Mustangs ready for another run

Jun. 5—Medford Mustangs manager Nate Mayben stared at his list of potential returning players and those who might come in and fill a void last August and smiled.

Of all the thoughts that raced through his mind, the prevailing theme was simple: We're not going anywhere.

An annual fixture when it comes to teams competing for the American Legion AAA state championship, the Mustangs certainly have a lot to prove in living up to that optimism — but the talent is certainly there once again for the Medford crew.

"I'm excited about the group of kids that we have," said Mayben, in his 12th season at the helm. "It's going to be a very young group and a very inexperienced group at this level, but I think we've got some really talented kids."

Last summer, the Mustangs saw their bid at a seventh straight state title dating back to 2014 come to an end in the championship finale.

This summer, the number to fixate on will be 18, as in an 18th state championship for a program that won 14 titles from 1991-2019.

"I think I've got to wait and see to answer that," Mayben said of fostering title hopes. "That's a goal that we're always going to have, but this group of guys has a lot to prove over the course of June to see where we're at."

"We're young and we're talented," he added, "and I think we're going to be a different team in July than we are at the beginning of June. I'm excited to see the growth of these young guys. Realistically are we there yet? No, I don't think we're there yet, but I think we can get there."

Leading the charge for optimism will be the return of key 2021 contributors Cody Borraggine, Tanner Douglas, Jace Miller, Aiden Horsley, Jeremiah Robbins and Johnny King.

Borraggine was one of Medford's most valuable two-way performers, logging 612/3 innings on the mound with a 6-4 record and 3.63 ERA to go with a .409 batting average with 59 runs and 39 RBIs.

"I'm excited to have Cody back," Mayben said of the 2021 North Medford High graduate. "He's going to play a lot of roles, obviously, with his pitching on the mound and leading off for us most likely and as a center field everyday guy. He's really going to be a leader for us. He's our sole returning college guy so he's got a lot to take on there."

"Luckily we do have a few guys returning as well from last year's team," added the coach, "but Cody's gonna need to lead the way. He's gonna need to show these guys what it is at the next level to work every day and grind through the season and lead by example."

Douglas was equally as instrumental as a pitcher and a hitter last summer, posting a 7-1 record and 3.11 ERA on the mound and batting .402 with team-highs of 66 runs and 63 RBIs. The recent South Medford High grad expects to be a fixture at first base when not on the mound.

Miller (.341, 38 runs, 57 RBIs), Horsley (.392, 36 runs, 42 RBIs) and Robbins (.356, 21 runs, 30 RBIs) give the Mustangs a foundation of proven hitters to complement Borraggine and Douglas, while King hit .286 with 20 runs scored in limited action last summer.

Ten newcomers will look to help fill voids left by departed players, with almost all boasting at least two years of eligibility for the program.

"I'm really excited for the next two years," said Mayben. "This is going to be a start, I think, of a group of kids that are going to be around for two years, most of them, and be able to do some things to develop and get better. It will be fun because this won't be a one-and-done year for us, this is going to be a multiple year deal for us."

South Medford's Cameron Sewell, Kyle Cope and Kaleb Long are joined by North Medford duo Frankie Rutigliano and Colton Morgan, Cascade Christian's Owen Thompson and Triston Wallace, Beau Aldrich of St. Mary's and Phoenix's Julius Bolstad and college returner Monte Spence to round out the newcomers.

"Adding Cameron Sewell and Frankie Rutigliano to the roster will help us," said Mayben. "I think they're going to be keys for us up the middle infield-wise, so I'm excited about those guys."

With Sewell, Rutigliano, Miller, King, Thompson and Long all middle infielders or third basemen, there will be plenty of players to plug in on a given day.

"Trying to figure out all those guys and how we're going to work best together is going to be a fun puzzle to figure out," said Mayben. "I think the infield is going to be interesting."

That group only serves to spell out the main ingredient for this summer in terms of team strength, with athleticism and versatility at every turn.

"The versatility of this team is a big plus," said the coach. "I think we can move guys around defensively to really get our best nine hitters in the lineup on a daily basis. And we have 12 guys that pitch and play a position and are really effective at those positions, so we have a lot of options."

As the Cascade Christian High School athletic director, Mayben got to see the exploits of Thompson, Wallace and Aldrich first-hand this past spring and he said the boost in play from the Class 3A level to top-flight competition will be an exciting transition for each.

Thompson's versatility as a corner infielder, catcher, outfielder and pitcher will be especially vital, while Wallace expects to team with Robbins to give the Mustangs one of the best 1-2 combinations behind the plate that they've enjoyed in quite some time.

"They're both good at the plate and defensively in receiving pitches and blocking the plate," said Mayben. "I think Jeremiah and Triston will be able to complement each other really well."

With the increased enrollment figures by the American Legion — up from 5,000 to 7,000 these days — the Mustangs feed from North Medford, South Medford, Ashland, Crater, Eagle Point, Phoenix, Cascade Christian and St. Mary's high schools for prospective players.

The Mustangs will play the bulk of their home games at Lithia & Driveway Fields, with a handful of contests at North Medford High and a few at Harry & David Field, specifically for the annual Coach K Memorial that honors former Mustangs manager Sandee Kensinger June 23-26.

Medford will host Roseburg Dr. Stewart's at 6 p.m. Tuesday to kick off the season and the Klamath Falls Falcons at the same time Wednesday, with both games at L&D Field 9.

Have a local story idea? Reach sports editor Kris Henry at 541-776-4488, khenry@rosebudmedia.com, www.facebook.com/krishenryMT or www.twitter.com/Kris_Henry