Coach: Sean Miller
Home Field: Pipeline Fields
Last Season: 4-17 (1-11 Conference)
Key Losses: Mikayla Johnson (.551 AVG, .614 OBP, 18 R, 7 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI), Riley Weinkauf (.286 AVG, .355 OBP, 13 R, 2 3B), Karin Wildermuth (.310 OBP, 9 R, 2 2B, 6 RBI)
Top Returnees: P/CF Maeva Thompson, INF Shelby Freeman, INF Belen Guzman, UTL Alexa Gutierrez, 1B Tessa Velasquez.
Pitchers and Catchers: After throwing nearly 100 innings last season, junior Maeva Thompson will get a little more help in 2020. In fact, there are three freshmen that are looking to pitch, which could allow for Thompson to use her defense at another position. Piper Nissen, Anika Hagen and Lauryn King will all be able to get their shot inside the circle, with two of them around the infield when they are not pitching. Sophomore Ryleigh Pitcher was behind the plate for most of last season, and senior Jillian Templeton can also catch, but the Borderites will take a long look at freshman MaKenna Wright for the catcher position. Coach Miller likes her bat, and he will find a way to get her into the lineup.
Infield: The Borderites graduated much of their infield from last season, but there are more than enough players that are ready to put their stamp on the Blaine program. Senior first baseman Tessa Velasquez (8 RBI) is a great leader that has put in the work during the offseason, and she could be leaned upon heavily. Junior Belen Guzman (.244 AVG, 15 R) should be a staple in the middle of the infield and senior Shelby Freeman (.250 AVG, 10 RBI) can play third base, second base, or even in the outfield if needed.
Outfield: Thompson was one of Blaine’s top players last season (.321 AVG, .410 OBP, 11 R, 13 RBI, 6 SB), and she might be the one looked upon to hold down the outfield in center field. Sophomore Alexa Gutierrez (.357 OBP, 14 R) has the talent to play almost any position, and she can definitely run down some fly balls. Pitcher and Templeton will likely see a lot of playing time in the outfield, along with junior Ashlyn Pixley.
Final Analysis: Perhaps no team in Whatcom County will log more freshman innings than the Borderites, but Coach Miller likes the group that he has. He’s excited about developing his young team, and building it into a winning program. It’s a good balance of pitching, speed and defense.
