Among all the familiar faces returning to the Newport baseball team, a squad that finished fourth in class 4A last season, one is noticeably absent.
Brian Fischer, who led the Knights to a 222-91-1 record and three state titles in 15 seasons, opted not to return as head coach this season, instead remaining in Arizona, where he lives.
Taking over this season is former Knights assistant Hal DeBerry, who enters his first year at the helm amid high expectations thanks to a host of returners from last years squad.
“It’s daunting,” DeBerry said. “You don’t want to be the guy to replace the legend, but in this situation, I’m replacing two legends with Brian and coach [Bob] Albo. I don’t think I’m that much different than the kids are used to though…it’s like, heck, it’s very nice to have all the pieces in place. We came in and hit the ground running.”
The Knights return 10 letter winners from last year’s team that made a late run to end the season 16-9 and making it to the state semifinals.
Newport should be especially strong up the middle. The Knights return starters in junior catcher Dan Altchech, senior shortstop Trace Tam Sing and sophomore second baseman Billy Sahlinger along with regular contributors Reid Dilley (third base), Jared Fisher (first base/pitcher) and Nick Clifford (first base).
“That’s going to be a really big benefit as we go on,” DeBerry said of the returning infielders. “They’ve been there before.”
Standing out is Tam Sing. A top contributor since his freshman year, the WSU-bound shortstop is considered to have one of the best gloves in the state. He also led the Knights in hits (21), runs (13) and doubles (5) a year ago, in addition to hitting .429 with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of 1.055, tops on the team.
“This is kind of a legacy year for him,” DeBerry said. “The experience he has, I think our guys can feed off it. I know I feel good when a ball goes on the ground in the middle infield.”
Newport’s outfield will return senior Victor King, who hit .282 last season, and feature newcomers Kevin Martin and Nate Anderson.
“Minus myself, we’re probably one of the fastest outfields in the state,” King said. “We cover a lot of ground and have pretty good arms. I don’t think a lot of balls will be dropping in the gaps.”
The true strength of the Knights may prove to be the pitching staff. Returners Jeff Gonzales, Cole Wiper and Fisher give the Knights a solid 1-2-3 punch. They also have depth in Erik Jensen and Sahlinger, who didn’t get a chance to pitch last season. Count in senior Joey Gale, a 6-3 lefty who was hurt a season ago, and the Knights might have more pitching depth than anyone in the KingCo 4A Conference.
“It’s been really nice to come in with that kind of ability returning,” DeBerry said. “They know what business they have to take care of on a daily basis and what is expected of them when we get between the lines.”
Gonzales has already flashed brilliance this year in Newport’s early games – a pair of wins over Eastside Catholic and Redmond, a team favored to contend for the league title. The right-hander went 5 and 2/3 innings against the Mustangs, striking out eight while allowing just one earned run on four walks.
The Knights also added wins against Skyline and Port Angeles to run their record to 4-0.
“We have high expectations and I think with each game we are closer and closer to our goals,” Gonzales said. “We’re on the right path.”
“It’s probably the best thing that could have happened,” Tam Sing said. “We put our names out there and now we have a bulls-eye on our back. But that’s the position that we want to be in.”
A position, they hope, that leads to a return trip to Safeco Field for the state championships. The Knights stumbled against eventual-champion Richland (DeBerry’s alma mater) in the semifinals, when they got “caught up in the moment”, as Tam Sing describes. With the high hopes this year, they’ll have to battle their way through the always-tough KingCo league. But if they get there, DeBerry said, they have the benefit of having been there before.
“When we left Safeco, that was the last time those seniors got to put on a uniform,” DeBerry said. “All these guys, they saw how it affected them and to be able to see that, see that emotion and passion, that is something that is invaluable.”
