Raptors notebook: Summer has high stakes for Gavin Poffenroth, others seeking college homes
The summer may pass quickly but it's crucial for players on the Ridgefield Raptors trying to find a long-term college home.
Gavin Poffenroth is among them. The outfielder from Skyview High School just finished his sophomore season at Skagit Valley College, where he earned second-team All-Region honors in the Northwest Athletic Conference.
Now Poffenroth is trying to attract the attention of four-year college programs.
"Just keep proving myself and proving to others that I can play at a high level and try to find a home for next year," Poffenroth said.
And's he's off to a good start. Poffenroth went 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI in Ridgefield's 15-3 win over the Nanaimo NightOwls on Sunday.
Poffenroth went 4 for 8 as the Raptors won two of three games over Nanaimo in the season-opening series at Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
Raptors head coach Chris Cota said the collegiate baseball recruiting landscape, where the transfer portal allows players to move freely, has raised the stakes for many playing collegiate wood bat baseball in the summer.
Cota said several players on this year's team are looking for a four-year college program to join.
"That's what makes these guys hungry," Cota said.
Cota expects a big season from Poffenroth, who hit .302 with 25 RBI last summer for the Cowlitz Black Bears.
"He's been a good player in this league," Cota said. "He's going to continue to be a good player and we're excited to have him."
With the ballpark just 10 minutes from his home, Poffenroth is excited to spend this summer with the Raptors.
"We just met each other a couple days ago and the bond is already there," he said. "It's nice to have guys in the lineup who all support each other. We're having fun."
Bats show up Sunday
It's a small sample size, but Sunday's win showed the Raptors can string together plenty of hits.
Ridgefield tallied 14 base hits with four players tallying multiple hits.
Nobody had a bigger day than centerfielder Noah Albanese. The junior from Saint Martin's University went 4 for 4 with a home run, a double and six RBI.
Sunday's slugfest was in contrast to the first two games, which saw Ridgefield hitters go 15 for 61.
"I think we were a little more patient today," Cota said. "The last couple nights, guys are just getting here, they're anxious, some of them haven't played in three or four weeks. I think they're starting to settle down and not give away at bats."
Fresno flamethrowers
Two of the more-impressive pitching performances in the Raptors' opening series came from a pair of Fresno State hurlers.
Jordan Haver pitched five shutout innings in Ridgefield 7-6 loss on Friday. The 6-foot-3 right-hander allowed just one hit, two walks and stuck out six.
Haver made 21 appearances during his freshman season for Fresno, tallying 40 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings pitched.
Parker Heintz pitched the first three innings Sunday. He allowed one unearned run and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the second inning.
Heintz missed much of his freshman season with an injury, but held opponents to a .163 batting average over 14 1/3 innings.
This week
Ridgefield's season-opening homestand continues with a three-game series against the Kamloops Northpaws beginning Tuesday. First pitch for all three games is 6:35 p.m. The Raptors then embark for road games Friday through Sunday against the Port Angeles Lefties.
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