Opponent: Eugene Emeralds
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Everett Memorial Stadium
Radio: KRKO (1380 AM)
Starting pitchers: Everett left-hander Justin Thomas (1-3, 4.40) vs. Eugene right-hander Josh Geer (0-1, 5.11)
Eugene’s Hundley has strong football ties
Sports have taken Nick Hundley across the country, but the Pacific Northwest still holds a special place in his heart.
“Any time you get up here in the summertime, it’s a great place to be. You can’t beat it up here,” said Hundley, a catcher for the Eugene Emeralds, who Sunday began a three-game series against the AquaSox.
Hundley, a sturdy 6-foot-1, 205-pound player, attended Lake Washington High School in Kirkland before playing baseball at the University of Arizona. He recently left Arizona after his junior year when the San Diego Padres took him in the second round of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.
Both Eugene catchers have local connections. Brandon Gottier attended Sehome High in Bellingham before playing at University of the Pacific.
While baseball currently has Hundley racking up travel miles, for many years football determined his course. Hundley’s father, Tim Hundley, is a football coach who has worked at Oregon State University, the University of Washington and the University of Texas-El Paso, among others. The elder Hundley’s coaching trek landed the family in seven different states during Nick’s lifetime. Tim Hundley is currently defensive coordinator at UTEP for head coach Mike Price.
Nick Hundley said football was always a big part of his life, but he always knew baseball was his passion. Hundley batted .218 and drove in 17 runs in his first 25 games as a professional. So far, he’s living it up.
“It’s good to be playing every day,” said Hundley, who played at Everett Memorial Stadium with his summer select team when he was in high school. “I love it, coming out here and playing with wood (bats).”
Professional baseball is “definitely a big adjustment from college,” Hundley said, “when we were playing three games a week.”
Judging by Hundley’s big smile and the way he bounced through pre-game drills, he can’t imagine doing anything else.
Craig slumping: AquaSox outfielder Casey Craig has been among the best hitters in the Northwest League, but a recent slump has dented his once-gaudy average.
Through Saturday, Craig went 0-for-17 in his last four games, dropping his batting average from what was a league-leading mark of .363 to .306. Craig said he feels confident at the plate but things just haven’t been going his way.
“Every time I hit a ball well, it’s getting caught,” he said.
Unpredictable umpires have also not helped matters, he said.
“Sometimes everything goes against you,” Craig said.
Opposing pitchers have undoubtedly deserved some credit. Salem-Keizer hurlers fed Craig a steady diet of breaking balls in Everett’s recent road series. “I kind of expected it,” Craig said. “I just didn’t make the adjustments quick enough.”
As a result, Craig has sought more batting practice with AquaSox pitching coach Marcos Garcia, who throws a solid variety of breaking pitches. Other coaches have been supportive, Craig said.
“They’ve been really cool about it,” he said. “The only thing they can do is put me in the lineup, even though I’m struggling.
“It’ll work its way out,” Craig said of the slump. “Hopefully I get back up there amongst the leaders.”
Frogs skid to season low: With a 6-2 loss against Salem-Keizer on Saturday, Everett extended its losing streak to a season-long five games. Although a combination of factors contributed to the slide, the Frogs’ hitting – usually a major strength – has plummeted. Everett has batted a lowly .220 with 10 RBI in 164 at-bats during the stretch.
Mike Cane, Herald writer
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