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--> --> June 11: Rowe, Allen garner all-state honors By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings They can't pitch around this. Bill Rowe, the 6-3, 215-pound left-handed first baseman who terrorized pitchers all season as a member of the most successful Ashland High baseball team in school history, was honored with a spot on the first-team Class 4A all-state baseball squad today. Rowe, who batted .443 during the regular season with 21 RBIs and a team-high five home runs, was the only first baseman and one of three Southern Oregon Conference players named to the 17-player first-team. He was one of 10 seniors who led the Grizzlies in mid-May to the second round of the state playoffs, where they lost a heartbreaker to Oregon City. "Well, that has always been what I was trying to accomplish," said Rowe of the honor. "I played with all the guys throughout the state this year and there weren't any other first basemen who just played first base ... so I felt that as long as I gave a solid performance this year that I'd be able to get it." Also garnering all-state accolades for the Grizzlies was senior pitcher Mike Allen, a third-team selection. The other SOC players who picked up first-team honors were North Medford senior infielder Evan McArthur, Roseburg senior outfielder Ben Cooper and Grants Pass senior utility player Matt Rettke. Franklin senior pitcher Mike Aguilar was named 4A Player of the Year. Allen, who won eight of his 12 decisions and had a 2.36 regular season ERA, was the only SOC repeat performer. He was a second-team all-state selection last season. Rowe said The Oregonian, which doles out the awards, called him about a week and a half ago to request a picture. The Portland-area newspaper prints mug shots of all first-team selections. Rowe was a rock of consistency all season for Ashland. He led the Grizzlies with a .610 regular season on-base percentage, drew 23 walks and rarely let a ball skip past him at first base. But the easy-going slugger will almost certainly be remembered for his power. During a regular season doubleheader against Klamath Union May 4, Rowe crushed a line drive to deep center field that never got more than 25 feet off the ground. The shot, though caught, drew gasps from both fan sections and Rowe didn't see another decent pitch the rest of the day. Rowe, who also had 26 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple and five stolen bases in his senior campaign, will play baseball for the University of California-Santa Barbara next year. Allen was also dangerous at the plate, carrying a .356 batting average during the regular season with two homers, eight doubles, one triple and 21 RBIs. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: Webmaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing