The Dalles ends baseball season with losses to HRV

The younger Riverhawks were swept in the three-game series with the Eagles, who won a May 13 doubleheader in The Dalles, 13-10 and 7-2. HRV has 12 seniors and The Dalles has three freshmen and no seniors after Austin Agidius was injured April 15 and was unable to play for the remainder of the season.

The Riverhawks also endured a coaching change mid-season, as longtime (18 years) head Coach Steve Sugg was fired April 20 and replaced by interim head Coach Ed Ortega.

“There’s a high probability that I won’t be the head coach next year, unless they need somebody to fill in if they can’t find anybody,” said Ortega. “I’m sure there’s people out there that are interested and have the time to give it their full effort. Hopefully, they’ll hire somebody by the fall, so they’ll have time to put things in place.”

A highlight of the year was when the Riverhawks won back-to-back games prior to the series with HRV. The Dalles won, 12-3, at home over the Crook County High Cowboys (3-12 IMC, 6-20) May 7, followed by a 15-11 win over the Cowboys on May 10 at Crook County High School in Prineville. The Riverhawks came close to a three-game sweep of the Cowboys, but lost, 13-11, in the first game of the May 7 doubleheader at Quinton Street Ballpark.

“We had a pretty young team, but the kids started playing pretty good the last couple of weeks,” said Ortega. “We beat Crook County and we finally started hitting the ball well and they were playing more like our coaching staff (assistants Ken Brock, Jimmy Shaver) expected them to play. We played Hood River tough. I think we gave them more of a battle then they probably thought we would, and we played pretty strong. Riley Brock pitched really well in the first game (May 13) and Nolan Donivan was tough in that game, as well. Avery Schwartz threw the ball really well on Tuesday (May 17), and he’s just a freshman.”

Following two seasons in which the Riverhawks won seven games in Class 5A, The Dalles moves down a classification to the 4A level and will be in the six-team Tri-Valley Conference - which includes current IMC foe Crook County, along with Estacada, Gladstone, Madras, and Molalla.

“We’ll have some strong arms coming back next year with Brock, Donvian, Avery Schwartz, Henry Begay and Braden Schwartz,” said Ortega. “I fully expect them, regardless of who the coach is, to challenge for the league championship next year in the Tri-Valley Conference and possibly even be a contender for the state championship, as well. I think they’re talented enough and if they come together as a team and work together, I think that’s something they can achieve.”

The Riverhawks’ last winning baseball season was in 2014, when they had a 16-11 record.

A majority of the players will continue playing baseball during the summer on the Columbia Gorge Hustlers American Legion squad. The Dalles junior varsity baseball Coach Pat Clark will be the Hustlers’ head coach, while Ortega will be an assistant. Clark is also being considered for the Riverhawks’ varsity head coaching position next season.