The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - The Bulldogs baseball team may be small, but they mean to make some big noise this spring. Having lost just one senior and gained one newbie, junior Garett Turner, the boys are a tight-knit team of 13 this year.

" We don't have many kids, but we have some good ones," said assistant coach Dean Bickelhaupt. "They're all good athletes."

Many of the team's juniors have moved together from the football field to the basketball court and now join again on the diamond for another season of playing hard together.

Junior Hayden Fullerton, who had a hot season ender in basketball and starts the spring as the team's number three pitcher, said he's excited about the baseball season this spring.

"I think it'll be a pretty good season," he said. "We have no seniors on the team, so we're going to be building the team this year. I think we'll be pretty competitive in our next season."

Junior Joey Schlachter, the team's veteran catcher, is thrilled at the camaraderie on the field.

"With just one new person, you can't really get much better than that," he said. "We're all used to each other."

Last year was rough, he said. "We had a lot of freshmen. This year will definitely be core building."

Other standouts are veteran Colton Bickelhaupt, the Bulldogs' number one pitcher, and freshman Lowden Smith, the number two pitcher. Smith will also be an alternate catcher along with freshman Logan Hays.

"Lowden grew 5 inches this year," said head coach Sal Benavides. "He's a heck of an athlete."

Benavides, who has been coaching Dayton baseball since before any of the young men on his team were born, underscores what his athletes have to say about the coming season.

"This is an exciting time of year," he said. "The fire still burns. I love doing it. This is a neat group. They're all willing to do what I ask."

Benavides said he was impressed with his team's game at the jamboree at home on Saturday. "We looked really good," he said. "I think Asotin and DeSales will be the teams to beat. But I see us being able to compete with the rest. Now if we can just get the weather to cooperate."

Spring showers have kept the team off the field during practices. The field holds too much water, Benavides said. The weekend jamboree was the second time the Bulldogs have been outside all season.

The Dayton baseball team plays again at home on Saturday at 11 a.m. against LacWash.

Dayton Baseball Roster:

Logan HaysLowden SmithWyatt FrameJon SanchezHayden FullertonGarett TurnerJoey Schlachter

Guy Spalinger

Cruz Ramirez

Isaiah Lambert

Riley Stevens

Colton Bickelhaupt

Chase Sapp