Hustlers start with sweep

THE GORGE — Following a week of practice May 2 to June 3 at Quinton Street Ballpark in The Dalles, the Hattenhauer Distributing Columbia Gorge Hustlers opened their American Legion A (19U) summer league baseball schedule June 4 by sweeping a home doubleheader versus the Columbia Gorge River Bandits of White Salmon.

The Hustlers, guided by head Coach Pat Clark and assistant Coaches Max Reitz, Taylor Plesha and Ben Bertrand, won 13-3 and 11-1 — both games were shortened to five innings by the 10-run Mercy Rule.

“We have a pretty good mix of kids in various age groups, including some incoming freshman, graduated seniors and other kids in between those two groups,” said Clark. “We don’t have any 19-year-olds on our team though, but that’s our official American Legion classification.”

The Hustlers’ 36-player roster includes mostly members of The Dalles High Riverhawks, the Hood River Valley High Eagles along with a few other players from Sherman High School, Goldendale High School and Columbia High School in White Salmon.

The Hustlers will play two AAA Legion team this week, including a 5 p.m. home doubleheader June 12 versus the YV Pepsi Pak squad.

“We have a pretty good schedule that will really help push our kids quite a bit and we’re hoping that by the end of the season, we’ll qualify for the state playoffs,” said Clark. “I think with the good pitching staff that we have, we should be able to make it to the playoffs and we’ll have a pretty good shot at it.”

A trio of Hood River Valley, 2026 graduates — Trevor Jacobs, Kingston McAdam and Bodie Stuben — will provide leadership for the Hustlers. The talented HRV trio helped lead the No. 2 ranked Eagles (21-7) to the quarterfinals of the OSAA Class 5A state playoffs.

“Summer league baseball is fun in a lot of ways and there’s a little less pressure than when they were playing on their high school teams and the kids know that,” said Clark. “They enjoy being together on a team with kids from other schools and they develop new friendships, too. It’s fun for the coaching staff, as well, because we kind of help merge The Dalles and Hood River’s baseball program together. Hopefully it will help make for good transition of having players from both schools on our team.”

Reitz is HRV’s head baseball coach and Plesha is an Eagle assistant coach.

The Hustlers actually have two squads, with younger players of mostly The Dalles High incoming freshmen on an independent team that is not affiliated with any league. Coach Ed Ortega of The Dalles is guiding the younger Hustler squad. The older players comprise the American Legion A team.

The Hustlers’ A 27-game schedule concludes July 19; the state playoffs are July 21-26 in Coos Bay.