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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 22, 2004 Ashland�s Chad Hegdahl led the SOC with a .511 batting average last year and he�s at .567 in 10 contests this season. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Leader of the pack Ashland senior Chad Hegdahl has earned the SOC’s respect as one of the league’s most gifted players By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune ASHLAND — Of all the sports, it’s difficult to imagine any being more numbers-driven than baseball. Almost every morsel of information in baseball entails some sort of statistic, be it numbers generated for hitting, pitching, fielding or running. Heck, even the positions are numbered for scorekeeping ease. But while few players in recent history have been able to compile numbers as prolific as Ashland’s Chad Hegdahl, the 6-foot-2 senior has the honor of being more than just a statistic in the Southern Oregon Conference. What Hegdahl has beyond most others is the unequivocal respect of his peers and the conference’s coaches. His is the first name dropped when someone speaks of Ashland, and the last guy you want to face on the Grizzly roster. Advertisement "He can do it all," second-year Ashland head coach Jason Robustelli says of Hegdahl. "You can stick him anywhere in the lineup and he shines all the way." The 18-year-old led the SOC with a .511 batting average last year, and has been one of the league’s top pitchers since posting a 5-1 record and 2.01 ERA as a sophomore. In summing up the league-wide perception of the left-hander entering this year’s SOC campaign, North Medford head coach Brett Wolfe said, "Anytime you have Hegdahl on the mound, you can win." And, for the most part, the Grizzlies (10-4, 6-4 SOC) have this season. Hegdahl boasts a 4-1 overall record and 1.40 ERA heading into Saturday’s noon doubleheader at Eagle Point. He has allowed 21 hits in 30 innings pitched, striking out 39 with eight walks. At the plate, the sweet-swinging lefty is hitting .512 overall and .567 in conference play. He’s scored 12 runs and driven in 13 more with seven doubles, two home runs and eight walks in 10 SOC games. And he’s done it all in the kind of classy manner that has garnered Hegdahl such respect around the league. "He’s not loud about it; he just gets the job done," Robustelli says. "He’s not flashy or a talker or taunter. He gets along really well with his peers and is a good team leader who leads by example." His is the kind of position many struggle to handle, one in which the expectation level calls for success on all occasions. While it may seem like a lot of pressure heaped on one player’s shoulders, Hegdahl says he takes it all in stride. "I always want to be the one making the plays," he says, "so nobody puts more pressure on me than I do." The most testing part of this season for Hegdahl has been his team’s slow start, but a three-game winning streak has him predicting a fantastic finish for the Grizzlies. "We’re a momentum team," he says. "If we get a couple wins under our belt, I definitely think we can build on that and ride it through the rest of the season." If the Grizzlies are to make a third straight run to the state playoffs, Hegdahl will certainly be a major player in accomplishing that feat. "He brings a confidence to the whole team about shutting down the other team," says Robustelli. "He’s our first line of defense and the reputation he’s earned with that alone gives confidence to our team." Although he doesn’t boast a top-tier fastball, Hegdahl has gotten by for years with the guile that seems to go hand-in-hand with southpaws. "I’m not really a power pitcher so I have to spot the ball well and use my offspeed pitches to keep hitters off-balance and get ground balls," he says. Robustelli says Hegdahl’s ability to locate pitches and use the same arm motion have also lent to his success. "He disguises his pitches so well it’s really tough to hit off him," says the coach. Hegdahl’s bread-and-butter pitch is his changeup, which dances about 6- to 8-inches. "It’s my ‘out’ pitch," he says. "I just love throwing it at any time in the count. I feel like I have enough control with it to where I can throw it for a strike or a ball any time I want." He exhibits that same control in the batter’s box. "He’s just got incredible hand-eye coordination," says Robustelli, adding that Hegdahl has struck out only once this season. "He can just see it and hit it. "He’s going to make you make a play on him. He’s just a challenging out at any level." He’s also blessed with a solid group of surrounding hitters in Brian Ross, Jackson Rowe, Arron Nelson and John Goldberg. Teams that wish to pitch around Hegdahl do so at their own risk against a Grizzly team capable of putting up double-digit hits and runs. "I know with the lineup we have that the guys can come through whenever a team chooses to walk me," says Hegdahl. And the numbers speak to what he can do when he’s not intentionally walked. "I’ve never heard of a kid going 2-for-4 and lowering his batting average," Robustelli says of Hegdahl’s hitting prowess. "That’s pretty insane." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities