TUESDAY MORNING MOUND VISIT: Don't wait until the World Series to watch baseball in Lewiston
· Yahoo Sports
May 5—COMMENTARY
Lewis-Clark State outfielder Bryce Johnson got one at-bat last year in Lewiston.
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A year later, he recorded four hits in the biggest game of his career (so far) to help the Warriors beat British Columbia 12-2 on Sunday and win the Cascade Conference Tournament championship at Harris Field.
With the NAIA Opening Round, presented by Avista, on deck next Monday through Thursday in Lewiston, Johnson's next game and each game after that, will take the cake for the biggest of his career thus far.
After a gold glove-caliber throw from right field foul territory to third baseman Jackson Jaha to tagout a runner following an errant pickoff attempt on Friday, Johnson introduced himself to a World Series-esque crowd of over 700 in the CCC Tournament opener.
His Sunday encore hardly came as a surprise to his head coach, Jeremiah Robbins, even after a 4-for-39 slump (.102) leading into his 4-for-4, four-RBI, four-run day, which included a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.
"At this level, man, there's gonna be a lot of failure. And it kind of snowballed on him in the middle ... of our season," Robbins said of Johnson. "And we had a lot of faith in him. Kept putting him in, and he would grind out. He was always competing. I mean, he's a Gold Glove outfielder.
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"There's a lot more that he brings to the table than just his bat. But when the bat shows up, it's pretty electric as well."
Robbins said that Johnson is "a listener, who analyzes" the game and is often his own biggest critic.
Before arriving at LCSC last season, Johnson earned a Gold Glove and second-team All-Northwest Athletic Conference North Region honors in both of his seasons at Skagit Valley Community College.
With just one error through 112 total chances, seven assists, and 104 putouts, Johnson earned another Gold Glove this year.
Johnson said he credits his coaches, particularly Robbins, for continuing to believe in him even when he was in a slump.
"He keeps believing in me no matter what, he'll come up to me after a rough day, he'll tell me he still believes in me and keeps putting me in the lineup," Johnson said of Robbins. "And I'm glad I can show up for the team (Sunday)."
That kind of belief and coaching is exactly what transformed Johnson from a bench player last year at LCSC to a 43-game starting right fielder batting cleanup in the Warriors' lineup and hitting .311, with 13 doubles, a triple and six home runs.
And it's an example of the kind of excellent mentorship that earned Robbins Cascade Conference Coach of the Year honors in his first year back in the league.
A lot has and will be written about the job Robbins has done this year. It's been an admirable one and falls totally in line with the culture — some may call it magic — that he created during his first six-year tenure, which led to three consecutive national championships from 2015-17.
All of it has led the 41-7 Warriors to the moment they are about to tackle.
"He's there on your best days, and he's there on your worst, and he lets you know, good or bad, how to get through it," LC State first baseman Ryan Prescott said of Robbins after the Warriors won the CCC Tournament. "So yeah, he's had a huge impact on the program, and definitely made us work really hard this year, which makes this moment that much more special."
The Warriors missed the World Series the last two years. To return, they will need to be the last team standing in next week's Opening Round. The teams that will arrive in Lewiston to challenge the Warriors will be released on Wednesday.
Do yourself a favor if you like baseball, and catch a game or two or more when the Warriors play next week. The team is talented and rich with players who you may want to say, "I watched him when" about.
One of those guys Jaha, the Warriors' third baseman, is the son of former Major Leaguer John Jaha, and is drawing Major League Baseball draft interest himself with a .406 batting average and nine home runs.
The Warriors' pitching staff, including pitchers Evan Canfield, Landon Webb, Mason Goodson Kason O'Neil, Jason Tayor and Jackson Cloud, have sported the best ERA and WHIP in the NAIA all year.
It's a talented group that plays entertaining games and who knows, you may witness history.
Eight Warriors earn league honors
Johnson and senior catcher Bulla Ephan earned Cascade Conference Gold Gloves.
Second baseman Izzy Madariaga, left fielder Brandon Nguyen, relief pitcher Jordan Lennartson and starters Mason Goodson and Landon Webb each earned first-team All-Cascade Conference honors. Ephan and pitcher Jace Taylor were voted All-CCC Honorable Mention.
Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, [email protected], or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.