Baseball: NHS coach ready to fill positions
Published 12:54 pm Monday, March 14, 2022
- Randy Lindstrom
Randy Lindstrom in Naselle is one of the most enthused people on the planet right now.
March 14 (a) Wishkah
March 17 (a) Lake Quinault
March 19 (h) PeEll
March 21 (h) Taholah
March 24 (a) Oakville
March 25 (h) Lake Quinault
March 28 (h) Mossyrock
March 31 (h) Wishkah
April 1 (a) Cathlamet
April 11 (a) Taholah
April 13 (h) Oakville
April 18 (a) Mossyrock
April 22 (a) PeEll
April 29 (a) Ilwaco
May 2 (h) Winlock
May 4 (a) Ocosta
Spring schedules subject to change
He has been coaching baseball since 1999, beginning as a volunteer. He was hired as an assistant a couple of years later and appointed head coach in 2015.
He comes into the season with enthusiasm and a few worries.
His new assistant coach is Tyler Ratkie, who graduated from PeEll and played baseball at Dakota State. “Looking forward to adding a coach with his knowledge to the squad this year,” Lindstrom said.
Like everyone, he is keen to be playing a full schedule. The Comets managed four 2020 practice sessions before covid hit. They played a curtailed 2021 season against some local league opponents, but with no districts or state.
As for rivals? “Our league competition will most likely be Mossyrock,” the coach said.
About 16 guys are expected to turn out.
“I would love to say I’m looking forward to having our senior core group back this year, but unfortunately due to injury there’s a big (question mark),” the coach noted, hoping seniors Joey Strange and Jason Harmon will be healthy.
‘We’ve got a large group of young experienced players that I’m really excited to get started wit.’
Randy Lindstrom
Naselle baseball coach
Two juniors will feature in key roles. Lindstrom sees Clay Bergeson as a stand-out, playing first base and pitching, while Kolten Lindstrom will catch and pitch, having missed all of last year with a broken leg suffered in the first game of the Comets’ football season.
In Naselle tradition, yesterday’s stars have younger siblings. “We’ve got a large group of young experienced players that I’m really excited to get started with, including five eighth graders and three freshman who have played a ton of baseball,” Lindstrom said.