When the Lindbergh baseball team walked off the field after beating Kennedy Catholic 9-1 Tuesday night to finish a perfect regular season, it meant something.The Eagles had their first Seamount title in 13 years wrapped up for some time, but going undefeated meant something. Beating Kennedy Catholic on the regular season’s final day meant something, too.
“I think that was the statement the kids wanted to make,” said Lindbergh coach Benny Benavides. “Staying undefeated, that was big for them. That was priority one. We hadn’t celebrated the league title or anything until we ended that game against Kennedy.”
Last year Lindbergh (14-0) lost a double header to Kennedy on the final day of the regular season, which cost them the Seamount title. This year they easily avoided a repeat. And Lindbergh didn’t just go undefeated this year. It dismantled the Seamount, outscoring opponents 218-32. Lindbergh’s 218 runs scored were 40 more than any other team and its 32 runs allowed were 34 fewer than any other team.
The Eagles last won a league title the season before Benavides started as head coach. It’s something he’s fought for every one of his 12 years at Lindbergh, and losing it on the final day of the season last year was tough.
“Every year we talk about it,” he said. “It all fell together with that win. There was something about that win. We were finally able to move on.”
The biggest key to another successful year was at the plate.
“Our key has been our quick starts,” Benavides said. “They have done a very good job of working hard hitting-wise.”
Tyler Gould (.619), Billy Hernandez (.574), Matt Stuart (.488), Craig Yamaguchi (.465), Ryan White (.431) and Derrick Holt (.425) all hit over .400 for the season. Stuart finished with five home runs and 28 RBI. Gould hit four home runs with 25 RBI. Hernandez had 22 RBI and White had 21. Yamaguchi led the team with 31 runs scored and 11 steals.
And that’s not to say the pitching lagged behind. Stuart and Love each finished with four wins on the mound. Stuart had a 2.23 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 22 innings. Love had a 0.44 ERA.
Lindbergh played most of the season without leader Cam Callen, who missed all but two games with a shoulder injury. Callen was excellent at the plate, on the base paths, on defense and closing games for the Eagles last year.
“Everybody knows what kind of impact he has on the team and what he brings,” Benavides said. “We’re missing the hits, the running, the defense and him coming in and closing games.”
Benavides said Callen has still been a big asset in the dugout.
Lindbergh returns to the fairgrounds in Silverdale, a place with fond memories from last year. The Eagles played there five straight days and won the district title. Benavides said that by the end of the tournament last year the grounds crew and staff were all rooting for Lindbergh. They take on North Kitsap Friday night at 7 p.m.
“We’re just starting,” Benavides said. “The next goal is a district championship again. We were a step away from going to Yakima last year and we want to complete that next step.”
Lindbergh beat Centralia 2-1 in the first round of the 2A state tournament last year and fell to Burlington-Edison 10-1 in the quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals of the state tournament are played at County Stadium in Yakima May 25-26.
