By Gail Wood
Rather than panic and throw his hands up in despair, worrying about their new, last-minute coach and fretting about not having their ace-in-the-hole pitcher for the entire season because of an injury, Taylor Adams is focusing on the positives.
And a Timberline Blazers’ baseball team loaded with talent has lots of reason to be optimistic.
“Right now, we’re just trying to stay positive,” said Adams, a center fielder and a returning starter off last year’s team that won a league title. “Really, I think this will be about our seniors and how we lead, how we take on the challenge.”
It’s a talented group of seniors. Six of them have signed baseball scholarship offers. However, the best of them, Matt Mercer, who will pitch for the Oregon Ducks next season, is out for the season, recovering from tendon surgery in his elbow.
“That hurts a lot not having Matt,” said Adams, who has accepted a baseball scholarship to Tacoma Community College. “He’s a great player.”
Adams and his teammates got a surprise when Matt Acker, a former college coach with a reputation for developing talent, announced he wasn’t returning to coach at Timberline a week before the season started. Mark Rubadue, a Timberline teacher who had coached the Blazers baseball team for seven years, became the emergency replacement.
“They asked me if I’d please, please do this,” said Rubadue, who coached the Blazers baseball team from 2004 to 2010. “It was a week before the season started. I told them I’d do it for the kids. The administration knew they needed to get someone in there who had done it. I said I’d do it.”
And Rubadue’s entire team breathed one big sigh of relief.
“Yeah, it was a surprise,” senior infielder Ryan Connor said about the sudden coaching change. “But right now we’re just trying not to focus on the past and focus on the right now. We have a great coach and a great coaching staff.”
Mercer just began throwing again and doesn’t want to push his recovery, risking injury. Although Mercer won’t play for the Blazers, he won’t miss a practice. He’ll be at every turnout, helping and doing whatever he can. He’s gone from being a star on the team to being the designated manager, a cheerleader giving support.
“It’s definitely going to be hard,” Mercer said at a recent practice. “Senior year you want to help your teammates, guys you’ve been playing with since you were about 10 years old. It’s going to be hard this season just watching. I’m glad Coach Rubadue has allowed me to come out and kind of be with the team and be with my teammates. I’ll contribute where I can.”
While Mercer wished he could play, the typical recovery time for Tommy John surgery is 12 to 14 months. He had the surgery in August, taking a slice of his hamstring and replacing the torn tendon in his elbow.
“Hopefully, I’ll start throwing off the mound maybe at the end of April,” Mercer said. “Nothing hard. I’ll work up to it. My goal is to be 100 percent when I go to Oregon.”
Timberline will miss Mercer’s bat and his pitching.
“Matt was a big part of our team last year,” Connor said. “Great pitcher, great infielder, great hitter – just a great player overall. But I think we have a lot of good guys who can help fill the role. I think we’ll still be good.”
Even with Mercer out, the Blazers are still loaded with talent. Besides Mercer and Adams, the Blazers have three more players who have already signed baseball scholarship offers. Joining Adams, Zach Owens and Connor are also headed to TCC. Jackson Spencer will pitch at Skagit Valley Community College and Chris Roy is signed to play for Lower Columbia College.
Last season, Adams batted .385, giving the Blazers a steady bat in the middle of the order. As a team, Timberline batted about .350 last year, helping them finish 23-3.
“It hurts not having Matt. He’s a great player, but we’ve got a lot of seniors,” Adams said. “Hopefully, we’ve got some guys who are ready to step up this year.”
Spencer is one of those seniors who could fill a big role pitching. While he’s not overpowering – his fastball is about 82 miles per hour – he’s crafty, mixing a changeup with his split-finger fastball and a wicked slider. Last summer while pitching for the Thurston County Saints, Spencer tossed a no-hitter. He’s also got an impressive pick-off move to first when a runner is on base.
“My dad taught it to me,” Spencer said. “I’ve been practicing it since I was little.”
Spencer, who is left handed and threw on the junior varsity last year, is optimistic about this year’s team.
“Our focus is just on playing baseball and having fun. And obviously winning games,” Spencer said. “That’s why we’re here.”
Connor was another steady hitter for the Blazers last season and batted .397.
“I think we’re pretty solid all around,” Connor said. “We lost a few guys pitching from last year’s seniors and Matt. I think overall we’re good in all areas.”
Timberline opens its season with a jamboree game on March 14 and opens its season on the following Monday.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm out there,” Rubadue said. “We’ll be ready to go.”