As clocks tick forward and we gain an hour of daylight, spring sports at Kentwood, Tahoma and Kentlake are underway.
BASEBALL
Kentwood
After a season cut short of the state tournament, the Conks return to the field.
The season began Monday, March 16 for the Kentwood Conquerors baseball team.
The Conks beat Rogers 11-1.
Despite graduating seven players from last year, coach Mark Zender thinks the Conks have a “solid veteran team.”
“We expect to make the post season but (we) know we play in the best league in the state and it will not be easy,” he said.
Zender said players are ready to step up and fill the spots left by those graduated players.
He has been coaching since 1983 and enters his fourth year as coach for the Conks.
When it comes coaching, Zender said his approach won’t change from last season.
Each year, the coaches work to develop players.
“We take pride in running a program,” he said. “We want to pitch, play defense and play a pressure style of offense.”
The same goes for when Kentwood faces it rivals.
Zender said the teams objectives are the same whether they are playing its first game or a playoff game.
Two games were played passed the press deadline.
Scores from those games can be found online at maplevalleyreporter.com.
Kentwood’s next game is today at 4 p.m. when the Conks host Federal Way.
Tahoma
The Bears are 2-0 after beating Auburn Mountainview 4-3 and Hazen 17-2 on Saturday, March 14.
Tahoma enters the season with a senior heavy roster.
There are 14 seniors and many of them have been starters for the past two seasons.
Christian Saez returns to the mound and has been starting since he was a freshman.
Russ Hayden has been coaching at the high school level for 23 seasons.
Hayden said Saez along with pitcher Jake Lambro will be Tahoma’s first and second pitchers.
He said, they will look to develop Mitch Grove into a third starter.
But Hayden said Grove is currently on the disabled list.
The Bears finished 16-8 last season.
The next home game for the Bears is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 when it hosts Kentwood.
Home games will be played at the Ravensdale Park.
Kentlake
The Falcons started the 2015 season Monday with a 7-2 loss to Federal Way.
Kentlake finished last season with a 9-10 record.
The Falcons next home game is tonight at 4 p.m. when it hosts Mount Rainier.
SOFTBALL
Kentwood
Last season, the Kentwood softball team finished third in the league with a 11-5 record.
Coach Jason Wisor returns at the helm for his eighth season as head coach of the Conks.
Kentwood enters the season with seven players graduating last season.
Wisor said the team will make adjustments with the incoming talent they have.
He added, the coaches will have to work with players to get them comfortable at their new positions.
The Conks played its first game of the season on Tuesday after the press deadline.
Scores from games played after deadline can be found online at covingtonreporter.com.
The next home game for Kentwood is 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 25 when it hosts Tahoma.
Tahoma
The Bears got the season off to a winning start with a 9-2 win over Bothell Monday.
Tom Milligan returns for his 11th season as head coach.
In that time, Milligan has a 160-101 record.
Four returners for the Bears include juniors Mia Corbin, Carley Nance and seniors Maddie Scott and Emily Bishop.
Corbin plays shortstop and was last seasons South Puget Sound League North most valuable player.
Her batting average was .506 and she scored 31 runs last season.
Nance returns on the mound for the Bears with an 11-2 record and a 1.97 ERA.
Scott also returns to the mound for Tahoma. She finished last season with a 12-2 record and a 3.62 ERA.
Bishop returns to the outfield. She scored 27 run and had eight stolen bases last season.
Milligan said this season Corbin and Nance both could MVP this season.
Corbin is a two time MVP and Nance was MVP pitcher in 2013, he said.
In the 2015 season, the Bears will be successful if it continues solid pitching and defense, Milligan said.
Tahoma has gone to start four years in a row and have another chance to earn a spot this season.
The first home game of the season for the Bears is 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 when it hosts the Kentridge Chargers.
Kentlake
The Falcons season started Thursday with a home game against Fife.
The game was played after the press deadline.
Scores can be found online at maplevalleyreporter.com.
The next home game for the Falcons is tonight at 4 p.m. when it hosts Hazen.
