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South's Fiegi chooses Western Baptist The 6-foot-9 post entertained offers from others before deciding the Salem school was the best By DON HUNT Mail Tribune South Medford High basketball standout Eric Fiegi turned down attractive offers from Seattle University and Oregon Tech to sign a letter of intent with Western Baptist College. The 6-foot-9 center signed the letter Saturday and will enroll at the NAIA school in Salem next fall. Fiegi averaged 20.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.0 blocked shots while leading South Medford to a 24-3 record this season. "It feels good to have this over with - it's something I've been thinking about for several months," Fiegi said. "I think I made a good decision, a decision that's best for me." Fiegi was offered a full ride from Seattle University, an NCAA Division II school, during the early signing period in November. But he didn't think he'd be happy living in that area and instead narrowed his choices to Western Baptist, Oregon Tech and Warner Pacific College in Portland over the past couple weeks. Oregon Tech was tough to pass up, Fiegi admitted, but he liked the small enrollment and Christian setting of Western Baptist, not to mention a basketball program that advanced to the NAIA national tournament last season. The Warriors finished with a 28-7 record and defeated Southern Oregon University in the championship game of the Cascade Conference Tournament. Western Baptist coach Tim Collins was equally happy to get Fiegi. "Eric is an outstanding person of high character and integrity," Collins said in a statement. "We feel he will be a presence in the post for four years and has the potential to be a dominant inside player in the Cascade Collegiate Conference." Fiegi plans to major in secondary education. Luckily for Fiegi, his scholarship didn't hinge on his scoring output in the Oregonian Northwest Shootout, a game matching the top high school players in Oregon and Washington that was played Saturday night in Portland. Fiegi logged less than 10 minutes and managed just two points on a pair of free throws. Oregon defeated its Washington counterparts, 102-98, behind the 20 points of Jefferson High's Brandon Lincoln. "I was disappointed I didn't get to play a little more," Fiegi said. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.