OROFINO MERCHANTS OROFINO MERCHANTS Tanner Gilliam #12 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 16 • Experience: 1st Year Tanner brings enthusiasm. He has improved a ton from last year. This spring he had some good moments on the mound for the JV team. He is going to be a strong kid. A more mature approach will allow him continued growth as a player. Tanner will play in the outfield and see some time on the mound. Karl Vaage #17 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 16 • Experience: 1st Year Karl played second base and the outfield this spring for the JV’s. He gets better every day. He has a great attitude! The experience he will gain this summer will allow him to greatly improve. Defensively, he has come a long way. He will play second base and in the outfield. Jason Thompson #23 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 16 • Experience: 2nd Year Jason played sparingly last summer but has made huge strides. His practice work ethic is outstanding. He has made huge strides since the beginning of spring. He is a quick strong athlete with a good arm. He is becoming increasingly confident behind the plate. Offensively he works equally hard. The time he has spent in the cage is beginning to show dividends. He is our catcher. Seth Melton #11 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 17 • Experience: 3rd Year Seth played the majority of the time last summer in left field and also led our team in mound appearances. He has been moved to centerfield and will also see time at shortstop. We expect big things from Seth. He is our leadoff hitter. His speed at the top of the lineup is important. Early in the season he has been our closer. Seth is a hardworking athlete. He needs to believe that he can make big plays because he can! Michael Welch #18 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year Michael is one of the best shortstops we have ever had. He is also improving on the mound. This summer he is going to have to see increased mound time. He was the ace of the high school staff and will have to play a similar role for the Merchants. He will hit in the three hole. He is gifted athletically. Michael is going to play next year at Blue Mountain Community College. Nick Pomponio #34 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year Nick will be our everyday first baseman. He has an ability to hit in clutch situations. At first base he has become quite good at picking short hop throws. His arm is also improving. We expect Nick to play a huge role. He is going to hit in the heart of our line up. His ability to “bring it” every day is a great example for our younger players. Justin Gering #8 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 19 • Experience: 1st Year Justin decided to play this summer when we were short on numbers. He will play in right field and give us a solid bat. Justin has volunteered for military duty. He will be heading to boot camp any time now. We are grateful for Justin’s commitment albeit for a short time. Trevor Bansemer #10 Bats: Left • Throws: Right Age: 18 • Experience: 1st Year Trevor was the Orofino High School Valedictorian. He will give us another arm and will play in all three outfield spots. He has the ability to positively impact our team particularly on the mound. We hope Trevor performs like we think he can. His success could ultimately determine ours. Trevor plans to attend Sacramento State next fall. Michael Lacey #15 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 19 • Experience 4th Year We hope Michael is healthy enough to help us this summer. He currently has a broken hand. He will give us an experienced arm on the mound and will also be able to catch on occasion. We are happy to have Mike return. Jeff Wright Head Coach Coach Wright begins his 24 th season as an American Legion Head Coach and his 20 th as the Merchants skipper. He spent two summers as the head coach in Great Falls, Montana, one summer in Trail, B.C. and a season with the Lewis Clark Cubs. During that time he has taken teams to State 14 times. In 1991, and 1997 he led the Merchants to Idaho State titles. As a player with the Merchants he was a part of championship teams in 1978 and 1980. In 1981, 1982 and 1983 he assisted Coach Bo Cummings. During that span, the Merchants won three state championships and a regional championship. Coach Wright teaches at Orofino High School, serves as the Activities Director and is currently assisting Coach Bo Cummings and the Orofino Maniacs. Chris Mendoza #16 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 17 • Experience: 1st Year Chris has played very little baseball but is a pretty good athlete. We are hoping that he will improve his baseball skills enough to give him increased playing time. Playing baseball this summer is great for Chris. Having an opportunity to compete will only make him better in football and basketball. Ethan Gilliam #20 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 17 • Experience: 2nd Year Ethan is becoming a solid hitter. He led the high school team in home runs. Athletically, he has improved himself greatly from last year. He has become effective on the mound. He will play mostly in left field and at third base. Ethan is a huge part of the success of this team. Ricky Breeden #25 Bats: Right • Throws: Right Age: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year Ricky has a great love for baseball. His passion for hitting is admirable. He has good hands and a solid arm. He will play mostly third base and will also play second base in certain situations. Ricky will also have to eat up innings for us on the mound. He will hit clean up. Ricky is going to attend Blue Mountain Community College and play baseball. Dylan Midstokke #22 Bats: Right • Throws: Left Age: 19 • Experience: 4th Year We welcome Dylan’s return this summer after playing football at Mayville State. Next fall he hopes to compete for a starting spot as a red-shirt freshman. His physical presence is needed as is his leadership. Dylan is going to play a variety of positions. He will play centerfield, second base and will also pitch. He is also going to be looked upon to give us some offense at the top of the line up. Bo Cummings Assistant Coach Coach Cummings is once again volunteering to assist Jeff Wright and the Merchants. He brings a wealth of experience and many accomplishments. He was head coach of the Merchants from 1978 to 1988. Restarting the program in 1978 he immediately won a state championship. He also won state championships in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Following the 1982 season his team won the Northwest Regional Championship. Additionally, he and his team won a state championship in 1996 as the Head Coach of the Lewis Clark Twins. His resume includes six years as the Head Coach of the Lewis Clark Cubs and 33 years as head coach of the Orofino Maniacs. His high school team won state championships in 1992 and 1993 and 2008. Coach Cummings teaches at Orofino High School. Russ Card Assistant Coach Russ begins his third summer as a Merchants assistant coach. Russ loves kids. His enthusiasm and commitment is beyond reproach. He is in charge of equipment and practice setup. On game days Russ will occasionally coach first base and be our statistician. This year Russ has taken on the added responsibility by being the Club President. We are fortunate to have Russ involved. He is a big time asset. Chris Lamont Assistant Coach Chris begins his first season as a Merchants coach. Chris is from Cottonwood and played Divison 2 baseball back east. He brings passion for excellence and an extreme love of the game of baseball. He will work with catchers and will also coach first base. He did a great job with our catchers this spring. Chris is a lawyer. We appreciate his commitment! 2010 Season Outlook With the 2010 season underway the Merchants have shown that they are capable of competing for a district title. Offensively the Mer- chants will be solid. Seth Melton, Dylan Midstokke, Jason Thomp- son and Michael Welch are all guys with the ability to steal a base. Ricky Breeden, Ethan Gilliam, Nick Pomponio Welch, Midstokke and Thompson can all provide some power. Defensively, the Merchants are pretty solid up the middle particu- larly when Welch, Melton and Midstokke are position players. Welch is as good as any shortstop we have ever had. Midstokke is an excellent second baseman with quick hands and feet but also has a strong arm. He covers a ton of ground in centerfield. Melton is a solid outfielder and can play short when Welch pitches. Thomp- son is quickly becoming an above average catcher. After struggling early in the spring Jason has improved a bunch. Fundamentally he improves every day. He is blocking tough pitches and has thrown really well. On the corners Pomponio does a good job at first and Breeden and Gilliam are solid at third. Trevor Bansemer was a po- sition player for the first time this spring and did a good job in the outfield. We need him to play well defensively and to also hit. Pitching has shown to be solid. Welch has the ability to be the staff ace. He throws hard and has a sharp slider. Melton probably has the most experience. He comes back quickly and eats up a ton of innings. He throws lots of strikes and keeps the game moving. Gilliam and Breeden are competitive on the mound too. Both throw a little different in terms of arm angle which helps their effectiveness. Bansemer throws firm enough to get the attention of hitters. He is working to develop an off speed pitch and to limit walks. He had a couple of good outings late in the spring. The one bugaboo that looms large is depth. Currently the Mer- chants just have 11 guys available. Tanner Gilliam, Karl Vaage and Chris Mendoza are all eager to play but have little or no varsity ex- perience. If these guys can develop the Merchants have a chance to throw nine solid players on the field and compete for a District title. SEASON DEDICATION - The Orofino Merchants American Legion Baseball team dedi- cates its 2010 baseball season to all of the local merchants for their long term commit- ment to support the youth of our community. The continued support of area businesses has made it possible for us to maintain and improve our programs that otherwise would not exist. Thank you for supporting America’s favorite pastime…the sport of baseball! The 2010 Orofino Merchants American Legion Team members are (l to r): back row, Jason Thompson, Chris Mendoza, Trevor Bansemer, Michael Welch, Dylan Midstokke, Ethan Gilliam, and Karl Vaage; front row, Coach Card, Coach Wright, Seth Melton, Ricky Breeden, Nick Pomponio, Tanner Gilliam, Coach Lamont. Not pictured are Coach Cum- mings and Michael Lacey. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS GRAND SLAM LEVEL Cloninger’s Harvest Foods Rebecca Vaage, Attorney at Law Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit Union Tia & Dee Pomponio Home Run Level Dale Cox • Beaudoin Tender Hearts Gifts/ Jaylene Breeden & Monica Dugout Club Best Western Lodge at River’s Edge Clearwater Tribune • White Pine Motel Mountain States Hand & Orthopaedic Clinic Ponderosa Brass Rail • White Pine Motel Season Pass Sponsors A & A Septic • ASE • Clearwater Concrete Cottage Hair Salon • Farmers Insurance Fiesta En Jalisco • Frontier Foods Gentle Family Dentistry, P.C. Hayes Foods • Homestead Lounge Konkolville Motel • Krystal Café Northwest Value Drug • Sunset Mart Juanita McLean • Steven Welch The Guide Shop/Clearwater Drifters THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Triple Play Sponsors D&D Logging • Debco Construction • Hanson Garage, Inc. Barlow Truss • Les Schwab Tires • Musselman Rentals & Sales Orofino Physical Therapy • Orofino Body Shop Orofino Builders Supply • Orofino Flower Shop • Valley Motor Parts
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OROFINO MERCHANTSOROFINO MERCHANTS
Tanner Gilliam#12
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 16 • Experience: 1st Year
Tanner brings enthusiasm. He has improved a ton from last year. This spring he had some good moments on the mound for the JV team. He is going to be a strong kid. A more mature approach will allow him continued growth as a player. Tanner will play in the outfield and see some time on the mound.
Karl Vaage#17
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 16 • Experience: 1st Year
Karl played second base and the outfield this spring for the JV’s. He gets better every day. He has a great attitude! The experience he will gain this summer will allow him to greatly improve. Defensively, he has come a long way. He will play second base and in the outfield.
Jason Thompson#23
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 16 • Experience: 2nd Year
Jason played sparingly last summer but has made huge strides. His practice work ethic is outstanding. He has made huge strides since the beginning of spring. He is a quick strong athlete with a good arm. He is becoming increasingly confident behind the plate. Offensively he works equally hard. The time he has spent in the cage is beginning to show dividends. He is our catcher.
Seth Melton#11
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 17 • Experience: 3rd Year
Seth played the majority of the time last summer in left field and also led our team in mound appearances. He has been moved to centerfield and will also see time at shortstop. We expect big things from Seth. He is our leadoff hitter. His speed at the top of the lineup is important. Early in the season he has been our closer. Seth is a hardworking athlete. He needs to believe that he can make big plays because he can!
Michael Welch#18
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year
Michael is one of the best shortstops we have ever had. He is also improving on the mound. This summer he is going to have to see increased mound time. He was the ace of the high school staff and will have to play a similar role for the Merchants. He will hit in the three hole. He is gifted athletically. Michael is going to play next year at Blue Mountain Community College.
Nick Pomponio#34
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year
Nick will be our everyday first baseman. He has an ability to hit in clutch situations. At first base he has become quite good at picking short hop throws. His arm is also improving. We expect Nick to play a huge role. He is going to hit in the heart of our line up. His ability to “bring it” every day is a great example for our younger players.
Justin Gering#8
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 19 • Experience: 1st Year
Justin decided to play this summer when we were short on numbers. He will play in right field and give us a solid bat. Justin has volunteered for military duty. He will be heading to boot camp any time now. We are grateful for Justin’s commitment albeit for a short time.
Trevor Bansemer#10
Bats: Left • Throws: RightAge: 18 • Experience: 1st Year
Trevor was the Orofino High School Valedictorian. He will give us another arm and will play in all three outfield spots. He has the ability to positively impact our team particularly on the mound. We hope Trevor performs like we think he can. His success could ultimately determine ours. Trevor plans to attend Sacramento State next fall.
Michael Lacey#15
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 19 • Experience 4th Year
We hope Michael is healthy enough to help us this summer. He currently has a broken hand. He will give us an experienced arm on the mound and will also be able to catch on occasion. We are happy to have Mike return.
Jeff WrightHead Coach
Coach Wright begins his 24th season as an American Legion Head Coach and his 20th as the Merchants skipper. He spent two summers as the head coach in Great Falls, Montana, one summer in Trail, B.C. and a season with the Lewis Clark Cubs. During that time he has taken teams to State 14 times. In 1991, and 1997 he led the Merchants to Idaho State titles. As a player with the Merchants he was a part of championship teams in 1978 and 1980. In 1981, 1982 and 1983 he assisted Coach Bo Cummings. During that span, the Merchants won three state championships and a regional championship. Coach Wright teaches at Orofino High School, serves as the Activities Director and is currently assisting Coach Bo Cummings and the Orofino Maniacs.
Chris Mendoza#16
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 17 • Experience: 1st Year
Chris has played very little baseball but is a pretty good athlete. We are hoping that he will improve his baseball skills enough to give him increased playing time. Playing baseball this summer is great for Chris. Having an opportunity to compete will only make him better in football and basketball.
Ethan Gilliam#20
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 17 • Experience: 2nd Year
Ethan is becoming a solid hitter. He led the high school team in home runs. Athletically, he has improved himself greatly from last year. He has become effective on the mound. He will play mostly in left field and at third base. Ethan is a huge part of the success of this team.
Ricky Breeden#25
Bats: Right • Throws: RightAge: 18 • Experience: 3rd Year
Ricky has a great love for baseball. His passion for hitting is admirable. He has good hands and a solid arm. He will play mostly third base and will also play second base in certain situations. Ricky will also have to eat up innings for us on the mound. He will hit clean up. Ricky is going to attend Blue Mountain Community College and play baseball.
Dylan Midstokke#22
Bats: Right • Throws: LeftAge: 19 • Experience: 4th Year
We welcome Dylan’s return this summer after playing football at Mayville State. Next fall he hopes to compete for a starting spot as a red-shirt freshman. His physical presence is needed as is his leadership. Dylan is going to play a variety of positions. He will play centerfield, second base and will also pitch. He is also going to be looked upon to give us some offense at the top of the line up.
Bo CummingsAssistant Coach
Coach Cummings is once again volunteering to assist Jeff Wright and the Merchants. He brings a wealth of experience and many accomplishments. He was head coach of the Merchants from 1978 to 1988. Restarting the program in 1978 he immediately won a state championship. He also won state championships in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Following the 1982 season his team won the Northwest Regional Championship. Additionally, he and his team won a state championship in 1996 as the Head Coach of the Lewis Clark Twins. His resume includes six years as the Head Coach of the Lewis Clark Cubs and 33 years as head coach of the Orofino Maniacs. His high school team won state championships in 1992 and 1993 and 2008. Coach Cummings teaches at Orofino High School.
Russ CardAssistant Coach
Russ begins his third summer as a Merchants assistant coach. Russ loves kids. His enthusiasm and commitment is beyond reproach. He is in charge of equipment and practice setup. On game days Russ will occasionally coach first base and be our statistician. This year Russ has taken on the added responsibility by being the Club President. We are fortunate to have Russ involved. He is a big time asset.
Chris LamontAssistant Coach
Chris begins his first season as a Merchants coach. Chris is from Cottonwood and played Divison 2 baseball back east. He brings passion for excellence and an extreme love of the game of baseball. He will work with catchers and will also coach first base. He did a great job with our catchers this spring. Chris is a lawyer. We appreciate his commitment!
2010 Season Outlook With the 2010 season underway the Merchants have shown that they are capable of competing for a district title. Offensively the Mer-chants will be solid. Seth Melton, Dylan Midstokke, Jason Thomp-son and Michael Welch are all guys with the ability to steal a base. Ricky Breeden, Ethan Gilliam, Nick Pomponio Welch, Midstokke and Thompson can all provide some power. Defensively, the Merchants are pretty solid up the middle particu-larly when Welch, Melton and Midstokke are position players. Welch is as good as any shortstop we have ever had. Midstokke is an excellent second baseman with quick hands and feet but also has a strong arm. He covers a ton of ground in centerfield. Melton is a solid outfielder and can play short when Welch pitches. Thomp-son is quickly becoming an above average catcher. After struggling early in the spring Jason has improved a bunch. Fundamentally he improves every day. He is blocking tough pitches and has thrown really well. On the corners Pomponio does a good job at first and Breeden and Gilliam are solid at third. Trevor Bansemer was a po-sition player for the first time this spring and did a good job in the outfield. We need him to play well defensively and to also hit. Pitching has shown to be solid. Welch has the ability to be the staff ace. He throws hard and has a sharp slider. Melton probably has the most experience. He comes back quickly and eats up a ton of innings. He throws lots of strikes and keeps the game moving. Gilliam and Breeden are competitive on the mound too. Both throw a little different in terms of arm angle which helps their effectiveness. Bansemer throws firm enough to get the attention of hitters. He is working to develop an off speed pitch and to limit walks. He had a couple of good outings late in the spring. The one bugaboo that looms large is depth. Currently the Mer-chants just have 11 guys available. Tanner Gilliam, Karl Vaage and Chris Mendoza are all eager to play but have little or no varsity ex-perience. If these guys can develop the Merchants have a chance to throw nine solid players on the field and compete for a District title.
SEASON DEDICATION - The Orofino Merchants American Legion Baseball team dedi-cates its 2010 baseball season to all of the local merchants for their long term commit-ment to support the youth of our community. The continued support of area businesses has made it possible for us to maintain and improve our programs that otherwise would not exist. Thank you for supporting America’s favorite pastime…the sport of baseball!
The 2010 Orofino Merchants American Legion Team members are (l to r): back row, Jason Thompson, Chris Mendoza, Trevor Bansemer, Michael Welch, Dylan Midstokke, Ethan Gilliam, and Karl Vaage; front row, Coach Card, Coach Wright, Seth Melton, Ricky Breeden, Nick Pomponio, Tanner Gilliam, Coach Lamont. Not pictured are Coach Cum-mings and Michael Lacey.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSGRAND SLAM LEVEL
Cloninger’s Harvest FoodsRebecca Vaage, Attorney at Law
Potlatch No. 1 Federal Credit UnionTia & Dee Pomponio
Home Run LevelDale Cox • BeaudoinTender Hearts Gifts/
Jaylene Breeden & MonicaDugout Club
Best Western Lodge at River’s Edge Clearwater Tribune • White Pine Motel
Mountain States Hand & Orthopaedic ClinicPonderosa Brass Rail • White Pine Motel
Season Pass SponsorsA & A Septic • ASE • Clearwater Concrete Cottage Hair Salon • Farmers Insurance
Fiesta En Jalisco • Frontier FoodsGentle Family Dentistry, P.C.
Hayes Foods • Homestead Lounge Konkolville Motel • Krystal Café
Northwest Value Drug • Sunset Mart Juanita McLean • Steven Welch
The Guide Shop/Clearwater Drifters
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORSTriple Play Sponsors
D&D Logging • Debco Construction • Hanson Garage, Inc.Barlow Truss • Les Schwab Tires • Musselman Rentals & Sales
Orofino Physical Therapy • Orofino Body ShopOrofino Builders Supply • Orofino Flower Shop • Valley Motor Parts
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