Story Photos
 Photo by Bill Wagner LCC head coach Kelly Smith, right, hugs closer Jared "Maui" Joaquin after the Red Devils won the 2005 NWAACC title. |
LCC's Smith to lead NWAACC stars in Europe
Friday, July 14, 2006 7:31 AM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleIn 12 seasons of coaching baseball at Lower Columbia College, Kelly Smith has led his Red Devils to nine NWAACC Tournament title games.
Now he hopes to take that success to the international level.
Smith was selected to coach a team of current and former NWAACC standouts as the Team USA entry in the Honkbal International Tournament, which begins July 21 in Haarlem, located outside of Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
"I guess if I can finish second in the NWAACC (five times), I can do it anywhere in the world," Smith said with a chuckle. "This is a wood-bat tournament with some very high-caliber junior national teams. I have no idea what to expect, but I understand many of the teams are the same caliber as those that compete in the Pan-Am Games."
The Honkbal International Tournament has been held for more than 30 years and is contested every two years. Teams from the United States have had mixed results in recent years. Team USA won the tournament in 2000 and 2002, but finished sixth in the six-team event in 2004.
A number of current and former Major League standouts have played in the tourney. Chicago White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras was named Outstanding Pitcher in 1998, and Chicago Cubs hurler Mark Prior received the honor in 2000.
Smith and his troops fly out of Seattle on July 19, and have games scheduled against teams from Taiwan (July 21), Japan (July 22), China (July 25), Cuba (July 27) and The Netherlands (July 29). The championship will be contested July 30, and the team returns home July 31.
"Dick McClain (NWAACC Executive Director) received a call in early May from someone at Team USA inquiring if the league was interested in putting together a team," Smith said. "He immediately offered it to me, and I'm very flattered to be asked. He wanted to talk about it during the NWAACC Tournament, but I was really busy pulling the (rain) tarp on and off the field."
Smith said it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most of the players.
"A vast majority of these guys will never get a chance to play in Europe or even visit it," he said. "We'll have some off days so we can also do some sight-seeing."
The trip, which includes airfare and hotels, along with uniforms, hats and shoes, is free. Sponsors cover the costs.
One of the few restraints put on Smith was the selection of players and coaching staff. All of the players must be either currently on a team or have played in the NWAACC, and the coaches must be employed in the conference.
Skagit Valley coach Kevin Matthews will handle the pitching staff, and Smith will be assisted in the dugout by Clackamas coach Robin Robinson and Rick Baumann of Treasure Valley.
"I started hand-picking players with Kevin before the Major League Draft, but our team changed dramatically when some of the guys were drafted," Smith said. "We also had a number of guys sign on to play (semi-pro) in Alaska, and others committed to playing on summer teams."
Team USA is heavy with ex-Red Devils, as Smith selected six of his former players for the 20-man roster.
"I snuck in a few more of my guys in exchange for all of the work I'm having to do," Smith said.
Former LCC pitchers Reese Baker (Washington State), Jared "Maui" Joaquin (Lewis-Clark State), D.J. Lidyard and Josh Keller (Oregon State) will anchor the pitching staff, with outfielder Ryan Krauser (Washington State) and shortstop Drew George (Oregon State) also earning spots.
Also on the pitching staff are Zach Bird (Mount Hood and Coastal Carolina), Ian Harrington (University of Hawaii and Bellevue), Brian Justice (Treasure Valley) and Cody Visser (Skagit Valley).
Scott Santschi (Spokane) of the NCAA champion Oregon State University Beavers heads the list of remaining players, which also includes Cory Rickard (University of Washington and Spokane), Kaeo Rubin (Washington State and Edmonds), James Allan (University of Portland and Mount Hood), Ricky Reavis and Brad Tracy (Skagit Valley), Marcus McKimmy and Nick Cejka (Columbia Basin), Brooks Lindsley (Mount Hood) and Tyler Hoffman (Treasure Valley).
"We haven't practiced together, and we'll work on signs and signals the morning of the first game," Smith said. "We'll find a way to compete."
Smith knows he'll also be responsible for his team's off-field activities during their week-long adventure.
"My biggest concern will be keeping the guys out of the bars, because Amsterdam is quite a wild and vibrant city with a lot of pot (marijuana) bars and hookers running the streets," he said. "I've told them we'll be there to play baseball and have fun. It's a free trip, and for most it'll be the trip of a lifetime."
Rick McCorkle is a sportswriter for The Daily News. He can be reached at rickmc@tdn.com or 577-2529.
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