A lot of newness will be unveiled when the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears baseball team plays their first home game Friday at Adair Kennedy Memorial Park against the visiting Sitka Wolves.
New turf and accouterments, new uniforms and former conference rivals that have now become one dugout.
“It kind of feels unrealistic in a way,” JDHS senior catcher JJ McCormick said. “I mean, having a new turf field and being on Adair for the past three years, and it all being dirt and rocks. I mean it just feels nice being able to play on a field that I won’t be hit with unexpected hops or anything.”
McCormick played at the now-defunct Thunder Mountain High School last season.
“It’s been kind of weird almost, just transitioning into a new coaching staff and a new team,” he said. “But I’m coming with a few of my players from TM, trying to mix in with the JD players that I’ve been playing with and against for a while.”
For senior right fielder Jacob Katasse, the new field represents family history.
“This is really beautiful because this is my great-grandfather’s field,” Katasse said. “And it’s pretty awesome to play on it when it’s turf. Richard Adair is my grandpa. So it’s pretty beautiful to play on this field.”
Katasse, a JDHS returner, said the merger of schools on a new field “is pretty cool. I have played with a lot of them through Little League and I think it is great to play with them again.”
And first and foremost, a new team culture that represents the roster from player one through 29.
“This is a group of kids that want to get better,” JDHS head coach Luke Adams said. “I think they have always, whatever school they were going to before, the kids that have played varsity in the past or have played in the high school programs, have always been some of the main guys in their programs. Now a lot of them are playing different roles, but everybody has been unselfish. We practice our JV and varsity together, everybody is learning together, we’re trying to really build a program here and take what both schools had that was very positive at both schools, and finding the best way to move forward for the whole group.”
The coaching staff of Adams and assistants Jaime Kissner, Randy Quinto, Jason Hart, Kasey Watts and Larry Blatnick did not have a hard rule as to how the program would operate.
“We kept the kids in the process of sharing information of what they have done in the past and what has worked,” Adams said. “We are trying to listen to their take on things but also, collectively, the group wants to do something a little different.”
The team is trying a different practice format and a different culture, building for the future together on and off the field.
“The kids are enjoying their time together and that as a coach is what you want,” Adams said. “You want the kids to have a good time while they are here. It’s work, but work is a lot more fun when you are with people you like and care about.”
There are no team captains per se. Leadership abounds on the Crimson Bears and coaches rattled off names such as seniors Christian Nelson, McCormick, Katasse, juniors Riley Fick, Nate Fick, Marcus Mendoza, Madden Mendoza, Brandon Casperson, Tyler Frisby, Cayman Huff, sophomores Drew Cadigan-MacAdoo, Hunter Carte and Aaron Lazo-Chappell, freshmen Josh Beedle and Charlie Begenyi. The entire roster was mentioned, meaning there is respect for each individual and that there is a lot of depth on the team, not just in numbers but in skilled numbers.
“It’s a long list,” Adams said. “Too many kids lead in different ways. We have a lot of kids stepping up from every age group. Stepping up to help out. Even a lot of our freshmen stepping up into roles to play an important role like catching bullpen for two hours at a time. That is not easy work. It’s not the most glamorous, but when everybody understands their role and responsibility, then their role can help this program grow all together…Right now just a lot of positives, a lot of good energy, and leadership comes in all different forms. Sometimes it’s vocal, sometimes it’s in behavior and leadership, but right now you can see the whole lightheartedness of the group. It’s fun coming to the ballpark. As long as we keep the kids with that mentality we feel like we can do something.”
The two new uniforms include one in white as the club is no longer playing on dirt. It also features the Yadaa.at Kalé verbiage.
“It’s cool, the kids were up for it,” Adams said. “Just trying to put the pride back into Southeast and especially Juneau baseball…This year, one of our goals in coaching, because we have a bigger program, is we are doing a ton of teaching. We’re teaching and we’re not just saying, ‘This is just for varsity.’ We are doing everything together because of that program mentality. Every coach has bought into it, every kid has bought in. The varsity players don’t get all the reps…number one to 29, everybody has an important role as long as they buy in and commit. And the coaches have done an outstanding job buying into the philosophy that I shared with them that I want to take.”
The Crimson Bears have a team motto, currently shared in-house. If a young man reading this is lucky enough to commit to the program in the future he may learn it.
“We have a lot of team goals, but really we have our team values,” Adams said. “Like commitment, integrity, respect, responsibility and brotherhood. That’s what we are trying to create right now.”
They have a team award, such as other sports programs do after games and matches. It does not necessarily focus on the player of the game, but more on someone who is doing something for the program.
“We’ve been calling it the chain,” Adams said. “It’s not every game though, it’s at the right time. It might be a game, it might not be. It’s about unselfish acts and kids doing things the right way, and what we need in this program to grow and be successful.”
Freshman catcher J. Beedle received the chain because he caught bullpen nonstop for a two-hour practice and did not complain. Junior N. Fick received the chain because he is a “gamer,” meaning he came to a scrimmage ready to play as though it was a game and practiced like he played. There are others. The team is humble and awards are mentioned if all agree.
“Every kid, it doesn’t matter what age, is making a commitment to make this team better and do something for their brothers on the team,” Adams said. “It’s another thing that has been positive because it is not just about the big hit. It might be the big hit one day, or the save, but it’s about showing up ready to play and ready to do whatever it takes to push your teammates in the right direction. We’re trying to create a positive team culture that focuses on growth and development, and pushing each other to compete to be successful.”
Building a team bonds the players and coaches for more than a single season.
“When kids take a few minutes and get to know each other a little better that’s when you see a little more fist bumps and smiles happening in the field and high-fives in the dugout,” Adams said. “We’re just trying to get the kids comfortable with one another so they can trust each other when it comes down to performing on the field and training at practice.”
The little things have made a big difference: group housing instead of hotels, team meals, team get-togethers, bowling, movie nights.
“But the season is long and you have got to have a balance between practice time and recover days,” Adams said. “We are already seeing the kids spend a lot more time away from the field together so we are happy with the results so far. It’s now a six-week, nonstop push with games each weekend. It’s going to be a grind, but it always is and I think this group of young men are up to the challenge ahead.”
So far, JDHS has only played preseason non-conference games at the Sitka Invitational, defeating Soldotna 4-2, 7-3 and 9-1 and falling to Sitka 6-2, 10-1 and 7-6. This home stand and the rest of the season will be Southeast Conference standing play.
“I have only seen pictures of the new field, but it looks pretty nice,” Sitka coach Ken Carley said. “I’m just excited to not be standing in the mud and water all weekend.”
Sitka has defeated Ketchikan (10-0, 3-2, 17-0) and holds a 3-0 SEC record. Kayhi is 0-3.
“JD looks pretty decent this year,” Carley said. “We’re going to have to play our best games. We’re not taking anyone lightly this year. The only difference this year, with there only being one Juneau team, we actually have home games against everyone and also have away games against everyone. So we play everyone two series of three games for varsity…We are just lucky enough that we have seven seniors this year.”
Friday game times are 7 p.m. for varsity (1:30 and 4 p.m. JV) and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday for varsity (noon JV). The team will also be on the field for the Gastineau Channel Little League Opening Day ceremonies at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The SEC best regular season record earns the SEC second spot into the state tournament. The Region V Tournament winner earns the number-one seed SEC spot into the state tournament. Ideally a team wants to have the best conference record and Region V championship as the Region V tournament runner-up would be a two-seed at state and open in a harder first-round state bracket.
The JDHS baseball team are:
Seniors – Katasse (#5), McCormick (14) and C. Nelson (20).
Juniors – Ryland Carlson (4), Madden Mendoza (8), N. Fick (10), Casperson (11), Frisby (12), Huff (16), Marcus Mendoza (18), Nils Nelson (21), R. Fick (22), Breven Jackson (24) and Chris Anderson (25).
Sophomores – Lazo-Chappell (1), Carte (7), Garrett McGuan (9), Christian Brown (13), Cadigan-MacAdoo (15), Silas Keeler (17), Noah Lewis (19), Alejandro Lamas (23) and team manager Jethro Cano.
Freshmen – Beedle (2), Micah Nelson (3), Begenyi (6), Boston Larsen (28), Porter Goudie (29), Kamden Kissner (30) and Brenner Harralston (31).
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stole@juneauempire.com.
