League champion Bears return five All-League players

Members of the Brewster High School varsity boys’ baseball team are, front row, from left: Cade Gebbers, Logan McGuire, Javier Whitehouse, Eric Martinez, Jeff Sonneman, Jorge Ramirez, Gage Fletcher, and Corey Jarrell. Pictured back row, from left, are: Anthony Olvera, Kade Kelpman, Caiden Riggan, Isaac Baker, Ben Witt, and Joe Taylor.

Posted Wednesday, March 22, 2017 2:42 pm

Mike Maltais, Staff writer

BREWSTER – In a pair of lopsided wins, the Brewster High School varsity boys’ baseball team held visiting Oroville scoreless in a doubleheader played Saturday, March 18.
Following a 5-3 loss to Okanogan on Thursday, March 16, it was the Bear’s first home-season win.
Coach Todd Phillips said Brewster lost four seniors to graduation last year, but that was a big loss, since “three…started every game for us for four years,” said Phillips. “All four were All-League players.
Timbo Taylor was a 1A Caribou Trail League (CTL) First-Team pick in 2013-14, First-Team North Central Washington 2B in 2015-16, Most Valuable Player and Pitcher of the Year in 2015, and All-State selection from 2014-16.
Mitch Boesel was a CTL Honorable Mention in 2013, CTL First-Team in 2014, First-Team NCWB in 2015, and All-State in 2016.
Raul Olvera was NCWB First-Team in 2015-16 and 2016 Pitcher of the Year.
Chris Varelas was NCWB HM in 2015 and Second-Team pick in 2016 and started almost every game since he was a sophomore.
“So, we lost some valuable seniors but I think we will be just a strong,” said Phillips. “Just a little younger.”
Phillips has seven players returning who started more than 20 games last year, five of those All-League selections.
“We have four eighth graders this year and only 10 high school players, Phillips said.
“They will all compete for spots on the varsity,” said the coach. “They all played on my 19-U summer baseball team so they have seen a lot of high school pitching and know what it takes.”
The young players competed in more than 40 games this summer.
“We have started three eighth graders the past two years,” said Phillips, “So I am not afraid to throw them to the wolves and see what they can do and what they are made of.”
Brewster won the Central Washington 2B League championship for the second straight year in 2016 and finished second in District 5/6 behind Warden to advance to state for the third consecutive year. The Bears lost to Asotin in the quarterfinals and finished the season with a 20-5 record.
The Bears were scheduled to play at Bridgeport on Tuesday, March 21 and will host Soap Lake for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 25