Skyview infielder Liam Kerr is one of five seniors on the team who have signed to play baseball in college. Photos by Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian Photo Gallery
Whether it’s the state championship game or an early season practice, one thing stays the same for the Skyview baseball team.
The intensity.
Skyview has advanced to the 4A final four the past two years, reaching the title game last year and placing third in 2017.
How have the Storm competed at such a high level so consistently?
“I think for sure it’s our intensity at practice,” said senior infielder Noah Guyette. “We practice how we play, so we’re always going really hard.”
Guyette, who will attend the Air Force Academy, is one of eight seniors looking to fill big shoes left by last year’s graduating class. That group included 4A state player of the year Daniel Copeland, along with first-team all-Greater St. Helens League players Michael Lundgren and Max Rose.
But the cupboard is hardly bare. The Storm return first-team all-leaguers Cooper Barnum (pitcher/outfielder) and Liam Kerr (infielder).
This year’s team also has a roadmap to success laid by previous classes.
“It’s pretty easy because the guys who were ahead of us last year did a really good job of coaching us up and helping us along,” Guyette said. “Now that we’re the seniors, we just have to follow in their footsteps.”
Sometimes that guidance included some tough love.
“If we weren’t doing something right, they all really got on us,” said senior Ryan Pitts. “I look forward to doing the same thing to the younger guys because we are really young this year. It will be fun to get on them and challenge them a lot and do the same thing the older guys did for us.”
Pitts, a power-hitting infielder and pitcher, is one of five Skyview seniors set to play college baseball. He and Kerr have signed with Lower Columbia College.
Outfielder Alex Miller is headed to Tacoma Community College. Guyette signed his letter of intent to Air Force in November.
Barnum offers leadership as well. A first-team all-leaguer as a sophomore, he aims to guide six fellow juniors and four underclassmen.
“We’re young this year,” he said. “With that experience from last year, it’s nice to be able to have some guys look up to me and be able to help out.”
Skyview is again the favorite in a competitive 4A Greater St. Helens League. Camas, Battle Ground and Union all bring back enough talent to knock off anybody on any day.
So before Skyview begins to think about a third straight run to the final four, there’s plenty of business to handle.
“We’re going to try and win a league title first before we even think about playoffs,” Kerr said.
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