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M/SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: NW at 12 mph Saturday, April 26, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 2, 2003 North Medford is well-stocked as it prepares to defend the state championship it won last year. Among the Black Tornado players, from left, are Beth Morrill, Laura Tarkon, Darcy Cordell, Kendra Strahm and Corey Whitaker. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Tornado will be tough to unseat However, a ninth straight SOC crown for North will be anything but easy By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune Overwhelming favorites can be deceiving. On the surface, the North Medford softball program looks like a juggernaut in no danger of relinquishing its throne atop the Southern Oregon Conference any time soon. The Black Tornado does, after all, return seven full-time starters from a team that won 18 straight to close last season and finish, gloriously, with a fourth Class 4A state championship in hand. Keri Sevano, the pitcher behind that magical run, is back, with a 20-1 record, 0.65 earned-run average and first-team all-state honor from last spring gracing her resume. The senior is joined by second-team all-state selections Corey Whitaker (senior third baseman) and Brandi Paxton (senior center fielder) and honorable-mention pick Deni Rowley (sophomore right fielder). Senior second baseman Beth Morrill, junior shortstop Darcy Cordell and junior first baseman Laura Tarkon round out the rundown of North returnees. They mesh with a talented cast of role players from last year and eager varsity newcomers to make the Tornado a unanimous — barring North’s own vote — favorite to take the SOC crown again this season, according to the preseason coaches’ poll, and the No. 1-ranked team in the state. Maybe no one can remember the last time anybody else won the conference because none of the current head coaches was around. It was 1994, when Mazama claimed the title before the Tornado began its torrent of eight straight crowns and counting. "I’m gonna borrow a line from Clay (Rounsaville of Grants Pass) from last year," says Crater’s second-year head coach Chris Arnold. "Anyone who picks anyone other than North might need to be reminded they’ve won eight in a row." But not so fast, my friends. Look beneath the surface, and the Tornado might not be as invincible as it seems. In sending out the legendary Larry Binney with a title in his 20th and final season in charge of Tornado softball last year, North eked out one-run victories in six SOC clashes and two state-playoff classics, including the championship win — 1-0 in 10 innings — over Springfield. Can the Tornado, under new head coach Brent Barry, recreate that magic this spring. "If we can pitch and play defense, we’re gonna be in every single game," says Barry, a North assistant the last two years who is well-aware of the Tornado’s winning formula. "If it’s close at the end, we need to get people on base, and I think our girls do a great job on the bases. "Definitely, the name of the game is pitching and defense and keeping yourselves in it. ... If we win all our games 1-0, we’re gonna be happy." Others around the SOC are trying to mimic North’s approach, in hopes of finding their own late-inning sorcery and paving a path to the conference championship. Grants Pass, Crater, Roseburg and South Medford appear to be capable of such a feat. But don’t think the Tornado doesn’t recognize that. "For us right now, I think it’s perfect for (the girls) to look around and see the league is really competitive," says Barry, who retains a veteran staff featuring Rod Rumrey, T.P. Jones, George Calvert, Duke Anderson, Shelley Pugliano, Dan Crippen and Ernie Adams. "They can look around the SOC and see the quality of players and the quality of pitching. "There’s no contentment. These girls are ready to get after it again. They love to compete. ... This year, they’re looking at putting their place in North Medford softball history." The Tornado has never won back-to-back state titles, although it did play in three consecutive finals from 1996-98. But before North shifts its focus to a state championship, it must first prove again that it is the class of an SOC as strong as ever. Conference play starts Saturday. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 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 © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S