With 4 Pac-12 Softball teams ranked in the ESPN Top-10 weekly poll, there’s no doubt that the interest and excitement has spread to the Oregon prep ranks, and especially in the IMC.
Oregon (37-5) is rated #1 with UCLA (35-4) 3rd, and Arizona State 5th. The University of Arizona is ranked #9.
Those teams feature some of the best fastpitch softball pitchers in the country, and there are two young athletes in central Oregon who are making a pitch to become the best in the Oregon prep ranks.
Junior Megan Berrigan of Bend HS, and sophomore Jensen Logan of Mt. View HS are two pitchers you will hear alot from before they graduate.
Berrigan has helped Bend to a #10 OSAA power ranking with a 8-3 record while Logan and the Cougars are ranked 14th with a 6-5 record.
The two have not faced off against each other this season, but will on Wednesday, May 14th for the first 2 games of the 3 game ‘Black & Blue’ Civil War series.
Perhaps Oregon, UCLA, ASU and Arizona haven’t heard of Berrigan and Logan yet, but pretty good chance they all soon will if their performances in the pitching circle continues.
Hear the two young shining stars talk about their teams, and life off the diamond.
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Thank you for featuring my daughter Megan in ‘ Life in the Circle with IMC’s…’ in ;your Prep Spotlight. Megan has been a standout pitcher in the IMC since she assumed the ‘ace’ role as a Varsity freshman while helping lead her Bend High School team in 2012 to its 1st winning season . As a Freshman she was selected for IMC 2nd Team honors as a pitcher during a season of strong pitching throughout the IMC. Last season she again helped lead her team to success while winning the IMC and advancing to their play-off loss to Hood River. She was selected to IMC 1st Team as a pitcher which was a great honor as a sophomore. Last summer she joined, along with Bend High’s Awbrie Kinkade, a 16A travel team ‘Dave’s Fastpitch’ out of Pendleton which had tremendous success in tournaments in Las Vegas, Spokane, Hillsboro , Vancouver, and Triple Crown’s Sparkler tournament in Denver Colorado, posting a 25 and 7 record overall. This success has come from her continual dedication to the fantastic sport of Fastpitch Softball, as well as her mentor and pitching coach Tom Mauldin , an incredible person whom I can not say enough about , who continually promotes the success of Fastpitch Softball in Central Oregon.
Bend High School’s recent Softball success has roots which were planted eight years ago by previous coach Mary Evers , who recognized that Bend High wasn’t feeding its program with polished players by the time they reached the High School level. She created a travel team of young players (ages 9-12) including both my daughters, that launched the creation of future clubs such as the Spartans and the Cascade Alliance which developed a group of girls who now play together at Bend High, that include Lisa Sylvester, Kendall Kramer, Awbrie Kinkade, Alexis Hill-Gruenberg, Katie Brown, Mariah Buckner, Kiana Hohman and Megan. This success came with years of spring and summer weekends traveling throughout the Northwest playing in tournament after tournament , all the while these girls were developing the skills and mental toughness to compete at the highest level of Oregon 5A Softball. Thank you again for your Prep coverage of Fastpitch Softball.
Go Lava Bears! Doug Berrigan