When the Columbia River baseball team gathered for tryouts this spring, Nick Nygard brought more than a bat and his glove.
The senior brought an extra supply of Columbia River baseball caps to give to any freshman who might not have one yet.
The gesture was both charitable and symbolic — For even the youngest members of the Columbia River program, it’s important to play the Chieftain way.
With just three seniors, Columbia River is one of the youngest teams in the 2A Greater St. Helens League. But with Nygard, Kade Gerlack and Koben Jamison, the Chieftains plan on competing for a league title while grooming the next class of River ballplayers.
“While we only have three seniors, they’re our three best arms,” Chieftains coach Stephen Donohue said. “That’s a good place to start.”
Speaking of good starts, Nygard struck out nine batters in three innings as the Chieftains scored a season-opening win over Skyview, a Class 4A state contender.
That strong performance didn’t surprise Donohue, who called Nygard one of the area’s top pitchers.
“He had some incredible performances in the summer,” Donohue said. “He’s just really calm and cool out there. Every time he’s out there, we expect to win. That’s a really good feeling as a team.”
Nygard takes seriously his role as a mentor to the younger Chieftains. There’s a legacy to uphold, after all. Columbia River has reached the state playoffs eight of the last nine years, including six in a row.
“Coming in, there are a lot of young guys who don’t necessarily know how the program goes,” Nygard said. “They don’t know what our expectations are. Having been in our program, you’re able to give them the experience they need. You’re able to support them. And we have a lot of young talent. Our freshman class is amazing.”
While Columbia River is coming off a season in which it reached the state quarterfinals, other 2A GSHL teams have league-title hopes.
Ridgefield returns 12 players from a team that went 8-4 in league play. First baseman/pitcher Spencer Andersen, an all-region player last year, leads five returning all-leaguers including Kellen Bringhurst, Brock Harrison, Boston Clark and Tim Radosevich.
R.A. Long returns league MVP Kaden Vanderwerf and first-team all-league brothers Jack and Jacob Childers.
Hockinson graduated two of the league’s best players in Mitch Lines and Brooks Dyer. But the Hawks bring back 12 players from a team that went 9-4 in league play, including all-leaguers Colton Wheeler and Matt Henry.
“Ridgefield and R.A. Long are probably the cream of the crop,” Donohue said. “I think we’ll probably be in the mix. But talent-wise, they both bring back a lot of people.”
