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CLEAR Temp: 90 °F Wind: NW at 10 mph Friday, August 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection 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 Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend July 30, 2003 Medford Mustangs catcher Rob Folsom has done his part to help Medford eclipse its top hitting summer in history with his .497 average. As a team, the Mustangs are hitting a robust .409. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Crunch time for Mustangs Medford heads into state-playoff series on a tear at the plate By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune No shortcuts this time around. Not that the Medford Mustangs, defending state and regional champs and owners of a 47-7 record this summer, probably need any. As hosts of the American Legion AAA baseball state tournament last summer, the Mustangs received an automatic bid and got to skip the state playoffs. This year, they’ll have to defeat the Mid-Valley Les Schwab Rockets (26-19) in a best-of-3 series to make it to next week’s state tournament in Eugene. Advertisement Game 1 between Medford and the Albany-based Rockets is 7 p.m. Thursday at Miles Field. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at West Albany High. Game 3, if necessary, will be at a to-be-determined time Saturday at Miles Field. All games are now seven innings. Manager Sandee Kensinger believes the Mustangs are ready to handle the increased pressure and stakes that accompany playoff baseball. "They’re pretty focused and want to earn their meal money," says Kensinger, who already has five state titles to his credit during his previous stint as Medford manger, from 1990-99, and was an assistant with the 2002 team. Despite watching Mid-Valley play at Klamath Falls on July 23 with assistant Brent Watts, Kensinger classifies the Rockets as largely an unknown for the Mustangs. Mid-Valley manager Chad Angel knows Medford’s reputation. "I’ve heard they play really good defense, especially up the middle, and swing the bats real well," says Angel, the head coach at South Albany High during the school year. "If you make mistakes pitching, they make you pay for it." The Rockets, who finished third in Area 3 before beating fourth-place Salem Post 9, 2-0, in a best-of-3 league-playoff series, boast a roster made up mostly of June high school graduates. They have five players who have completed a season of college baseball, and two key pitchers who will be seniors at West Albany High. "We’ve been swinging the bats pretty well," Angel says. "We don’t have one guy who produces a ton of runs, but we’re pretty solid all the way through our lineup. Our pitching is decent; I wouldn’t say it’s outstanding." Oregon State University recruit Bryan Stone, a center fielder, bats third and leads Mid-Valley in home runs with seven. Catcher Adam Hackstedt, a switch hitter coming off his first year at Concordia, bats fourth, while West Albany grad Jonathan Miller, a left fielder headed to play at Gonzaga, is fifth in the order. Shortstop Adam Azril bats second and boasts 35 stolen bases after a season at Pacific. On the mound, the Rockets rely on Bret Boydston, 6-foot-5 Tyler Roberts, 6-5 Jordan Hanslovan and closer Kyle Atchley. All are right-handers. Against Area 4 opponents this summer, Mid-Valley is 3-3 versus Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s, 1-2 against Klamath Falls and 1-3-1 in action with the Eugene Pepsi Challengers. The Rockets lost, 2-0, to Klamath Falls in the state playoffs last year. "We’re gonna go in and just try to play our game and try not to be intimidated by them being the defending state and regional champs," Angel says. "We’re gonna try to throw the kitchen sink at ‘em and steal that first (game)." The Mustangs, who, with a .409 team batting average, are on pace to break the 1999 squad’s program record, plan to keep on doing what they’ve done all summer. "One of the things coach Kensinger tells us is the team that gets hot in the end usually wins it," says catcher Rob Folsom, who is third on Medford with a .497 batting average. "Lately, we’ve been playing real well. Mentally and physically, everybody feels good and confident." The Mustangs, Area 4 champions with a 16-4 mark, have won 12 in a row dating back to a Game 2 loss in a July 11 doubleheader at Roseburg. They average 9.9 runs per game and give up 3.4. The staff’s ERA is 2.76. In other Area 3-Area 4 playoff action, Corvallis Richey’s Market meets Klamath Falls and Salem Cascade Paving hooks up with Roseburg. Corvallis, as the Area 3 winner, and Salem, by virtue of annual alternating among the second seeds, have home-field advantage. Eugene has an automatic bid as host of the state tournament Aug. 6-10 at Swede Johnson Stadium. 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 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. 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