By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.–  A stage of this, the Oregon All-Star Series in Corvallis at Goss Stadium, that features the best of the best from the 5A and 6A schools that honors particular seniors in a North meets South battle.

For North Salem’s Cole Hamilton, the catcher joins Cal Waterman of Summit as the two catchers for the south team in an honorable experience to come from a game like this.

“Being recognized is cool because personally I think I am one of the best catchers in the State so I’m glad other people think that as well,” said Hamilton.

But Hamilton has some reference point of a game of this; his two older brothers, also North Salem graduates, have also played in this game in the past and have helped the young Hamilton prepare for the run he went on since the days of playing at 15^th and Pearl.  Just across the way from Viking home turf at Schaefer Stadium.

“My brothers tell me that, ‘Just keep grinding, good job’,” described Hamilton.  “They’re already telling me that I was way better than they were which is kind of crazy because growing up I looked up at them like they were big shots.  Like, ‘Geez I wish I get to be where they are’ and now I’m above them, but it’s just cool because they support me 100-percent.

“They keep telling me that the last Hamilton will be the best one and I never really believed until it kind of happened. They’re 100 percent supportive and they keep telling me ‘take it as a accomplishment, but don’t settle’.”

The competition will be tough, but welcoming for him.  Some of the competition he’ll be facing are Division-I caliber and will help him prep for the games ahead at NCAA Division-II Western Oregon this upcoming season.

But it’s not anything out of the ordinary for Hamilton.

“I’ve played in a lot of showcases, so I’ve played against most of these guys,” said Hamilton.  “I mean it’s just good baseball.  We’re all good, we’re all good for a reason.  It’s just fun to watch.  They all know the game of baseball and they’re there for a reason and they know how to play the game which is very nice because it makes everything go smoothly.

“I like playing the top tier guys because they’re a bunch of guys going D-1 and I’m going D-2 ad they’re going to realize that there’s not that much of a difference from D-1 to D-2.  I just like playing against good guys, it’s just a fun environment to be around and stuff like that.”

Fun and entertaining to say the least.  Though he’ll be playing with some guys he faced during the Greater Valley Conference play or in general some, like South Salem’s Gabe Matthews and West Salem’s Andy Armstrong, there’s some weirdness is there playing alongside them but it’s not too much of a big deal.

“After the games I always go talk to them like, ‘Good job bro, good game.  How’s life, how’s school and everything?’  Your friends, but once you step inbetween those lines your enemies for a game but then your friends again,” described Hamilton.  “There’s really not anything different it’s just weird to play on a team with them when you don’t have to be enemies with them anymore.”

As the chapter of Cole Hamilton’s incredible High School career draws to an end, the legend that is Cole and the Hamilton’s will live on after he is gone.

The series will be held on June 18 and 19, Game one of the three-game series is on Saturday June 18 at 2:30pm and a two-game doubleheader on Sunday June 19 starting at 10am.