>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

They strolled down Adams Avenue, medals worn around necks, smiles on faces, celebrating their eruption created in Keizer Volcanoes Stadium hours earlier.

La Grande varsity baseball ended 2007 with a magic rally, a magic finish, and there they were, celebrating with their

community in an honorable June parade.

As state champions.

As Kings of Oregon.

How special.

“Winning the title is unreal,” La Grande coach Mark Lanman said Tuesday. “From the aspect of the kids, I think they were thrilled to death to have something like that happen.

“I know it’s something I’ll never forget, and they’ll never forget.”

First La Grande High title? Yeah, that’s a lifetime memory.

And now, perhaps these Tigers can ride that magic carpet again in ’08.

Time to defend?

Time to defend.

Gone but not forgotten

Four seniors have departed, including three starters. Most notably, perhaps, is that

valuable position behind the plate.

That belonged to catcher Jordan Lanman, and all he did was provide the game-winning, two-out, sixth-inning single in that 6-5 win versus Newport, clinching the title.

Travis Hudson and Landon Weaver are gone, too, leaving Mark Lanman with two outfield positions to fill.

But a good core remains.

Seven seniors lead this ’08 squad, including a sophomore with ice-filled veins.

There’s a solid lineup.

A 1-2 starting-pitching punch.

And, most importantly, a team-wide calm demeanor of a cold-blooded assassin.

The lineup

Leading off: Anthony Nice.

 Walks. Big hits. Infield defense. These are reasons why Nice is being recruited by five schools (Central Washington, Western Oregon, College of Idaho, Walla Walla Community College and Lower Columbia Community College).

He’s the talented leader on a talented team. He’s the kid with uncanny baseball awareness.

And he’s the straw who stirs the Tigers’ drink.

Behind Nice, for the time being, is Cody McKague. This senior has started in the No. 2 spot the past three games, but may move down the lineup. That way, he can drive in runs, rather than advance runners via bunt.

Senior Richie Carmichael will bat third, followed by sophomore Zach Nice in the cleanup spot.

Then there’s Jacob Johnston.

 This senior centerfielder —called “JJ” by his head coach — is being recruited by Walla Walla CC and Lewis-Clark State College for both his bat and defense.

Johnston led the team in RBIs last season, and on Tuesday, he displayed that valuable vast outfield range, as well, making two “unbelievable” catches, according to Lanman.

Oh. Johnston also provided the game-winning RBI.

Yep. It’s time to defend. 

The 1-2 punch

This belongs to Carmichael and Zach Nice, respectively. 

They throw in the mid-80s. They have change-ups that will buckle knees.

In fact, Carmichael’s is so deceiving, it drew considerable attention this winter at the Northwest pitching camp, hosted by the College of Idaho.

Scouts watched.

And eyebrows rose. 

As a kid who can clock 85 mph with his fastball, Carmichael’s arm motion on his change-up looks like he’s delivering heat. Upon release, you cannot tell which pitch is being delivered. 

Said Lanman: “That’s what separates the good ones from the bad ones.”

And Carmichael is a good one, which is why he’s being recruited by three schools — College of Idaho, Western Oregon and Central Washington.

Then there’s Zach Nice.

Nicknamed “Cool Ice Nice,” by his head coach, this sophomore can hit 85-mph on that radar gun, then follow with his 70-m.p.h change-up, keeping hitters off balanced.

But back to that nickname. 

He never frays. He stays focused. He gets the job done.

In the state championship game,  when “Cool Ice Nice” was faced with a bases-loaded no- out dilemma in the fifth inning, he struck out one batter, then induced an inning-ending double play.

Threat over.

Tigers take home title.

“He’s mature way above his age,” Lanman said. “He’s kind of always been that way. too, from little league.”

Time to defend?

Time to defend.  

Message delivered

So is a repeat in the making? Team goals have yet to be discussed, but assistant coach Todd Nice already delivered a  message Monday in Salem.

“He told the boys, ‘Hey what’s happened last year is done and over with,’” Lanman explained.

“Hey, it was great we won the state title, but we can’t live off that. You have to go out and prove every day that we are going to compete and try to establish what we established last year.”

And that’s quite a feat.

In that title win versus Newport, La Grande trailed 5-0 through three innings, only to roar back and win, bringing home the hardware.

Down five runs? Only a few at-bats left? No panic?

No panic.

“You know,” Mark Lanman said, “it was just like, you could feel it in the dugout ... they knew when it was their time. Our kids never got down.

“There was no doubt.”

A championship mindset. A championship demeanor.

It’s time to defend.

“Things are looking good for us,” Lanman said. “But we have to play hard every day.”