Season highlights
• Yinger’s batting average of .500 was tied with Austin Barr for the Papermakers’ top spot. He also had 13 doubles and drove in 24 runs.
• Perhaps more impressively, Yinger went 10-1 as a pitcher, posting a 0.78 earned run average while recording 90 strikeouts.
• Was selected as a member of the Class 3A all-state baseball team along with Barr.
More about Kurt
• All four of Yinger’s parents (stepparents included) are in the medical field: one surgeon, two internists, and one biller.
• He wants to be a lawyer.
• His favorite movie is “Swordfish,” much in part due to Halle Berry.
• Cites his mother as the most influential person in his life, as she preached the value of education and enjoying the little things in life.
Next year and beyond
• Yinger earned a scholarship to UC Santa Barbara, although recent changes to the coaching staff have caused him to reconsider attending. He’d like to be a major leaguer one day.
Quotable
“I feel like when I go on the mound, basically at the start of the game, I want to shut these guys out. That’s my goal, a complete-game shutout.”
Kurt Yinger
On his mentality when he goes out to pitch.
Rest of All-Region team
• Austin Barr, jr., Camas: Solid behind the plate, slugger could also crush the ball at the plate.
• Zach Carter, sr., Camas: Too good to be a No. 2 pitcher. You could say Camas had two No. 1 pitchers.
• Anthony Collura, sr., Skyview: Infielder voted by coaches to be on the Class 4A all-state team.
• Clint Coulter, jr., Union: Another great catcher with a great bat who made an all-state team, too.
• Skyler Frasier, sr., Union: Outfielder who could track down anything, he also hit .400 for Titans.
• PJ Jones, sr., Mountain View: Year of the catcher? Third backstop from Clark County to be on an all-state team.
• Connor Perry, sr., Hockinson: Awesome for a long time: Became four-time first-team all-league selection.
• Tommy Thorpe, sr., Evergreen: Oregon-bound pitcher led Plainsmen to bi-district tourney.
• Zach Torson, jr., Mountain View: Pitcher made all-state list after leading Thunder to round of 16 at state.
• Kody Watts, sr., Skyview: Talented pitcher has choice between D-I college or professional ball.
• Caleb Whalen, sr., Union: Sure-handed shortstop helped Titans to the 4A GSHL crown.