EDMONDS — A number of the faces have changed but the expectations for the two-time defending NWAACC champion Edmonds Community College baseball team have not.
And that’s the way the Tritons like it as they begin their quest for a third straight title.
“We pretty much go into every game thinking everyone is just out to get us,” said sophomore shortstop Tim Hallam, one of only a handful of players who saw extensive playing time a year ago.
“That just fires us up knowing that every day we’re going to get somebody’s best … so we have to rise to (the) occasion and compete like it’s the championship game day in and day out.”
High expectations are nothing new for Edmonds, which has qualified for the postseason 26 times in the last 27 years.
What is new is the man at the helm of the Tritons’ program, first-year head coach Tighe Dickinson, a former assistant coach who returned to Edmonds after serving as coach at Skyline High School in Sammamish last year.
Dickinson was an assistant under ex-Edmonds head coach Don Marbut for three years, including the 2002 championship season. Marbut is now an assistant coach at Washington State.
“The expectations on ourselves every year in this program are so high,” Dickinson said. “Our expectations every year is win the last game. I don’t think our kids are putting any pressure on themselves … if they do what they’re supposed to do, they’ll win.”
The Tritons don’t necessarily have a high turnover in terms of new players, but the startling lineup is significantly different. Only three everyday players are back.
“We return a lot of players but … we don’t have a lot of experience,” Dickinson said. “Even the sophomores are learning how to play a little bit.”
The major adjustment the incoming freshmen must make is getting used to a jam-packed schedule, which Hallam described as a lot of games and not too many days off.
“They’re going to have to learn to take care of their bodies and conserve energy for game days,” Hallam said.
Freshman Ryan Strieby, a Mountlake Terrace graduate who is hitting .464 through the first 13 games, has made a smooth transition from high school to college ball.
Strieby is playing first and third base and also is a designated hitter.
“I’m feeling pretty confident,” Strieby said. “I’m seeing offspeed pitching. I’m hitting offspeed pitching a lot better than previous years.”
It’s been several years since Strieby played third base.
“It’s kind of weird going back there,” he said. “I’m comfortable. It’s not too bad of a transition.”
Strieby gives the Tritons’ some solid power in the lineup. The freshman standout already has hit two of the longest ground-rule doubles Dickinson has ever seen.
“He has a chance to be special,” Dickinson said.
The Tritons appear to have more speed throughout the lineup, according to Hallam.
“We’re not as big as we usually are but we’re a lot faster than we have been in the past from top to bottom,” said Hallam, who is headed to Western Carolina University in North Carolina.
Edmonds will be an aggressive team on the base paths, though it won’t necessarily try to steal a base at every turn, Dickinson said.
While some of the past Edmonds teams have had strong pitching or a stellar defense, this year’s group is shaping up to be one of the most balanced and deep squads in recent years.
“This is a team, I think, that can hit, play defense, pitch and basically do it all,” Dickinson said. “They aren’t going to be one-dimensional by any means. We can hit for power. We can play the short game. We can do everything.”
Injuries are potentially the only roadblock to another title run, Dickinson said.
The Tritons have lost a pair of players for the rest of the season. Freshman catcher Josh Waite, an Edmonds-Woodway graduate, broke his shoulder blade and Cody McAllister (Snohomish), the team’s No. 1 pitcher, is out with arm injury.
The loss of McAllister, who was drafted both out of high school and after his freshman season at Edmonds is a significant blow.
“That will be a hard burden for our pitching staff to overcome,” Dickinson said. “We have to pick up his slack a little bit.”
Dickinson will rely a little more on sophomore Bryan Tupper (West Seattle), who has a 12-2 career record at Edmonds.
“He knows how to win,” Dickinson said. “He doesn’t throw really hard. He knows how to get it done.”
Edmonds’ depth will be an advantage should the team encounter any more significant injuries.
The Tritons are two or three players deep at most positions and Hallam added that there isn’t much of a dropoff in terms of ability.
“I feel our second string players can outcompete most team’s first string,” said Hallam. “I’m confident if a guy goes down … that there are guys right behind willing to step up and do just as good if not a better job.”
Strieby decided to come to Edmonds in large part due to its reputation and the opportunity to win a championship.
“I think at the end of the year, we’ll be right where we want to be,” he said.
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