By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

STAYTON, Ore.–  It was a strange, unfortunate way for Jefferson junior’s Haden Gough’s season to end this year, seeing his season canceled about halfway through.his third season of playing High School baseball.

Gough, since the season was canceled shortly after their April 1 doubleheader with East Linn Christian, has been hitting the weights and hitting the ball off the tee and so on to stay active in the game he loves.  And Sunday was just Day 2 of what he hopes to be a productive Summer going into his senior season at Jefferson High School on the second day of try-outs with the American Legion Post 58 Crushers.

“Oh it’s really nice.  Just coming out and playing against, well not really against, but having a season because all I could do was hit the weights.  Hit the tee, I couldn’t really hit anything live.  Coming out here was really nice,” Gough said.

Tuesday gave Gough and his fellow ballplayers an opportunity to have some outdoor batting practice after being held inside to hit for the most part Saturday.  Some pitched while not hitting and Gough was one of the few infielders at the end of the session who got some reps fielding ground balls.  Working in with guys from 2A up to 5A to make the two American Legion squads that the Crushers offer this season.

“It just hypes me up,” Gough said.  “Everyone out here can play ball.”

“It’s so much fun, I’ve been waiting to get on one of these teams for years.  I got one the Fall ball team right before Covid and that was the funnest thing ever,” adds Santiam’s Gave Lyons.

Lyons played with the Bandits and had thrown a bullpen session in Tuesday’s session.  Coming off a 11-9 season, the Wolverines second winning season since 2019, the senior pitcher hopes to land a spot going into the final day of try-outs Monday at Regis with the hopes of having a good summer season if selected at Regis High School.

“I want to have a good summer and hopefully go on and play somewhere in college.” Lyons said.

The Crushers start the season with a doubleheader against the Hillsboro Surfers June 4 at Glencoe High School with the first game starting at noon.

Photos By Jeremy McDonald