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CLEAR Temp: 62 °F Wind: S at 3 mph Thursday, May 22, 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 May 10, 2003 McArthur a hit for Eastern Arizona Junior College The former North Medford standout finishes his first college season hitting .407 despite using a wooden bat By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune When you reach for the sky and grab it, where do you go from there? That’s the question Evan McArthur now faces following an outstanding collegiate debut at Eastern Arizona Junior College in Thatcher, Ariz. After a prominent run at North Medford High, McArthur had high hopes heading into his freshman campaign at Eastern Arizona. Advertisement Undaunted by a move up the ladder and a switch to a wooden bat, McArthur set his sights on hitting .400 as a Gila Monster. "I knew it was high coming in because this is one of the toughest (junior college) conferences in the nation," says the 18-year-old. "But I figured I might as well set my goal high and see how close I could get." Although the wooden bat felt foreign early on, McArthur soon discovered he had a knack with it. McArthur hit .480 over the last half of the season to raise his final batting average to a league-best .407 in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference. He had entered his final doubleheader of the season last Saturday hitting .417 before "slumping" to his final mark. His 77 hits led the conference and eight triples placed him third. On a national scale, McArthur had the 34th-best batting average in Division I of the National Junior College Athletic Association. McArthur also had 12 doubles, one home run and 34 RBIs in 51 games for the Gila Monsters, who were beset by injuries and struggled to a 21-33 record. "I’m a little surprised on how I’ve performed," McArthur said heading into Saturday’s season-ender, "but I’m disappointed in the way our team has played. With all our injuries, it’s just been a difficult season for everyone." McArthur became one of those unfortunate injuries midway through the season, falling prey to a nagging shoulder problem that dates back to his early high school days. "I was doing my job as shortstop and closer, but my arm problem started acting up and we had to shut it down," he says in disappointment. "It scared me for a while there, but it’s nothing serious." An MRI six weeks ago revealed a small lesion in the labrum of his right shoulder that should heal itself with rest. That meant an end to his on-field duties, forcing McArthur into the role of designated hitter. "It looks like it should be OK," Eastern Arizona coach Jim Bagnall says of McArthur’s injury. "He probably won’t throw again until the start of June, and hopefully that will take care of it. "We had a talk about it, and I don’t think his arm has been 100 percent or really felt good for a long time. He needs some time to get healthy, and his health was the most important thing for us, so it was an easy decision to make." Prior to hanging up his pitching and shortstop duties, McArthur posted a 3-3 record with three saves in three attempts and a 1.29 ERA. He also committed only six errors in his 30 or so games at shortstop. "He’s very solid at shortstop, and that’s where we missed him the most," says Bagnall. "He’s got good hands and knows his arm really well and can make all the throws." Local fans of McArthur should get a taste of those on-field abilities this summer as he returns to the American Legion Medford Mustangs, although pitching is out of the question. "I wanted to come back and be able to pitch back home in front of my home crowd for at least one more summer," says McArthur. "But I don’t really see that happening. This summer is all about rehabbing my arm and getting back into it in the fall." As for his future beyond the summer, once again the sky’s the limit, thanks to his prowess at the plate. "If you can hit with a wooden bat, people are obviously going to take notice," says Bagnall. "It’s something special to be able to do that, because not everybody can." Bagnall says McArthur has the opportunity to play one more season at Eastern Arizona, then move on to a four-year school "probably in the Pac-10." "He’s a neat kid, and we surely want to see the best for him down the road," says the coach. "He was just a lot of fun to have here. He’s a quality young man and a very, very good baseball player." Bagnall also found McArthur to be more humble than one would have believed considering his success in Arizona. The coach called his top player into his office and explained that the freshman needed to be at an awards ceremony later that night. Little did McArthur suspect he would be the featured attraction as the school’s male athlete of the year. "I thought he meant I needed to be there because I had to set the tables up or something," says McArthur. "I couldn’t believe it when I found out why I was really there. That’s really an honor, and I guess one more thing I can put on my r�sum�." And yet another accomplishment that will be tough to top. 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