Once he set foot on the campus of Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Kolbe Bales knew this was the right place to continue his education as well as his baseball career.
The senior left-hander accepted a full scholarship offer to play baseball, with a major in sports management.
“When I took my visit, it felt like home. The coaches are great guys and they are super easy to be around,” Bales said. “They have an excellent baseball as well as education program. Also, just seeing the coaches interact with the players made me feel like this was the place for me.”
Bales joins a WOU team that had a 33-23 record last season and finished one victory shy of winning the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
From 2002 to 2014, the Wolves captured 13 consecutive GNAC titles.
Western’s pitching staff had an earned run average of 4.03 with 346 strikeouts and 184 walks in 433 innings to go with an opponent batting average of .256.
The Wolves lost 14 seniors off last season’s roster, five pitchers, so signing Bales, a 6-foot-1 inch, 190-pound left-hander was key to rebuilding the staff.
Western Oregon coach Kellen Walker first caught a glimpse of Bales during American Legion play with the Columbia Gorge Hustlers.
Dufur head baseball coach C.S. Little sees Bales as a top-of-the-rotation workhorse, who can shut down offenses with his vast array of pitches.
“Kolbe has impeccable work ethic, paying particular attention to detail. He puts in countless extra hours honing his pitching, fielding and hitting skills,” Little said. “He is not satisfied with ordinary. Pitching is his forte, as he has good velocity, excellent control and great movement on his pitches.”
Over the past two baseball seasons, Bales has been lights-out on the mound.
In 71 1/3 innings, the southpaw has allowed 25 runs, 10 earned, on 37 hits with 138 strikeouts and 34 walks.
Opposing batters are hitting .146 against him.
This past spring, where Bales was a first-team all-league and a first-team all-state winner, he logged 32 innings and allowed 14 runs, four earned, on 17 hits with 68 strikeouts and 13 walks.
With a chance to get his young Dufur team into the state playoffs on May 21 in Hermiston, Bales tossed five innings of one-hit ball with 13 strikeouts, as the Rangers broke open a 4-0 lead with six runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 10-0 mercy-ruled win over Sherman.
As a former all-league high school pitcher and a collegiate baseball player, 1985 The Dalles graduate Dean Dollarhide feels as though Bales has just scratched the surface on what he can do.
“I am very excited he is going to go on and play in college and become a student-athlete at the next level,” Dollarhide said. “I know he will rise to the challenge of college academics and athletics. He has a great work ethic and attitude that will serve him well. Kolbe is a testament that hard work and determination pay off. I am confident he will make Dufur and our area proud of him.”
The scholastic plan for Bales is to major in sports management, with a vision of landing an internship or employment at Nike.
Although he has all of the accolades from high school sports, Bales is dialed in as far as the amount of weight training, cardiovascular activities and bullpen sessions needed to go into his craft.
On the diamond, a player is only as good as his last appearance.
“I am far from where I need to be. I just got to get used to that daily grind that I am going to have in these years to come,” Bales said. “By working hard and hitting the books, hopefully this will allow me to succeed. The schedule is going to be super busy, but that’s part of playing college sports. You have to manage your time wisely and I am looking forward to the challenge.”
Bales is a solid student in the classroom, is involved in school activities, a three-sport athlete in baseball, football and basketball, and is also a solid citizen off the field.
Dufur athletic director and coach Jack Henderson is sure that Bales will continue that trend in Monmouth over the next four years.
“Kolbe is a talented athlete that will undoubtedly do very well at the next level,” Henderson said. “Kolbe is a great young man, who truly cares for others and will have an amazing future in whatever career he chooses to pursue.”
Bales named off Henderson, Little and Dollarhide as positive influences.
They have been key presences, preparing him for any life issues that may arise.
He also gave credit his father Justin and mother Marcy for their years of sacrifice, love and support displayed over the past 17 years.
It has been a collaborative effort, through and through.
“I am very thankful for my parents and family,” Kolbe said. “My dad has always coached me and helped me succeed through sports and I am very thankful for him and the extra time and commitment that he has given to me. I would also like to thank my mom for pushing me and helping me with school and helping me succeed there. I wouldn’t be here without them and I am very blessed to be able to call them my family.”
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