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It’s been a year to remember in particular for one local youth baseball team, which is hoping to close out the season strong at an upcoming tournament in Medford.
The Lost Coast Legends 11Us have been one of the hottest teams on the North Coast all season and are riding a very impressive 17-game winning streak.
That remarkable run has resulted in four straight tournament championships, including a recent trip to Medford this past weekend.
And the young players are succeeding with a balanced lineup and lots of camaraderie.
“It’s a good balance, and they play for each other,” coach Blake Satterlee said of the team. “They’re always having fun together and they’re winning games picking each other up when they get down. They all play as a team.
“I love how they’re bonding. They’re buddies on and off the field.”
The impressive run began at a tournament in Bend back in May where they won all five of their games, and they have since gone on to win three straight tournaments in Medford, going 4-0 at each of them.
The team bats came out swinging on their most recent trip to Medford, where the young Legends racked up 46 runs over their four games.
And several players have been stepping up on a deep and talented roster, including Liam Kilgore, who has been one of the team aces on the mound and a strong contributor at first base.
Kilgore had two home runs on the final day of tournament action to help carry the team to the championship game and pitched the final inning of the final to help secure the win.
Oliver Yoder and Ryker Lake also had big tournaments.
Yoder, in the words of Satterlee, “stole the show in the championship,” throwing five innings of shutout ball, and he also impressed at the plate.
“He really got his bat going last weekend,” the coach added.
Lake, meanwhile, plays catcher and “has been a wall behind the plate all season while providing some stellar play in the field and pitching,” Satterlee said.
Guido Satterlee also impressed in tournament action, bringing some much-needed versatility to the lineup.
The starting shortstop and utility man “has been pounding the ball and making great plays anywhere we put him,” the coach said.
Carson Lucas also brings some versatility to the team.
Last weekend he took a brief break from playing youth football to travel for the tournament and turned in a strong performance behind the plate in the championship game, while also seeing time in the infield and on the mound.
Na-res Ballew and Clayton Soeth each also had some big contributions on the way to the tourney championship.
Ballew is the only girl on the roster and continues to impress her coaches.
“One of the most fundamentally sound kids on the roster,” Blake Satterlee said. “She hit well all weekend while making some great plays in the field.”
Likewise with Soeth, whose coaches and teammates fondly refer to as Mighty Mouse.
“His bat really got going this weekend,” Blake Satterlee said. “Has pitched great for us all season long.”
Trigg Pond, Mathew Plotz and Blake Machado rounded out the roster to make the recent trip to Medford, and all three also had a big impact on the path to success.
The speedy Pond plays center field and was a monster on the bases.
“If he got on the bases it was a run for us,” the coach said.
Plotz, who is one of the youngest players on the roster and usually plays for the Legends 10Us, moved up to the 11s for the tournament and did not disappoint, coming up with a clutch RBI single in the championship game.
“He played well for us anywhere we put him,” Blake Satterlee said.
Machado also appears to have a bright future in the game, as much as anyone on the Legends roster.
“He hit well all weekend and is a great outfielder,” Blake Satterlee said. “His baseball IQ is amazing.”
Treyce Conley, Grant Banducci, Graham Gaser and Charlie Smith also have featured on the team during the 17-game winning streak.
“We are very fortunate to have so many talented kids available,” the coach added.
Chad Lake, Joe Ballew and Tyler Conley also have served as coaches of the team this year.
The Legends will close out the season at another tournament in Medford in three weeks.

Categories: baseball, Youth sports

















