When he first set foot on the Western Oregon University baseball field, Kolbe Bales was unsure of what to expect.
The Dufur High School graduate played some big games in the 2A/1A classification and picked up numerous awards, including a first-team all-state selection and Player of the Year honors.
Bales hit the ground running in the collegiate ranks, as he tallied enough votes to earn Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the all-GNAC honorable mention list.
“It’s a great accomplishment and means a lot that I got recognized for these awards,” Bales said. “There are a lot of great players in our league and a lot of great players on my team, so these accomplishments mean a lot.”
While pitching primarily as a reliever, the left-hander ended the regular season with a 4-0 record and allowed three runs on 14 hits for a 1.17 earned run average in 23 innings pitched with 15 strikeouts and six walks in 13 mound appearances.
Throughout the season, Bales was entrusted to get out of late-inning jams or hold his team close long enough for the offense to stage a rally.
Bales said that acclimating to the college game has a big adjustment and it took a while to get used to the competition. “You have to be locked in every pitch, because every pitch could make or break winning the game and even affect playing time,” Bales said.
One example of the confidence Bales had built through top mound performances, WOU coach Miles Kizer called upon Bales to throw against Central Washington in the ninth inning of a 3-3 tie in Wednesday’s GNAC district tournament opener in Ellensburg, Wash.
The first batter he faced was the GNAC Player of the Year, James Smith.
Smith reached on a leadoff single, but then Bales struck out the next batter and induced an inning-ending double play to keep the contest knotted at 3-apiece.
In the bottom of the ninth, Griffey Halle hammered a walk-off home run, which gave WOU a 4-3 victory, the team’s fifth walk-off in a 40-day span. Bales (5-0) ended up with the winning decision in relief.
“This season, I have just learned how to be a more competitive pitcher and where I need to locate my pitches to succeed,” Bales said. “My coaches have helped me develop into a better pitcher.”
Bales is a key cog in a successful program that advanced to six straight GNAC Baseball Tournament appearances and he was one of 13 Wolves to have their names called for league recognition.
Getting his feet wet as a reliever this spring, Bales is unsure what the plan is for him, regarding whether he will be a reliever or a starter next year, but he said whatever role the coach wants, he will be ready for it.
Bales will, however, work on mixing in two new pitches to his repertoire this summer and aims to increase his velocity, as he is currently topping out between 85-87-miles-an-hour, with a high of 88.
“I still have a lot to work on and I am going to continue to work hard and get better each day,” Bales said. “I have a lot of little things I still need to work on.”
Fans can watch WOU games through the team website at www.wouwolves.com.
Bales is grateful for all the well wishes and praise he’s received from everyone around the Greater Columbia Gorge.
That extra push is motivation to keep going.
“I would like to thank my coaches, great teammates, family, friends and my community for all the support,” Bales said. “Without you guys, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
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