BAKER BASEBALL: Bulldogs rout Melba 16-4 in season opener
Published 6:27 am Thursday, March 20, 2025
Jaxon Logsdon bats against La Grande on April 28, 2023, at the Sports Complex. Logsdon was named Greater Oregon League player of the year for 2024, and he also was a first-team all-state pick.
Baker’s baseball team was in midseason form in some respects in its 16-4 rout of Melba, Idaho, in the Bulldogs’ season-opening game Monday, March 17, at Melba.
But Baker coach Tim Smith said the Bulldogs looked in other ways like a team playing its first game.
With a roster of juniors and seniors, all but one of whom have considerable varsity experience, Smith said he expected this team to be ahead of a less-experienced squad.
“For the first game, they did well,” Smith said.
Baker’s junior ace, Jake McClaughry, allowed three hits and three runs over four innings, striking out eight.
Logan Crawford allowed one hit in one inning of relief in a game that ended in the sixth inning due to darkness.
Smith said the eight total walks is more than he would prefer.
But Melba stranded 10 baserunners, a testament to Baker’s pitching and defense.
“We minimized the damage,” Smith said. “The pitchers came through, and overall it was a fairly clean game defensively.”
Baker had three errors.
At the plate, Baker hit .580 as a team, racking up 20 hits, including five for extra bases.
Jaxon Logsdon was 4 for 5 with two home runs and a triple. He drove in a team-high five runs.
Leadoff hitter Will O’Connell had three hits, as did McClaughry and Andy Richards. Aldo Duran, Clay Stevens and Zane Morgan had two hits each. McClaughry and Richards had two RBIs each.
“We spend a lot of time hitting when we can’t be outside (for practice),” Smith said. “But it’s hard to replicate game action. We hit the ball like we should.”
Baker will be traveling to Phoenix, Arizona, for its annual spring break trip for the Coach Bob National Invitational. The Bulldogs will play four games, starting against Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Monday, March 24, at 4 p.m.
Baker will play Colorado Academy and Denver Christian on Tuesday, March 25, and Dawson High School of Colorado on Thursday, March 27.
“It’s always a tough schedule,” Smith said. “We’ll have to step up.”
Baker’s first home game will be Thursday, April 3, against Vale at 4 p.m. at the Baker Sports Complex.
Jayson has worked at the Baker City Herald since November 1992, starting as a reporter. He has been editor since December 2007. He graduated from the University of Oregon Journalism School in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in news-editorial journalism.
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