Warriors making first trip to state baseball tourney since 2001

WASILLA — In 2001, the Wasilla Warriors fielded one of the best high school baseball teams in Alaska.

Wasilla won a region title and finished as the runner-up in the state baseball championships. Since then, the Warriors have spent more than a decade watching their season end before the state tournament begins.

But not this year.

Wasilla, which won a region title at the Southcentral Conference Championships in Soldotna last weekend, will make its first state tourney appearance in 13 years Thursday when the Warriors take on West Valley in the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships in Sitka.

“The kids are all excited. After that region championship game they were pretty pumped up. The parents are pumped up. There’s a lot of buzz around (the team),” Wasilla head coach Jason Terryberry said.

Heading into the season, Terryberry had solid expectations for a team that included five seniors. But the Warrior head coach said his team definitely exceeded his expectations.

Wasilla finished 12-1 during the regular season and was 3-0 in the region tourney.

“Did I expect 15-1? Probably not,” Terryberry said. “I knew it was a possibility, if everything fell into place the right way, we’d be able to compete.”

Pitching and defense have been strengths for Wasilla, Terryberry said.

“We’ve capitalized on other team’s errors and mistakes, and usually we’ve been able to minimize our mistakes,” Terryberry said. “The pitching and defense have been outstanding.”

Overall teamwork has been key too, he said.

“There’s great chemistry. They’re all really good guys. There’s never any finger-pointing. They’re always building each other up, instead of breaking each other down.”

Senior Tyler Hansen, who was named the Southcentral Conference Player of the Year, has been a key force for the Warriors. He’s leading the team in most statistical catagories. Hansen is batting .523 with 23 hits, 27 runs and 20 RBI. On the mound, Hansen has a 0.72 earned run average, and is 4-1, with 26 strikeouts, two complete games and a shutout. Hansen has also stolen 17 bases in 17 attempts.

Terryberry said Hansen had the highest batting average and lowest ERA of any athlete in the region nominated for the player of the year award.

“He really did everything. In the field, on the mound, at the plate, he was a leader,” Terryberry said of Hansen. “He really pushes the other guys to get better.”

Hansen is one of seven Warrior regulars hitting .300 or better. Senior Mitchell Chauvin is htting .373 with 19 hits and 26 runs. Chauvin trails only Hansen on the team in all three catagories. Eric McEnnis (.387), Jeffrey Forster (.362), Matt Thomas (.333), Nolan Monaghan (.333) and Blake Marks (.300) are also hitting .300 or better.

Hansen and Marks share the team lead with 14 RBI. Senior Cooper Hanson has knocked in 14 runs.

Chauvin has also been stellar on the mound, with a 0.80 ERA and 5-0 mark. Monaghan is 4-0.

Wasilla has the five seniors, but Terryberry said he hopes his projected returners continue to embrace the newfound success within the Wasilla baseball program.

“It feels really good. The younger guys on the varsity team are really excited. Hopefully we can keep this going,” Terryberry said.

Wasilla is one of two Valley teams to advance to the state tournament. Colony, which suffered a 4-1 loss to Wasilla in the region title game, beat Kodiak in the consolation final to earn the conference’s second bid to state.

Colony opens its tournament Thursday at 10 a.m. against Lathrop in the quarterfinals in Sitka. Lathrop is the Mid-Alaska Conference champion. Wasilla follows in the quarters, playing MAC runner-up West Valley Thursday at 1 p.m.

Colony will play either South or Juneau-Douglas on the second day. Wasilla meets either Sitka or Eagle River on Day 2.