By Tom Rohrer
Though the Major League Baseball Fall Classic in October is months away, a local youth baseball club team will be participating in their own World Series later this month.
After winning the 16 and under Super Series Regional West Tournament on Sunday, July 8, the Thurston County saints will be heading to the World Series in San Diego from Wednesday, July 25, through Sunday, July 29.
The Saints, led by former Capital High School baseball coach Michael Spencer and assistant coach Chris Johnston, an assistant baseball coach at Timberline High School, are an astounding 35-7 this season, and outscored their opponents 31-3 at the Super Series Regionals.
Even more amazing is the fact that the Saints are playing up, as the team would qualify to compete in the 15 and under classification.
Spencer formed the team three years ago prior to the players entering high school. The camaraderie and unity the team has developed with one another is a big reason for their immense success.
“It has a great impact, the kids being around one another and knowing how to play together,” Johnston said. “They know how to play the game hard, and the right way, so if someone is struggling, guys pick each other up.”
Spencer, who led Capital High to the 1998 3A state title, has seen several of his past players go on to Division-I universities and to the professional ranks. Donnie Marbut, the head baseball coach at Washington State University, was an assistant coach on the 1998 Cougar team, and is one of Spencer’s many connections at the college level. Spencer, known in the local baseball circle as “Whitey”, has worked on preparing his talented team for the next level of competition.
“These kids want to go to college and play baseball and there has been a weeding out process in terms of who takes it more seriously than others,” Spencer said. “Lots of kids have family members who have played (Division-I), and they are a little more serious and go out, work hard and bust their tail. We just project well as a team, and the kids have great bodies and frames and athleticism for the sport. Every every Saint made (high school) varsity or JV as a freshman. When I took them over as 13 year olds, the first goal was to get ready for high school ball, and for them to know how to go into the dugout, dress, and what their the coaches would expect. Now, we are going to tournaments at college’s and showcase tournaments, and work on preparing them for the next level of play.”
The Thurston County area has produced numerous Division-I and professional level players in the last 20 years, including Capital’s Travis Lee, Olympia’s Adam Conley, and River Ridges Seth Harvey, just to name a few. Two of those players, Conley and Harvey, went on to have successful careers at WSU, as did Capital graduates Matt Fanelli, Kellen Camus, and Jason Monda. Johnston credits the local success on the diamond to tradition and coaching.
“I think the guys see the success older players have and realize that they have the same opportunities,” said Johnston, a 2002 Capital High School graduate. “Obviously, it doesn’t hurt to have a coach like (Spencer) who has produced top-level talent and can teach the game the right way. But it’s impressive to see how many players have come out of here, and we are working on continuing that tradition.”
In order to hone his player’s fundamentals and skills for the spring, Spencer puts his players to work during the winter, guiding them through indoor fielding drills and swings in the cage.
“You get more experience playing in the spring and summer, but you become a better player in the winter and the colder months,” Spencer said. “That’s when you work on improving your skills and we like to get our guys in the cage a lot, and it shows when they come out in the warmer months. I think that’s why we have a lot of talented players and can put up prospects similar to those in warmer states.”
While it may sound like a year-round baseball schedule, Spencer says he encourages his players to succeed in the classroom and other sports.
“We like our guys to be student athletes first, that’s the most important thing,” Spencer said. “And we also want them to go out for other sports they have talent in. We have very few guys who play just baseball all year round. If there is a showcase tournament in the winter, and a player can make the tournament and play, great. If not, then they communicate with us, and that is fine too. There are a lot of guys who play football, basketball or both.”
As a group, the Saints have played 140 games together, posting an eye-opening 102-12 record the previous two seasons. Next year, the team will add an Under 13 squad along with a 18-19 year old combined team. The coaches believe playing in an event such as the World Series will not faze the young team.
“These guys have played in big tournaments before against some terrific competition,” Johnston said. “So I don’t think they will be intimidated by the moment or the stage. At the same time, it’s a great learning experience for them, and gets them used to the travel and talent they will see at the next level.”
“These kids play the right way, they play hard, and don’t complain,” Spencer said. “I have coaches, umpires and parents at other tournaments come up to me and talk about how impressed they are with the boys and the way the play. As a coach, win or lose, that’s one of the, if not the best, compliment you can get.”
For more information on the Thurston County Saints, comprised of high school players from the Thurston County area, click here.
