The Olympian

Bears armed and ready

By Meg Wochnick | The Olympian • Published March 20, 2008

OLYMPIA - The calendar is out and the date is circled.

May 24 is on the minds of many of the Olympia Bears baseball players. That's when this season's Class 4A state championship game will take place at Safeco Field.

"I know we definitely have the talent to get things done this year," Olympia senior pitcher Jeremy Gendlek said. "We have a lot of the same guys from last year, but the mentality is way different. We know it's our last high school season, and we don't want anything less than a ring on our fingers."

Gendlek is one of 12 letter-winners back from last season, which many of the Bears felt was a disappointment. Olympia went 14-8 overall and was fourth in the Narrows League. The Bears were bounced out of the first round of the district tournament by Puyallup, 2-1.

But one thing that will give Olympia a strong edge in the Narrows League in '08 is its pitching staff. Ask Olympia coach Todd McDougall about his aces, and he's quick to point them out.

"Pitching will be our strength," McDougall said. "I'll put our top four arms up against anyone's."

His top four arms - seniors Adam Conley, Kramer Champlin, Gendlek and Damon Porter - could very well be the best rotation in South Sound.

Conley, Champlin and Gendlek each are ranked on Baseball Northwest's list of top senior players in Washington. Conley, who has committed to Washington State, has made the most improvement over the four years on the team. Last season, the left-handed Conley set a school record with a .185 opponent batting average, and his ERA was 1.83. Gendlek, who went 9-0 as a sophomore, is the hardest thrower of the group. Champlin features a tough breaking ball. Porter is the team's primary relief guy. Both Gendlek and Conley play baseball year-round.

"From what I see, we've been blessed with a lot of size," Conley said. "And there's other things that go into it. We've spent a lot of time and effort to get to where we are right now."

McDougall compares his pitching staff to that of the 1998 Olympia team. That squad featured three NCAA Division I players, including Wayne Kennedy, who went on to play at Washington State.

"That '98 staff was pretty good," McDougall said. "But these guys are better right now and they give us more depth than we ever had."

The Bears look to get back to their offensive identity, too. The program broke offensive records in 2003 and again in '05, but only managed to bat .260 as a team with two players batting above .300 in '07.

"We didn't swing the bat very well," McDougall said. "I feel like that's where we've made some strides so far. That's a consistent strength for us, and we're going to get much better."

"As time progresses, I think we'll be a much better team offensively," Conley said. "And when that comes, I think we'll be a tough team to beat, that's for sure."

So far, however, the Bears are battling the injury bug early. Juniors Carter Manning and Kramer Skidmore are out with injuries but are projected to return to the lineup soon. But Olympia is 5-0 so far this season and averages 9.2 hits per game.

The Bears already have quality wins, over Puyallup and Wilson, but will have a tough Narrows League slate. Central Kitsap and Stadium are among the other favorites, and Olympia will face both those schools in the next two weeks.

"It will be a good measuring stick for us," McDougall said. "It's very exciting to see where we're at. If we get through this, someone out of this league will be pretty good."