<< Previous   of   Next >> Enterprise/CHRIS GOODENOW  (click to enlarge) Mountlake Terrace's Jake Theis earned all-league honors last season. Enterprise/CHRIS GOODENOW  (click to enlarge) Mountlake Terrace's Garrett Totten returns at shorstop for Mountlake Terrace, which has advanced to the district playoffs for the last three seasons.

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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Mountlake Terrace hopes to be a title contender

Hawks shooting for fourth straight postseason berth

By David Pan
Enterprise Sports editor

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE

The Mountlake Terrace baseball team looks primed to make a solid run at a fourth straight district playoff appearance.

The Hawks return two of the top players in the league in pitcher Jake Theis and shortstop Garrett Totten, both of whom earned first-team, all-league honors.

Theis leads what should be one of the deepest pitching staffs in the Western Conference South Division.

"We've got our whole pitching staff back from last year," said Mountlake Terrace coach Andrew Watters. "We have a really deep and experienced pitching staff."

Theis likes to throw the fast ball and change-up and he also has an improved breaking ball.

"He got better over the off-season," Watters said. "I think he's poised to have a big year."

The rest of the staff includes senior Ryan Monfiletto, junior Ryan Sells, junior Jacob Mann, junior Mark Baehm, junior Bill Lechtenberg and junior Kyle Barisic, a newcomer who threw well in a 3-1 loss to Snohomish on March 11. Watters has plenty of options when he makes the call to the bullpen.

"A lot of it is going to be the group of them together with the depth we have in filling the gaps," Watters said. "Kyle Barisic threw five innings against Snohomish and gave up one run and pitched really well. He kind of showed us that he's going to possibly be another guy who's going to step up for us."

Totten, who attends King's High School, signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Texas Tech. He and junior catcher Paul Clingan give the Hawks a solid defense.

"I think we'll be one of the toughest defensive teams in the league," Theis said.

"If our pitchers throw strikes and make the other team put the ball in play, I think we're going to field it," Watters added.

While Theis and Totten are standouts among the seniors, what sets Mountlake Terrace apart is what Watters describes as a phenomenal junior class, many of whom saw playing time as sophomores.

Clingan has started since his freshman year. He has years of experience with the Hawks' pitching staff.

"I think I've caught a lot of them since I was 10 except for Jake," Clingan said. "I've caught him for two years now. We've got four or five people who can start a game and go all seven innings."

Mann, who likely will be taking over at center field, lettered as a sophomore. Two other key juniors are first baseman Karsten Strieby and outfielder Jaykob Sells. The Hawks also added junior third baseman Matt Shafer, a transfer from Shorecrest.

"We have talent. I'm comfortable with our talent," Watters said. "I'm comfortable with how we're doing. We're kind of at a good point right now because we know we have a lot of work left to do."

Mountlake Terrace opened with a 12-0 rout over Sammamish but then dropped a pair of close games to Snohomish and Marysville-Pilchuck (10-9).

The Hawks expect to have a balanced lineup with some decent power, but they won't be relying solely on the long ball. "We've got a lot of guys one through nine in the lineup that are just good offensive players," Watters said. "We have some good baserunners in our lineup. ... I'm hoping that we're going to be a good contact team and good baserunning team. That's what we're working toward.

"There are a few guys who can hit home runs."

Watters was still tinkering with the lineup, trying to figure out who will be playing where.

"We've got all the tools," Totten said. "All we just need now is how to use them together."

Many of the players, especially the junior class, have been teammates in and out of school since they were young, Totten noted.

"They've always been together, growing up," he said. "They have good chemistry. Now we've got to work it together as a team this year in high school."

Though they may be young in years, the Hawks have playoff experience.

"Two years ago we were a state-bound team," Theis said. "We had four guys on the team now who are already experienced in state. Last year we made it to playoffs. That's 11 guys on the team who already have playoff experience. They know what it's like."

Mountlake Terrace went two-and-out at districts, losing 3-2 to Lake Stevens and 4-2 to Marysville-Pilchuck. The loss to the Vikings was particularly disappointing because it was a winnable game, Watters said.

"The experience and knowing that we were in a position to beat them last year at their field was a learning experience that's going to pay off this year," he said.