Baseball, softball gear up for spring break in Arizona

Tucson Invitational invites 70 baseball teams and 57 softball teams to play over nine weeks

By Maddie Lee /// Staff Writer

BASEBALL

While other students plan on spending their spring break throwing back shooters on a beach somewhere, the Lewis & Clark baseball team is headed for Tucson, Arizona.

This will be their fourth consecutive year traveling to Arizona for spring break and their third consecutive year at the Tucson Invitational.

The Arizona road trip holds a special place in the hearts of the LC baseball team. They have chosen to drive down for two of their last three trips, with varied results.

In 2012, they came back happily bonded after approximately 48 hours in a charter bus. Last year, on the other hand, the bus broke down close to the Arizona-Nevada border, and were stranded for 18 hours under the hot Arizona sun, waiting for a bus part to arrive.

This year they will be flying again.

The Pioneers are scheduled for two double headers in Tucson on March 24 and 26, against Williams College and Oberlin College, respectively.

“Everyone’s excited to go down to Arizona for spring break,” said Michael Kinkenon (’15). “I don’t think it matters if we’re playing the Yankees or the Redsox; we’d still come to play.”

LC first takes on Williams College. The Division III team from Williamston, Massachusetts finished in the middle of the New England Small College Athletic Conference last season with a 13-16 overall record.

The last LC vs. Williamston encounter, in the 2013 Tucson Invitational, resulted in a 7-6 Ephs victory.

LC has played Oberlin four times in the Grand Canyon State.  EJ Hand (’15) referred to them as the Pioneers’ “cross-country rivals.” In 2012, the Pioneers came away with two victories, 10-1 and 9-3. Last year, they split with a 7-6 win and a 4-3 loss.

Hand is confident in his team’s chances at this year’s invitational.

“We always show up in the heat. When it’s warm we play better,” he said. “I think we can win all four.”

After competing in the Tucson Invitationl in Arizona, the Pioneers will return to Portland for four home games against Whitworth University on Saturday March 28, Sunday March 29 and Monday March 30.

Rocky McNeff /// Sports Editor

SOFTBALL

The Lewis & Clark softball team will also be competing in the Tucson Invitational during spring break. Although the team has been showing strong improvements and achievements in their conference this season, the tournament will help hone their skills and prepare for the rest of the season upon their return.

The team will face Denison University and University of Dubuque on March 20. LC softball is 5-7 in conference and currently stands in fifth place. Out of seventeen Division III teams in the tournament, LC will play five of them, one being Pacific Lutheran University. PLU is one of the teams that is in the Northwest Conference, so the players will get a chance to prove their skills against a conference team before they play them for conference points.

When the team returns from the tournament they will play PLU on Saturday March 28 and Sunday March 29.