BELLINGHAM

RED RAIDERS

Coach: Rick Ellis

Last year: Finished seventh in the Class 2A Northwest Conference standings with a 2-11 record. ... Did not qualify for postseason and finished 2-18 overall.

Players to watch: Julia Latimer (so., IF/OF/P); Katie Hinkley (sr., P/IF); Beth McFadden (sr., OF)

Outlook: There's no way around it. Bellingham is a young, inexperienced team. There will be growing pains, but Bellingham coach Rick Ellis is more focused on how his Red Raiders develop throughout the season. "The first couple of weeks, we're just trying to teach fundamentals," Ellis said in a phone interview. "A lot of the young girls haven't played the game before, so we have our work cut out for us this year." The Red Raiders also lost key pitcher Katie Cooke to graduation. Bellingham does have pieces to build from, though. Senior Katie Hinkley, who logged 15 to 20 innings in the circle last year is slated to take over for Cooke, and Julia Latimer showed flashes at the plate last year, hitting over .500 the last eight games of the season. "We've kind of adopted the little saying of 'we are going to take it one pitch at a time,'" Ellis said. "We are going to give it our best shot whether we're hitting or playing defense. Regardless of what happens, we are going to flush it, get experience and get ready for the new one."

2013 ROSTER

Player Yr. Pos.

Jessica Braaten So. UTL/P

Yuli Buckley Fr. OF/IF

Vanja Flones Fr. IF

Katie Hinkley Sr. P/IF

Amaya Johnson So. IF

Paige Jacobsen Fr. OF/IF

Julia Latimer So. IF/OF/P

Luisa Manatu Fr. IF

Beth McFadden Sr. OF

Jasmine Midgley So. C/IF

Sasha Prudence Jr. OF

2013 SCHEDULE

March 12 at Blaine (Pipeline) 4:30 p.m.

March 15 at Meridian 4 p.m.

March 16 Bellingham 11 a.m.

March 16 Friday Harbor TBD

March 19 at Squalicum 4 p.m.

March 22 at Mount Baker* 4:30 p.m.

March 23 La Conner noon

March 23 La Conner 1:45 p.m.

March 26 Lynden 4 p.m.

March 29 at Lynden Christian (Bender)* 4:30 p.m.

April 9 Meridian* 4 p.m.

April 11 Blaine* 4 p.m.

April 16 Squalicum* 4 p.m.

April 19 at Sehome (Frank Geri)* 4 p.m.

April 22 Sedro-Woolley* 4 p.m.

April 25 Anacortes* 4 p.m.

May 3 at Burlington-Edison* 4 p.m.

May 7 Nooksack Valley* 4 p.m.

May 8 at Ferndale* 4 p.m.

* NWC game

Reach ANDREW LANG at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.