NWAACC Hall of Fame Inductees: Linn-Benton

Every sport is different from one another. Basketball, football, baseball and golf have virtually no similarities between them, except one. In every sport athletes, coaches, and people associated with the sport strive to one day be inducted into their respected sport's Hall of Fame.

This past week Linn-Benton Community College announced the induction of the 1971 Men's Baseball team into the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Hall of Fame. The NWAACC will also  recognize LBCC staff member Teresa Thomas and former staff member Edwin Watson by awarding them the Outstanding Service Awards for their contributions to the Linn-Benton athletic department.

The year of 1971 marked the first year that the Roadrunners had a baseball team compete inter-collegiately. The team was led by former staff member Dick McClain and consisted of just 17 players. LB went on to rack up more than 30 wins on their way to claiming the Southern Division Oregon Community Athletic Association League Championship title. They join the 1980-81 Women's Basketball team as the only LBCC teams to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Current baseball coach Greg Hawk said of the teams induction, "We have a very rich baseball tradition here at Linn-Benton. Dick (McClain) started the Athletic programs here at LBCC and he coached the baseball team from 1971-76. I'm very proud of the history of our school and for what has played out during my years here at LBCC. We also have two NWAACC Championship teams ('88 & '91) that I have coaches that I hoped someone would nominate in the future. Dick McClain is an outstanding gentle man and a awesome coach."


Thomas was hired at Linn-Benton in 1980 by, ironically, McClain and has played a major role in athletics at LBCC for the past 30 years. She has served as LB's Women's Athletic Commissioner, participated in fundraising activities and done a stand-up job promoting Roadrunner's athletics throughout the community. During the time that the NWAACC was housed on campus at Linn-Benton Thomas served as it's secretary as well.

Watson retired in 2006 after educating for more than 36 years, including working as the LBCC vice president of Academic Affairs. Watson has been involved with Linn-Benton since 1993. He has served as the dean of the Liberal Arts and Human Performance Athletics Division. He also directed and led the Roadrunner Athletic program for more than 13 years.

The 24th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet will be held June 2 in Vancouver, Washington. The event will honor the Hall of Fame inductees, as well as the recipients of Outstanding Service Awards.

At a Glance

What: Hall of Fame Inductee

Who: 1971 LBCC Baseball team

When: June 2nd

Where: 24th Annual Hall of Fame Banquet in Vancouver, Wash.

Roadrunners Take One of Two From Rival

The Linn-Benton Roadrunners baseball team traveled to Eugene this past Saturday to play a double-header with division rival Lane Community College. LB split the two games, losing the first 3-2, and then recovery to blowout the Titans 13-0. The two games were the only ones of the week for LBCC, as poor weather prevented them from hosting Chemeketa earlier in the week.

Lane 3, Linn-Benton 2 (Game 1)

The Titans were able to overcome four errors in the first game to up-end the Roadrunners. LB scored two runs int the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead, but Lane responded by scoring runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to jump ahead for good. Sophomore pitcher Nick Phillips got the win for the Titans and LB sophomore A.J. Burke was dealt the loss to fall to 6-2 on the season.

Linn-Benton 13, Lane 0 (Game 2)

The Roadrunners were not going to go down without a fight as they came out swinging in the night cap. LB recorded 15 hits in the game, while the pitching staff held the Titans to just 4 hits. Sophomore Travis Iverson picked up the victory on the mound for LBCC to move to 3-2 on the season, while freshman pitcher Dawson Phinney was credited with loss for LCC despite striking out six batters on the day.

Coach Greg Hawk walks back to the
dugout after chatting to his pitcher
4/30/2011

With the split in Eugene the Roadrunners moved to 14-16 overall and 8-10 in the South Division of the NWAACC. Linn-Benton now sits four games back of Lane for the division's last playoff spot.

Portrait and Mugshot: Sam Paterson (LBCC Pitcher)

Sam Paterson is a key member of the Roadrunner pitching staff and carries one of the lowest ERA's in the NWAACC.



Paterson will take his talents to Montana
State University Billings next season
4/21/2011



The stare of a pitcher
4/21/2011

Roadrunners Baseball Report: "Turning It Around"

The Linn-Benton baseball team has hit the midpoint of their season and is in the midst of making a major turnaround from last year's disappointing season. The Roadrunners are currently in a second-place tie with rival Lane Community College for the South Division's last playoff spot.

Prior to the start of the season head coach Greg Hawk knew that this team had a great chance to make the turnaround because they returned 14 sophomores from a 2010 team that struggled to a last place finish in the South Division of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges, but gained valuable experience.

At 13-11 overall and 7-5 in the division coach Hawk feels that his team has played well but  has been just several small mistakes away from having a special season. The record shows just how far the team has come as they have already eclipsed last year's win total and are poised to make a run at the playoffs in the second half of their season.

"The guys have done well so far this season and the record might not show just how well they have done, but when we can put it all together I believe we can be very good," Hawk said.

Through the first 24 games sophomores AJ Burke and Sam Paterson have led an experienced pitching staff. Burke leads the NWAACC with five wins, and holds a 6-1 record with a 3.18 earned run average. Paterson has had a good season thus far as well putting up a 4-3 record with an eye-popping 0.98 ERA that ranks 11th in the NWAACC.

Paterson will be key on the mound as the
Roadrunners make a push for the postseason
4/21/2011

Burke might have had already provided LBCC with its individual highlight for the season when he threw a one hit shutout against Chemeketa on April 9th. Burke had a no-hitter intact through eight innings but lost it in the ninth inning. He also had an astonishing 18 strikeouts in the game.

The Roadrunners bat's have been headed by sophomore second baseman Jordan Keeker who is hitting .329 while leading the team with 27 hits, 15 runs scored, and 13 runs batted in. Freshman first baseman and designated hitter Kainoa Ahsing has contributed with a .298 batting average and ranks second on the team with 10 RBI's and third with 14 runs scored.

When asked what he thought about the team's improvement this season Sam Paterson said, "I feel like we have done pretty good so far, but we still haven't played up to our potential. We have a great group of guys and I think that some of us sophomores just need to step up and become better leaders to get us over the hump."

Next season Paterson, along with sophomore pitchers Mackie Unruh and Bobby Ragasa, will be traveling north to play baseball a NCAA Division II Montana State University Billings. For now though they are key members of a Linn-Benton baseball team in the middle of a great turnaround, and a postseason chase.

Roadrunners Baseball Split Again

The Linn-Benton Community College baseball team split a pair of games this past Tuesday with Clackamas CC.The split was the third straight for the Roadrunners, who kept their record at .500 for the season.

In the first game of the day LBCC lost to Clackamas 7-1. Clackamas outhit the Roadrunners 13-5 and dominated just about every aspect of the game en route to the victory over the home team. Sophomore Carl Beckert scored the lone run for LB, blasting a solo home-run in the fifth inning. Clackamas starting pitcher Marshall Crawford threw a five hit complete game to lead the Cougars.

The second game of the day had a very different result from the first. Linn-Benton raced out to a six run lead as they dismantled the Cougars 10-2. Sophomore Jordan Keeker led the Roadrunners to the win recording three hits, including two doubles, and starting pitcher Travis Iverson held Clackamas to just one run in four innings of work while picking up the win.

By going 1-1 on the day LB moved to 9-9 overall and 3-3 in the South Region of the NWAACC. They also stayed within striking distance of first-place Lane CC, by moving just one game back of the division leader.

Starter Sam Paterson winds up to deliver a pitch in the first
game of the day against Clackamas 4/5/2011