana 4-4, 6-7
7. Southridge 0-6, 2-8
7. Hermiston 0-6, 1-7
9. Pasco 0-8, 0-12
April 5: Chiawana 10, Walla Walla 0; Chiawana 10, Walla Walla 9; Kennewick 9, Southridge 0; Kennewick 4, Southridge 1; Richland 14, Hermiston 2; Richland 5, Hermiston 0.
April 6: Hanford 23, Pasco 2; Hanford 29, Pasco 4.
April 9: Chiawana at Hanford, 5 p.m.; Kamiakin at Kennewick, 5 p.m.; Pasco at Hermiston, 5 p.m.; Southridge at Walla Walla, 4 p.m.
April 12: Hanford at Southridge (2), 4 p.m.; Hermiston at Chiawana (2), 4 p.m.; Richland at Pasco (2), 4 p.m.; Walla Walla at Kamiakin (2), 2 p.m.
NWAC baseball
It’s never easy to run away with an NWAC East baseball title. This year it looks to be the same story.
One game separates five teams atop the region as of today.
But there are plenty of conference games left, as everyone plays 28 games and we’re only at 8 each.
Columbia Basin manager Stefan McGovern has another strong team this season, with the Hawks off to a 22-8 start.
Already one of his pitchers — freshman left-hander Jake Robinson, from Boise — has committed to Washington State University.
Robinson is among the NWAC leaders in strikeouts this season with 59. In just 40 innings of work, Robinson’s strikeouts per 9 innings of work average out to 13.2.
Robinson has a 4-0 record, while reliever Simon Lemke (Bend, Ore.) is 5-0 and has 4 saves, which is among the best in the NWAC.
Jack Fenton (Lynnwood-Kamiak) has 33 strikeouts, while Joe Pitts (Central Valley) leads the team in earned run average of 1.66. Robinson is next at 2.02.
Offensively, Brayden Mayencourt (British Columbia) leads the team with a .313 batting average.
Trevor Dale (Salt Lake City) and Wyatt Lizama (Hawaii) each had two home runs, while Dale and Hayden Mattray (Snohomish-Glacier Peak) each have 21 RBIs.
Mattray leads the Hawks with 9 stolen bases, while Lizama has 7.
NWAC East baseball standings, through April 7:
Wenatchee Valley 6-2 NWAC East, 22-8 overall
Spokane 6-2, 15-10
Columbia Basin 5-3, 22-8
Blue Mountain 5-3, 12-14
Treasure Valley 5-3, 10-20
Yakima Valley 4-4, 9-20
Big Bend 1-7, 9-17
Walla Walla 0-8, 3-14
April 6 scores: Blue Mountain 7, Big Bend 2; Blue Mountain 6, Big Bend 5 (10); Spokane 22, Walla Walla 4; Spokane 12, Walla Walla 6; Wenatchee Valley 8, Yakima Valley 3; Wenatchee Valley 6, Yakima Valley 4.
April 7 scores: Columbia Basin 6, Treasure Valley 2; Treasure Valley 5, Columbia Basin 4.
April 10 games: Big Bend at Wenatchee Valley (2), 1 p.m.; Spokane at Columbia Basin (2), 1 p.m.; Treasure Valley at Walla Walla (2), 1 p.m.; Yakima Valley at Blue Mountain (2), 1 p.m.
April 13 games: Blue Mountain at Yakima Valley (2), 1 p.m.; Columbia Basin at Spokane (2), 1 p.m.; Walla Walla at Treasure Valley (2), 11 a.m.; Wenatchee Valley at Big Bend (2), 1 p.m.
NWAC softball
Alexis Blankenship (Puyallup) was 2-for-3 with a double, home run and 3 RBIs, and Lauryn Krick (Puyallup) was 2-for-3 with a double and 4 RBIs as Columbia Basin College won its first East Region softball game 11-3 on March 30 against visiting Walla Walla.
The Hawks are 3-10 in East Region play, and 13-14 overall. But Hawks head coach Montessa Califano’s team still has some time to move up the standings.
Lauren Krick (Puyallup) has been a two-way star for the Hawks this season.
Offensively, she leads the team with a .524 batting average, and her 40 RBIs is tops on the Hawks.
Krick is also the team’s top pitcher, with an 8-5 record, 92 strikeouts, and a 5.87 earned run average.
Raquel Palmeira (Hawaii) has a .479 batting average, with 10 stolen bases.
Stephanie Bryson (Caldwell, Idaho) is hitting .447, with 6 home runs and 35 RBIs.
Blackenship leads the team with 19 stolen bases.
NWAC East Region softball standings through April 7:
North Idaho 11-0 NWAC East, 19-2 overall
Wenatchee Valley 10-4, 16-8
Treasure Valley 10-4, 16-10
Spokane 9-5, 14-6
Yakima Valley 3-9, 7-15
Blue Mountain 3-9, 7-19
Columbia Basin 3-10, 13-14
Walla Walla 2-10, 9-13
April 5 scores: North Idaho 10, Wenatchee Valley 1; North Idaho 16, Wenatchee Valley 5 (5); Spokane 9, Yakima Valley 5; Spokane 8, Yakima Valley 7.
April 6 scores: Blue Mountain 20, Columbia Basin 15; Columbia Basin 14, Blue Mountain 3 (5); Spokane 13, Wenatchee Valley 12; Treasure Valley 15, Walla Walla 7 (5); Treasure Valley 16, Walla Walla 14; Wenatchee Valley 9, Spokane 7; Yakima Valley at North Idaho (2), ppd.
April 7 scores: Treasure Valley 8, Columbia Basin 6; Treasure Valley 12, Columbia Basin 12.
April 9 games: Blue Mountain at Walla Walla (2), 2 p.m.
April 13 games: Blue Mountain at Wenatchee Valley (2), 12 p.m.; Spokane at North Idaho (2), 12 p.m.; Yakima Valley at Columbia Basin (2), 12 p.m.
Jeff Morrow is former sports editor for the Tri-City Herald.
