PORT ANGELES — American Legion baseball, a staple of small-town America from coast to coast, will soon provide an outlet for high-school-age players on the North Olympic Peninsula.
The Olympic Crosscutters, a new youth baseball program for players entering high school through those beginning their senior year this fall, will represent the towns and communities of Clallam and Jefferson counties this summer.
Tryouts are slated for Civic Field in Port Angeles at noon Saturday and Sunday.
The team is seeking a 25-player roster, with an 18-player traveling team.
“We’re launching the program to provide another opportunity for kids here on the Peninsula,” manager John Qualls said.
“We want to grow and develop talent, provide exposure and see players advance to play at the collegiate level.”
Qualls, an assistant coach at Sequim High School, formerly served as manager for the Wilder Junior and Sequim Senior Babe Ruth teams.
He will be joined in the dugout by assistant coach Buck Gieseke.
Gieseke helped coach Wilder Junior last summer and supervised voluntary workouts in Port Angeles over the winter.
“Nobody on the Peninsula has thrown more BP (batting practice), or been hit by more baseballs,” Gieseke, a frequent target of batting practice line drives, joked.
“If there’s a hole in the [protective] screen, they’ll find me.”
Chimacum resident Darrin Dotson, who coached the Quilcene High School baseball team to a SeaTac League title this year in his first season in charge, also will assist with coaching duties.
The program is funded primarily by Gabe Rygaard’s Ryfield Properties.
Rygaard, a logger known for his role on the History Channel television show “Ax Men,” said the team’s mission statement and guiding philosophy are what drew him to fund the team’s operations.
“I like the mission statement,” Rygaard said.
“Developing the kids’ skills, getting them exposure and moving them on to play at the next level — this will be good for baseball here on the Peninsula.”
Accordingly, the nickname “Crosscutters” was selected for the team in a nod to both the North Olympic Peninsula timber industry and a “cutter,” a baseball term for a pitch that’s usually thrown faster than a slider but with more motion than a typical fastball.
Black and yellow are the team’s colors, and the Crosscutters’ logo features a black bear snarling between two crossed bats topped by a curved crosscut saw.
Gieseke, who played Legion ball as a youth, is glad for the connection with the American Legion.
“This organization is guided by the values of the American Legion,” Gieseke said.
“We will be respectful and responsible and operate as a class program.”
Qualls said the team will likely play between 47 and 50 games this summer.
With a full slate of games coming mid-week and tournaments on weekends, there won’t be much time for daily practices, but Qualls said the team will train at Volunteer Field in Port Angeles and at Sequim High School.
The season’s busy schedule begins soon after Saturday’s tryouts, with a visit to eastern Washington to compete in the Kennewick Dusters’ Memorial Day Weekend Tournament from May 23-25.
The Crosscutters’ schedule is highlighted by the GSL College Showcase Tournament at Borst Park in Centralia from July 8-12.
This 60-plus team tournament will be played in front of 40 to 50 college scouts representing schools from the Division I level down to Northwest Athletic Conference’s two-year programs.
Most home games will be played at Civic Field, but games also are planned for the Sequim High School diamond and Bob Bates Field in Port Hadlock.
Opponents include familiar names like North Kitsap, Olympic and Klahowya, plus teams from Spanaway, Steilacoom and Gig Harbor.
The Crosscutters also will host the eight-team American Legion District 2 Tournament, a feeder for the state Legion tournament, at Civic Field from July 17-19.
All Weather Heating and Cooling and American Legion Post 62 in Sequim also sponsor the team.
Additional team sponsors and program volunteers are being sought.
For more information on the program, visit www.olympiccrosscutters.com.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
