The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears baseball team finished the Region V Baseball Tournament at Ketchikan’s Norman Walker Field with a 2-2 record and punched their ticket to the state championships next weekend in Anchorage.
The Crimson Bears fell to Southeast Conference regular season champion Sitka 14-12 Saturday and will be the second seed from the SEC at the 2025 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska DI Baseball State Championships next weekend at Anchorage’s Mulchay Stadium.
“We battled hard, lots of ups and downs, but overall we feel like we had a good tournament,” JDHS coach Luke Adams said. “Wish we could have pushed Sitka to the end in that last game, but they are a very talented, skilled and well-coached team. We’re excited to represent Southeast at state next week.”
Sitka earned an early berth to the state show by having the better season record and clinched the top berth to state with the Region V Championship win over JDHS.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé’s Nate Fick (10) and Riley Fick (22) both reach for a pop-up during Juneau Douglas’s 14-12 loss to Sitka, losing the championship game of the Region V Baseball tournament at Norman Walker Field on Saturday. (Christopher Mullen / Ketchikan Daily News)
JDHS started the championship game slugfest with 10 runs in the top of the first inning.
“We just had a lot of confidence,” Adams said. “We went out and talked about having a good fast start and the kids were ready to play. So we were excited to have that opportunity to play Sitka again. The kids had a good approach at the plate and our bats got going. Good momentum in the first inning for sure.”
Crimson Bears junior Brandon Casperson earned a walk and scored on a ground ball by junior Madden Mendoza. Junior Nate Fick reached on an error, senior JJ McCormick bunted to reach base and sophomore Noah Lewis walked scoring Madden Mendoza. Marcus Mendoza reached on an error scoring Fick, senior Jacob Katasse singled scoring McCormick and Lewis. Junior Tyler Frisby doubled in Marcus Mendoza for 6-0.
Madden Mendoza singled scoring Katasse and Fick homered to left field scoring Fick and Marcus Mendoza.
Colony scored eight runs in the bottom half of the inning, and two more in the second and third for a 12-10 lead.
JDHS tied the game in the top of the fourth inning with junior Riley Fick hitting a sacrifice fly scoring Lewis and Frisby hitting a single to score freshman Micah Nelson.
Sitka scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and held on for the win.
JDHS’ N. Fick had three RBI, Katasse and Frisby two apiece, Madden Mendoza, Lewis, Marcus Mendoza and R. Fick one each. Frisby had two hits, Madden Mendoza, N. Fick and Katasse one each.
Senior Christian Nelson started on the mound and went two outs, allowing three hits and eight runs and walking six batters. Marcus Mendoza relieved for one inning, allowed one hit and two runs and walked four. R. Fick finished with 4.1 innings, allowed two hits and four runs, walked seven and struck out two.
JDHS worked through some outings where they had a lot of walks from the pitching staff.
“A lot more walks than we wanted but overall, everybody is going to have their good days and sometimes tougher days,” Adams said. “We know that we have a good defense all around. A defense-first mentality, we feel like that is one of our strong points.”
JDHS opened the SEC Region V Tournament with a 10-5 win over Ketchikan on Thursday.
Ketchikan led 2-0 through the top of the third inning before JDHS took a 3-2 lead in the bottom half. Kayhi tied the game in the top of the fifth inning and JDHS scored six runs in the bottom half to take control of the game and hold on for the win.
Lewis, Andersen and junior Riley Fick led with two RBI each, junior Nate Fick, freshman Micah Nelson and juniors Tyler Frisby and Brandon Casperson one each. N. Fick, R. Fick and Frisby had two hits each, Andersen, Casperson, Lewis and junior Madden Mendoza each. Lewis, Mendoza and N. Fick scored two runs each, Casperson, Andersen and Frisby one each.
Senior Christian Nelson pitched one inning, allowed two runs, walked five batters and struck out one. Freshman Charlie Begenyi pitched finished the game with six innings of work, allowed five hits and three runs, walked three and struck out three.
JDHS next fell to Sitka 6-2 on Friday.
JDHS’ two runs came in their final at bat in the top of the seventh inning.
Junior Tyler Frisby earned a walk, junior Brandon Casperson reached on a fielder’s choice and both advanced on a ground ball out. Junior Nate Fick singled scoring Frisby, JJ McCormick earned a walk and Noah Lewis grounded out scoring Casperson.
JDHS would strand three runners in their final at bat.
N. Fick and Lewis led with one RBI apiece. N. Fick and Riley Fick had two hits apiece, Casperson, Lewis and Micah Nelson one each.
Hunter Carte pitched the six innings, allowed seven hits and six runs, walked three batters and struck out three.
The loss to Sitka moved JDHS into a Friday elimination game later in the evening against Ketchikan and the Crimson Bears persevered 4-3.
“Definitely got the nerves and the tension up in the game, they were ready to play, Adams said., “We don’t feel like we played bad that game at all. Ketchikan was getting a lot of good breaks. It pushed us as a team to stay together and battle through that challenge. Our kids stayed together and kept calm throughout. It was nice to see a walk-off win.”
JDHS trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning but Casperson walked and moved up a sacrifice by Madden Mendoza and hits by N. Fick and C. Andersen. Lewis singled scoring Casperson and N. Fick and Marcus Mendoza singled scoring N. Fick to take a 3-1 lead.
Kayhi tied the game in the top of the seventh inning and JDHS was in a fight to earn a seed to the state tourney.
In the bottom of the seventh inning JDHS had two outs and two runners on when N. Fick smacked a single through the right side of the infield, bringing home senior Jacob Katasse with the game-winning run.
“It all started with Jacob Katasse getting on base early and Nate (Fick) made the best of that opportunity like he has all season,” Adams said.
“That’s the nature of the game in a lot of ways,“ Adams said. “On any day anybody can beat anybody else. We feel like we are a solid team and can perform well, but it depends on the day, on how the team’s playing, how the pitcher is doing…overall that game with Ketchikan, yeah, we beat them a few times, but they have also taken it to us early in the season…just staying focused and staying disciplined and preparing for the next play, the next at bat…that’s all we can do. The kids have responded really well to that mantra — controlling what we can control.”
Lewis led with two RBI, N. Fick and Marcus Mendoza one apiece. Madden Mendoza, N. Fick, Lewis, Marcus Mendoza, R. Fick and Katasse had one hit each.
Casperson, N. Fick, Lewis and Katasse scored one run each. Marcus Mendoza, Casperson and Frisby earned one walk each.
Junior Cayman Huff pitched 6.1 innings, allowed five hits and three runs, walked four and struck out one. Marcus Mendoza closed for two outs, allowed one hit and walked one.
JDHS players selected to the Region V All-Conference team included N. Fick, Frisby and Lewis, based on regular season play.
“We feel like we could have some other players on there as well,” Adams said. “But the guys that did make it are all deserving.”
Adams said the team is excited for the state tournament.
“Our goal is to go up there and win the first game,” he said. “That’s what we’re focused on…This team has gone through a lot with the school transition this year, they’ve responded to every situation. We are proud of the kids and what they have done this far in the season and we are really excited to have this experience and grateful.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.