The bracket is up, and the Ashland Pilots will play the Powell Pioneers of Powell, Wyo., in the first round of the northwest regional tournament in Bozeman, Mont. Friday.
The good news for Pilots’ fans is that every game of the tournament will be covered via live stats here. The bad news is, they have a 1,000-mile trip to look forward to, starting today. It takes 16 hours by car, but the Pilots will be traveling by van. Pray for the drivers (head coach Jeff Turner will be one; he’ll take turns with some other unlucky volunteer/parent/passerby).
I talked to a Powell reporter today and he gave me the lowdown on the Pioneers (42-14). First of all, they’ll be one of the most experienced teams Ashland has played, boasting at least one college sophomore and one college freshman. The college sophomore, Scotty Jameson, is the coach’s son and plays wherever he’s needed. Usually, he’s needed on the mound, where he throws a fastball that was clocked in the high 80s last year. He’s a righty that earned a scholarship to play for Arkansas State.
Another stud for the Pioneers is Colter Bostick, a lefty who will play for Midland College in Texas next spring. He leads the Pioneers with 10 home runs. Grant Geiser may be the team’s best overall hitter. He hit about .600 most of the season and has nine homers.
The Pioneers hit well as a team – about .420. Read about them in the Powell Tribune here.
If the Pilots win their first-round game, they’ll play either Washington or the host team on Saturday. The tournament wraps up with the championship game Tuesday.
Check back here for updates following each Pilots game. I’ll get as much as I can in. Photos are a possibility, and of course stats (as long as the site keeps its promise).
