EPHRATA – The Ephrata baseball program had a really solid turnout this year with about 40 students, resulting in a good mix of players at all skill levels, according to Tigers head coach David Tempel.  

“We have 12 on varsity, 13 on our JV and then 15 on our C-squad,” Tempel said.  

On March 7, Tempel and the rest of the coaching team had the players conducting a variety of hitting drills, practicing bunts and swinging the bat with intent. The coach said the idea is to ensure the team is having meaningful practice time that helps them hone their skills in as realistic a situation as possible.  

“We don't have a ton of varsity experience, but we do have some guys that have played quite a bit of baseball on summer teams or in our program and those types of things,” Tempel said.  

With new faces on the roster, the team does seem to be gelling well as they move along. With 18 freshman players, Tempel said the team cohesion has been developing well. Sophomores through seniors have been playing with one another for some time and they’re bringing their lower classmen into the fold.  

“We’ve got 40 great guys out there; they get along pretty well. There’s a lot of joviality,” Tempel said. “It’s not too serious sometimes, which is good to kind of cut some of that tension that maybe comes with playing high school baseball.”  

Tempel said the focus is on making sure everyone gets the repetition and consistency in practice to develop the skills that will pay off in the long run during the season. That consistency in practice will also help the team come together as a unit. 

“Giving these guys those meaningful practice reps is going to help, I think, in terms of their comfort with one another and their trust with one another, which will be huge,” he said.  

On the mound, the Tigers have two promising pitchers. Senior Ryder Mann is the only pitcher with varsity experience, and Tempel said he does plan to lean on Mann as a core pitcher and as someone to help others develop their arms. Mann pitched a lot of Tuesday games last year and will help lead the team this year on the mound. Junior Landon Stephens served as the top JV pitcher last year, and Tempel said he was looking to Stephens as an integral part of the pitching equation this year.  

“We’re looking for him to step into that role a little bit as maybe a second starter or a long-release kind of guy,” Tempel said.  

The catcher, junior Tavone Mantese, is another key element on the team, Tempel said. Mantis has stepped in as a natural leader, the coach said, in part due to consistent athletic participation in football, wrestling and other sports. 

“He’s definitely that leader. That first one to jump in, first one to help, first one to take ownership, first one to lead by example. And just anything you ask him to do, he’s going to do it right away, so he’s going to be a great example for our program, for guys to follow (and) for guys to really rally behind,” Tempel said.  

The team has put in the effort in the off-season as well, with eight to 12 athletes showing up for different practices meant to maintain skills.  

Tempel said that, while he hopes to have a winning season, he’s also focused on ensuring the boys have a growing year as well. 

“I think the biggest thing here is, regardless of who we’re playing, are we better today than we were yesterday? And our focus, and hopefully the boys’ focus is, ‘It might not always go my way, and that’s baseball, that’s life,’ but if we can help them find some tools to help mitigate some lows and help them celebrate their successes, then that’s what we’re here to do,” the coach said.  

Tempel said he’s seen the varsity squad’s excitement for the season and he’s ready to get into playing and seeing the team develop.  

“I couldn’t be more excited to have this program with these guys this year and to see the growth they’re going to make,” he said.  

The Tigers start the season this weekend with a tournament at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium. They face Chela at 3 p.m. Friday and Orting High School at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. 

Ephrata Boys Baseball schedule

Friday, March 14 — Sat Mar 15 Johnson-O'Brien Classic @ home 

Friday, March 14 vs. Chelan High School 3 p.m. 

Saturday, March 15 vs. Orting High School 5:30 p.m. 

Tuesday, March 18 vs. Wenatchee High School 4 p.m. 

Saturday, March 22 vs. Aberdeen High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

Tuesday, March 25 vs. Selah High School 4:30 p.m. 

Saturday, March 29 @Grandview High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 1 @ Selah High School 4:30 p.m. 

Saturday, April 5 vs. Toppenish High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 8 vs. East Valley High School (Yakima) 4:30 p.m. 

Saturday, April 12 @ Prosser High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 15 @ East Valley High School (Yakima) 4:30 p.m. 

Saturday, April 19 @ Othello High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 22 vs. Quincy High School 4:30 p.m. 

Tuesday, April 29 @ Quincy High School 4:30 p.m. 

Saturday, May 3 vs. Ellensburg High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

    A group of Ephrata players took turns tossing for one another to swing at during practice Friday.
  

    Ephrata players focus not only on hitting the ball but trying to direct it to a specific location during Friday’s practice. The team seems to be coming together with players offering suggestions for improvement to one another and applauding solid performances.