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SUNNY Temp: 72 °F Wind: N at 3 mph Monday, June 10, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Cyberchef E The People Golf Job Network Headbone Zone Wellness Connection Movie Times Newspaper in Education Oregon CarZone Outdoor Journal Personals Prime Times Real Estate Tempo A & E TV Times W3 Magazine CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Destinations Automotive Communities Employment Entertainment Publications Real Estate Recreation Shopping Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Jobs @ Mail Tribune Email Story to a Friend May 31, 2002 North Medford infielders, from left, Britney Hillyer, Corey Whitaker, Laura Tarkon, Darcy Cordell and Beth Morrill have been able to cover a lot of ground with their gloves this season. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli The Class 4A title game begins at 4 p.m. Saturday at Erv Lind Stadium in Portland. Related story: Springfield and North follow different paths to the title game A glove story What began as an introduction of four new starters to the North Medford infield has evolved into one of the more prominent strengths exhibited by the Black Tornado By DON HUNT Mail Tribune North Medford High shortstop Darcy Cordell clearly remembers gathering with her teammates and coaches in the aftermath of 5-0 and 3-0 losses to North Eugene on April 15. The Black Tornado not only failed to score a single run in the non-conference doubleheader, it also committed seven errors. Assistant coach Rod Rumrey, who tutors the infielders, administered quite a tongue-lashing in the aftermath of the twin defeats. "He told us we weren’t going to beat anyone playing like that," Cordell says. The Tornado put its nose to the grindstone the following day in practice, swept Roseburg in a key Southern Oregon Conference twin bill the following Saturday and has reeled off 17 straight victories heading into Saturday’s Class 4A state championship game against Springfield in Portland. The turnaround wouldn’t be surprising if this were a typical Black Tornado team — one loaded with seniors at key positions with a few juniors and sophomores sprinkled in. But this team is almost young enough to appear in a Gerber’s commercial, and its infield, where experience is most meaningful, features two sophomores, two juniors and only one senior. An airtight defense and superb pitching by junior Keri Sevano have carried the Tornado to its first state championship game appearance since 1998. "We’ve had better athletes, but this is the most improved team from the beginning of the season to the end that I’ve coached," says North Medford head coach Larry Binney, who will coach his final game Saturday after 20 seasons at the Tornado helm. "It’s a tremendous compliment to their work ethic." The infield, which gets the lion’s share of the defensive work, deserves the lion’s share of the accolades when it comes to the 180-degree turnaround. Binney expected big things from senior catcher Britney Hillyer, a three-year starter and the undisputed leader of the team. But with sophomore Cordell, sophomore first baseman Laura Tarkon, junior second baseman Beth Morrill and junior third baseman Corey Whitaker all becoming full-time varsity starters for the first time, Binney had reason to worry. But each regular-season game spawned added confidence, and by the time the playoffs rolled around the infield was making plays like the veterans they aren’t. The Tornado infielders have committed only two errors in four playoff games and the entire team has three, compared to a dozen by its opponents. "We had some huge question marks at the start of the season and it’s just amazing the way we’ve been able to turn things around," says Cordell, who went deep in the hole at short to rob a player of a base hit during North’s 5-0 victory over Sprague last Friday. "Our defense has really clicked in the playoffs." Binney says Cordell is rapidly blossoming into one of the best shortstops he’s coached. "She’s improved so much," Binney says. "Like all the infielders she was a little shaky at the start of the year, but now I feel like any ball that’s hit to short, Darcy is going to make the play. She has the ability to go in the hole, plant and make the throw, and she’ll take away a lot of hits up the middle." At third base, Whitaker has a cannon for an arm and reacts quickly to the bunt. She suffered a severely sprained ankle while taking ground balls in the preseason but showed her toughness by not missing any games. "One thing that motivated us was all the talk about how this wasn’t going to be our year," Whitaker says. "But the coaches had confidence in us and we had confidence in ourselves, and that’s half the battle." Morrill, meanwhile, knew that earning a job at second base wouldn’t come easily after moving from the outfield. So she began practicing over the winter, showing up at Fagone Field with her father. "I took a lot of ground balls in freezing weather," she says, "but it was worth it." Tarkon, the team’s first baseman, struggled at the plate in the early going but found her hitting groove in the Tornado’s sweep over Roseburg and has played well in every aspect ever since. Tarkon has used her long reach — she’s 5-foot-9 — to collect off-target throws and has saved other potential errors by scooping up one-hoppers. "Laura has made some big-time plays for us," Binney says. "She had to do the splits the other day to reach a ball, but it was no big deal for her." Keeping the young infielders intact has been Hillyer, a rock-solid catcher who is among the best in the state. "Defensively, Britney’s about as good as you’ll find," Binney says. "She’s probably picked off more baserunners than any catcher we’ve had, and we’ve had some good ones. "She has a very strong arm and a tremendously quick release." Hillyer, who calls 90 to 95 percent of the pitches during games, admits she was worried about how the team would fare defensively after the first couple of practices. "We were a little shaky," she says. "But you could see the talent. It was just a matter of getting some games under our belt." With 13 straight wins to end the regular season and four more in the playoffs, the Tornado is now on the verge of putting a fourth state championship under its belt. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search M Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy web master feedback A D V E R T I S E R S