Locals strong in baseball at four-year schools

Several local players continued to have outstanding efforts at the four-year college level in recent action.

Ryan Henry, a 2003 Carson High graduate and a senior at NAIA Oregon Tech, picked up the win this past weekend at the University of British Columbia.

Oregon Tech made the 600-mile trip to British Columbia to face the school in a four-game series. British Columbia came into the series with a six-game winning streak after losing 3-1 to NAIA defending national champion Lewis and Clark State.

British Columbia, also an NAIA school, extended its winning streak to nine by winning the first three games of the series before Henry won the last game of the series. Henry pitched five strong innings, scattering seven singles and allowing three early runs while striking out two as the Hustling Owls held on for a 7-5 win.

Former Western Nevada College pitcher Josh Brink also pitched four strong innings in a 6-2 win in the series against Oregon Tech, but had to leave the game with arm trouble. Brink allowed two runs on five hits while striking out two.

Oregon Tech has played its first 20 games on the road and is scheduled to play its first games at home this weekend against Concordia (Ore.).

Oregon Tech recently dropped all four games in a series against NAIA College of Idaho, formerly Albertson College. Former WNC standout Brad Carlsen is hitting .279 with two home runs and 14 RBI for College of Idaho. Another former WNC pitcher, Jake Bottari, also picked up another win recently against Whitworth College.

Oregon Tech opened the season against NAIA power Point Loma Nazarene University of Southern California. In the opener, former Douglas High star Chris Honer had an outstanding outing on the mound, allowing one run over seven innings to pick up the win in an 11-2 victory. Honer is 5-3 on the season.