Mountain View baseball coach Aaron Coiteux had the field ready Thursday.
His players were excited about the opportunity.
And then the storm hit. The first wave of rain came about 1:30 p.m. By 3:30 p.m., it was steady.
The showdown between top-ranked Camas and No. 6 Mountain View would have to wait at least a day.
“It’s a little disappointing, but a game of this caliber you don’t want to play when it’s 40 degrees and wet. I’d rather have a nicer day,” Coiteux said. “When was the last time the No. 1 team in the state took on the No. 6 team in the final games of the season for the league title? That’s cool. They should be two good games.”
Friday’s game remains scheduled for Camas High School at 4 p.m. The makeup for Thursday’s game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Mountain View.
Baseball fans are accustomed to Camas atop or near the top of the standings in recent years. The Papermakers beat league rival Columbia River last year in the Class 3A state semifinals before finishing second.
The Seattle Times took notice of the Papermakers’ undefeated record this season and have them No. 1 in its rankings.
For Mountain View, though, playing in important games late in the season is new territory. The Thunder have earned it, undefeated in league play, 17-1 overall. The Times has them at No. 6 in the state.
“We haven’t been very good the past 10 years,” Coiteux said of the program, which has made the district tournament just once in the past 12 years playing as a 4A program.
Still, Coiteux saw the potential for this season last year. He knew he had a lot of returning talent. He believed all along that this Thunder squad could compete for a league title. Now, that opportunity is here.
It is here because his players bought into the team’s motto, the coach said.
“Win the day. Whether it’s in baseball, or community service, or being a son to your parents, win the day,” Coiteux said. “Win the day in the classroom, win the day on the field, win the day wherever.”
No matter which team wins the league championship, both Camas and Mountain View have clinched berths to the district and then the bi-district playoffs. The two teams are playing for the top seed at district.
If the teams split the two-game series, there will be a third game scheduled, possibly Monday.
