Spring Sports Preview

Today, March 2nd, marks the start of the spring sports season. Although both boys and girls basketball are still competing for a state championship, the spring sports programs are looking forward to getting back on the field and working towards a successful inaugural 5A season.

Track and Field

Track and Field will likely draw the most participation once again this spring. Last year in 4A, track and field had a very successful season, sending many athletes to the State Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene.

“We are excited about the amount of people that are coming out. We have a lot of new athletes and returning athletes,” said pole vaulting coach, Mr. Baertlein. “The level of competition will be higher and hopefully we can still bring the same amount of people to state in 5A.”

Lacrosse

The lacrosse program has been preparing for a competitive season for a while now, holding pre-season turf workouts since January. Lacrosse is coming off a great season a year ago, and are looking to bring that momentum into this season.

“We are returning our entire team, and we have great team chemistry,” senior Nash Lisac said. “I am looking forward to not only playing the sport, but also hanging out with the team”.

Baseball

The baseball program is coming off a disappointing end to the 4A season, but are looking to bounce back as they move into 5A. The baseball team lost a lot of players from a year ago, but are still returning several talented players from last year.

Senior first baseman Michael Duarte talked about the challenges of moving into 5A saying, “We are a small team and have no experience playing at the 5A level.”

Matt Duarte, sophomore, said, “We have lost a lot of graduating seniors, like Kelly Krumm, and a few other players, like Jacob Casey. Jacob’s offense will be missed. We are also unsure about our uniforms this season. I think we should keep our white jerseys this year instead of our blue ones from last year.”

Softball

Softball is looking forward to their first season in 5A as well. Softball enjoyed their final year in 4A, and look to carry some of this positive energy into 5A. “Softball is going to be fun this year,” said senior pitcher Loryn Williams. “We have great team chemistry, and are looking forward to more competition this season”.

Tennis

Boys and girls tennis are both looking forward to the 2015 season.

Senior Greg Dettmer is hoping for a great season. “There is better competition this year and having the chance to knock off Wilsonville will be a good opportunity,” said Dettmer, who is very excited about the opportunities for the tennis team this year.

Sophomore Rachel Primack is looking forward to girls tennis season this year as well. Rachel says that the team will have to adjust to “better competition” in 5A this year.

Golf

Boys and girls golf are looking forward to the new challenges facing them in 5A this season.

“I am looking forward to getting back on the course after a long off-season,” said sophomore Stewart Robertson. “I’m hoping the greens are in good putting conditions and hopefully I can become buddies with the groundskeeper so I can get free rounds”. Golf had a lot of success a year ago and the team is looking to build on that momentum heading into 2015.

All spring sports will begin practicing today after school, even though many athletes have been preparing for the season for some time now.

It is going to be an exciting spring sports season for La Salle this year as the teams work to make a successful transition into 5A. Stay tuned to the Falconer for full coverage of the upcoming season!