BELLINGHAM – A mediocre start to the season (3-4 record heading into conference play) may have led to some concern throughout the south side of Bellingham, but those around the Mariner program knew that focusing on the little things that win baseball games would get them back on track. Besides, there is just too much talent on the Mariner roster to allow the season to be a disappointment.
Sehome defeated top-seeded Port Angeles 3-2 last Saturday in Auburn behind the brilliant pitching of sophomore Jacob Kaepernick, who picked up his ninth victory of the season, and the slugging of seniors Makana Grondin (go-ahead 2-run home run) and James Meader (two doubles). The win propelled the Mariners into the round of eight where they scored six runs in the first inning against Columbia River, and cruised to a 6-2 win sending Sehome to the final four for the first time since 2011.
The Mariner baseball program has a rich tradition and won state championships in 1983, 2007 and 2008. However, those were squads that perhaps had a little more pressure on them to come home with state titles. This year’s team finished 10-3 within the Northwest Conference and ended up in fourth place. Now, the Mariners are one of just four teams that is still playing baseball in the entire state in the 2A classification.
On Tuesday afternoon the Sehome baseball players practiced on their new, beautifully built baseball field. The new sound system blared out a wide range of favorites, from the Eagles to the Beastie Boys, which helped drown out the sound of construction being done just east of them. It was the final time in 2019 that they would practice on that field, and for 11 seniors it was the final time that they would ever practice on that field.
But, before looking ahead to this weekend, you have to see how the Mariners got to this position. They finished fifth in state last year, but the rough beginning of 2019 brought up a few question marks.
“Not having the complete field complex in the beginning of the season contributed to our slow start,” said 4th year head coach Monte Walton. “I knew it would come around once we got our confidence, which we got by beating Lynden and Burlington early in the (conference) season.”
Sehome’s early victories over the Lions and Tigers proved to be instrumental in the development of the team, but senior short stop Trevor Seaholm saw it a little differently.
“After spring break was a good turning point,” Seaholm said. “Once we all figured out our roles on the team.”
He could be absolutely right. With Meader’s pre-season arm injury, the pitching rotation was still up in the air. Kaepernick had solidified his spot as the ace of the rotation, as he got complete game victories against Lynden and Burlington-Edison. But, Coach Walton was still in search of his number two starter, and senior Patrick Miksovsky took over that role.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without him,” Walton said of Miksovsky. “He has a great attitude, and he works his tail off.”
Usually the every day third baseman, Miksovsky’s innings began to climb throughout the season and he became one of the best pitchers in Whatcom County.
“I had the opportunity,” said Miksovsky, “And I just did what the coaches wanted me to do. The defense has been great when I’m pitching, and it gives me a lot of confidence.
Kaepernick had the same sentiments about his defense.
“I don’t feel too much pressure when I’m pitching,” he said. “Our defense has just been amazing. Even when I don’t have my best stuff.”
As everyone’s roles were becoming solidified, and Miksovsky was taking the mound more and more, a third baseman was needed. Grondin would generally play third when Miksovky pitched and play first when Kaepernick pitched, but with Meader returning from injury and able to play first base, Grondin was able to take over permanently at second base. Sophomore Brooks Frere had been playing second for most of the season, and did a really good job, including hitting a pair of triples against Bellingham over spring break.
“Brooks has been very reliable,’ Coach Walton said. “Lately he’s been pinch running for Kaepernick, and he can play both second base and short stop if we need him. The future is bright for him.”
Filling in at third base has been senior Ethan Brown, who began the season playing some left field, and has primarily been a designated hitter.
“It doesn’t matter where I am in the lineup or on the field,” Brown said. “I just love to play baseball. I thrive when the pressure is on.”
Grondin has proven to be invaluable at times, and has played all four positions in the infield. He also pitched a no-hitter early in the season, but his biggest impact lately has been at the plate.
“He’s hotter than a fire cracker right now,” Walton said. “He’s always been like this for us through the years. He’s a streaky hitter, and he’s on a hot streak right now.”
In fact, Grondin is currently on a six-game hitting streak (hitting mostly doubles and home runs), and it couldn’t come at a better time. But, his bat has really came alive even before that.
“About halfway through the season we started to turn it on with the bats,” Grondin said. “To continue that, we just have to stay focused and play our brand of baseball.”
Being able to insert Meader into the lineup has only been a positive for the already potent lineup, especially after his contribution when the Mariners beat Meridian 10-0.
“That home run at Meridian gave him some confidence,” said Walton. “He hadn’t been playing, because of injury, and his offense really took off after that.”
Meader agreed with Coach Walton, but believes there is always room for improvement.
“It was a good time for that home run to happen,” said Meader. “My hitting in practice was starting to come around at that point. I was expecting something like that to happen. I’m still not at my best, I can always get better, we all can. It’s been such a great team effort, and that’s why we’re here.”
A pleasant surprise has been senior Michael McLin, who didn’t play baseball as a junior.
“When I found out that Michael was going to play, I sat down and talked with him a few weeks before the season started,” Coach Walton said. “I explained that I saw his role as a pinch hitter and a pinch runner, possibly a starter later on. He has turned into a big big part of this team. We missed him last year, he’s such a great kid.”
The speedy left fielder is also pretty happy about playing this year.
“I’m so glad that I came back,” McLin said. “It feels great. The recognition has been awesome, from teachers and the community… it’s been pretty cool.”
The rest of the roles had been set since day one, and it’s been a great story for senior Lukas DeLisle who missed the entire 2018 season due to injury.
“He’s such a fierce competitor, maybe overly so,” joked Coach Walton about his senior catcher. “He does all the little things right, he’s just a fiery guy both on the bench and on the field.”
After missing last season, DeLisle might be looking forward to this weekend more than anyone.
“Our confidence as a team is through the roof right now,” DeLisle said. “Towards the end of the season we knew we could compete with the good teams. There’s no weak spot in our lineup, and we all trust each other to do the job.”
Because of DeLisle’s injury last season, Coach Walton had to decide between a freshman catcher (Graham Glendening) or a junior outfielder (Mel Ketteridge) that might not have wanted to play catcher very much. Glendening got some experience behind the plate last season, and it has proven to be invaluable for this season’s squad.
“Graham is always so positive for us,” Coach Walton said. “If Lukas ever got hurt, he was always ready to go and I wouldn’t think twice about putting him in.”
However, for the most part, it was Ketteridge that handled the bulk of the catching last season.
“It was a poorly kept secret last year that I didn’t enjoy catching, but I did it,” Ketteridge said. “This year I’ve really enjoyed playing in the outfield.”
Next to Ketteridge in the outfield all season has been center fielder Tim Malo. The sophomore got great experience last year, but his improvement to this season has been tremendous, and he’s been a fixture in the 6-hole in the batting lineup all year.
“If he gets on first he will end up on third or scoring,” said Walton. “He’s our speedster. I don’t think he’s been caught all season when stealing bases, he just has so much potential.”
Malo is one of just a few underclassmen that is surrounded by seniors, and he has learned a lot from them.
“There has been a lot of team bonding,” Malo said. “I’ve learned a lot about great leadership from all these seniors.”
The final role that has been in place since day one has been Seaholm. The catalyst of the team, he leads off, he plays short stop, and he closes games out on the mound.
“I feel that he’s our MVP,” said Walton. “He takes control of the entire infield for us, and he’s the one that gets our offense started.”
While on the brink of making history, Seaholm, who leads the team in both walks and hits (think about how hard that would be to do), is focused on this weekend, and playing baseball with his buddies.
“It’s pretty awesome to see all these guys that have stayed with the program all four years,” he said. “And to be finishing up with our best year, you couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Four of this year’s players were also a big part of the football team that made a run into the state playoffs, and a few of them can draw comparisons.
“The mindset is the same,” Kaepernick said about comparing football and baseball in the state playoffs. “We proved a lot of people wrong on the football field, and now we can do the same in baseball.”
Kaepernick quarterbacked the Mariners this past fall and broke almost every school passing record. His targets included baseball teammates Christian Knudtson (11 receptions, 101 yards and three touchdowns), Malo (15 receptions, 348 yards and two touchdowns) and McLin (23 receptions, 322 yards and two touchdowns.)
“The energy is different when you reach the state playoffs,” said McLin. “The competition is tougher so you really have to bring it.”
When asked about his favorite moments so far this season, McLin also mentioned this past weekend.
“The van ride down to Auburn was awesome,” he said. “Winning the games were great, too, which made the ride back even better.”
When the Mariners take the field against Fife, they know that the atmosphere will be different. The Trojans are a well-rounded team that has a collective batting average of .347 as well as 16 home runs. The main contributor for Fife has been super sophomore A.J. Guerrero who is batting .436 with 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 33 runs batted in.
They will also likely throw their ace left-handed pitcher Judah Graham against Sehome. His numbers are very similar to Kaepernick’s with a 9-1 record, 71 strikeouts and a 0.98 ERA.
The Mariners know what to expect, but are also showing confidence.
“I know they (Fife) can hit,” DeLisle said. “But, every team’s beatable.”
DeLisle’s replacement from last season is looking forward to this weekend, and ultimately echoes the same sentiment as the Mariner clean-up hitter.
“I’m so excited to play this weekend,” said Ketteridge. “It’s a nice stadium, there’s no way to be disappointed this weekend. Even if we finish fourth, which we won’t.”
Even though Sehome has won recent state championships (2007 and 2008), Coach Walton found it hard to draw comparisons from those teams to this year’s squad.
“We’re excited to go over there,” said Walton. “I think it’s unexpected, which is kind of a fun deal. The first game will be a lot like last Saturday in which runs will be precious, like gold. We’ll have to execute better than last weekend in order to get to the championship game.”
11 seniors. That’s a lot! That would even be a lot for a football team! Each senior has found a role, and has been able to settle in nicely. Consistency has also been a huge key to Sehome’s success. The lineup has virtually been unchanged since game one, with a few exceptions. There was a while earlier when the outfield came down with the flu, a few players battled injuries, but for the most part the lineup has remained consistent.
All four teams this weekend are riding winning streaks, and there can only be one team left standing. Baseball is a funny game. Every park has different dimensions (imagine if every football field or basketball court had different dimensions), there is no clock, there are an endless amount of timeouts and it’s the only game where the defense has the ball.
Maybe baseball isn’t a funny game, maybe it’s the imperfectly perfect game.
MEET THE SENIORS:
#1 – Lukas DeLisle – Catcher
A complete baseball player. He was out last season when an injury forced him to miss the entire season. He has batted cleanup all season, and is as consistent as they come. A .316 hitter, with great plate discipline (14 walks to 10 strikeouts). Extremely athletic behind the plate, always gives maximum effort on foul balls, and has a quick release when throwing runners out.
#2 – Trevor Seaholm – Shortstop/Pitcher
Tremendous in every phase of the game. The perfect leadoff hitter, always takes what the pitcher gives him. All business on the field, and well respected throughout the Northwest Conference. 22 walks leads the team, and still managed to lead the team with 29 hits. Lives on the bases, and stole 18 of them. One of the smartest players around. Makes the difficult plays at shortstop look routine. Tremendous hands and a great arm from short stop. Devastating closer on the mound (1.19 ERA). Has amassed six saves, while striking out 18 batters and walking just four.
#3 – Ethan Brown – 3rd Base/Designated Hitter
An aggressive hitter that excels in the clutch. Great right handed power. Six of his 14 hits went for extra bases, and he nearly has as many runs batted in as he does base hits. One of my favorite moments of the season was when he had a 12-pitch at bat against James Marsh of Lynden, which resulted in a base on balls. Possesses a strong throwing arm at third base, when he plays there.
#4 – Michael McLin – Left Field
A pleasant surprise after not playing baseball last season. His athleticism helped him find a way to get into the lineup every game. Awesome speed down the first base line, especially when he’s already running out of the left-handed batter’s box. Has run out numerous infield hits. Can cover a lot of ground in left field. His .400 on-base percentage puts opposing pitchers at a complete disadvantage.
#5 – Christian Knudtson – Utility
The swiss army knife of the Mariners. Can play all over the baseball diamond. A valuable backup that could have started on many other teams. Tough as nails, prefers not to wear batting gloves. Had big RBI moments early in the season. A good glue guy that every team would love to have.
#6 – Shaun Johnson – 2nd Base
A smooth fielder that can cover a lot of ground at second base. Another valuable backup for this Mariner squad. Above average speed allows him to be one of the top courtesy runners on the team. A great team player.
#7 – Tyler Reynolds – Pitcher/Outfield
A valuable piece that could be used on the mound this weekend. A hard thrower on the mound, and can play the corner outfield spots. Pitched extremely well against Bellingham early in the season. A favorite among his teammates.
#11 – James Meader – 1st Base/Designated Hitter
He was slated to be the ace of the pitching staff, but an injury forced him to miss much of the season early on. Instead, he has worked on his hitting. He was moved along slowly, pinch running here and there, and playing some designated hitter. He never lost focus in the dugout, cheering on his teammates. He has given his team a great offensive boost since entering the lineup, beginning with a towering home run to center field at Meridian. Also blasted two doubles against Port Angeles. Has hit .273 since returning to the lineup. A great story.
#12 – Patrick Miksovsky – Pitcher/3rd Base
From the output, there was a glaring need for a dependable number two pitcher in the rotation. He has filled that role admirably. A smaller frame, but a big lunge towards home plate gives him a little extra zip. Has gone 5-1 this season with a 1.51 ERA, allowing just 34 hits in over 46 innings. Has shown strong command as well. An underrated defender that plays a plus third base, including an awesome diving stop at Meridian. Definitely not afraid of the big stage.
#14 – Makana Grondin – Infielder/Pitcher
Instead of saying that he can do a little bit of everything, I would say that he can do a lot of everything! He has played all four positions in the infield, and he’s been the hammer in the middle of the Mariner lineup. He leads the team with 10 doubles, two home runs and 24 runs batted in. Probably the best hitter I’ve seen all season at keeping his hands in the zone and hitting the pitch to the opposite field with power. Tossed a no-hitter against Meridian earlier in the season.
#22 – Mel Ketteridge – Right Field
Possesses one of the sweetest left-handed swings around, and always seems to get solid contact. A plus defender that had an awesome sliding catch in foul territory against Ferndale, and also threw a runner out at first base against Sammamish. A complete player that was used at catcher last season when injuries took a toll on the team. He does a great job out of the two-hole in the lineup by being able to move the runner.
Great article. We’ve been following this team for four years and have followed some of the seniors since they were 5. What a thrill to see them finish their senior year this way! Proud grandparents!