LEGION BASEBALL: Ready to give 100%, one way or another ... Lumbermen prepare to open season season under Allison on Saturday
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 1 year, 3 months AGO
MARK NELKE/Press Travis Usdrowski of the Coeur d'Alene Lumbermen braces as he is being hit by a pitch in the fourth inning of a game against the Missoula Mavericks last July at Thorco Field.
By JASON ELLIOTT
Sports writer
The coaches might be new to this level, with a mostly fresh roster, but the expectations remain the same for the Coeur d’Alene “AA” Lumbermen American Legion baseball program.
They’re going to compete and battle until the final out, one way or another.
Jim Allison, who has coached the Single-A Lumbermen the previous three years, takes over the program this season, which begins on Saturday in the Missoula Mavericks Memorial Day Tournament in Missoula.
“We’ve got an old school type of coaching,” Allison said. “We’re really into hustle and I tell our players to go Google Pete Rose. We want them sprinting to the base and tell them to go-go-go until it’s no-no-no. Most of the guys on the roster have played for (Lums assistant coach) Gil (Pierce) or I in the past three years and we really try to emphasize hustle and trusting your teammates. If you can trust your teammates, you know you can take chances. I really only care that I can trust you and you’re going to give me 100%.”
Lake City High seniors Travis Usdrowski, who will continue his playing career at Centralia College next fall and Mark Holecek, who has signed with Shasta College in Redding, Calif., return after playing at the AA level last season.
Outfielder Jack Pierce, who has signed with Umpqua in Roseburg, Ore., missed last season due to injury, but returns this season.
“Jack can cover from foul line to foul line and could have been at the AA level last year,” Allison said. “The good thing about these new guys is that they don’t have to learn a new system.”
Allison replaces Darren Taylor, who went 108-54 in four seasons as Lums coach, including leading the team to a runner-up finish in the state tournament in 2023 at Thorco Field.
Taylor played on the last 'AA' team to advance to regionals in 1979.
Pierce, the Lumbermen assistant coach, was a catcher at Lewis-Clark State under coach Ed Cheff.
“Gil learned from a guy that was all about grit and as they’re getting older, these guys are developing that as well,” Allison said. “This isn’t a video game, and you’ve got to get out and do stuff on the field. I know our kids are going to give 100% and won’t take innings off.”
Coeur d’Alene will play its home opener on May 29 against the Spokane Cannons at 6 p.m. at Thorco Field, where the team will hold their opening ceremonies.
Coeur d’Alene and Lewis-Clark, the lone two teams in ‘AA’ in the northern part of the state, will play four times this season, with doubleheaders on June 24 at Thorco Field and July 1 at Harris Field in Lewiston.
The state AA tournament is July 23-28 with the Northwest Regional Tournament Aug. 5-10 in Billings, Mont.
“I really like that you’ve got things to shoot for,” Allison said. “The last two years (in Single-A), we’ve won districts and went into the tournament with 11 players and had to play five games. The kids came through because they knew how to win. Coeur d’Alene has a lot of baseball talent. This area has a lot of great baseball and if I can teach them one thing, or help them with their careers to get to the next level, that’s the big thing to me. I’m excited to have this group of young men and get to watch them play baseball. They’re very knowledgeable about the game and it’s really fun to see.”