2006 Washington State Baseball Champions

Granite Falls parade honors state championship baseball team
The Granite Falls School District and the community of Granite Falls honored the 2006 state championship baseball team at a city-wide parade May 31, 4:30 pm on N. Granite Ave.

The coaches and team were honored at the park by Mayor Lyle Romack, followed by speeches from head coach Doug Engstrom and team co-captain and pitcher, Jake Peden. Athletic Director Mike Hahn closed the ceremony honoring all Granite Falls athletes that qualified for state tournament play.

The 2006 Baseball team was the first team to take home a state championship in any sport for the high school.

Tigers' patience pays off in state title
Granite Falls beats Rochester 3-0 in rain-shortened 2A championship game
By Scott M. Johnson, Herald Writer -- www.heraldnet.com, May 28, 2006 

YAKIMA - They waited. And they waited.

The Granite Falls Tigers did so much waiting on Saturday that they might as well have been in line at the DMV - not playing for the 2A state baseball title.

Their patience was tested as the start time of the state championship game was delayed 45 minutes. They tried to kill time as the between-inning intermissions got extended in hopes of drier conditions.

And then, after six rain-soaked innings of near-perfect baseball, the Granite Falls Tigers had to endure the hardest wait of all.

But in the end, following an 85-minute rain delay at Yakima County Stadium, the Granite Falls baseball team got to celebrate their state title an inning early. The game called due to a soaked field, the Tigers earned a 3-0 win over Rochester on Saturday night because at least five full innings had been completed.

"This means everything," said junior pitcher Jon Pennington, who pitched six innings of two-hit, shutout baseball to earn the win. "We've worked so hard all year for this.

"We would've liked to have gone out there and earn those final three outs, but we'll take it any way we can get it."

Patience proved virtuous not just during the delays, but also through the course of the game. The Granite Falls batters waited patiently as Rochester's sophomore pitcher struggled through control problems, and the Tigers came through with enough timely hits to support Pennington's strong performance.

Junior Kyle Wood doubled in a run after back-to-back walks in the second inning, then senior Jake Peden added a bases-loaded, two-run single to cap off a two-out rally in the third.

That 3-0 lead held up, thanks in large part to Pennington. While not blowing anyone away with speed, the junior used accuracy and unpredictability to baffle the Rochester bats. Pennington allowed just two hits during his six shutout innings while striking out four.

The only Rochester threat came in the second inning, when Jarin Ruiz advanced to third base after a one-out single but was eventually stranded when Pennington struck out Ryan Mortenson looking.

Pennington gave up just one hit over the final four innings, and that batter was thrown out trying to steal second base to end the third inning.

"He did another nice job of spotting his pitches and changing speeds," Granite Falls head coach Doug Engstrom said. "He kept them off balance all game."

Granite Falls (18-6) had just three hits, none of which came after the third. They benefited from four walks, and then got a little help from Mother Nature.

Rochester's pitcher was warming up for the final inning in the top of the seventh when the steady rain morphed into a downpour. Umpires ordered the players off the field at 6:38 p.m., and a half hour later the skies briefly cleared. But with no tarp on hand at Yakima's A-level minor league field, the field was deemed unplayable despite efforts by the grounds crew to turn the mud to dirt.

At 8:03, with the rain picking up again, the game was called. And one inning premature, Granite Falls earned its victory and the 2A state title.

"It's unfortunate," Engstrom said of the aborted victory. "It kind of throws a little less excitement into (the win). ... It's too bad. I don't like the way it ended for Rochester."

Engstrom and Rochester coach Mike Cagle both lobbied with WIAA officials to play the final inning this morning, but they had to settle for the six-inning finish.

"It's the nature of the game," Cagle said. "You'd like to get your last at-bat, but it didn't happen. All I know is that Granite Falls is a pretty good baseball team. We were absolutely happy to keep them to three runs."

Cagle said he appreciated Engstrom's offer to continue the game, but he acknowledged that Granite Falls won the title outright.

"Who would have guessed it?" Cagle said. "Both teams came from Western Washington to sunny Yakima, only to have the game cut short because of rain. I guess that's the way it goes."

The long waits might not have made for a perfect day for Granite Falls, but patience proved to be a virtue.

"It's kind of hard to wait through (the delays) and have to come in cold," Pennington said while watching senior teammates Peden and Josh Wammack hold up the state championship trophy. "But it was worth it."

At Yakima County Stadium
Granite Falls 012 000 - 3 3 0
Rochester 000 000 - 0 2 1
Pennington and Kalma. Everson and Knutz. WP-Pennington. LP-Everson. 2B-Wood (GF). Records-Granite Falls 18-6 overall, Rochester 19-5. 

Championships are always a team effort
www.heraldnet.com, May 31, 2006 

Call it the County of Champions.

Communities throughout Snohomish County are going bonkers this week, as well they should, after a slew of astounding performances by high school athletes during state championship weekend.

Three team championships and several individual state titles - and some other efforts that came oh, so close - are being celebrated on school campuses. But they're also being recognized throughout towns like Snohomish, Granite Falls and Lake Stevens, by families and volunteers who were all part of the success.

High school coaches do terrific work. Most will also admit that much of their job is polishing, that if their athletes already have solid fundamental skills, it's thanks to coaching they had before they ever got to high school.

Alan Briggs, who in his first year as coach took a dominant Jackson baseball team to an undefeated season and Class 4A championship, was honest about that point in a preseason interview with Herald writer Mike Cane.

"There's not a whole lot of instruction that I can really provide," Briggs told Cane. "I can look at some little things, but I'm working with some guys who already know how to play baseball."

Raw talent had a lot to do with that, but so did positive experiences in Little League and other youth sports. Everyone in the Mill Creek area who contributed to those, whether by coaching, umpiring or other volunteer duties, deserves a share of the credit for Jackson's success.

Same in Granite Falls, which this afternoon will hold a parade for its Class 2A champion baseball team. Same in Snohomish, which capped a dominant boys soccer season with a 5-1 victory over South Kitsap in the Class 4A title game. Same, too, in Lake Stevens, which handed Snohomish its only soccer loss of the season and made it to the state semifinals. ....

.... Congratulations to all - the athletes, the coaches, and the communities that provide the foundation for their success. You're all champions.