Webster pickin’ it up where they left off

Jarrod Washburn pitching for the Angels. Photo Cred: Getty Images

When he was a major league pitcher, Jarrod Washburn pitched in a World Series.

Few find it hard to believe his Webster Tigers have won two straight state championships. As a result, it’s not much of a stretch of the imagination when he says, “I expect our team to compete for, and win another conference championship and have a very good chance at making another run at a third straight state title.”
The year without playing due to the Coronavirus was the same for everyone, so the last time the Tigers played, they won their second straight title. “Yes, it hurts, but it’s the same for everyone,” said Washburn.
It certainly didn’t hurt the Webster mystique when they posted an 18-0, five-inning win over Unity in the season opener. Or, when they beat tough Lakeland Conference rival Turtle Lake/Clayton, 3-0 late last week.
The Tigers’ chances ride on the strong arms of Washburn’s son Owen, plus the experience of hurlers Carsen Stenberg and Mason Gustafson.
It was Gustafson who hurled the shutout over Unity as Owen Washburn provided the pyrotechnics with a 4-4 day with four runs scored and eight runs batted in. He hit a grand slam in his second trip to the plate in the first inning to cap a 10-run outburst. Then he homered again in the fourth with a runner on. Owen Washburn, after this season, will be heading to South Carolina to play for the Gamecocks.
It was Owen Washburn’s chance to shine on the hill. He struck out 16 Turtle Lake-Clayton batters with a four-hitter. Twice he struck out the side and had at least two strikeouts in every inning.
Noting that others will also get their chance on the hill beside the top three, Coach Washburn points out that his son Owen, “Has pitched in over 50 innings of varsity games with a ton of success.”
He added, “Carsen and Mason have both also thrown in varsity games and I expect big things from both this season.”

Owen Washburn hits a homerun.
Photo Credit: Eugene Sikorski

At the plate, Owen Washburn was a second-team all-state player hitting at a .549 clip for the season with seven home runs and 47 runs batted in as he helped lead his team to the state title.

Stenberg, who will play baseball at UW-Oshkosh next year, was also no slouch at the plate, hitting .393 the last season Webster played. Both were all-conference players the last two seasons.
Against Unity Stenberg had a leadoff triple and in the Turtle Lake-Clayton game, he doubled and scored the first run. So, leading off hitter this year Stenberg has tripled and doubled.
Gustafson also started on the last state tournament team. “I’m also expecting many of our new starters to contribute heavily this year on the offensive side,” said Coach Washburn.

Evan Sikorski with a three-run homerun, his first career homer.
Photo Credit: Proud Papa, Eugene Sikorski

Also adding to Webster’s onslaught in that first game was junior Evan Sikorski, who slapped a three-run home run in the first.

Outside of Webster’s Owen Washburn and Stenberg, the top players in the Lakeland Conference are expected to be Turtle Lake/Clayton’s Brendan Strenke, Siren’s Nick Webster, and Luck/Frederic’s Wyatt Jensen.
So it was on Thursday that Webster got to test its strength against Strenke and his Turtle-Lake Clayton team. But Strenke was not on the mound. TL-C Coach Jeff Luoma told The WE ARE Network, “Brendan is working out some things right now and he’s not ready to pitch, but he’s playing first base.”
Coach Luoma said he would have loved to see Strenke and Washburn dueling each other in a classic face-off, “But that just can’t happen right now.”
Instead, Luoma sent Kody Nitchey to the mound against Webster and he proved he’ll be a pitcher to be counted on in 2021. Nitchey went four innings, gave up just three hits and two runs while striking out five.
Blake Thell finished up, allowing the final run on two hits.
Strenke went 1-3 against Washburn while Joel Humphrey, Cody Nitchey, and Josh Young got the other hits for TL-C.
Despite a thin roster, Luoma has Toby Kahl in the outfield, Wyatt Nitchey behind the plate, Thomas Fitzen, and Cole Duffy in centerfield.
If the classic pitching duel between Owen Washburn and Kody Nitchey was any indication, it’s likely the Lakeland Conference will be one to keep an eye on in 2021.

Clayton/Turtle Lake @ Webster

Webster @ Unity