Four Huskies pick up all-state baseball spots

The recent Sherman High School graduate recently had his name called as one of four players from the Husky baseball program as members of the 2A/1A Oregon Baseball Coaches Association 2018 All-State Team.

Moe was named to the first-team as a catcher and Brett Troutman earned a spot on the first squad as well for his play at first base.

Justesen received second-team status as an outfielder and Martin claimed a third-team slot in the outfield.

“Treve and Jacob have always been guys I competed with daily and they have both made me a much better ball player from that aspect, while still being guys I could always count on to have my back and help build my confidence,” Moe said. “They really helped me adapt to the competitive nature at Sherman when I first came here. I will really miss playing with them and watching what they do as my teammates.”

Last week, Moe was invited to participate in the Oregon All Star Series on the East team.

He went 1 for 3 on the first day with a single and a walk, added a double and moved the runners over with a line drive deep to left field in the others.

Defensively, Moe threw out a baserunner and caught 15 innings as his team went 1-2 in three contests.

“Getting to represent SC for the final time was a sense of pride that I have seldom felt before,” Moe said. “Playing with these guys, who all had great careers and seasons, many who will also go on to play in college, was great. It was awesome seeing old friends and making new ones and sharing stories and making memories with everyone there.”

In 60 at-bats during the regular season, Moe posted 30 hits, 13 for extra bases, for a .500 batting average with a team-high 10 walks and five hit by pitches.

He scored 24 runs, tied for the team lead with 28 RBIs, stole six bases and struck out two times all season.

On the defensive side, Moe committed three errors, but threw out eight base runners and kept the opposition from stealing bases and taking big leads on the base paths.

Troutman, a first-team winner for his play at first base, was Sherman’s ace pitcher on the mound and cleanup hitter.

In leading the state’s 12th-ranked offense, Troutman hit .500 with 26 hits in 52 at-bats and no strikeouts.

Of his 26 hits, eight were doubles, as he added nine walks, a hit by a pitch and four stolen bases to his numbers.

“Brett did not strike out one time all year, which shows how good of a contact hitter he was and how he understands the proper approach at the plate,” Sherman coach Joe Justesen said. “He came up with some big RBIs from that No. 4 spot.”

On the mound, Troutman went 8-1 with an earned run average of 3.29.

The right-hander allowed 16 runs, 15 earned, on 27 hits with a team-leading 31 strikeouts and 10 walks, as the Husky pitchers gave up 75 runs, good for sixth-best in the 2A/1A classification.

Jacob Justesen was named as a second-team outfielder, where made diving catches, pinpoint throws and good plays to help the pitching staff.

As the team’s leadoff hitter, Jacob Justesen finished 32 of 65 for a .492 batting average with 10 doubles, two triples and a home run.

He scored a team-high 35 runs, totaled 16 RBIs, walked four times, stole 28 bases, and struck out twice during the season.

“It is such a great honor to be named to the all-state team,” Jacob said. “I just came out and played the best I could to help the team win games. We had a great season and we accomplished a lot. I appreciate being recognized for all my hard work. It is definitely a blessing.”

Blessed with speed, solid glove work and a cannon for an arm, Martin was a dependable option for the Huskies at any outfield spot.

On the year, he committed two errors on the year and threw out three base runners to garner his first-team Blue Mountain Conference bid and third-team all-state award.

Offensively, Martin went 22 for 50 with four doubles, two triples and two home runs.

He scored 20 runs, drove in 18, walked six times, was hit three times and stole eight bases.

With success in multiple sports, Martin said all-state was a nice final feather in his cap.

“We had a great group and we worked hard every day,” Martin said. “Since Day 1, as soon as all of us could pick up a ball, whether it is a football, baseball, basketball or whatever it is, we just worked and it really showed in our career results.”

Over the last three years, the Sherman Huskies have secured their spot as one of the state’s premier baseball programs.

In that span, the team is 51-19 overall and 29-8 in league, while outscoring opposing teams by a 637-348 margin with state quarterfinal berths in 2017 and 2018.

This spring, Sherman went 16-4 and amassed a perfect 9-0 record in league, so to have seven all-league athletes and four on the all-state squad capped a solid season.

“This season was one that I’ll never forget, because it truly was an emotional one with the dedication you saw from the guys and even the coaches and parents,” Moe said.

The next step in life is crucial for this quartet, but when Moe looks back on his career as a Sherman Husky, he will take that school and community pride wherever he goes.

“Going into college, it is a great reminder of how much you can accomplish with hard work,” Moe said. “That part will never leave. It’ll be what pushes me to want more. Now, the ultimate goal is still to be better every day. While it was a great high school season, it still had many humbling moments that make me want to work even harder every day to get better.”