CC Notebook: Red Devils lose Lokken to Marlins
Friday, June 13, 2008 7:41 PM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleWhen he signed the letter of intent to play baseball at Lower Columbia College, St. Helens High graduate Matt Lokken was in the running to fill an infield void for the 10-time defending NWAACC Western Division champion Red Devils.
But Lokken will never wear an LCC uniform or play for the Red Devils. Instead, he’ll be wearing the black and teal of the Florida Marlins after he was selected last week in the 34th round in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
“I was watching the draft on my computer and names popped up with every selection,” Lokken told the South County Spotlight of Scappoose. “I was pretty excited when I saw my name. It’s been my dream ever since I was little.”
During his prep career, Lokken led the state of Oregon in home runs in his three seasons with the Lions, slamming nine in each of his sophomore and junior campaigns, and 11 as a senior.
Former Mount Hood College and current Marlins’ Northwest scout Gabe Sandy officially signed Lokken to a contract shortly after he was drafted. Lokken is headed to Jupiter, Fla., where he’ll spend the summer playing with the Gulf Coast Marlins, Florida’s rookie league team in the Gulf Coast League.
LCC coach Kelly Smith and his coaching staff continue their search to find players to complete their 2009 roster.
Current, former LCC stars playing summer baseball
Six current or former LCC baseball players are honing their skills this summer in the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League.
Pitchers Luke Zirkle and Cody Fassold are toiling at Wenatchee, which also features LCC pitching coach Rob Hippi in the same role with the Apple Sox. The Kitsap Blue Jackets of Bremerton feature former LCC pitchers Paul Dickey (University of Washington) and Chad Wagner (Hawaii Pacific University), and the Bellingham Bells roster includes catcher Taylor Schenck and infielder Jett Hart.
Also at Bellingham is ex-Mark Morris High and current Washington State University pitcher Matt Argyropoulos, and Kelso grad and Oregon State University pitcher Taylor Starr is with the Corvallis Knights.
The WCCBL recently hired former Seattle Mariners broadcaster Ken Wilson as its first full-time president, and the league plans to expand by at least two teams before 2010. The communities considered for the expansion include Longview/Kelso, Grays Harbor (Aberdeen-Hoquiam) and Klamath Falls, Ore.
If selected, the Longview-Kelso team would play its games at LCC’s David Story Field.
Six LCC student-athletes earn All-Academic status
A half-dozen Lower Columbia College baseball players were named to the NWAACC All-Academic Sports Team for baseball, according to information released by the conference office.
To be eligible for the All-Academic Team, student-athletes must be sophomores in eligibility, have earned a minimum of 36 credits, maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25, and be recommended by their college athletic department.
William (Caleb) Grubb topped the list of LCC student-athletes with a 3.45 grade point average, and was joined in the list by Sebastiaan “Bas” Nooij (3.37), Jett Hart (3.33), Ben Rosen (3.30), Chad Wagner (3.29) and De’Andre Wheeler (3.28).
Ilwaco High graduate A.J. “Mooch” Smith, a sophomore catcher at Centralia College, was named to the team with a 3.49 GPA.
Peterson, Graves set to play at four-year schools
Two important players to Lower Columbia College in the successful defense of the Red Devils’ NWAACC Western Division title and second place finish at the recent NWAACC Baseball Championships are moving on to play baseball at the four-year level.
First baseman/designated hitter Shawn Peterson has agreed to play at Western Oregon University, and Ryan Graves will pitch at Central Washington University.
Peterson, who was an all-NWAACC second-teamer along with all-tournament selection, was among the conference leaders in home runs (four) and runs batted in (34).
Graves had a 2-1 record with a 3.13 earned run average in 32 innings as a relief pitcher.
“Ryan has good arm strength and size,” CWU coach Desi Storey said on the team’s Web site. “He didn’t throw as much as we thought he would this past season, but he has a tremendous upside.”
Around the NWAACC ...
Mark Morris High grad Rusty Beam, who earned Greater St. Helens 2A League honorable mention honors in baseball, has inked a letter of intent to play baseball at Centralia College. ... Kelso’s Jacob Green, who signed to play baseball at Green River College in 2007, has signed on to play baseball at Grays Harbor College. ... Zach Waldher-Alger, who graduated from Mark Morris High in 2006, has committed to join the men’s basketball team at Clark College. ... Onalaska’s Bryce Avila has signed to play baseball at Everett College.
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