|
|
|
|
Welcome To The (Unofficial) Home Of
The 2008 Bear River Bears Baseball Team, The 2008 Region 11 Champs!
|
Bears defeated by Juan Diego, miss chance to play Judge Memorial in championship.
May 17, 2008 - 12:00 PM --
From the Tremonton Leader:
State Baseball & Softball Playoffs Updates
Watch for daily updates on the Leader's Web Site tremontonleader.com
Baseball
Boys capture third
Saturday Morning Game
Juan Diego 15, Bear River 1
Bear River's tired legs and arms were no match for the Juan Diego Soaring Eagle Saturday at Kearns High School. The Bears were down early and never recovered as JD pounded out 16 hits off of three BR pitchers. Despite the loss of several key players for next year the coaches expressed their satisfaction in a very successful season, which lead to a third place finish, their highest finish since winning it all in 2004.
Baseball quotes
What they were saying after their season-ending loss to Juan Diego:
Coach Clay Chournos
“This team represented themselves and the high school well. It will be tough to see (the seniors) go. Next year we will be very young, but they learned a lot from the older kids. We may take our lumps early but it will be their job to carry the torch."
Trevor Gardner
“This year meant everything to me. It was a successful year, we worked hard and got done what we wanted. (My teammates) are the best, I love them. It was the best experience being with our coaches, too.”
Blake Adams
“I am proud of everyone. We came together and went further than anyone expected. It is sad to see it end that way. We have rebuilt the Bear River baseball tradition; that means a region championship goes through Bear River.”
Justin Capener
"(The season) went by fast. Third sucks just as much in baseball as it did in basketball. We earned everything we got. We deserved everything we got. We all worked hard and never gave an inch. We played the game right."
Colton Fronk
"It was a very successful year. We were 10-0 in region. We worked hard this year. I wouldn't trade any of these guys at all. We just fell short (of a state championship)."
Friday Evening Game
Bear River 8, Cedar City 5
Danny Smith showed what he was made of as he pitched a masterful 7-inning gem and the Bears held off Cedar Friday night 8-5.
Just a day after pitching five innings against Wasatch, Smith held the Reds to 5 runs on 5 hits, walked 5 and struck out 11.
Hunter Sedarholm was 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs, a walk and a Sac fly. He was happy with the way the team played against the Reds.
"Our team was way good. We had to have Danny's back (pitching on one day rest). We made a few errors but nobody got down," Sedarholm said. "We have a lot of trust in Danny, we expect the best (when he is on the mound)."
Added coach Clay Chournos, "Danny is better when he throws a lot. We thought we'd get four (innings) out of him. He kept asking to stay in. He pitched backward tonight, throwing a lot of soft stuff - his off speed (pitches) were working well tonight."
From "The Spectrum" (Southern Utah's Newspaper)
May 17, 2008
Bear River sends Cedar, CV packing
PAUL DELOS SANTOS
pdelossant@thespectrum.com
KEARNS - Cedar sophomore Kai Eldredge was cheering on his team in the bottom of the seventh inning trying to spark a late-inning rally.
Three strikeouts later, the game was over, and the Redmen witnessed their year come to an end with an 8-5 loss Friday to Bear River in the 3A state tournament.
Following the game, Eldredge and his teammates had tears in their eyes. And once his team broke the huddle for the final time, Cedar coach Mark Johnson embraced Eldredge and gave him some words of encouragement.
"Kai straps it up every minute of everyday," Johnson said. "He's a sophomore, but it's always on the line all the time."
The Cedar players huddled together after packing up their belongings, and awaited to take the final ride home.
"The guys are tight group. They spend a lot of time together," Johnson said. "If we lost, we had to ride the bus as a team. If they won, they could ride with their families. Rarely, did anyone ride outside of the bus."
Cedar couldn't keep the Bears from scoring runs throughout of the game. Bear River scored at least one run in the first five innings.
Redmen starter Bryce Anderson couldn't get into a rhythm on the mound. He walked eight batters and allowed six runs.
"The umpire was a little tight, and I couldn't make the adjustments I needed," Anderson said. "We missed a few plays and missed a few spots. The little things hurt you, and it hurts to go out like this."
The Redmen held a slim lead after the second inning, and Anderson found form in the top half of the third forcing the Bears into hitting ground balls.
However, the Cedar infield committed errors allowing two runners on base. Anderson walked the next batter to load the bases with no outs.
"We still could have come out of it, if we fielded basic balls," Johnson said. "Today, (Anderson) wasn't his sharpest, but if we field a couple of those balls how sharp would he have been?"
The Bears scored three runs in the inning to retake the lead, and never looked back from there.
Bear River is set to take on Juan Diego today at 9 a.m. The winner advances to play Judge Memorial at noon in the championship game. In order to win the state championship, either Bear River or Juan Diego must win two games.
Cedar is expected to return 12 players next year, including seven starters.
"We have such a young team, and it's nice to see where we've come this year," said Anderson with tears in his eyes. "We have a big future next year. We have a lot of seniors. We should be contending for state next year."
BEAR RIVER 10, CANYON VIEW 0: Earlier in the day, Bear River knocked out Canyon View in a run-rule shortened game.
The Bears hit two home runs in the first inning off starting pitcher Mitchell Brinkerhoff. In total, the Bears scored seven runs in the first two, and held the Falcons to just two hits.
Canyon View also committed four errors.
"I have no excuses for today," Canyon View coach Jason Jacobsen said. "We made too many mistakes. They hit the ball well, and we couldn't keep up."
CEDAR 5, GRANTSVILLE 1: Before their heartbreaking loss to Bear River, the Redmen defeated the Cowboys 5-1.
From the Tremonton Leader:
Friday Afternoon Game
Bear River 10, Canyon View 0
Bear River's offense exploded for 10 runs to shut out Canyon View 10-0 Friday afternoon at Kearns High School. Trevor Gardner and Kyle Walker combined for the shut out, holding the Falcons to only two singles.
Tyson Thompson had a home run and a double, Blake Adams had a run-scoring double and Justin Capener added two hits as the Bears pounded Falcon pitchers for 13 hits.
Gardner aided his own cause with three hits, including a solo shot in the first, and three RBIs.
Thursday Evening Game
Bear River 12, Wasatch 2
The Bears exploded for six runs in the third, with Dallin Bunn's 3-run triple being the key blow, as they rolled to a 5-inning win over Wasatch.
Danny Smith pitched solidly, allowing only a two-run home run while striking out eight.
Next up is a 1:30 pm Friday match up with Canyon View at Gates Field in Kearns.
Thursday Afternoon Game
Bear River 2, Logan 0
Tyson Thompson pitched and hit Bear River to a 2-0 win over region rival Logan. Thompson threw a complete game four hitter and drove in the winning run.
From the Logan Herald Journal:
(A link to the web page>) Herald Journal
Grizzlies foiled by Bears again
By Joey Hislop
Published: Friday, May 16, 2008 1:53 AM
WEST JORDAN
The third time was not the charm.
In their third meeting with the Bear River Bears this season, the Logan Grizzlies just couldn’t get the bats going, making it 0-3 against Bear River with a 2-0 consolation-bracket loss in the 3A State Baseball Championships on Thursday afternoon at Copper Hills High School.
Though the game was short on offense, the difference proved to be a couple timely RBI hits on the part of the Bears (15-8). Logan (16-9) had its opportunities to put runs on the board, but came up empty handed at the plate.
“There were a couple of times when who we wanted up, was up,” Logan head coach Mike Hansen said of his team’s offensive chances, also pointing out a couple base running errors that hurt the team. “... If there was a part of the game that hurt us the most, it was that we just kind of ran ourselves out of some things.
“We just didn’t come up with the clutch hit. ...They just got a couple key hits and we didn’t.”
One bright spot for Logan was the pitching of Jaren Tyler. The Grizzlies’ senior ace took a no-hitter into the fourth inning before back-to-back Bear River hits put the Bears on the board.
Tyler recorded five strikeouts, pitching all seven innings — three of which were three-up, three-down.
“I just started walking people,” Tyler said of his five walks on the day. “If you walk people and they get a hit, they’re gonna score. It’s as simple as that.
“They hit the ball really well and they have really good pitching. Combine those two ... and they score runs.”
Things were looking good early on for Logan, designated the home team by virtue of playoff rules. Tyler retired the side in the first, including a backward K of designated hitter Hunter Sedarhome.
The Grizzlies got all three of their hits in their half of the first. Designated hitter Brandon Campbell led off the game with a single to right-center field. Campbell’s hit would then be neutralized when Bear River pitcher Tyson Thompson picked him off at first.
A McKay Hedin single to center started things up again for Logan, followed by a Jared Theurer bloop over the first baseman’s head.
With runners on the corners, Logan catcher Dain Evans grounded out, ending one of only three innings that Logan had more than three batters come to bat.
It took the Bears until the fourth inning, but they got on the board with an RBI double off the left-center wall, plating first baseman Danny Smith from first.
In the top of the seventh, ahead by one run, the Bears got a little insurance when center fielder Blake Adams had a hit just out of Tyler’s reach and into shortstop Brandon Peterson’s glove. Adams beat Peterson’s throw, reaching base for the second time.
After a Kasey Green popup to first, Dallin Bunn knocked in the final run of the game with a triple to center.
“We had some timely hits. Both those hits were extra-base hits that scored runs from first base,” Bear River head coach Clay Chournos said. “We had our runners moving. ... It would’ve been nice to score a few more, but we’ll take it, especially in a win.
“All I know is our guys will battle. They’re not gonna give in to anybody. We might get beat, but they don’t care who’s on the other side.”
Having swept the season series, Chournos was quick to praise Hansen for a great first season at Logan’s helm.
“(Logan is) a great team. You gotta give Mike (Hansen) credit,” Chournos said. “He does a great job with his kids. ... He did a great job this year.”
For Hansen’s six seniors, Thursday’s loss was a tough way to end what has been a successful year for the Grizzlies.
“Anytime you compete in athletics, you’re gonna get dealt some heartbreaks.” Hansen said. “The thing we want to remember is that we’ve had an awful lot of successes, and they so much outweigh our defeats and losses.
“...They’re great kids. I’d go to war with these boys. Their character and effort is everything a coach would want.”
The Bears beat the Wasatch Wasps 12-2 at Kearns High School later on Thursday night. Bear River now faces Canyon View today at 1:30 p.m., again at Kearns.
From the Tremonton Leader:
Girls Softball
State Champions!
Saturday Afternoon - Championship Game
Bear River 3, Cedar 0
There would be no upset Saturday, and Josi Summers made sure of it. The sophomore right hander kept the Lady Reds in check for seven innings and the Lady Bears scratched just enough offense together to secure the state championship. Summers, a sophomore, pitched the Bears to their first state title in six years. The Bears defeated Cedar twice in a row to win the title.
Friday Evening Game
Bear River 5, Cedar 1
Nicole Johnson smacked another home run and pitcher Josi Summers kept the Cedar Reds in check as the Bears moved into the championship game Saturday at 12:15 at Valley Complex in Taylorsville. They will face the winner of Cedar/Juan Diego.
Friday Afternoon Game
Bear River 7, Uintah 0
Kelsey Hodge's two-run home run helped to send the Lady Bears to the semi finals, as they beat the Uintah Utes 7-0 Friday afternoon. Nicole Johnson and Whitney Zundel also smacked round trippers for the Bears.
Josi Summers gave up just one hit and struck out seven hitters and the Lady Bears committed no errors in the win.
Thursday Afternoon Game
Bear River 9, Hurricane 7
The Lady Bears exorcised some demons with a win over the Lady Tigers, who handed them two losses last year at state.
The Bears built a 7-0 lead after five innings only to give most of it up. The Tigers roared back to within one, 7-6, behind several BR errors. The Bears came back to lead 9-6 before giving up another run in the top of the seventh. But BR ace Josi Summers shut the door setting up a 1:30 game Friday at Taylorsville's Valley Complex against Uintah.
Senior catcher Shaunee Christensen reached base twice by error, walked and contributed a run scoring single, in addition to scoring two runs. She said the win was huge for the Bears.
"It was very important to win that game. It's still very early in the tournament," said senior catcher Shaunee Christensen. "We were way far ahead. We didn't want to rush it. We just got off with the strike zone but we got back in with (the umpire's strike zone)."
The Bears play at 1:30 against Uintah. If they win they play again at 6 p.m. If they lose they will play at 3:45, all at the Valley Complex in Taylorsville.
There's A New Way To Follow The Bears In "The Leader"!
March 1, 2008 - --
As everyone in the Bear River Valley knows, "The Leader" is our hometown newspaper. The Leader has been serving the entire valley since 1914 and has always provided excellent reporting on Bear River High School's sports teams, as well being a great source of information on the many community events held in Box Elder County over the years. The Leader also continues to maintain a long tradition of award winning local news coverage to this very day.
And now, there's a new way to follow the Bears all season long because The Leader now features a brand new "Online Edition"! Click here for a link to the site to get signed up for a Free Trial: The Leader Then, simply click on the light blue "Sign up for online edition" link. Follow the instructions to receive your password. Next, fill in the new Customer ID and phone number, and you're ready to go! And remember, you'd better hurry because the offer for the FREE online edition expires on March 7!
Don't worry, though, because you can still check out their "Free/Limited Site" at any time. The red links on the left side of the home page will give you access to some of the fine content in The Leader each and every week.
And Let's Go Bears!
The 2008 Baseball Season Begins NOW! And The Bears Are "Totally Invested"!
March 6, 2008 - 08:30 AM --
Bear River Baseball's rosters are set and the team will be heading south today to play in the annual "Pizza Hut Classic" tournament down in sunny St. George this weekend! Congratulations to everyone who made the squad! Spring has nearly sprung and it's finally time for baseball! And the 2008 Bears are "Totally Invested"! Let's Go Bears!
Here is a link to the Official 2008 Bear River High School Baseball Team's web page: BR Bear's Baseball!
And players, here is a link to the Coach's Podcasts (just in case you need it)!:
Bear River Baseball Podcast
Green, Bunn & the Bears earn split of 4 "Pizza Hut" tourney games!
March 8, 2008 - 09:30 PM --
The starting 2nd baseman for the 2008 Bear River Bears varsity baseball team, senior Kasey Green, has always had very good baseball skills and instincts. Whenever he's been inserted into the line-up in the past, Kasey's been a consistent contributor; with solid defense, a key stolen base or a sac-bunt, and timely hitting whenever it was needed. Over the years, Green has often been one the smaller players on the team, at least in physical size. Despite this, Kasey has always played with quiet confidence and determination. He has the respect of his coaches and is also one of the most popular players on the team amongst his teammates, and always has been. While Green has been adept at spraying line drives all over the field, there is no denying that his physical stature may have affected his “power numbers” in the past.
As the 2008 season begins, though, those days appear to be officially over for Kasey Green and the Bears. Over the previous 18 months, or so, Kasey's size and strength has finally caught up with his ability. And if his performance in the annual "Pizza Hut Classic" pre-season tournament down in St. George this past weekend was any indication, Green could be gearing up for a monster break-out season for the Bears.
As for the tournament itself, the Bears ended up with a split in the four games played, dropping game one to the Cedar Reds 5 - 4 in a real heartbreaker and also game two to the powerful Bishop Monogue Miners, 13 - 3. Bear River led Cedar by the score of 2 - 1 through five innings in the opener, when the Reds rallied to score 4 runs against Bear's starter Danny Smith in the sixth. Two Cedar runners crossed the plate on passed balls and another on a wild pitch in the inning. A Bear River rally in the top of the seventh came up one run short. Smith contributed offensively with a single and two walks, and shortstop Tyson Thompson had a big game with a single, triple and one run scored.
In game two, the Bears had played the Miners to a 3 - 3 tie going into the sixth inning with their ace Trevor Gardner on the mound. Trevor managed to get the first two outs of the inning but he appeared to be getting a little tired. Then suddenly, the floodgates opened, as the Miners managed to pour across nine total runs before the Bears finally got the third and final out of the inning.
Meanwhile, in game one versus Cedar, Kasey Green went 2 for 2 with a single, double, walk and a sacrifice bunt. In game two against the Miners, Green went 1 for 2 with a walk. With one out in the third, he crushed a long triple and ended up scoring Bear River's first run of the game when the right fielder's throw got past the third baseman for an error, as Kasey darted to the plate and directly into a mob of happy teammates waiting to greet him there!
But it was in game three versus the Grantsville Cowboys when "The Mighty Kasey" and the Bears really began to crank it up. Green started it off early with a line drive single in the first and followed that by crushing a two-run triple in the third inning. Green then topped that by leading off the Bear River fifth with a tremendous shot over the fence in left field for a home run, possibly the first of his baseball career! And once again he was mobbed by the rest of the Bears as he crossed home plate!
The Bears were trailing the Cowboys by one run, 8 to 7, before Kasey's blast tied the score. From that point on, the Bears poured it on and scored 8 more runs in the game. Green contributed another line drive single in the sixth, and ended up only a double short of hitting for the cycle. More importantly, though, he helped lead his team to their first victory of the season by the final score of 16 - 11.
Dallin Bunn had an outstanding tournament as well, leading the team with 6 RBI's overall, and went 2 for 2, with a walk and 3 runs scored in this game. Dallin also pitched the final 4 innings in relief of starter Kyle Walker to get the win. There were also key contributions from several other players, including Danny Smith, who went 3 for 4, with 2 runs scored in the contest and Trevor Gardner, who crushed a two-run homer over the right-field fence in the sixth inning.
The Bears finished up the tournament with a huge win over the Wasatch Wasps by the final score of 20 to 6, with just about every player contributing in one way or another. Starting pitcher Tyson Thompson got the win and also crushed a long home run to dead center field in the third, well over 360 feet. Thompson ended up with four RBI's, on a double and two walks, in addition to his homer. Lead-off batter Colton Fronk seemed to be on base for the entire game, going 3 for 3 with a walk, and scoring 3 times. Center-fielder Blake Adams also went 3 for 3, with 2 singles, a double and 3 RBI's. Bunn had another big game, also going 3 for 3, with two doubles, a single, 3 RBI's and 3 runs scored.
Head Coach Clay Chournos even managed to empty the bench during the last two innings. Several JV and sophomore players got into the game, as did the sole freshman who made the trip, right-handed pitcher Hunter Payne. Payne closed out the win with an inning of one-run ball in the fifth, while striking out two of the Wasatch batters he faced.
Ironically, one of the few Bear River players who did not have stellar numbers at game's end was their second baseman, Kasey Green. Then again, the team didn't need much offense from him in this particular game. He helped lead the way earlier in the tourney and the team came through with two straight wins before heading for home to continue their season. The Bears must all be feeling pretty good about Kasey Green, the “new and improved, Version 2008.1", now appearing in their line-up, likely for each and every game!
Bunn, Smith, Gardner & Thompson lead Bears to 6-5 win over 5A Clearfield!
March 13, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
The 3A Bear River Bears varsity baseball team beat the 5A Clearfield Falcons on the Bears’ home field in Garland this past chilly Thursday afternoon, in what might be described as “typical” Bear River Bears’ fashion. Senior left-handed starting pitcher Danny Smith pitched well, giving up 3 runs on only 2 hits through 5 and 1/3 innings. Despite being a bit wild (and with what appeared to be several questionable pitch calls from the home plate umpire), Danny issued 7 walks to the previously undefeated Falcons, but still managed to get a hard-earned win for the Bears. Senior first-baseman Trevor Gardner had his best day at the plate so far this season, with a single, double, home run (already his 2nd of the young season) and 4 RBI’s.
Right-handed pitcher Tyson Thompson, another senior, relieved Smith in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out. And despite giving up 4 runs on only 2 hits (2 runs were charged to Smith and one other was unearned due to a Bear River error), Thompson struck out 4 Falcons and went the final 1 & 2/3 innings to get the save for the Bears. The newest member of the Bears, senior DH Hunter Sederholm, a transferee from Fremont High School for this school year, had a two more base-hits and another RBI.
And senior right-fielder Dallin Bunn had another big day at the plate. Bunn had a single and a double (both of which were his 4th of the season) and 2 more runs scored (his 8th & 9th so far this spring). Dallin is currently leading the team in all 3 categories and is also tied for the team lead in RBI’s with 6. Bunn also has a team-leading slugging percentage of 1.200 as well.
Obviously, Bunn has been contributing big offensive numbers from the 9 hole in the Bears’ line-up so far in 2008. This may come as a bit of a surprise to some observers of the team. On the other hand, for anyone who has followed the Bears over the years (or previously, the Bear River Rage, the now defunct Northern Utah competitive traveling team on which most of these Bears once played), it should not come as a big shock that Dallin Bunn can hit.
And now that he has been inserted back into the starting line-up because of a vacant position in right-field (which was created when Smith was moved back to first base this spring), everyone has seen that Dallin’s bat can get red-hot. “Hopefully, he can keep it up…” his mom Treva said after the game.
Just as many of the 17 and 18 year old 2008 Bears have, Dallin Bunn has matured physically quite noticeably since last season ended. But less obviously, at least to most casual observers, is the level of mental maturation that Bunn has achieved recently. Dallin has officially signed up to join the Marine Corps and will leave for boot camp following graduation and after the completion of the baseball season this spring. He is scheduled to leave in July. Bunn will return shortly after that, but only to accept the call to go on a 2-year mission for the LDS Church. Dallin will then return to complete a 6 year stint as a member of the venerable “Leathernecks” of the United States Marine Corps.
Of course, Dallin should be applauded for these unselfish acts of maturity, which honor both his community and his country. And “hopefully”, as his mom said, Dallin will continue to play well on the baseball field this spring and help his team to win the 2008 State 3A Baseball Title first!
Let’s Go Dallin Bunn! And Let’s Go Bears!
Bear River is set to begin Region 11 play after wrapping up the pre-season in Layton.
March 28, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Bear River right-fielder Dallin Bunn was a little banged-up, while team manager Trevor Bott and the rest of the Bears all had their "bubble's burst" at the very impressive Gates Field on Tuesday afternoon. The strong bottom half of the Kearns’ batting order, which did much of the damage to the Bears in the game, helped the Cougars jump out to a second inning lead against Bear River starting pitcher Danny Smith.
After a scoreless first inning, the high-powered Division 5A Cougars' line-up put five runs up on the board in the bottom of the second against the Bears' lefty and then cruised to an 8 - 2 win from there. Trevor Gardner relieved Smith to start the fifth inning and the right-hander managed to strand the four Kearns’ runners who reached base against him, holding the Cougars scoreless over the final 2 frames.
As equally as impressive as the Cougar’s hitting in the game was the 2.5 million dollar ball park at which the two teams played. Located on the grounds of Kearns High School, Gates Field was built in 2004 through a generous donation by businessman Kevin Gates, a Kearns native.
Meanwhile, the Bear River line-up struggled to mount any kind of offensive threat throughout the game. The Bears rallied briefly in the top of the third, though, and scored their only two runs of the contest in that inning.
Gardner reached on a double with one out and scored when Smith smashed one to short, which resulted in a throwing error by the Kearns shortstop. The miscue also allowed Smith to go to second on the play. After a single by Blake Adams, Smith's "speed-up" runner Kyle Walker scored on an RBI single by Hunter Sederholm, for the Bears’ second and final run of the game. Blake Adams also had Bear River’s other hit, also a single, in the Bear River fifth with one out and a runner on, but both runners were left stranded.
Bunn received what turned to be "relatively minor" facial injuries after crashing into the right-field fence while attempting to make a play on what turned out to be a Kearns' double in the bottom of the fourth inning. Dallin very nearly made the catch but the baseball hit the tip of his glove just as he was plowing into the fence at full tilt.
In addition to the lumps and scratches on his face, Bunn appeared to have had "his bell rung" and was removed from the game after the play. This might at least partially explain why, when asked by his dad after the game if he was okay, Dallin simply smiled and said, "I love baseball!"
Two days later, on a “slightly” less impressive ball field in Layton, Bunn returned to the line-up when the Bears played their final non-region game of the spring. Unfortunately for Bear River, it also resulted in another tough loss to a strong 5A team.
The Bears were defeated by the hard-hitting Northridge Knights by the final score of 12 - 2, in a game that ended because the dreaded "10-run rule" went into effect after a solo home-run by the Ridge lead-off batter in the bottom of the fifth inning in Layton on Friday. The Knights ended up with three "big flies" in the game, one each off Bear River's three pitchers. Starter Tyson Thompson went two innings and took the loss, with Gardner (one inning) and Bunn (one inning plus one batter) coming on in relief.
It was the third straight game in which Bear River struggled to score runs. Justin Capener hit the ball hard, with a single and an RBI in the second inning, and Colton Fronk also had a single and an RBI in the same inning. A two-hit game for their offense was definitely not the note on which the Bear River coaches and players wanted to end their pre-season on. At least now they will be playing against opponents with whom they are a little more familiar.
Much more important, though, is that the outcome of the games the Bears play in April could determine how far they will go in their pursuit of the Region 11 Title and 3A State Tournament Championship in May. So playing these March games against bigger schools with larger "student bodies" to draw upon (no pun intended) should obviously help prepare the Bears for region play. Hopefully for Bear River, the Bears will take advantage of the strategy.
Bears begin region schedule with a come-from-behind 16-5 win over Granstville.
April 1, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Bear River Head Coach Clay Chournos may not have planned on it happening the way that it did but his strong reaction to an extremely "questionable" call by the 2-man umpiring crew at the Bear River's Region 11 season opener in Grantsville on Tuesday afternoon seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the “hibernating” Bears. Following the argument and Chournos' ensuing ejection in the second inning, the previously dormant Bears finally came to life. Behind 3 - 1 after one and a half innings, the Bears seemed more focused and determined as they took the field for Grantsville's half of the second inning.
Bears' starting pitcher Danny Smith could be heard exhorting his team on when he reached the mound and then promptly struck out the side on twelve pitches to end the second inning. Then, starting in Bear River’s next at-bat, Trevor Gardner, Tyson Thompson and the rest of Bears began hitting the ball hard and all over the field.
First, DH Hunter Sederholm had a huge 2-out single to drive in Gardner (who had walked) and Smith (who singled) in the third inning. Kasey Green then drove Sedarhome in with another clutch 2-out hit, this time a double to the outfield gap, which briefly gave the Bears a 4 -3 lead.
After the Cowboys pushed across a run in the bottom of the third, the Bears then took the lead for good on a 3-run bomb to right-field by Gardner in the fourth, scoring Justin Capener (single) and Fronk (base on balls) ahead of him. Later, Thompson would hit two homeruns, the first a 3-run blast in the fifth inning and then a 2-run shot in the sixth. The Bears would amass 13 total hits in the game and ultimately prevailed over the Cowboys in six innings by the final score of 16 – 5. Smith had 10 K’s over five innings and got the "W". Trevor Gardner pitched a scoreless sixth to seal the win for the Bears.
The dispute which resulted in the ejection of Chournos came after both umpires appeared to badly miss a call when they ruled Colton Fronk out on a reasonably close play at first base for the third out of the second inning. Coach Chournos immediately popped out of Bear River’s dugout and hustled out onto the field in an obvious attempt to reason with the seemingly confused umpires.
A brief but vehement argument followed without any change on the call by the umps, when Chournos turned and began to return to the Bears’ dugout. For some unknown reason, the home plate umpire decided to follow Chournos for a few steps and then called out to him. Chournos stopped and turned, when suddenly the diminutive ump gave Chournos the boot! It was only then that the Bears’ intense Head Coach went ballistic. If he was going to be run from the game, then presumably Chournos decided to get his money’s worth. The Bears’ Coach had to be restrained by the field umpire as he jawed with and was in the face of the home-plate official in question.
After a few minutes, Chournos left the field, while the numerous Bear River “faithful” who made the trip continued to vocalize their displeasure with the call and all of the ensuing events. Although Chournos told his team after the game that they should not count on this particular event re-occurring in future games, it was very obvious to everyone that the Bears rallied in support of their coach, which ultimately resulted in a big win in their first region game of the season. And hopefully for Chournos and the Bears, it was the first of many in 2008!
Gardner and the Bears defeat the Ben Lomond Scots 11-1.
April 3, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Bears’ starting pitcher Trevor Gardner threw his best game of the year so far and defeated the Ben Lomond Scots 11 – 1 at Bears’ field in Garland on Thursday afternoon. Gardner threw a complete-game one-hitter, allowed only 2 walks and one unearned run, while striking out 13 Scotts over six innings.
Gardner received plenty of offensive support from the Bears, with a total of 10 base-hits to go with their 11 runs in the ball game. After scoring one first-inning run, Bear River’s line-up grouped the rest of their base hits and scored their final 10 runs during the bottom of the second and sixth innings respectively. In between, the Bears’ did not do much offensively, but it did not matter because Gardner remained dominant throughout the contest.
Gardner helped his own cause by going 2 for 4 at the plate versus Ben Lomond pitching, driving in 2 runs and scoring 2 in the game. Colton Fronk also drove in 2 and scored 2, while Hunter Sederholm drove in 2 more runs and scored another. Danny Smith was 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI, Kasey Green had an RBI and scored a run and Justin Capener scored twice for the Bears. And finally, Tyson Thompson and Luis Lemus each scored one run a-piece for the Bears.
Walker and the Bears defeat Ogden 18 – 3 in five innings.
April 8, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Junior starting pitcher Kyle Walker earned his first win of 2008 for the Bear River Bears when they defeated the Tigers 18 to 3 in five innings at Ogden High School on Tuesday afternoon. The game’s outcome was never in serious doubt, as the Bears’ offense scored early and often. The young right-hander easily sailed through the Tigers’ line-up without giving up even a single base-hit through three complete innings. By time the Tigers came to the plate in the fourth inning, the Bears were holding a comfortable 18 to 0 lead, so the only hint of any remaining drama centered on whether or not Walker would end up pitching a no-hitter against Ogden.
After facing the minimum number of batters over the first three, Walker surrendered a total of three runs and four base-hits to the Tigers in the bottom of that fourth inning. But since those would be the only runs that Ogden would score on the day, Walker’s performance was more than enough to earn him his first “W” of 2008.
After the completion of that fourth frame, Bear River’s Head Coach Clay Chournos made wholesale changes to the Bears’ line-up and inserted as many young Bear River players into the game as he could.
In addition to those substitutions, regular third-baseman Colton Fronk took over for Walker and got in some much-needed work on the mound for the Bears. Fronk has been a reliable pitcher in the past and Bear River will most likely need many more effective pitching performances from him as this season progresses. Fronk pitched a scoreless fifth and final inning for the Bears.
Offensively for Bear River, Trevor Gardner once again led the Bears’ 18-hit assault by going 3 for 4 with five RBI’s in the game. In addition, every member of the Bears’ starting line-up had at least one hit and scored at least one run in the game.
Gardner’s day at the plate included a tremendous 3-run blast over the centerfield fence in the third inning. The home-run itself caused some confusion and also provided some laughter, when the Ogden centerfielder himself immediately signaled that the ball had cleared the fence because he tracked the ball on its way out of the park. Then suddenly, the now scuffed-up baseball, after apparently hitting the sidewalk behind the fence, somehow ricocheted over the fence and back onto the outfield grass. The surprised Tigers’ centerfielder reacted instinctively, and quickly pounced on the ball and fired it in towards the infield. This forced Gardner to end his home-run trot just as he was rounding second base and because he believed that he had to hustle the rest of the way, he finished with what turned out to be a completely unnecessary head-first slide into home-plate, and still beat the relay throw. Either way, of course, it was a home-run for Gardner and the Bears.
Bears’ shortstop and pitcher Tyson Thompson was missing from their line-up for the game because he had surgery to remove a suspicious lymph node on the day of the game. “Sometimes life comes up and says baseball doesn’t matter now,” Chournos was quoted as saying of Thompson’s health scare in the Tremonton Leader this week. Thompson was scheduled for a follow-up with the doctor next week and everyone’s prayers are with Tyson, as well as Kris and Bambi, and the rest of the Thompson family.
Gardner, Smith and the Bears defeat Morgan 14 - 4 in six innings.
April 10, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Details to follow ASAP.
Smith and the Bears shut out Logan 4-0.
April 16, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
A showdown between Region 11’s only undefeated teams went Bear River’s way in Logan on Tuesday afternoon. Bear’s starter Danny Smith shut out the Grizzlies 4 to 0 while limiting Logan to just five hits in the game (two of which were swinging bunts that traveled about two and a half feet combined).
This was certainly Bear River’s best played game of the season and it could not have come at a better time or against a more worthy opponent. Bear River now holds the region lead over Logan with a record of 5 and 0 and is next scheduled to play versus Grantsville at home tomorrow afternoon.
The Bears combined timely hitting, solid defense and an outstanding pitching performance from the left-handed Smith to defeat Logan in the first meeting of the year between the two teams. Smith walked only two and struck out ten in a complete game effort for Bear River. “Danny was pretty good (against Logan). Our defense was great, too,” Bears Coach Clay Chournos was quoted as saying in this week's edition of the Tremonton Leader. “Thank goodness (Danny) was on the mound.”
The Bears scored in the top of the first inning when Colton Fronk led off the game by reaching first base on an error by Logan’s second-baseman Van Noy. Hunter Sederholm then followed with a sacrifice bunt, which moved Fronk into scoring position at second base. After Trevor Gardner reached on a base-on-balls, Smith singled up the middle to drive in Fronk with the only run that the Bears would need on the day.
The score remained at 1 – 0 in favor of Bear River as Smith and Logan’s starter Mckay Hedin waged an old fashioned pitchers duel for five solid innings. Four different Logan base-runners reached as far as third base between the second and sixth innings, but Smith managed to strand all four of them.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Bears finally broke through with some insurance runs. Smith, who had doubled in the third inning in addition to his first inning RBI single, started things off for the Bears by drawing a lead-off walk on four straight pitches. Louie Lemus (who replaced starter Tyson Thompson in the line-up due to a flare-up of Thompson’s recent health issues in the second inning) followed with a strike out.
Blake Adams then singled, with Smith going to third base with one out. Kasey Green reached on a fielder’s choice when he grounded the ball to Van Noy at second as Smith scored Bear River’s second run of the game, and Adams was erased on the force-out at second for out number two.
The next two batters for Bear River, Dallin Bunn and Justin Capener, each came through in the clutch with back to back run-scoring doubles to make the score 4 to 0 in favor of the Bears, which also gave Smith a little breathing room for the final two Logan at-bats in the sixth and seventh innings. Smith then finished strong, striking out five of the final eight batters he faced, to seal the victory and catapult Bear River into sole possession of first place in Region 11.
Gardner, Bunn & the Bears hold on to defeat Grantsville 8-7.
April 17, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
The nature of life as we know it very nearly mandates that almost all forms of human competition, particularly in the sports world, has its own ebbs and flows, its own emotional highs and lows. Because otherwise, without the drama, why would anyone bother to participate in the first place? While the heights achieved through the “thrill of victory” often prove to be more memorable, they are often matched in emotional power by the painful depths of the “agony of defeat” following a tough loss or a failure of some kind.
Many are able to eventually forget, or at least temporarily block-out, most of the painful memories left in there psyches from all kinds of harrowing and traumatic personal experiences. And conversely, most of us tend to remember our more joyous moments more readily. Many experts suggest that human beings sub-consciously choose to do so. Others believe that it is a natural reflex, because when you get burned, you pull back from the source of the heat. But then you have to forget about it so you can continue to move forward, despite the risk of additional pain. If you don’t keep moving, you’ll end up “dead in the water”. This has been attributed to a kind of survival mechanism at work in the human brain.
If this were not true, then mothers might not ever have a second child due to the memory of the pain of childbirth and dentists might not ever see a root canal patient in their chairs more than once. There are even those amongst us who are able to forge painful memories into positive energy, which fuels their motivation and determination for future successes.
Team sports may include some further residual comfort, again, despite the emotional risks, because you are never really alone in your efforts. Coaches tend to say things like, “We win as a team and we lose as a team” for a reason, because it’s always easier to stick together as a single unit. We will have strength in our numbers and all that... And since there is almost always another ballgame to be played, there is almost always another chance for redemption, a chance to feel the joy of victory one more time, despite the potential risk of feeling the pain of defeat again as well.
Of course, not every game’s outcome falls cleanly into one end or the other of this large emotional spectrum. There are many contests that land somewhere, shall we say, in-between? For example, you have your “moral victories”, in which a team might play very well against a stronger opponent, yet still loses in the end. And then you can also have your “ugly victories”, where a supposedly superior team plays poorly versus a seemingly weaker opponent, yet still manages to somehow win the game anyway.
Bears River’s win versus Grantsville on Thursday afternoon in Garland clearly falls into the latter category. It certainly was an ugly win, but as most coaches would probably also allow, a win is still a win, (almost) no matter how it is achieved.
With starting pitcher Trevor Gardner on the mound, the Bears fell behind Grantsville 3 – 0 in the very first inning and then the Cowboys tacked on another run in the second. Although Gardner may not have had his best stuff going for him early in the game, only one of the four runs was an earned run, because the Bears committed three errors behind him during those first two frames.
The Bears scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning themselves, and then stormed back with five more runs in the third inning. Gardner had RBI doubles in the first and third innings, and Dallin Bunn had a 3-run double, also in the third. Gardner seemed to settle down on the mound in the middle innings and the Bears added another run in the fourth on an RBI single by Danny Smith, to take what appeared to be a fairly comfortable 8 to 4 lead at that point.
In the sixth inning, though, the Cowboys scored three more runs against Gardner (two earned, with two more Bear River errors in the field) to come with-in one run at 8 to 7. But Gardner stayed in to pitch the seventh and held Grantsville scoreless to earn a hard-fought complete game victory for the Bears, as they found a way to win. It definitely wasn’t pretty, but it still goes into the books as a “W” for Bear River, and it was also their sixth in a row. Maybe they all can’t be gems, but they all still count!
Bears march on with six-inning victory over Scots.
Source: Standard-Examiner (4/23/08) Standard Examiner Story
Bear River boys remain perfect in Region 11 play
OGDEN -- According to Coach Clay Chournos, the Bear River Bears didn't play their best baseball on Tuesday afternoon. The score line, however, was telling a different story as Bear River visited Ben Lomond High School and came away with a seemingly easy 14-3 victory in six short innings Tuesday in Region 11 action.
"We came in playing very well, but we didn't play our best baseball today," Chournos said. "What we did do was take advantage of some of their (Ben Lomond) mistakes by moving runners over in key situations and then getting a big single or hit.
"We were aggressive on the base paths and hit it when we had to. We have been pounding it lately, but our hits and their errors seemed to come simultaneously which allowed us to have some big innings.
Ben Lomond was able to grab the early lead in the bottom of the first inning when Vincent Jackson homered in his first at bat over the left-field fence for a quick 1-0 lead.
Bear River was able to answer right back with three runs in the top of the second inning. Justin Capener had a two-run single in the inning to spark the rally that saw the Bears go from down 1-0 to up 8-1 after the third inning.
The Bears scored five more in the third inning. They were able to score two of the runs on a walk and a passed ball and then with two outs, Capener hit a fly ball to center field that was dropped and that allowed all three runners on base to score, essentially ending the chances of a comeback.
Danny Smith picked up the win on the mound for Bear River. He also had two of the team's 10 hits. Capener and Tyson Thompson also had two hits apiece for the Bears.
Thompson and the Bears defeat Ogden 14 - 1 in six innings.
April 24, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
Tyson Thompson made a triumphant return to the Bears line-up from his recent health concerns versus Ben Lomond on Tuesday. And now, on this cold and wet Thursday afternoon, Thompson has taken his place back in Bear River's pitching rotation after he and the Bears defeated Ogden by the final score of 14 - 1 at Bears' field in Garland.
Thompson was sharp despite the lay-off, as he held the Tigers to one run on two hits, while walking only one batter and striking out nine in four innings pitched. Trevor Gardner relieved Thompson in the fifth and got the job done as he continued to impress in his new role as the Bears closer.
Eight Bears' batters scored at least one run and all but one hitter had at least one hit against Tigers' pitching. The Bears were once again led by Dallin Bunn, who went 2 for 3, while scoring three runs on a double and triple (and also reaching on error), with five RBI's. Danny Smith, Justin Capener, Colton Fronk and Trevor Gardner each contributed two hits for the Bears.
Bear River is now 8 and 0 in region play and they are scheduled to face-off against the Trojans in Morgan on Tuesday and then close out the regular season with a big showdown versus rival Logan at home next Thursday.
The 2008 Baseball Booster Club Auction was a huge success!
April 26, 2008 - 10:00 PM --
The 2008 Bear River Baseball Booster Club Dinner and Auction was a huge success as over $16,000.00 was raised for the baseball program and another $1,490.00 was raised for the Justin C. Huggins Memorial Scholarship! The food was great, the items were great, but most importantly, the bidding was fanastic! Another great job by Bambi and Kris Thompson and the rest of the booster club once again this year. A special thanks to everyone who either helped out and/or contibuted in any way! Way to go, Bears' fans!
Thompson and the Bears defeat Morgan 8 – 2.
April 29, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
While Tyson Thompson continues to recover from illness away from the baseball diamond, he also continues to excel when on the field of play for the Bear River Bears. Not only did Thompson earn an 8 – 2 win as the starting pitcher for the Bears versus the Trojans in Morgan on Tuesday afternoon, but he was the hitting star of the game as well.
The Bears scored two runs in the first inning and six in the second to take an early 8 – 0 lead. Thompson lined a 3-run home-run down the leftfield line during Bear River’s second inning rally and also drove in a run with a first inning single as well. Fellow Bears Danny Smith, Trevor Gardner, Colton Fronk, and Kasey Green each drove in one run apiece for Bear River in the game.
As for his efforts on the mound, Thompson held Morgan scoreless until the sixth, when the Trojans broke through for two runs on two hits versus the hard-throwing right-hander. Thompson had allowed a a grand total of five hits and had accumualated seven strike-outs to that point. He did appear to be tiring a bit and was relieved of his pitching duties the following inning when Bears’ closer Trevor Gardner took over on the bump. Gardner shut down the Trojans, giving up only one hit and no runs scored to seal the win for the Bears.
While the Bears were in Morgan, winning their ninth straight game, the Logan Grizzlies were in Grantsville, defeating the Cowboys 15 – 7. Logan’s record is now 7 and 1 (their lone loss was 4 – 0 shutout to Bear River a few weeks ago). This means that Thursday’s home game between the undefeated Bears and those very same Grizzlies should determine which of the two rivals will win the Region 11 championship in 2008. Danny Smith will get the start for the Bears. Hopefully for Bear River, Thompson will continue to produce on the field while helping his team take the region title, so that they can then set their sites on the 3A State title in a couple of weeks.
Smith and the Bears achieve Region 11 “perfection” in 2008.
May 1, 2008 - 06:00 PM --
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “perfection” as: the state of being free of fault or defect. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, states that: Perfection is, in a very broad sense, a state of completeness and flawlessness.
The oldest known description of the concept of perfection goes all the way back to Ancient Greece, which is where and when Aristotle distinguished three meanings of the term, or rather three shades of one meaning. As in: “Something” is perfect when…
1. …it is complete and contains all of the requisite parts;
2. …it is so good that nothing of the kind could be better;
3. …it has attained its purpose.
It is the latter version which best describes the Bear River Bears’ victory in their Region 11 season finale versus the Logan Grizzlies, and possibly their entire 2008 regular season as well. The Bears have attained their purpose. At least so far.
The Bears won the game despite a less than stellar defensive effort, during what must still be described as an extremely effective seven-inning win over the Logan Grizzlies at Bears’ Field in Garland on Thursday afternoon. Of course, the main reason that Bear River’s 8 to 7 win over their closest rival Logan was termed “effective” was because it ended the region schedule with the Bears both undefeated and in first place.
By any measure, ten wins in ten tries is a huge accomplishment. Congratulations to every Bear River player, and to Head Coach Clay Chournos, Assistant Coaches Don Hawes, Zac Williams and Ryan Giles, for an excellent job by all.
And yes, the Bears certainly could have played a lot better defensively in this game, which is something that they struggled with for much of the pre-season and regular season, as well. And most likely, this is a part of Bear River’s game which will have to improve if they hope to go as deep as they want to in this post-season, in pursuit of their ultimate goal, a 3A State Championship in 2008.
At the same time, though, the Bears did receive two strong pitching performances against Logan, which was pretty much also true against all comers, all season long. Danny Smith got the start and the win over Logan for the Bear River, throwing five strong innings with 9 K’s, while giving up only 3 hits and one earned run. Smith finished with five wins and no losses for the season.
Trevor Gardner relieved Smith in the sixth inning and earned another save for the Bears, giving up only one hit and no earned runs, while striking-out two in two solid innings of work.
The Bears line-up also continued another season-long trend, as they pounded out ten more base-hits and scored 8 more runs in 2008, this time against two different Logan pitchers.
Colton Fronk went 2 for 4, with one run scored and Hunter Sederholm was 2 for 3 and scored a run. Gardner was 2 for 4 with a run scored and Smith went 2 for 3, with an RBI and a run scored (by speed-up runner Kyle Walker).
Tyson Thompson reached on a walk, and scored, and Blake Adams had a base-hit and an RBI. Kasey Green went 1 for 1, with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and an RBI, while Dallin Bunn drove in a third inning run with a sacrifice fly.
And despite going hitless in the contest, Bears’ left-fielder Justin Capener still managed to make an extremely valuable offensive contribution for his team. With Green on second base and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Capener managed to reach first base on an error by Logan’s shortstop Peterson, with Green going to third.
After a few pitches to the next Bear River batter Fronk, Capener took the next sign from Chournos coaching at third. Then, seconds before Logan’s pitcher Tyler had come to the set position during his wind-up, Capener suddenly made an early break for second. This is a set play and the Bears have used it often, although Capener certainly executes it better than most.
Next, when Tyler turned on the mound to throw, he looked and began to motion towards first base, which was the exact instant that Capener suddenly stopped in his tracks for about a half of a second, when he was just a little over half way between first and second base. This all appeared to confuse Tyler, who froze and held his throw, which is, of course, a balk. The right call for the right time and executed, well, to perfection.
The play call, as well as Capener’s baseball savvy, allowed Green to jog across home plate with Bear River’s eighth and final run. It was obviously the decisive run in the game, one that gave the Bears all that they would need to keep their slim margin of victory over the soon-to-be second place Logan Grizzlies.
So once again in 2008, the Bears received ample production from up and down their line-up. And, yes, winning the region title was big because it gives Bear River the home-field advantage in the Inter-regional Playoffs, which will be held on Saturday, May 10th, right here at Bear River High School in Garland.
Still, the 2008 Bears’ already expected to win the region title, so they have only attained part of their goal thus far. So, if the Bears do continue to win, despite even the occasional defensive lapse, well, then, hey, nobody's perfect, right? And if the Bears do manage to go all the way and take state in '08, now that really would be, by any definition, absolute “perfection”!
1 Heartbreaking Loss + 1 Dominating Victory = New Playoff Life for the Bears.
May 10, 2008 - --
In game 1, the Union Cougars (& fate) come back to bite the Bears in the end.
If you were the head coach of the Bear River Bears baseball team and someone asked you what you thought your chances were to post a “W” in an Inter-regional Playoff Game, with your undefeated team, seeded #1, playing against the fourth-seed Union High School Cougars on your own home field, what do you think you would say?
But before you answer, throw in the fact that your team is holding a 2-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning and you have your left-handed starting pitcher, Danny Smith, still on the bump, tossing a dominating one-hitter up until that point. What might you say then?
Wait, there is still one more huge detail to add to the scenario: you also have your right-handed relief ace, Trevor Gardner, all ready to come in and pitch as well, if need be.
So if you were that coach, what do you think you would you say about your team’s chances?
You’d probably say “pretty darn good”, right?
But on this particular Saturday in May, it did not work out that way for Coach Clay Chournos and the Bear River Bears.
Some might say that Bear River seniors Smith, Gardner, Head Coach Clay Chournos and the rest of the Bears deserved a better outcome in this contest. The Bears certainly did not catch any breaks in the games’ fateful final frame. Ultimately, though, Bear River was unable to continue their perfect 2008 3A season beyond this Saturday in Garland.
The Union Cougars rallied to score four huge runs in that final inning and also managed to hold the Bears scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, for a dramatic and potentially devastating 4 to 2 loss for Bear River in the first game of the 2008 Inter-Regional playoffs. The Bears must win their second game (versus either Delta or Canyon View) later today in order to advance to the 2008 State Tourney.
Smith pitched a fantastic game once again for the Bears, this time in the final home-field start of his high school baseball career. Smith ended up allowing only three hits and two runs (one earned) to Union in six innings (plus two batters) of work. It also turned out to be the final home pitching performance for Gardner as well, after an incredible high school baseball career at Bear River.
After the first two Cougar batters reached on singles versus Smith in that seventh and final inning, Gardner was then called upon by Chournos to preserve the lead and the win for the Bears. This is the formula that the Bear River coaching staff used with great success all season long: five or six solid innings from the starter, followed by Gardner, their “lights-out” closer, game over.
But not this time. For the first time during a 3A game in 2008, “the formula” failed to work for the Bears. Gardner gave up four quick runs (the first two were charged to Smith) on four base-hits, one walk and a crucial 2-base error, before he was able to record the third out of the seventh inning.
Bear River could only manage a single base-hit by senior Blake Adams in the bottom of the seventh, for a total of four hits by the Bears in the game. Senior Colton Fronk drove in fellow senior Kasey Green (base-on-balls) with one of Bear River’s two runs in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. Gardner (double) drove in pinch-runner Kyle Walker (a junior), who was running for senior Hunter Sederholm (who had singled) with the other run in the sixth. The Union Cougars then staged their seventh inning rally and went on to pull off the early upset of the 2008 3A Tournament.
Both Bear River pitchers, Gardner and Smith, along with the scheduled game two starter Tyson Thompson, will play for the Smithfield Aztecs baseball team this summer. And all three Bears have accepted scholarships to attend and play ball at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Montana, beginning in the fall.
But these “three Bears” still have a lot more work to do first, in order to help Bear River High School win the 3A State title in 2008! Let’s Go Bears!
Thompson & the Bears tame the Delta Rabbits in game 2 to go on to State Tourney
May 10, 2008 – Garland UT - Seemingly now nearing full recovery following a serious illness, senior Bear River pitcher Tyson Thompson helped to resuscitate his team’s chances for a 3A championship at Bears’ Field on Saturday afternoon, which will now allow them to make a run at the state title despite a devastating seventh inning loss to Union High School in game one earlier in the day.
Thompson held the Delta Rabbits scoreless for the full five innings in another dominating performance for the Bears. Thompson allowed only four hits while striking out eight, including six straight to end the game. Thompson is certainly finishing off his stellar Bear River High School career in style and pitched a crucial shutout in his final home game for the Bears.
Bear River's offense recoverd from it's low-scoring morning game and pounded out 18 hits, while scoring 15 runs. Colton Fronk (3 for 4, 3 runs) and Hunter Sederholm (3 for 3, 3 runs, sac fly, 2 RBI) led the Bears' attack, while every member of Bear River’s line-up had at least one hit and either scored or drove in at least one run each as well.
Bear River will look to repeat the same feat that their 2004 counterparts accomplished, winning it all despite a loss to the 4th-seeded team in the Inter-Regional Playoffs, also at Bear’s field, during that amazing season. The 2004 Bear River Bears were the 3A State Champs in large part because they had some great pitchers on the squad. Pitching is also one of the strengths of the 2008 Bears, and strong pitching is most likely what it will take for them to mirror the ‘04 team’s success in ‘08.
In the 2008 3A State Playoffs, which begin next Thursday, 5/15/08, in Salt Lake City at Copper Hills High School (the directions are available on this site in the “Field Locations” section), Bear River will play region rival Logan, a team they have already defeated twice this season. Logan lost to Cedar City, after beating Uintah earlier in the day. Game time is at 1:30 p.m. If Bear River loses game, then their season is over.
But if the Bears defeat the Grizzlies for the third time this season on Thursday afternoon, then they will play on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at Kearns High School (directions also available on this site) versus either Wasatch or Emery. From there, the tourney schedule will be determined on the fly, depending on each game’s outcome. Let’s Go Bears!
Be sure to check the Tremonton Leader’s website – www.tremontonleader.com - for daily live updates and here are a few other potentially helpful links as well: UHSAA Brackets Web Page and Deseret News Web Page
Bear River Wins The 2007 Region 11 Baseball Title!
May 1, 2007 - 06:00 PM --
The 2007 Bear River Bears Baseball Team overcame a 1st inning 4-run deficit to beat the Tooele Buffalos 13-5 on Tuesday afternoon at BRHS in Garland, but that was not all that they accomplished on this day. It turned out that there was even more good news to follow for the Bear River faithful. Shortly after the game's final out was recorded, the coaches informed the players that the Grantsville Cowboys had defeated the Logan Grizzlies 7-5 today in Logan, which means that Thursday's Region 11 finale between Bear River and Logan can not change the two team’s positioning in the standings and guarantees that the Bears are Region 11 Champions for 2007! For the Bears, this was one of those games that could come to define a team’s identity and set the standard for the rest of the year, as they now head into the postseason. One of the game’s many highlights was the gritty pitching performance by Bear’s starter Taylor Bowcutt. The wiry right-hander got off to a bit of a rocky start, giving up 4 unearned runs in the top of the 1st, but settled down against a pretty strong Tooele line-up and gave up only one more run for the rest of the game.
But the day's big story was how Bear River shortstop Trevor Gardner lifted his team onto his back and carried them to victory with another stellar hitting performance. And it could not have come at a better time for the Bears. After Tooele’s 4-run top of the 1st, the Buffalos quickly induced outs from the Bears’ first two batters in the bottom half of the inning. Gardner was the 3rd batter for Bear River and after he took one strike, he crushed the next pitch he saw, sending it high and deep over the right-field fence near the football field’s cook-shack. Tooele’s starting pitcher seemed a bit shaken following Gardner’s blast and the next 2 Bears’ batters reached on walks. Before that 1st inning was over, Bear River had batted around, Tooele’s defense completely fell apart and the score was tied at 4 runs apiece. Then, after Bowcutt pitched a scoreless 2nd inning, Bear River proceeded to bat around again in the bottom of the inning, and scored 8 more runs to take a commanding 12 to 4 lead. After Bowcutt and center-fielder Blake Adams both reached on singles to start the inning, Gardner followed with a 2-run double into the gap in right-center, and the route was on for the Bears. And just for good measure, Trevor added another base hit and RBI later on in the same inning, for a total of 4 RBI’s, on a single, a double and a homerun, and all before the 3rd inning of the game! Of course, there were many other contributions from the rest of the Bears, but it was Gardner’s performance that propelled his team to victory on this day when the Region Title returned to Bear River High School! Congratulations to the Bears, to Head Coach Clay Chournos and the rest of Bear River’s coaching staff, as they now set their sites on 2007 State Title! Way To Go Bears!
Update Posted - Fri., 5/4/07 @ 3:00 PM: Bear River's final 2007 Region 11 regular season game, originally scheduled for Thursday 5/3/07 VS Logan, which was postponed & resheduled for the following day, has again now been resheduled for next Monday 5/7/07 in Logan at 3:30 PM (weather permitting, of course).
2007 Bears Celebrate Region Title And Bear River Baseball Say's "Thanks For The Support"!
May 2, 2007 - --
Congratulations to the Bear River Bears Baseball Team on winning the 2007 Region 11 Title! Next up for the Bears are the Inter-Regional Playoffs, which will be held at BRHS on Saturday, May 12th. Then, the 2007 3A State Baseball Tournament begins on Thursday, 5/17/07, and continues through Saturday, 5/19/07, at Utah Valley State College. Let's Go Bears!
Also, a big "THANK YOU" goes out to all of the Bear River Baseball supporters out there, for the big turnout at the annual BRBB Fund Raising Dinner and Auction at BRHS on Saturday, April 28th! The event was a huge success and raised nearly $12,000.00 for BR Baseball and $1,200.00 for the Justin Huggins Scholarship Fund! Thanks especially to Kris and Bambi Thompson for working so hard to put everything together again this year, and of course, to everyone else who helped out at the dinner and auction!
Note: Here are some links to a few web pages that will make it a little easier to follow the Bear's progress in the State Tournament... First, click on this link: UVSC Campus Map PDF.File to locate the USVC Wolverine's Baseball Stadium. Next, click on this link: UHSAA PDF.File to check for updates on the 3A Tourney bracket page of the Utah High School Activities Association's website. Then, follow the Bears' progress in the tourney with daily updates by The Salt Lake Tribune with this link: SL Tribune High School Sports Page And finally, click on this link: The Leader to get the best coverage with the most local flavor! And Let's Go Bears!
The Bears Return From New York City!
June 19, 2007 - --
This is a copy of a letter that was recently submitted to the editor of the Tremonton Leader:
Editor,
We just wanted to say thanks to Kris and Bambi Thompson and the Bear River Baseball Booster Club from all of us who got to go on the 10 day trip to New York and Connecticut last month, not only for all of their hard work and the unbelievable amount of time they spent putting the trip together, but also for pulling it all off without a hitch! For a group of over 50 people (including most of this year's varsity baseball team), this was truly an amazing accomplishment! It was a really fantastic trip and we think that everyone had a great time. Even though it was expensive, Bambi managed to get the best prices and group rates available; otherwise it would have cost everyone who went a whole lot more. The itinerary included: a visit to the Baseball Hall Of Fame at Cooperstown in beautiful upstate New York; 2 Yankee games versus the Diamondbacks at historic Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York; the chance to see Barry Bonds play against the Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston; and 2 days of touring and seeing all the amazing sights of NYC, which included a Broadway play for some of the group! And not to mention the trip to South Windsor, Connecticut, where the team got to play in an American Legion Baseball Tournament! Thank you so much, Bambi and Kris, it was truly the trip of a lifetime!
Sincerely,
The Smith Family
P.S. - For anyome who might be interested, there is a website which allows you to download the audio from the “internet radio” account of one of the Bears’ Legion Tourney games in Connecticut. The website is: Sporting News CT/Internet Audio Once you’re there, click on "Audio Archives", then click on "American Legion Baseball" and you'll see it listed as: "Tremonton, Utah vs South Windsor".
Key Website Sponsors: Central Milling, Bob's Body Shop, Wood-Stock Stables
Central Milling Company has long been part of Utah history and is one of the oldest companies in Utah still in business today. Central Milling has been a leading producer of flour in this area for more than 130 years. In August 1997, Wheatland Seed of Brigham City, Utah and Giusto's Specialty Foods of San Francisco, California acquired ownership of the mill and brought the business of organic flour milling to the area. The current owners are determined to continue this long tradition of quality flour milling for many years to come. For more information about Central Milling and for a list of their flours please call (435) 752-6625.
Additional Website sponsorship provided by:
Bob's Body Shop, Tremonton UT (435) 257-7825 BobsBodyShop
Wood-Stock Stables, Tremonton, Ut Wood-Stock Stables
Wheatland Seed Inc., Brigham City, UT (435) 734-2371
Wheatland Milling, Collinston, UT (435) 458-2249
Gilt Edge Flour Mill, Richmond, UT (435) 258-2425
Inn On The Creek Foods, Midway, UT
|
|
|
|
