Submitted photos – James Land in action for the Del Norte Majors All-Stars.

By Ray Hamill — It’s been a busy summer for the Del Norte Little League baseball and softball teams, including three All-Star squads still competing.

Fresh off an impressive showing at their District tournament, the Del Norte Minors softball team will be in action at the Oregon state tournament this weekend, while the county’s Majors baseball team also recently won a District championship and will play for a state title next week.

Leading the way for the Del Norte All-Star teams, the county’s Senior Baseball All-Stars have already secured a state title and will now advance to the Regionals tournament in Oakland, which gets under way on Wednesday.

Two other Del Norte All-Stars teams — the Junior baseball team and the Majors softball team — recently made a trip to their state tournaments and both represented the area well.

Seniors Baseball

Years of playing alongside each other paid off for this group of All-Stars, who knocked off an old nemesis on their way to securing the 2026 Oregon state title.

Del Norte went 3-1 at the state tournament, rallying from a loss to the Crook County All-Stars to beat them twice on the way to the title.

Crook County had beaten Del Norte in each of the last two summers, so the championship victory was particularly gratifying for this group of young players.

And a deep pitching staff has played a key role on the path to success.

“They are a great group of very humble and respectful young men,” Del Norte manager Bradley Sharp said. “We have been grinding out wins together in All-Stars for many years. We are stacked with confident pitchers. Honestly, everyone on our roster is capable of taking that mound.”

According to the manager, every player on the squad played a role in winning the state championship, a roster that includes Michael Mavris, Taylor Shrewsberry, Jaxon Sharp, Alex Gonzalez, Lucas Lopez, Aidyn Nelson, Elijah Crespo, Carver Overlin, Trevin Miller and Lucas Fox.

The Del Norte players started the tournament with a big win over Medford American, overcoming an early deficit with 19 runs.

They continued to play hard in game two, with Shrewsberry pitching well and striking out nine Crook County batters, while Mavris was 2 for 3, and Shrewsberry and Sharp each finished 2-for-4.

Submitted photo

However, errors proved costly for Del Norte and Crook County would prevail 10-9.

But with their backs to the wall and their season on the line, the Del Norte players rose to the challenge and would avenge their loss with a thrilling 2-1 walk-off win over Crook County the following day to keep their season going. 

The game was tied 0-0 going into the eighth inning, before Crook County broke the deadlock and carried a one-run advantage into the bottom half of the inning.

Del Norte then loaded the bases with no outs, before Jaxon Sharp again stepped up and delivered a walk-off base hit to secure the victory to set up a true championship game against the same team.

Jaxon Sharp, Crespo and Alex Gonzalez all pitched well in the win, while Lopez went 2-for-3, and Mavris and Shrewsberry were 2-for-4.

The Del Norte All-Stars would carry the momentum into the final game and prevailed 10-0.

Gonzalez got the start on the hill and set the tone with a big performance, while Lopez went 3-for-3, Jaxon Sharp was 3-for-4 and hit the walk-off hit to put his team up by 10 and end the game early in the fifth inning.

“The whole team smashed the ball or found a way on base,” Bradley Sharp said. “We were on fire the whole game.”

Gonzalez and Nelson both went 2-for-3, while Fox and Crespo both hit two-RBI singles.

Numerous players stood out over the tournament for the champs, including Miller and Fox, each of whom had some clutch base hits, as well as Overlin, who “made some great catches in left field,” according to the coach, and Nelson, who “is always a nightmare for any pitcher and had some clutch plays at second base.”

Crespo also was key and “is our lights-out centerfielder, catcher and pitcher,” the coach said.

Shrewsberry also impressed at shortstop, while Lopez “held down third like a champ,” the coach said, and Jaxon Sharp had a good tournament behind the plate.

“He busted his tail and kept the team fired up making clutch plays,” Bradley Sharp said of Jaxon.

Josh Lopez and Mathew Shrewsberry are assistant coaches with the team.

Juniors Baseball

The Del Norte Junior All-Stars made it to their state tournament as well, finishing 2-2 and placing second.

Both of the team’s losses came against eventual state champs, La Grande.

But the young Del Norte players represented their county well and had an outstanding tournament at the plate.

“They came out hitting,” said Del Norte manager Tyler Travis, who had six players average over .500. “Everyone in the lineup hit well. That was one of our strengths.”

The pitchers, according to the manager, also had a good tournament.

“They all performed really well and did exactly what we wanted them to do and helped us win games and kept game close,” Travis added. 

Several of the players played different positions, showcasing their versatility.

“They all did a great job being able to play multiple positions,” the manager added. “And they did a really good job staying positive and not getting down on themselves.”

No roster or team photo was immediately available.

Screenshot

Submitted photo

Majors Baseball

Scoring runs was not a problem for the Del Norte players at last month’s District 8 tournament, which they won for the fifth year in a row.

The young All-Stars outscored their three opponents 37-17 and won all three of their games on the way to securing the title, including a 13-3 win over Central Point in the decider.

Del Norte also defeated Medford Nationals 12-6 and Central Point 12-8 on the way to reaching the championship game.

“We scored a lot of runs,” Del Norte manager Casey Duncan said. “We had good at-bats the whole tournament.”

Jay Land led the way for the team and was named tournament MVP after turning in an outstanding performance in the championship game.

Land hit successfully in all three games and finished 3-for-3 with a home run, two doubles, three RBIs and three runs in the championship game.

He also pitched five strong innings in the final, striking out 14 batters and walking just three in 9.1 innings over the tournament.

Ryker Duncan also impressed for Del Norte, both at the plate and as a relief pitcher, showcasing a keen eye with five walks and a very impressive on-base percentage of .777 over the three games on his way to scoring six runs.

Catcher Jayden Parras had a big tournament on both sides of the plate, finishing with a base hit that went for extra bases in all three games in the leadoff spot and displaying athleticism and a strong arm at catcher.

Dominic Estrela, Isaiah Brunson and Rayce Restad each also impressed for the Crescent City team.

Dominic Estrela

Estrela stepped up with multiple clutch hits on the way to the title, hitting successfully in all three games, including two hits, two RBIs and two runs in the final, while Brunson was 5-for-8 in tournament games and played some outstanding defense in center field.

“He will be one of the best outfielders in his class,” Casey Duncan said.

Restad had two good relief appearances and hit the ball hard, according to his coaches.

Marion Webster added three hits over the three games and helped set the tone on defense with some big games in left field and at catcher, while teammate Reid LaFazio kept the pressure on opposing pitchers with some great at-bats that went deep into the count.

Demi Saylor, the only girl on the team, also made her presence felt, particularly on defense at second base, where she enjoyed an “outstanding” tournament, according to Casey Duncan.

Saylor also did not strike out once in tournament play.

Carson Hood, Levi Moore and Logan Horner round out a deep roster and each also contributed on the way to the District championship.

Hood scored three runs and displayed a keen eye at the plate with walks in the latter two games, while Moore played well in left and right field and also had a big double that helped end the championship early, and Horner helped set the tone on defense with a good tournament at first and third base, including making the final out with a big play at third base in the 12-8 win over Central Point.

“They didn’t get overwhelmed, they had good composure,” Casey Duncan said of his players. 

Kameron Hood and Mark Horner are assistant coaches with the team.

The Del Norte All-Stars open their state tournament next Friday.

Majors Softball

The Del Norte softball all-stars enjoyed a good summer, placing first at their District tournament and qualifying for the recent state tournament.

They won each of their games at the District tournament, both against Central Point, by a combined 34-11.

“They played really well,” Del Norte manager Kris Ottersbach said. “Our pitching was on fire — we threw a lot of strikes — our infield looked good and we hit really well.”

The Del Norte girls also did a good job on the bases and continually caused their opponents problems with their base stealing.

Starter Farrah Richards and relief pitcher Bailey Ottersbach set the tone in the circle and both impressed, as did catchers Phoebe Peterson and Reese Walker.

Several of the team’s players also had big tournaments at the plate, including hard-hitting Raelynn Escobedo, who led the way and finished with multiple triples and doubles, while teammate Piper Stephens led the team in RBIs and is “a very reliable hitter,” according to the manager.

Bailey Ottersbach set the tone on the bases and led the team in stolen bases, with Richards, Stephens, Escobedo, Walker and Grace Grant each also causing their opponents problems with their base running.

“At the District tournament every single player had a huge role in the success of the team, with every single player making it on base,” Kris Ottersbach said. 

Escobedo set the tone on defense with some big plays at shortstop, as did teammate Carli Sharp at third and Stella Crager at first.

And that wasn’t all for the young Del Norte girls.

“Outfielders played a huge role and they showed great communication and teamwork,” the manager added.

The roster, which also includes Rockella Ramirez, Vandalee Evans, and Yliana Rodriguez, continued to battle hard at the state tournament despite coming up short against two quality teams, including Hermingston, which took home the title for the fourth straight year.

“The teamwork these girls showed was absolutely incredible,” Kris Ottersbach said. “It was an honor to coach these incredible players.”

Jess Richards and Pedro Rodriguez were assistant coaches with the team.

Submitted photo – The Del Norte Minor All-Stars will play for a state title this weekend.

Minors Softball

After recently claiming the District title, the young Del Norte girls will now turn their attention to this weekend’s state tournament in Keizer, opening on Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

And if they continue to play at the same level as they did at the District tourney, they could make some noise against some of the best young teams in Oregon.

According to manager Gina DeWitt, the team has succeeded so far with a good balance.

“We have a few girls that can hit the ball and we have a pitcher (Rileigh O’Brien) that is pretty advanced,” she said. “She makes light work it.”

O’Brien set the tone for her teammates with a big showing at the District tournament, helping to lead the Del Norte girls to a pair of victories over Central Point by scores of 13-2 and 4-1.

O’Brien faced 41 batters over the two games and remarkably gave up just one hit and eight walks while striking out 32, an impressive stat line at any age but particularly so for such a young player.

But she was far from the only standout on a Del Norte All-Star team that has quickly come together.

“These girls, they play together well,” DeWitt said. “They really like each other and just overall are real positive and love the game of softball, and that makes them easy to coach.”

Catchers Landrie Walker and Lucy May Peterson both also played key roles behind the plate on the way to the District championship, as did third baseman and back-up pitcher Ava DeWitt.

And while this is a group of young players that clearly have fun and like to play with each other, it’s also a team that is eager to improve their game.

“They’re all good players and they have a great attitude,” the manager said. “And (I like) their willingness to get out there and play any position.

“They’re always cracking jokes, they’re a fun group of girls. But they know what we’re out there to do and they do perform really well and cheer each other on and do their chants. 

“They’re just excited to be there.”

The roster also includes two girls from Brookings — Brinley Thorson and Leah Jenkins — who stepped in at the last minute to ensure the team had a full roster for the summer season.

Maci Boughton, Faith Stone, Debbie Romero, Philly Karanopoulos, Addie Kannika and Mara Hamilton round out the talented roster, with assistant coaches Amanda Karanopoulos and Kimmy Deford.

“We’re hoping we win, that’s obviously our goal,” Gina DeWitt said of the upcoming state tournament. “But we’re all happy to be there.”