Red Devils are champions of the West - again
On March 20, Lower Columbia baseball lost to Columbia Basin in both games of a doubleheader.
Those setbacks fueled the Red Devils, who went on to win 23 consecutive games before losing to Pacific University JV in the second leg of a doubleheader on April 29.
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"That streak was incredible, and you never anticipate some of those things happening," LCC coach Kurt Lupinski said.
With a 4-3 win over Clark in the second game of a doubleheader on April 25, they claimed the NWAC West championship for the second straight year and for the third time in the last four seasons. LCC is currently 38-8 overall and undefeated in league play at 20-0 with one four-game series to go against Tacoma.
"I think in the Columbia Basin series, we got punched pretty hard in the mouth there," sophomore Sam Davidson said. "From then on, we've just been on a heater."
What has led the Red Devils' success this season and in recent years? It's a combination of their coaching staff, reliable pitchers, vast array of hitters, setting expectations early, and factors that go beyond the action on the field.
"I think this is just another testament to what the work has been put in by this group," Lupinski said. "It's really indicative of what the last four-five years of teams have done since I've been the head coach here."
Coaching, pitching, and defense
Mike Callia serves as the team's lead assistant coach, pitching coach, and recruiting coordinator and oversees the strength program. He has received high praise from both Lupinski and Davidson, and for good reason. LCC's pitchers have combined for an NWAC-best 2.02 ERA.
Assistant coaches Alex Brady and Jackson Horner round out the staff.
"Our coaching staff is top-notch in the league," Lupinski said. "I couldn't do it without them."
Leading the pitching unit is sophomore Quinn Hubbs, who tops the NWAC with an absurd 0.47 ERA. He's only given up three earned runs in 57 1/3 innings of work while striking out 53 batters. The sophomore is also tied for first in the NWAC with nine wins.
Lower Columbia baseball: Quinn Hubbs
Lower Columbia's Quinn Hubbs throws a pitch during a baseball game against Clark on Thursday, April 23, at David Story Field. Hubbs leads the NWAC with a 0.47 ERA and is tied for first with nine wins.
He isn't the only pitcher who's making some noise. Graham Learing has generated the most strikeouts on the team with 57 in 43 innings, while Caden Spanier and Justin Fuller are sixth and eighth in the NWAC in ERA at 1.63 and 1.76, respectively, and have each struck out 50 batters.
Matthew Kosderka leads the NWAC with nine saves and broke the program's all-time career record in the category this year after tying the record with 13 saves last season.
In addition, Dante Santulli, Rudy Larson, Lincoln Berg, and Hayden Line have all generated at least 20 strikeouts. For Lupinski, the level of success the team has had throwing the ball begins with eating and training the right way.
"It's incredible," he said. "How you are able to get your body to do that day in, and day out, that's going to bed at the right time, putting the right fuel in your body. The training in terms of weights and the throwing plan that these guys are just so diligent with, it's showing."
The team's pitching prowess pairs well with its strong defense. The Red Devils have committed just 25 errors this season, the least amount in the NWAC. They are also first in fielding percentage (0.984), second in assists (424), fourth in putouts (1,163), and fifth in double plays (24). Lupinski said that he instills the goals of fielding at the highest level early in the fall.
"It starts with just setting a goal and letting our team know that you can't just come to Lower Columbia and swing a bat," he said. "You gotta bring a glove to work."
Davidson is first on the team with 97 assists. He credits the pitching staff for making it more manageable for the defense to make plays.
Lower Columbia baseball: Sam Davidson
Lower Columbia's Sam Davidson swings his bat during a baseball game against Clark on Thursday, April 23, at David Story Field. Davidson is tied for first on the team with 46 hits and leads the squad with 97 assists.
"It's just very easy to play behind them when they command the zone like they do," he said. "Our starters set the tone every single week. They just go and dominate. That confidence instills in us as a defense."
Hitting and the intangibles
The Red Devils have put in a lot of work at the plate as well. They are sixth in the NWAC in both batting average (.280) and hits (393), ninth in RBIs (247), 10th in doubles (65) and home runs (10), and 11th in triples (8).
Davidson and James Cote each lead the team with 46 hits. Martyn Hernandez is not far behind with 44, while Karsten Hansen (41), Jaylen Kennedy (37), Jackson Wendt (36), Harlan Rowe (33), and Keagan Kelly (32) have all registered over 30. Jackson Noonan is nearly there with 27 hits.
Lower Columbia baseball: Karsten Hansen
Lower Columbia's Karsten Hansen swings his bat during a baseball game against Clark on Thursday, April 23, at David Story Field. Hansen is third in the NWAC with a 0.394 batting average and fourth on the team with 41 hits.
Despite their vast array of hitters, no Red Devil appears in the top 25 of hits in the NWAC. Davidson and Cote are tied for 29th. This is because LCC has what Lupinski calls a long lineup, where many different guys can hit the ball no matter what order they appear at the plate.
"We can spread it around a little bit," he said. "It's not always the same guy being the hero, which has allowed us, when different situations come, that guy just steps into the moment."
Davidson said he struggled early in the season, but he has been able to rely on his teammates to pick up the slack.
"We have 1-9 guys that can pick each other up, so it doesn't matter who's having a good day or a bad day," he said. "We can go hit and feel free. Even if we have a bad day, our boys got us behind, so it's not all on our shoulders."
The success of the Red Devils stretches far beyond their play on the field. Lupinski said the team has the intangibles necessary for the grind of college baseball, such as resiliency and the mental skills to move forward after a disappointing outcome.
"It sounds as simple as pie, but it's not," Lupinski said. "They handle the bad very well. They don't like it, they don't wanna live with it, they wanna change it, and they wanna do better. I think that is the separator."
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Lower Columbia will next host Tacoma for a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 7.
*Editor's note: All stats are as of before the TDN Wednesday deadline.
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