ACH baseball ready to swing for the fences in 2025

COULEE CITY — As the Almira/Coulee-Hartline baseball team gears up for the 2024 season, excitement fills the air, especially after a commendable last season that culminated in a second-place finish at the state championship. Head coach Hunter Lee is optimistic about what lies ahead, especially with a roster boasting considerable experience and talent. 

“So, we'll start on Monday. It'll be a pretty quick turnaround. We'll either be playing in the state championship or a third-place game tomorrow for basketball, and then they get one day off, and then we're right back to playing sports again,” Lee said. “Entirely new sport with baseball. We feel good. We're bringing a lot of guys back. We did lose a couple key guys, but we brought back the majority of our starters and all of our pitching, and so we feel pretty good going into it.” 

The team’s success last year speaks volumes about its potential. ACH had an overall record of 23-3, with a dominant 9-0 against district opponents. Now, with a heightened determination to clinch that elusive state title, the players are stepping into the new season with renewed vigor, Lee said.  

“I mean, first things first win the league and take care of that,” Lee said. “Try and win districts. We've yet to win a district championship in the last couple years, we keep getting beat by DeSales or Liberty Christian so those would be kind of shorter-term goals. But then the obvious long-term goal for us is to win the state championship. We ended up coming up short in that game last year. Definitely love to win one.” 

Despite losing a couple of key players to graduation, the team retains several standout athletes, including Caden Correia, the ace pitcher and starting shortstop, who has been a key player since his eighth-grade year.  

"Caden is a leader for us," Lee said. "He’s been through the ups and downs and knows what it takes to compete at a high level.” 

Other key players to watch this year include Grayson Beal, the starting catcher and Carter Pitts, who plays both infield and pitches. Max Grindy will return this year after he missed last season due to an ACL injury.  

“Max was an all-league player as an eighth grader, so having him back is a big boost for us,” Lee said. 

The regular season kicks off on March 25 with two games against Northport at Hartline Ball Fields. Lee highlighted the significance of this match-up.  

“Baseball is just kind of, sometimes it's just not your day,” Lee said. “I think we're going to continue to improve and get better and that comes with every game. The first one is especially important because that will set the tone for the rest of our season. But I wouldn't say there's necessarily one area where we are lacking and we really need to focus on that. We just need to continue to get better overall because everybody else is getting better too.” 

In addition to the excitement surrounding home games, Lee emphasized the importance of fan support throughout the season.  

“Our parents and community consistently rally behind us, which means the world to the players. We travel well, and having familiar faces in the stands during away games offers tremendous support,” he said.  

The team will continue to foster comprehensive growth and improvement, a philosophy echoed throughout the interview.  

“Baseball often comes down to the little things. We need to make routine plays and avoid simple mistakes. That’s what it takes to move from a competitive team to a championship-winning team,” Lee said. 

An added layer to the team’s preparations is the experience gained from summer leagues, where players competed with various teams, honing their skills and developing team cohesion.  

“Well, our boys play summer ball. We play America Spokane, American Legion, we play in that league,” Lee said. “A lot of our guys were able to play summer baseball and get more reps and practice, and we've been doing that for a few years now, and that's been a huge help to our program. But other than that, because we are a small school and everybody plays everything they were playing football and then went right into basketball, now they're going to go right into baseball.”  

In the midst of balancing sports, the players' chemistry remains strong. Many on the roster also play basketball, and Lee has noticed how this multi-sport engagement fosters camaraderie.  

“These guys are constantly around each other,” Lee said. “I mean, small school, they're all in the same classes together. They go to church together. They go to youth; they go to sports together. They're in the same clubs. I mean, in our small town, they've grown up, you know, with best friends. I mean, ever since they were born, they've been hanging out with each other. They have great chemistry, like right now being at the state tournament for basketball, we're all having a good time. They're really enjoying spending time with their buddies and just playing sports.”  

ACH Boys Baseball Schedule 

March 25 vs. Northport High School 2 p.m./4 p.m. 

March 29 vs. Odessa High School noon  

April 10 @ Okanogan High School 4:30 p.m.  

April 12 vs. Omak High School 11 a.m./1 p.m. 

April 15 @ Odessa High School 4 p.m.  

April 19 @ Wilbur-Creston-Keller Wildcats noon/2 p.m.  

April 22 vs. Mary Walker High School 3 p.m.  

April 26 vs. Wellpinit High School noon/2 p.m.     

April 29 vs. Manson High School 2 p.m.  

May 3 @ Mary Walker High School 2 p.m.  

May 6 vs. Wilbur-Creston-Keller Wildcats 4 p.m.  

    Carter Pitts celebrates with the Almira/Coulee-Hartline baseball team. The team went 9-0 against district opponents last year and 23-3 all season.
  

    Grayson Beal will be returning for another year of Almira/Coulee-Hartline baseball. Beal is the team's starting catcher.
  

    Caden Correia throws a pitch during last year’s state title game. While the Warriors brought home second place hardware last year, they’re looking to improve and bring home the title itself this year.