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--> --> May 18: Seven Grizzlies, Coach Stover nab conference awards By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings They came, they saw, they raked in the awards. Four Ashland High baseball players were selected Thursday to the all-Southern Oregon Conference first-team, while two Grizzlies hauled in second-team honors and two more were honorable mentions. Also for the Grizzlies, head coach Doug Stover earned the SOC Coach of the Year award. "I hold so much respect for our assistants," Stover said, "they do so much work, it's really a joint award." Senior shortstop/pitcher Evan McArthur of North Medford was named the SOC Player of the Year. Earning first-team status for Ashland was senior pitcher/center fielder Mike Allen (as a pitcher), senior first baseman Bill Rowe, senior third baseman Titus Weston and sophomore pitcher Chad Hegdahl. Making the second-team for Ashland was senior shortstop Ryan Decker and senior right fielder Charles Dotterer. Ashland senior catcher Torrance George and Allen (as an outfielder) picked up honorable mention honors. Both Allen and Hegdahl were practically unhittable in conference games. Allen won five of his seven SOC decisions and finished with a 2.92 earned run average, while Hegdahl went 5-1 and had an ERA of 2.01. "It feels pretty good," Hegdahl said. "Yeah, actually I was surprised, being a sophomore, but I have to give a lot of credit to my defense this year. I was very overpowering." Rowe destroyed SOC pitching while batting cleanup for the Grizzlies this season, ending with a .441 batting average in league games, a .654 on-base percentage, 14 RBIs, five home runs and four doubles. Weston, batting third in Ashland's lineup, hit .451 in SOC play and contributed seven doubles and 15 RBIs, both team highs. Decker, Ashland's leadoff hitter, finished league play with a phenomenal .596 on-base percentage and .426 batting average, while also providing some of the best defense in the conference at short. Dotterer, who bats sixth in the Grizz lineup, batted .340 in SOC play, had a team-high four stolen bases and finished third on the team with 16 hits. George batted .317 as Ashland's No. 2 hitter, finished with an on-base percentage of .489 and led the Grizzlies with eight sacrifices. Allen was also stellar in center field, which he took over when Hegdahl pitched, and batted .302 in league play with 12 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