The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – At their regular meeting on Oct. 19, the Dayton School Board approved establishing a high school varsity and JV Baseball Combine with Waitsburg schools. The Waitsburg School Board has approved the combine as well.

According to Dayton school superintendent Doug Johnson, all practices and games will be held in Dayton at the school’s athletic complex. Johnson said that Dayton head coach Shane Loper and assistant coach Johnny Watts are already under contract and will coach the team.

Johnson said that both schools have between 12 and 15 boys who have shown an interest in playing baseball this school year. He said combining the schools will allow a JV team to be fielded, along with varsity.

The new DW baseball team will compete in the 2B Eastern Washington Athletic Conference.

Johnson told the board that both schools have had enough girls show interest in softball that each school will field its own softball team. Dayton will compete in 2B and Waitsburg will compete in 1B.

Also during last week’s meeting, the Dayton board approved entering into a wrestling co-op with Waitsburg. The co-op will allow any boys at Dayton high school wishing to compete in wrestling to practice and travel to meets with the Waitsburg team. Johnson said only one or two boys have shown an interest so far. He said Dayton will purchase uniforms for any athletes involved, and they will represent Dayton at meets.