NOOKSACK VALLEY
PIONEERS
Coach: Tom Harmon
Last year: Finished first in the Class 1A Northwest Conference standings with an 11-2 record. ... Won the Class 1A Tri-District Tournament. ... Ended season after going 0-2 in the Class 1A State Tournament and finished 22-4 overall.
Players to watch: McKinna Larson (sr., IF); Chloe Gardner (jr., IF/OF); Lindsay Hayes (jr., OF); Kayla Struiksma (jr., IF/P); Alexis Pike (so., IF/P); Lauren Dykstra (sr., C)
Outlook: Nooksack Valley lost some of its offensive fire power when Julia Bosscher and Alexus Mattice graduated last year, but the Pioneers return All-NWC players Chloe Gardner and McKinna Larson. Both played key roles on Nooksack Valley's 2012 state team. The Pioneers also keep their pitching-catching duo intact with Kayla Struiksma and Alexis Pike in the circle and sturdy Lauren Dykstra behind the plate. "Kayla and Alexis played pretty much even steven last year," Nooksack Valley coach Tom Harmon said. "They are both coming along, and Kayla worked really hard in the offseason." Defensively, Nooksack Valley has most of its infield in place. Gardner gives the Pioneers an athletic play maker in center field, and junior Lindsay Hayes is "progressing really nicely in right." Harmon has junior Haley Hunt and sophomore Payton Linville pegged to share time in left field. "It's hard to tell. It's early, but if things progress, we feel like we can be pretty competitive," Harmon said.
2013 ROSTER
No. Player Yr. Pos.
3 Payton Linville So. IF
4 Kayla Struiksma Jr. IF/P
6 Lauren Dykstra Sr. C
8 Melanie Brown Jr. IF
9 Chloe Gardner Jr. IF/OF
11 Lindsay Hayes Jr. OF
12 Haley Hunt Jr. OF
13 Brittney Allen Sr. IF
15 Laura Gelwicks Sr. IF
20 Alexis Pike So. IF/P
25 McKinna Larson Sr. IF
2013 SCHEDULE
March 12 at Lynden 4 p.m.
March 16 Alumni game 1 p.m.
March 19 at Mount Baker 4:30 p.m.
March 22 Sedro-Woolley* 4:30 p.m.
March 23 at Friday Harbor 1 p.m.
March 25 Meridian* 4:30 p.m.
March 28 at Blaine* 4:30 p.m.
April 11 Mount Baker* 4:30 p.m.
April 13 at Chelan 10 a.m.
April 13 at Omak 2 p.m.
April 16 Lynden* 4:30 p.m.
April 19 at Ferndale* 4 p.m.
April 23 Squalicum* 4:30 p.m.
April 25 at Burlington-Edison* 4 p.m.
April 30 at Anacortes* 6 p.m.
May 3 Sehome* 4:30 p.m.
May 3 Sehome 6:30 p.m.
May 7 at Bellingham* 4 p.m.
May 8 at Lynden Christian (Bender) 4:30 p.m.
*NWC game
Reach ANDREW LANG at andrew.lang@bellinghamherald.com or call ext. 862.
