Chukar Baseball - 2007 Outlook

By Coach Baumann

The 2007 Chukar Baseball Program is looking forward to a fun and rewarding spring season. The Chukars will open with three tournaments, all at Elks Memorial Field on the campus of Treasure Valley Community College, the first three weekends of March.

The Hanigan Tipoff Tournament is scheduled for March 2nd, 3rd, and 4th with Spokane Community College and Wenatchee Valley College coming to Ontario for the three day event.

The Hanigan TipOff Tournament will be followed by the Gentry Ford Classic, a tournament championship the Chukars will be defending from 2006. Treasure Valley will host Miles City College from Montana, Southwestern Oregon Community College from Coos Bay, Oregon and Centralia College from Centralia, Washington.

Last but not least in the festive baseball tournament schedule for March will be the Holiday Inn Classic where the Chukars will again be defending their 2006 Championship as they take on two Canadian two year schools, Malaspina College and the Prairie Baseball Academy, also returning to the tournament will be *Dawson Community College from Montana.

*Josh Shaw from Morgan plays basketball for Dawson, in Glendive MT.

The Chukars return six sophomores off the 2006 squad that finished 36 and 17 overall. Rich Schoenfelder and Jake Miller are two returning all-league outfielders that should provide punch in the middle of the lineup. On the mound another all-league performer is Josh Enyart who finished 8 and 3 on the 2006 season. Enyart, however, has experienced some arm problems and has had to rehabilitate throughout the fall season but is expected to be ready to go in March. Another sophomore that should provide leadership and a good bat (hit .346 as a freshman) in the line-up is Greg Christensen. Greg has been voted a team captain and has had a positive influence on the Chukars since he arrived from Minico High School in Rupert, Idaho.

The Chukars also bolster a fine group of freshmen that played very well in the fall and are looking forward to their first action at the college level.

The 2006 Chukars finished one game out of first place and an opportunity to host the Eastern Region Playoffs. The Chukars were eliminated from last year's playoffs by Wenatchee Valley losing 3-2 and an opportunity to move onto the NWAACC Championship Series in Longview, Washington.

The 2007 Chukars goal is to host the Eastern Region Playoffs and play in Longview this May with an opportunity to win the NWAACC Championship.