Early in the season, doubts may have lingered concerning how much of a chance the Dayton and Galena High baseball teams and the Fernley softball team had to make the NIAA State Tournament.
But here are all three teams now - despite being extremely young - heading to this week's state tournament. Dayton will open the 3A State Tournament at 9 a.m. Friday at Damonte Ranch against Spring Creek while Fernley will open the 3A State event at noon Friday at Damonte Ranch against Faith Lutheran. Galena will open the state tournament at 6 p.m. today at Peccole Park against Bishop Gorman.
DAYTON VS. SPRING CREEK, 9 a.m. Friday at Damonte Ranch
The Dayton Nation has been frequenting the NIAA State Tournament quite a bit in various sports in recent years, but not much was expected from this year's Dust Devil baseball team. But despite having six sophomores, three juniors and just three seniors on just a 12-man roster, Dayton won the 3A regular season title with a 12-4 mark. The Dust Devils then swept two games from Sparks last weekend to earn their third trip to state under coach Craig Miller, but their first since 1996. Dayton swept a doubleheader from Spring Creek early in the season. "That was really early in the year," Miller said. "They've improved greatly but we feel we've improved as well.
"We aren't going to change things up. We're going to play the same brand of baseball. We're going to go out and play the best ball we can."
That means Joe Delaski should receive the start against Spring Creek while Cory Yoder should start the second game. In Friday's other 3A state game, Lowry will play Boulder City. The losers will play each other in an elimination game at 2 p.m. Friday, while the winners will play at 4:30.
Delaski and Yoder have been solid all year for Dayton and Miller also has confidence in Ryan Shephard, Cory Linberg, Rory Torvik and Jeff Delaski if needed. Along with being Dayton's No. 3 pitcher, Shephard has been the Dust Devils' utility player. "He's done it all."
Center fielder Jason McKinnon, shortstop Kenny Goss and left fielder Jeff Delaski are Dayton's seniors. Rounding out the lineup are catcher Ryan Ransdell, first baseman Tom O'Brien, Torvik at second, right fielder Brandon Aguilera and designated hitter Anthony Onstott.
"They have all stepped up and just played tremendous baseball this year," Miller said.
GALENA VS. GORMAN, 6 p.m. today at Peccole Park
Silverado, who plays McQueen at 3 p.m. today, is the overwhelming favorite, but Galena coach Gary McNamara believes the 4A event is wide open. The Grizzlies and the Lancers also have home field advantage.
"Any time you travel there's always issues you have to deal with as a coach," McNamara said.
McNamara had issues to deal with early in the year when McQueen swept three games from his team, effectively deciding the High Desert League title on the opening weekend. There were high expecations for a Galena team that was the zone runner-up last year.
But the Grizzlies had just one senior starter in center fielder Justin Norvik, so some may have had their doubts, but not McNamara.
"It didn't shake me at all," he said. "I think we needed that. We grew up quite a bit.
"Everybody was pointing the finger at us that we were one of the teams to beat. They beat up on us."
But Galena rebounded and more than held its own against some of California's top teams in a tournament in California, which included a win over Cypress, which was ranked No. 9 in the nation. McNamara said that experience should help his team heading into state.
"It's not like were going to be walking into something for the first time," McNamara said.
Galena has also won the last two meetings against McQueen, including a 6-5 win in Saturday's Northern 4A finals. McNamara admitted he would love nothing more than to see his team face McQueen for the state title.
"That's what we're hoping for," McNamara said. "I think it would be great for Northern Nevada."
McNamara said his players are excited about playing at Peccole as many of them will play there for the first time after watching the University of Nevada play there over the years.
"I'm sure their excited about just about the site just as much about the fact we're playing for a state championship," he said.
Galena has three solid pitchers in Jacob Anderson, Tony Thompson and Eric Maupin. McNamara said Anderson and Thompson will start the first two games, but is undecided which one will start tonight. He said after the first two games, the pitching assignments are wide open.
He said won't hesitate to use Maupin, who is also the team's closer, tonight if needed. Other pitchers include Bryan Locke, who has been Galena's No. 4 starter and beat McQueen with a complete game in a nonleague contest, Levi Stafford, Brian Evans and J.D. Peters.
"I'm really comfortable with my starting pitchers," McNamara said. "I'm also confident with the guys who come out of the bullpen. I'm not afraid to go to any of them."
When he's not pitching Thompson, a junior, starts at third. McNamara, who coached for eight years in college, said Thompson is a Division I prospect as a third baseman.
Depending on who pitches, Galena has Basim Azzam at catcher, Maupin or Thompson at first, Peters at second or third, Matt Evans at first or second, Pete Lazzari at shortstop, Bryan Evans in left and Anderson in right. Ryan Housley also sees a great deal of action in the outfield and Craig Tanaka is the DH.
FERNLEY VS. FAITH LUTHERAN, noon Friday at Damonte Ranch
The Vaqueros have split with the Northern 3A's other representatives at state in Spring Creek and Lowry, who will face off in the other 3A game. The losers will play at 2 p.m. and the winners will play at 4 on Friday. Fernley took two-out-of-three from Dayton last weekend to advance to state.
Junior Heather Mathews is one of the best pitchers in the North on any level, but Fernley also has Jayme King, who went 3-0 in Northern 3A play, which included a win over Lowry. Fernley also had an impressive showing against 4A Carson in a 4-3 loss at the Lassen Tournament.
Fernley's batting order should look like this: 1, Sevreana Johnson, C; 2, Quinn Hull-Taylor, 2B; 3, King, shortstop; 4, Mathews, P; 5, Nicole Whitney, 1B; 6, Chelsey Calvin, 3B; 7, Sam Rambeau, LF; 8, Teri Medlock, RF; 9, Paul Fryling, CF.
Hull-Taylor is the only senior starter. Other key players include Lynsie Dunn. Fernley coach Diane Chapin said her team has been resilient this year. "When they have a bad game they usually bounce back," she said.