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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 17, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 16, 2005 North Medford�s Josh Suarez, one of the top pitchers in the SOC this season, is also hitting .459 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli North-South rivalry getting better with time Panthers’ upswing helps raise stakes in cross-town clash By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune The North Medford and South Medford baseball teams share the same field these days and a level-headed respect for one another, but that’s about it in a cross-town series that has developed into more of a true rivalry with the recent rise of the Panthers. While past matchups have been a bit one-sided in the Black Tornado’s favor and done little to affect the Southern Oregon Conference standings, South Medford’s current status as one of the league’s elite programs has raised the stakes for today’s noon doubleheader at North Medford High. "They’re the defending league champions and we feel like we’re the underdogs now," says North Medford coach Brett Wolfe, whose team had earned at least a share of three of the last four SOC titles prior to South’s breakthrough 2004 campaign. "We know they have guys that swing the bat well and they’ve been competing real well already this year," adds Wolfe. "We’re just looking forward to playing them and are excited about it because there’s a lot of city pride at stake." Both teams enter today’s twin bill with 6-1 conference records and trail only Roseburg (8-3, 6-0 SOC) in what is expected to be a nip-and-tuck championship race. Advertisement "I think it goes for all sports that when North and South play each other it’s a special atmosphere and a little different level of intensity," says South Medford coach Steve Antich. "I think the fact that both of us are tied and trying to chase down Roseburg makes it a little more pressure-packed and stressful, for sure. We both need wins and it just so happens it’s your cross-town rival on the other side as well." In today’s other SOC doubleheaders, Crater is at Eagle Point, Ashland at Klamath Union and No. 10 Roseburg at Grants Pass. Even though eighth-ranked South (10-2 overall) was able to claim its first-ever SOC baseball title last season, North still has a leg up when it comes to head-to-head matchups in the past two years. The Black Tornado (11-1) won the best-of-3 series last year and has won four of the last five meetings by a combined total of 57 to 14. South’s lone victory last season over North, a 5-3 decision, was the school’s first since 2001. "If you go back further it’s probably even more depressing to look at the numbers but I’d like to think we’re in a better spot today then we were a few years back," says Antich. "(North’s) been one of the top programs around and have beaten a lot of people 4-of-5 or 5-of-5 for that matter," adds the fourth-year coach. "It’s a tribute to them that they’ve been consistent and good and a team you have to shoot for every year. But we’re thinking about the future because the past is the past." Both teams entered the season with their share of positives and question marks, with South essentially have to replace its entire infield and North boasting as many as six first-year starters in its lineup depending on who’s on the mound. Going through growing pains hasn’t really cost either team when it comes to wins and losses, but each team believes the best is yet to come as all the pieces begin to fall into place. "We’ve been good in some areas and shown flashes of what we can do, but we haven’t put it all together yet," says Antich. "And I’m sure that’s probably true for (North), too, because they have a lot of new guys as well. It’s still a work in progress and we’re still trying to figure out what our best lineup is and who fits best where and who’s going to fill different roles." At North, pitchers Josh Suarez and Cole Rohrbough, first baseman Abe Eubank and shortstop Kyle Williamson have been stabilizing influences for the Tornado thus far. Suarez is 4-0 with a 1.11 ERA and has an amazing 54 strikeouts and only three walks in 312/3 innings, while fellow left-hander Rohrbough is 4-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 25 innings. Both seniors provide a formidable front line of defense the Panthers will have to overcome. "They’re both throwing real consistent right now and have established themselves and are pretty confident," says Wolfe. Offensively, Eubank leads the team with a .526 batting average and 16 RBIs. His three home runs tie Suarez for team-high honors, with Suarez hitting a cool .459 to boot. Zack James, who has been battling the flu, is hitting .441 and Darren Bruhns .438 for a Tornado team hitting .366 overall. At South, junior pitcher Rick Imhausen boasts a 1-1 record and 1.40 ERA with nine strikeouts in 15 innings entering today’s twin bill, while junior Kenny Licea is 2-0 with a 1.19 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 172/3 innings and juniors Tommy George and Nick Donato provide solid depth on the mound. Returning all-conference standouts Justin Meyer (.425), Dan Chancler (.349) and Logan Boyd (.240) are central figures, but the Panthers have also gotten standout efforts from first-year starters Jared Adamson (.526, 13 RBIs), Marcus James (.452, 11 RBIs) and Ryan Odell (.533) thus far. All involved should only help to strengthen the North-South rivalry and further promote baseball in Medford, according to Wolfe. "It’s good for the community," says the 11th-year North coach. "It’s going to be a playoff-like atmosphere (today) and should be a lot of fun. Every weekend you hope to play games like this, it’s why kids like to play the game. This is going to be a special weekend." Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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