WHS Seeks Dayton Baseball Combine

WAITSBURG – At the June 8 Waitsburg School Board meeting, Waitsburg Athletic Director Stephanie Wooderchak received approval to pursue discussions about possible high school baseball, and middle school baseball and softball combines with Dayton beginning with the 2017 season. Both schools, which recently formed high school and middle school football combines, are now looking more closely at the proposals.

Waitsburg track coach Jeff Bartlow said end-of-year spring sports sign ups returned with 19 softball players and 11 baseball players intending to play for Waitsburg. Because 11 players are not enough to field a team, in case of injuries or academic suspensions, Waitsburg opted to approach Dayton about a baseball combine.

“I believe it will happen, as I have conversed with some Dayton folks about this and I just think it will happen,” Bartlow said.

Waitsburg and Dayton have just completed their first spring football season as a combine and Head Football Coach Troy Larsen considered it a highly successful campaign. (See story on Page 7.)

After getting the green light from Waitsburg’s administration, Wooderchak approached the Dayton School District to gauge their interest.

Following Dayton’s June 16 board meeting, Dayton Superintendent Doug Johnson said, ”At this time there does not seem to be any obstacle to creating the high school baseball combine although no decision is likely to be made until next fall.”

“There is still information to be gathered regarding the junior high program. Most importantly, do we have enough students between the two schools to have a program and then where would the activity take place?” Johnson added.

Until last year, Waitsburg and Prescott played sports together as part of the longstanding Waitsburg-Prescott athletic combine. But the decision was made in Dec. 2014 to dissolve the combine, effective with the 2015-16 school year. In spite of the dissolution, the schools continued to co-op for several sports, including softball and baseball, which were hosted by the Prescott Tigers.

At the June 8 meeting, the board discussed which spring sports Waitsburg could offer. They decided Waitsburg has enough softball players and an available field which makes a solo softball team feasible, according to Waitsburg Superintendent Carol Clarke.

Clarke said the board recognizes it does not have the fields nor the players to operate its own baseball team but believes exploring a combine with Dayton is be the best way to move forward.

Neither Waitsburg nor Prescott school district superintendents offered a comment when The Times asked why Waitsburg will no longer co-op with Prescott.

Prescott Head Softball Coach Angie Potts and Assistant Coach Allan Wilson have both tendered their resignations with the Prescott School District. Potts said that Waitsburg will field its own 1B softball team this coming season.

Bartlow said that, as a combine, a Dayton-Waitsburg baseball team would be classified 2B and play the same teams they are playing in football, including: Kittitas, White Swan, Mabton, Lyle, DeSales, Liberty Christian, and Tri-City Prep.

“We will be familiar with the teams and communities we play at, as we will be doing the same thing in football,” Bartlow said.

Bartlow said the Dayton-Waitsburg team would probably travel with the Dayton softball team on the 2B schedule.

“Lots of logistics will need to be worked out regarding practice facilities and coaches,” he added.

Bartlow said he is hopeful that both middle school baseball and softball combines with Dayton will be approved as well.

“We have successfully fielded middle school softball and baseball teams with Prescott each year since 2007. Now that Prescott is no longer with us, we are in a spot that we need more kids to pull this off and we know it,” Bartlow said.

“Dayton has never had middle school softball and baseball. Having these programs will really help with high school numbers down the road and will allow eighth graders to play middle school sports rather than having to move up and play high school softball or baseball,” he added.

Bartlow said the 2015 middle school football combine set a positive precedent for future middle school combines.

Bartlow said combines in volleyball and basketball are “off the table” for discussion at this point and it is unlikely they would ever be considered.

“Soccer, cross country, golf, and wrestling haven’t been talked about a whole lot, but can be considered at a later time. It all depends on how the football combine goes this fall. We will probably evaluate more at the conclusion of football season,” Bartlow said.