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.

LBCC Splits Again

The Linn-Benton Roadrunners once again split a double-header Tuesday with I-5 rival Lane Community College. The split was the fifth straight for the host Roadrunners, who moved to 11-11 overall and 5-5 in the division with the win and loss.

Pitcher Sam Paterson throws the first pitch of the game 4/12/2011

Game 1: Linn-Benton 6, Lane 3

LB upended the Titans in the first game behind Kellen Sparkes bat and Sam Paterson's arm. Sparkes, a freshman from Corvallis, recorded three hits, an RBI and one run scored to ignite the Roadrunners offense. While Sparkes was leading the offense Paterson (pictured left) was doing a superb job on the mound. He struck out just three but held Lane to just three runs in seven innings of work to pick up his third win of the season.

Coach Greg Hawk said of the victory, "Sam threw well and got great relief help in the first game against Lane."


Game 2: Lane 4, Linn-Benton 0


Lane's Nick Phillips pitched a near perfect game in the night cap to lead the Titans to the win. Phillips threw a complete game one-hitter as the Roadrunners did not help themselves by committing four errors. Sophomore pitcher Mackie Unruh got the loss to fall to 0-4 on the season for LBCC.

"Phillips threw a great game and we committed too many errors to get the win in the second game," Hawk said.

The Roadrunners will be back at home to take on Mt. Hood in a double-header Saturday April 16th.

First Sports Action Photos: LBCC Baseball

Starting Pitcher Sam Paterson, from McMinnville, throws a pitch
during the second inning of a game against Clackamas.

Freshman Catcher Ken Norgaard walks away from a chat
with the pitcher.

The team gathers at the mound after a sluggish start to the game.