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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Teacher's Tips: Leave time to just plain play this summer ... 22 hurt in rollover of shuttle bus ... Ticket availability ... Teacher's Tips: Leave time to just plain play this summer ... 22 hurt in rollover of shuttle bus ... Ticket availability ... LITTLE LEAGUE Ashland/Phoenix-Talent 11-12 softball team one of several local Little League squads headed to districts Comment By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 8:42 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 8:42 PM » Social News Though technically it would not go down as a repeat, for five of the players that make up the Ashland/Phoenix-Talent 11-12 all-star softball team, winning a District 6 title would be just as good. That’s because half the team played on the Ashland/Phoenix-Talent 9-10 all-star softball team that captured the D6 title in Medford last summer, earning the right to play for a state championship in Portland. The D6 victory was the first for an Ashland softball team since the 1990s, and now half the team and manager Bobby Heiken will be aiming for another district title this weekend in Tulelake, Calif. At stake is a berth in the 11-12 Oregon state softball tournament in Redmond. “You don’t know what to expect, but I do know that Ore-Cal has won the 11-12’s the last two years, and until somebody beats them, they have to be the favorites,” Heiken said. “Even though the personnel changes every year, they’ve got a program that knows how to win, and they’ve won it the last two years. But I like our chances. We’ve had two-and-a-half weeks of practice, the girls have done everything we’ve asked. They’ve worked their butts off every day. I like what we’re doing right now and the direction we’re headed.” The Ashland/Phoenix-Talent 11-12 softball team is one of five Ashland and Ashland/Phoenix-Talent all-star squads slated to begin their district tournament schedules this week at sites throughout Southern Oregon, starting with Ashland’s 9-10 baseball all-stars — Ashland has two teams in that tournament — today in Klamath Falls. Heiken’s team faces Lakeview on Friday night in its D6 opener, the 9-10 Ashland/Phoenix-Talent softball all-stars also begin Friday in Tulelake, and Ashland’s 11-12 all-star baseball team faces Lakeview on Friday in Klamath Falls. Each tournament is a double-elimination format. The Ashland/Phoenix-Talent 11-12 softball team is led by Heiken’s daughter, Gabby Heiken, the starting pitcher who’s allowed 17 earned runs in 36 innings with 86 strikeouts while also batting .674 with 14 extra-base hits with 32 RBI’s. Also coming up huge during Ashland/Phoenix-Talent’s regular season was Jess Traynor, who hit .833 with 28 RBI’s, and Harper Wells, who hit .667. Bobby Heiken added that shortstop Rae Goff, who doubles as APT’s No. 2 pitcher, and second baseman Taylor Heie represent a strong middle infield for Ashland/Phoenix-Talent, which won 15 of 16 games during the regular season. Young but talented, only three of the team’s 10 players are 12 years old — six are 11 and one, starting catcher Kirsten Morgan, is only 10. Heiken said his team has been conditioned to attack at the plate. “That’s one of the things we push,” he said. “When we get up there, we’re going to be aggressive, we’re going to hit the ball and we’re going to hit it hard somewhere, knowing that we’re 11 and 12 and so are they, and 11 and 12-year-olds make a lot of mistakes. Just put the ball in play and see what happens.” Ashland’s 11-12 all-star baseball team, managed by Karl Kemper, will be gunning for the D6 title after falling one win short last summer in Medford. Kemper’s team is led by ace pitcher Ean Lawrence, a dominant hurler on a team loaded in the pitching department. Kemper said as many as seven players will take the mound for his team, which is 12 players strong. Ashland has four returners from the team that fell in the 2015 district championship game: Lawrence, Jackson Kemper, Timmy Evans and Tripp Repp. Besides Lawrence, Karl Kemper said Repp, Toby Barnes, Ian McKenna-Wood, Jude Vandersnick, Sean Thompson and Eyera Nogues all are likely to see some action on the mound. Jake Pivaroff and Jackson Kemper will share time behind the plate. Also for Ashland, Vandersnick moved to Ashland in February and, Karl Kemper said, “has been a great addition,” Logan Catz is the youngest player on the team, and Zachary Mendivil “is our most improved player.” “I think we’re as good as any team in the tournament,” Kemper said. “Our kids have worked really hard. We’ve kind of had baseball boot camp this week and I did some daily doubles, and they’re as ready as they can be. Baseball’s a funny game, as we all know, and anything can happen on a given day. But the big thing I’m trying to get the kids to focus on is that it’s one game at a time and we take nothing for granted.” Kemper added that his group has fantastic camaraderie. “It’s truly a very true team,” he said. “They get a long, they support each other. There’s just a lot of positive energy, so it’s a fun group to be a part of. I always say to (his son) Jackson, ‘I’m so happy and excited that this is the group of friends that you get to hang out with.’” Joe Zavala is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. Reach him at 541-821-0829 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Joe_Zavala99. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Follow @@Joe_Zavala99 Posted Jun. 22, 2016 at 8:42 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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