2002 High School Season

2001 High School Season
2001 American Legion Season

2000 High School Season 
2000 American Legion Season

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2001 Season (Varsity Post34):

Post34 bats disappear at wrong time.
The Post34 Tbirds were eliminated from the State American Legion Tournament with back-to-back shutout losses to Chugiak and Service.  The Tbirds could only muster 4 hits in each contest as they failed to score a single run over the final 19 innings of their season.

Tbirds dispatch Road Warriors to loser bracket behind Babcock gem.
Travis Babcock hurled an impressive 2-hitter, striking out 14 batters over 6 2/3 innings of work.  His Post34 teammates provided plenty of offense behind him, scoring 5 times in the 4^th inning, enroute to a 9-2 victory.  Babcock also collected a pair of hits to help his own cause at the plate.  Corey Madden went 3 for 4 at the dish, scoring 3 runs and Jared Baldwin kept up his torrid hitting pace with 2 more hits in the contest.  Antoine Mcleod collected 3 more stolen bases.

Tbirds win District 1 Championship with win over Service.
The Post34 team won their second District Championship in 3 years with a wild 15-13 victory over the Cougars.  The Tbirds were able to overcome inconsistent pitching (10 walks) with an impressive offensive display.  Rodney Zigarlick tripled and drove in 4 runs, as he and teammate Antoine McLeod lead the offensive attack for the Tbirds with 3 hits apiece.  Erik Thompson, Travis Babcock and Jared Baldwin each collected a pair of hits, as the Post34 squad nailed down the top seed in the upcoming State Tournament.

Tbirds break Mustangs 12-2.
Anton Maxwell kept Chugiak hitters off the base paths, whiffing 9 through 6 innings, while his Tbird teammates unloaded on the Chugiak pitchers for 12 runs in a shortened contest.  The 10-run mercy rule was imposed after 7 innings.  Antoine McLeod went 3 for 4, with a double and a pair of stolen bases.  Erik Thompson, Travis Babcock and Jared Baldwin each collect a pair of hits.  Babcock also drove in 3 runs and pitched a scoreless inning in relief to close the show. 

Trip to Matsu Valley yields pair of victories for Tbirds.
The Post34 Tbirds outscored the Wasilla Roadwarriors 23-0 during the annual trip to Matsu.  Jordan Farkas pitched a complete 5-inning shutout in game 1 and Grant Bledsoe followed suit with a 7-inning shutout in game 2.  In game 1, Antoine Mcleod lead a potent 14 hit attack with 3 hits, 3 stolen bases and 3 runs.  Chris Jones added a pair of hits, including a triple.  Corey Madden, Erik Thompson and Chris Tuck also slapped 2 hits during game 1.  Game 2 offensive leaders were Jared Baldwin and Chris Jones.  Each had 2 hits; Jones added a double and scored 3 runs.  Rodney Zigarlick also doubled for the Tbirds.

Control problems result in loss to Cougars.
Walks-a-plenty was the theme for the day as a trio of Tbird pitchers struggled, giving up 12 free passes and the Tbird offense couldn’t overcome the charity in a 14-6 loss to the Cougars.  Chris Jones had a pair of hits in the contest.

Tbirds drop contest to Juneau.
The Tbirds gave lots of playing time to backups and fell short to the visiting team from southeast Alaska.  Chris Tuck pitched 4 innings and performed well, but timely hits by Juneau (or bad timing for the Tbirds) resulted in 9 runs.  The Tbird hitters were only able to muster 3 hits of their own, 2 of them solo-homeruns by Grant Bledsoe.

Post34 tops Eagles 12-5.
The Tbirds scored 12 runs on 11 hits, including back-to-back homeruns by Erik Thompson and Rodney Zigarlick.  Grant Bledsoe and Jordan Farkas registered 9 strikeouts over the nine-inning contest.

Tbirds stifle West 19-2.
Corey Madden had quite a game against the Eagles.  Madden pitched 4 innings, collecting 8 strikeouts, enroute to the victory.  He also tallied 3 hits on offense and scored 5 runs.  Erik Thompson, Jared Baldwin, Rodney Zigarlick and Chris Tuck added 2 hits apiece.

Post34 edges rival Cougars 6-4.
Tbird hitters recorded 12 hits and broke open a close contest with a 6 run 6^th inning.  Rodney Zigarlick was impressive during his 7 innings on the mound and Anton Maxwell closed the show with 2 strong innings in relief.  Antoine McLeod, Chris Jones, Jared Baldwin and Corey Madden each had a pair of hits in the contest.

Post34 travels to Tri-Cities, Washington, for “hot” 4^th of July Tournament.
The Tbirds dropped several close contests early before breaking into the win column twice in the 12-team tournament.  The tournament was held in sweltering temperatures, often exceeding 100 degrees.  The Post 34 team was competitive throughout the tourney and their 2 victories resulted in a 5^th-place tie for the Alaskan squad.  Most of the teams in the tournament were travel squads, with rosters made up from multiple areas/schools.  Antoine Mcleod had an excellent tournament at the dish, hitting .476 (10 for 21).  Travis Babcock and Riley Smith were standout pitchers for Post 34, each recording victories.  Travis registered 7 strikeouts and only 2 walks in the victory over Selway Tools.   

 Post34 drops 4-3 decision to Cougars.
The Tbirds out hit Service 7-5 but gave up 3 early runs and never mounted any kind of offense in the loss.  Rodney Zigarlick and Antoine McLeod collected 4 of the 7 hits for the Thunderbirds.  Travis Babcock was tagged with the pitching loss.

Thunderbirds spank Bartlett 8-1.
In a game not as close as the score indicates, Post34 blasted 16 hits enroute to the victory.  Erik Thompson and Travis Babcock each collected 3 hits, while Antoine McLeod, Chris Jones and Jared Baldwin each pounded out a pair of hits.  McLeod and Jones tripled, while Baldwin, Zigarlick, Babcock and Tyler Waldron all collected doubles.  Jordan Farkas notched the win.

Post34 wins rubber match with Dimond.
The Tbirds out hit the Lynx 11-4 while outscoring them 4-3.  Anton Maxwell pitched 7 1/3 innings and recorded 10 K’s and only 2 walks.  Rodney Zigarlick closed the show and captured the save.  Chris Jones had 3 hits and Erik Thompson, Rodney Zigarlick and Jared Baldwin also collected 2 hits apiece.

Tbirds jump on Homer team with 14-5 win.
The Post34 Tbirds pounded out 20 hits in the 9 run win.  The Tbirds used a pair of Jimmies (Obermeyer and Owens that is) on the mound to overcome the Kenai Peninsula squad.  Tyler Waldron, Jared Baldwin and Chris Jones had 3 hits apiece.  Travis Babcock hit his second homer in as many games.

Thunderbirds drop 16 hit bomb on Lynx.
The Tbirds gained a little revenge on Dimond with an 8-1 win.  Chris Tuck, Antoine McLeod and Corey Madden each had 3 hits.  Travis Babcock and Jared Baldwin each blasted homeruns.  Babcock also collected the win on the mound with 5 strong innings of work.

Tbirds drop one to Mustangs.
David Moore pitched a 9-inning gem and the Tbirds couldn’t manage much offense, or defense in the 7-5 loss.  Rodney Zigarlick’s 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBI’s were about the only highlight for the Tbirds.

Post34 splits with Kenai (again).
Travis Babcock helped his own cause with 3 hits, including 2 doubles and pitched 8 innings with 8 strikeouts in the game 1 win.  In game 2, Kenai exploded for 9 runs after a scary moment when their coach Lance Cotze had to be taken to the hospital after being struck in the head by a vicious line drive.  Jared Baldwin and Antoine McLeod each collected 3 hits in the loss.

Tbirds defeat Fairbanks in non-league contest.
Chris Tuck and Antoine Mcleod paired up for a rare pitching victory and the Thunderbirds collected 13 hits in a 12-10 win.  Erik Thompson, Chris Jones and McLeod collected 9 of the 13 hits. 

Post34 edges Chugiak twice in less than a week.
Travis Babcock picked up a win in his 2001 debut and Rodney Zigarlick collected 3 hits and scored 3 times in a 13-10 win over the Mustangs.  In the second game, Tyler Waldron pitched 8 strong innings and Riley Smith notched the save.  Travis Babcock had 3 hits and Rodney Zigarlick collected 2 hits and 3 RBI’s at the plate.  Zigarlick also tripled and scored 3 runs. 

Tbirds split pair with Golden Bears.
Post34 wins 10-4 and loses 10-3 in back-to-back games with Bartlett.  Chris Jones collected 4 hits and Antoine McLeod, Rodney Zigarlick and Travis Babcock each had a pair of hits in the win.  Grant Bledsoe notched the win on the mound.  Meanwhile, in the loss, three Tbird pitchers combined to strikeout 16 Bartlett batters, but a bad 6th inning with 2 errors, 2 walks and a hit batsman resulted in 5 runs.      

Thunderbirds strike on Eagles 15-2.
The Post34 team gets back to .500 with big win over West. Antoine McLeod goes 4 for 4 and Chris Jones collects 3 hits, while Erik Thompson drives in 4 with 2 hits.  Jordan Farkas picked up the win.

Tbirds split twin bill with Kenai.
The Thunderbirds pounced on the Twins in game one, only to have the tables turned in game 2.  Post34 used 3 pitchers (Anton Maxwell, Grant Bledsoe and Erik Thompson) to defeat Kenai ace Danny Bookey.  The Tbirds collected 13 hits, including 2 triples by Antoine McLeod and a 4-hit performance by Rodney Zigarlick in his first game of the year.  Kenai scored 6 times in the first 2 innings, taking advantage of untimely walks and timely hitting and the Tbirds never recovered.  Corey Madden took the loss.

Post34 drops opener to Lynx.
The Tbirds never got on track and Dimond turned a shortly lived close affair into a rout with a 5-run 3^rd inning.  Jimmy Obermeyer went 2 for 3 and Riley Smith was tagged with the loss. 

2001 Varsity High School Season Results: 

East drops championship game.
Service parlayed 7 bunts, 3 of which resulted in half of their 6 total hits, as they won the Region 4 title game in what often resembled a fast-pitch softball game.  The Tbirds never got on track, offensively or defensively and Service capitalized on the porous East defense (7 errors) for the 6-2 win.  Erik Thompson collected 2 of East’s 6 hits and Corey Madden collected 5 K’s versus 1 walk.  Madden was tagged with his only defeat of the short high school season.

Riley Smith notches 1^st varsity win with 11-2 victory over West.
Antoine McLeod, Chris Jones, Erik Thompson, Grant Bledsoe and Jimmy Owens all collected 2 hits in the win.  Riley Smith scattered 6 hits over 6 innings and consistently kept the Eagles off balance with his forkball. 

Tbirds defeat Mustangs in pitchers duel.
Anton Maxwell pitched a 7-inning, 2 hit gem, striking out 13 with only 1 walk in the Tbirds 3-1 victory.  Antoine McLeod and Corey Madden collected 2 hits apiece.  Erik Thompson had a 2-RBI single in the 6^th inning as East took the lead for good. 

Tbirds edge Lynx in extra innings.
East High scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 7^th to send this game into extra innings and then had to score twice to win after falling behind in the top of the 8^th.  Corey Madden and Antoine McLeod each collected 2 hits for East.  Chris Jones and McLeod doubled and Antoine also scored 3 times.  Corey Madden picked up the victory in relief.

Thunderbirds pound Bears.
Antoine McLeod went a perfect 4-4 at the plate while Grant Bledsoe and Erik Thompson recorded 10 K’s on the mound as East routed Bartlett 10-4.  Chris Tuck and Grant Bledsoe both had 2 hits. 

Tbirds win 6-2 over Mustangs.
Corey Madden recorded 8 K’s, while walking only 1 in a complete game victory over Chugiak.  Chris Jones went 3-4 at the plate and Erik Thompson broke open the pitcher’s duel in the top of the 7^th with a 2 run homerun.  Chris Tuck and Grant Bledsoe also collected 2 hits apiece.

East drops 1 run decision in bottom of 7^th.
The Tbirds out hit Service 7-5 but unfortunately gave up 7 walks and Service capitalized with timely hits in the 6-5 defeat.  Service’s Charlton Ferreira was able to keep the Tbirds off balance all afternoon.  The winning run scored on a bloop single just out of the reach of 3 diving Tbirds.  Erik Thompson and Jimmy Obermeyer each collected 2 hits for East.

Tbirds 10-run West.
Antoine McLeod and Chris Jones collected 3 hits apiece in the 15-4 victory.  Grant Bledsoe and Riley Smith limited the Eagles to 5 hits over the shortened 5-inning game.  The first 4 East hitters singled and the Tbirds exploded for a 5-1 lead in the first inning.  

Madden throws 2^nd no hitter as Tbirds trounce Bartlett 14-1.
Corey Madden threw a 5-inning no hitter and his East teammates backed him up with plenty of offense in the season’s first win for the Tbirds.  Chris Tuck collected 3 hits, including a double.  Chris Jones and Erik Thompson each had a pair of hits and Jones also doubled and scored twice.

East drops heartbreaker in regular season opener.
Anton Maxwell allowed only two weak infield hits over 5 1/3 innings, to go with 7 K’s, but tired in the 6^th and Dimond scored 3 runs in the last 1 1/3 and upset the reigning state champs.  The only ball Dimond hit hard all day came following a 1-out walk and scored the game winner in the bottom of the 7^th.

 Pre-Season action:

Tbirds explode for 6 runs in the 6^th for 12-5 victory over Houston.
Chris Jones collected 3 hits and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the win over Houston.  Riley Smith had 5 K’s and only one walk, while yielding only 3 hits over his 3 innings of work.  Joe Lyman worked the 2 2/3 innings in his varsity debut, while Brant Jensen and Andrew Marchant collected hits in their first varsity action.

East hurlers throw no hitter in 13-0 victory over Wasilla.
Corey Madden and Erik Thompson combined for a season opening no hitter.  Corey was extremely impressive, striking out 14 of the 18 batters he faced.  The only fair ball hit off Corey was a softly hit fly ball to center field.  Corey and Erik also were the hitting stars for the game, collecting 3 hits apiece.  In Corey’s first ever left-handed plate appearance he lined a 375-foot homerun over the right centerfield wall. 

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Post 34

2000 Season (Varsity Post34):

Post 34 ends season with 2-2 showing, finish 3rd in State.
The Tbirds knocked off Kenai 10-7 in game one.  Chris Jones, Rodney Zigarlick and Jeremy Wylie scored 9 runs (3 each) and set the table time and time again for their clean-up hitter Kyle Madden.  Madden responded with a double and a homerun, driving in 4 runs.  Travis Babcock also collected a pair of hits, while picking up the victory on the mound.  In game two a 4-run 6th inning (for Chugiak) broke a 3-3 tie and propelled the Mustangs to victory.  Rodney Zigarlick, Jeremy Wylie and Todd Hadley each collected 2 hits in the loss.  The Tbirds just couldn't manage any timely hits, leaving 10 runners on-base.  In game three the Thunderbirds knocked the Service Cougars out of the tournament with a 6-5 victory.  The Tbirds lead the entire game, scoring 3 in the first before making it exciting in the bottom of the 9th, allowing the Cougars to close the score to 6-5 before ending the game.  In game four the Thunderbird team was kept off-balance all night by slow off-speed pitches from Lynx hurler Ty Clapper.  After a nightmarish first inning where the Lynx scored 8 runs (4 unearned), the Tbirds could never get anything going.  The alternating victories and losses left the Thunderbird team in third place for the season ending tournament.  

Thunderbirds gain berth to State Tournament with lopsided victory over Wasilla.
The Thunderbirds scored 8 runs in the first 3 innings and put the Road Warriors away early enroute to a 10-4 victory.  Kyle Madden was the hitting leader for the Tbirds.  Kyle crushed a monstrous 430 foot homerun and later added an RBI double, ending the evening with 3 hits in 5 at-bats.  Travis Babcock and Jeremy Wylie also came up big at the plate.  Travis collected 3 hits, including a double and Jeremy added 2, with a ground-rule double.  Corey Madden picked up the win with a strong showing on the hill with 8 K's and Travis Babcock collected the save.   

Tbirds drop 12-7 decision to Golden Bears.
A 6-run 3rd inning helped the Bartlett Legion squad claim their first victory over the Tbirds.  Jeremy Wylie was tagged with the loss, but did manage a 2 for 4 day at the plate including a double.  Todd Hadley also collected 2 hits and drove in a pair of runs.  The loss dropped the Tbirds to 15-9, making their next game (with Wasilla) decisive for the automatic berth to the State Legion Tournament.

Post34 split with Kenai in rain soaked double-header.
Travis Babcock watched another excellent pitching effort disappear as he claimed a "no-decision" in the first game of the double header.  With the Tbirds up 9-2 in the 8th inning Travis was pulled due to a high pitch count.  The clouds opened and the deluge began, rain and errors.  Kenai scored 7 runs in the 8th and 9th inning to tie the game, thanks in part to several key errors and a hometown umpire with a suddenly shrinking and erratic zone.  Additionally, the game was stopped twice (when Kenai was in the field) eliminating any chance of the slippery conditions effecting throwing opportunities for the Twins.  The Twins won the game in the bottom of the 10th on a double by P.J. Zobek.  The second game was all Tbirds as they out hit the Twins 10-4, cruising to a 7-2 victory.  Kyle Madden went 3 for 4 and Chris Jones limited the Twins to 4 hits.  Thomas Obermeyer had an excellent day at the plate, collecting 4 hits in 5 at-bats.       

Tbirds top Lynx with 8-6 victory.
The Post34 Tbirds improved to 6 and 1 in head-to-head games with the Dimond Lynx with the extra inning victory.  Thomas Obermeyer pitched 8 1/3 strong innings, keeping the Lynx batters baffled with his off-speed pitches.  Rodney Zigarlick paced the Tbirds 10 hit attack with a double and a 2-run homerun.  Kyle Madden also had a 2-run shot, as did Brian Montalbo for the Lynx.  The game was tied going into the 10th when 15 year-old Jared Baldwin cranked a 1-hop, RBI double off the left field wall.   Corey Madden notched his first save of the season in the bottom of the 10th.

Thunderbirds split with Cougars.
Seven runs in the 5th inning propelled the Tbirds to a 9-4 triumph in game 1 of a double header with the cross-town rival Cougars.  Corey Madden pitched a complete game to notch the victory and helped his cause at the plate with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, including a triple.  Erik Thompson was 2 for 2 with a double.  Rodney Zigarlick also added a double.  Kyle Madden returned to the line-up after several weeks off with a broken wrist.  The Cougars bounced back in the 2nd game, scoring 3 runs in the first and then holding on for a 9-3 victory.  The second game was reduced to 6 innings due to the weeknight time limit.

Post 34 drops one to Mustangs in 8th.
Travis Babcock shut down the Chugiak Mustangs for 7 innings; however, Joe Wilson kept his team close with 2 homeruns and a double.  With the Tbirds up 7-4 going into the final frame Travis was pulled due to a high pitch count.  It was all the Mustangs needed, scoring 7 times in the 8th.  The Tbirds were paced at the plate by Corey Madden (4 for 5), Travis Babcock (3 for 5), Chris Jones (3 for 4) and Jeremy Wylie (2 for 4).  Madden blasted a solo-homer and drove in a pair of runs, while Wylie launched a 2-run shot and tripled with 3 RBI's. 

Tbirds win 3 of 9 while in Canada.
The Thunderbirds first baseball trip outside the United States was a success.  Even though we only had 12 players travel with us to Vancouver, Canada, (and returned with 10 healthy ones) everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.  We were able to get in 9 games over the 7 days, and our 3-6 record is somewhat deceptive (we lost our first 5 games by a total of 7 runs).  The weather wasn't exactly great, raining most everyday.  The players convinced me to attempt to set-up games next summer in Hawaii.  We'll see if I have any luck with the same timetable.   A special thanks to Don Hadley, Ken Zigarlick and Cristy Wylie for all of their help during the trip.

Thunderbirds get best of Eagles.
Travis Babcock and Jeremy Wylie combined on a 5 hitter, as the Tbirds downed West 11-1.  Erik Thompson went 3 for 4 at the dish and Alex Contreras continued his hot hitting, ripping a double and triple in back to back games.  

Tbirds bounce back with 6-3 win against Golden Bears.
Corey Madden pitched 5 strong innings and Rodney Zigarlick pitched 2 excellent innings in relief to pace the Tbirds.  Todd Hadley hammered out 2 doubles and a single in 5 plate appearances, while Alex Contreras doubled and tripled in 3 official at-bats.  Jeremy Wylie also ripped 2 hits and scored twice in 4 at-bats. 
  
Post 34 hits skids in pair against Service/Chugiak.
Mike Moran and Travis Babcock each had rough first innings, with Mike giving up 6 runs and Travis surrendering 4 before the Tbirds were able to escape the first frame.   There were very few highlights for the Thunderbirds.  Alex Contreras and Travis Babcock each had a pair of hits in the loss to the Mustangs and Jeremy Wylie collected 3 hits in 4 plate appearances in the lopsided loss to the Cougars.

Thunderbirds throttle Kenai 4-2 and 13-0.
Corey Madden and Travis Babcock each pitched strong games as the Tbirds claimed both games of the twinbill.  Corey fanned 11, while only giving up 1 free pass.   Kenai's Danny Bookey pitched well, giving up only 3 runs over his 6 1/3 innings.   Corey also collected a pair of hits, as did Todd Hadley and Rodney Zigarlick.   Rodney had the big stick of the game, clubbing a solo homerun in the 9th to give the Tbirds an insurance run.  In the second game Travis Babcock and Jordan Farkas overpowered the Peninsula Twins 13-0.  The Tbirds pounded out 15 hits, while Travis and Jordan yielded only 3 hits (2 singles and a double).  Travis also collected 3 hits at the plate and drove in a pair.  Erik Thompson also drove in 2 with his 3 for 3 performance.

Post 34 downs Bartlett 6-5.
The Thunderbirds came from behind to down the Golden Bears 6 to 5.  Travis Babcock, Erik Thompson, Todd Hadley and Jeremy Wylie each collected 2 hits.  Rodney Zigarlick, Babcock, Thompson and Tom Obermeyer doubled for the Tbird squad.   Zigarlick also scored 2 runs, while Todd Hadley drove in a pair.  Tom Obermeyer pitched 5 and 2/3 innings giving up 5 runs (4 earned).  Jeremy Wylie picked up the victory in relief with 3 1/3 strong innings.  Jeremy had 4 K's and only gave up 2 hits and no runs.

Tbirds defeat Dimond.

The Tbirds held on to defeat the Dimond Lynx 9-7.   Mike Moran pitched 6 innings, giving up only 4 hits, while striking out 5 and walking 10.  Jeremy Wylie picked up the win, giving up only 3 hits over the final 3 frames.  Jeremy recorded 3 K's and 2 base on balls.  Erik Thompson was 4 for 5, with a double and 3 singles.  Jimmy Owens was 3 for 3, with a double.  The Lynx were lead by Danny Bunnell who finished the game 2 for 2, with 2 base on balls. The win was bitter-sweet for the Tbirds as they lost power hitter Kyle Madden for up to 4 weeks with a broken wrist.

Post34 outscores West.

The Tbirds pounded out 15 hits, including 4 doubles, to best West 17-5 at Kosinski Field.  Grant Bledsoe pitched 5 innings, earning the victory.  Hitting leaders for the Tbirds were Rodney Zigarlick (5 for 6), Todd Hadley (2 for 3) and Chris Jones (3 for 5).  Mike Hansen was 2 for 3 for the Eagles.

Tbirds pound Golden Bears 19-2.

In a game not as close as the score indicates, the Post 34 Tbirds pounded out 17 hits and built a 19-0 score before giving up 2 runs in the last of the seventh.  The Tbirds were paced by the torrid hitting of Kyle Madden, who went 5 for 5 and collected 9 RBI's.  Kyle was a triple short of "the cycle" with a 2 singles, 2 doubles and a homerun.  The younger of the Madden brothers, Corey, pitched 5 strong innings, giving up only 1 hit.

Post34 wins over Eagles.

Tbirds split pair with Chugiak.

The Post 34 Tbirds split a double header with the Mustangs, winning the first game in exciting fashion and dropping the second game of the twin bill.  Both games were not exactly stellar defensive exhibitions with the TBirds making numerous mental and physical mistakes.  Mike Moran pitched a complete game for the victory in the first game and Travis Babcock absorbed the loss in the second game.   Babcock did finish the night going 7 for 8 at the dish in the 2 games.  Todd Hadley delivered the game winning blow in the bottom of the 7th in game one, doubling in the tying and winning runs off losing pitcher David Ober.  The Mustangs had taken the lead in the top of the 7th when Josh Wilson crushed a 2-run homerun over the center field fence.  The Tbirds battled, but lost focus numerous times during an evening where the team was extremely short handed.  The team started the first game with only 9 players available and at one point in the second game there were 7 of the 9 players either out of their normal position, or replacing a missing starters.  In the second game Chugiak freshman Bobby Remy shutdown the Tbirds for most of the game as the Mustangs built an 8-2 lead.  The Thunderbirds scored 5 runs in the top of the 5th to make it 8-7, only to see the Mustangs answer back with 2 in the bottom of the frame.  The game ended after 6 innings due to the time limit with the Chugiak team leading 10-7.  The split leaves the TBirds with a 3-2 win loss record for the American Legion season.   

Post 34 drops one to Service.

The TBirds barely showed up for this one, losing 18-6 to the Cougars.  Several starters were sick, out of town, or just missing (actually 4, but who's counting) and the Service squad took no prisoners in handing the TBirds their first loss of the Legion season.  The Tbirds were more than a little flat 2 days after winning the first ever Alaska State High School Baseball Championship and failed to even get a hit until the 4th inning.  Chris Jones absorbed his first loss of the year and Grant Bledsoe, Erik Thompson and Todd Hadley all got in a little pitching work during the losing cause.  About the only highlight of the game was a sparkling over-the-shoulder catch by 2nd baseman Jimmy Owens.

TBirds put West away 10-0.

The Post 34 TBirds scored 10 runs and played solid defense in a shortened game due to the 10-run rule.  Jordan Farkas pitched well in his first varsity start, giving up only 3 hits over 5 innings, striking out 5 and walking none.  Grant Bledsoe pitched the final 2 innings in relief, giving up 1 hit with 2 K's.  Tom Obermeyer was 2 for 2, with 2 doubles.   Travis Babcock, Todd Hadley and Rodney Zigarlick each scored two runs.

Post 34 Thunderbirds pick up right where East High team left off with 7-6, 11 inning win.

In the first game of the 2000 American Legion season, the Post 34 TBirds squeaked by Diamond 7-6 in 11 innings.   The TBirds scored 6 times in the 3rd and once in the deciding 11th.  The Lynx have played the TBirds tough every contest this year with both High School contests also decided by a single run.  The TBirds used 5 pitchers in the game, while the Diamond team used 3.  Chris Jones picked up the win, while Brian Montalbo was tagged with the loss.  The TBirds collected 8 hits in the contest, with half of those coming in the 6 run 4th.  Travis Babcock and Chris Jones each collected 2 hits, Jones' second base knock ended the extra inning affair in the bottom of the 11th.  

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Thunderbirds are first ever Alaska State High School Champions!
(East finishes 2000 High School Campaign with 12-1 record!)

TBirds finish High School season with 3-1 Win over Juneau in State Championship game.
In an extremely well played contest by both teams, East pitcher Mike Moran threw a complete game 6-hitter, earning the win in the first ever Alaska High School State Championship game at Herman Brothers field in Palmer.  There were a total of 12 hits in the game, all singles, 6 by each team.  East fell behind 1-0 in the 3rd inning when Joe Ayers scored on a single to right.  The inning ended on the same play when Travis Babcock rifled a throw to the plate nailing Garrett Schoenberger who was attempting to score from second on the basehit.  The TBirds exhibited the same form they have shown all season, scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th to pull off the victory.   The inning started when Chris Jones singled to right on the first pitch, Jeremy Wylie then reached on a base-on-balls.  Todd Hadley showed why he was the Region IV MVP with a clutch single to right to load the bases.  After going to a full count, Travis Babcock singled to right center to drive in Jones & Wylie.  Pinch runner Devin King scored when the Juneau pitcher balked attempting to defense an East double steal attempt.  Mike Moran ended the contest with consecutive strike outs and the State Championship belonged to the TBirds.  Rodney Zigarlick was the only multiple hit batter for either team, ending the contest 2 for 3.  East placed 4 members on the 9 player All-Tournament Team.  Rodney Zigarlick joined teammates Erik Thompson, Jeremy Wylie and Travis Babcock on the first ever Alaska State All-Tournament Team.

East opens State Tournament with 8-0 victory over Colony High.

The East TBirds opened the State High School Baseball Tournament with an 8-0 victory over Region III Champion Colony High.  Travis Babcock had a perfect game going for 5 innings, surrendering his first hit of the game in the 6th.  Travis ended the contest with 10 strikeouts and no walks.  The TBirds had little problem supporting their pitcher offensively, scoring 8 runs on 10 hits, including 6 extra-base hits.  Antoine McLeod pounded out 2 doubles with an RBI.  Catcher Todd Hadley had a double, a single and 3 RBI's.  Jeremy Wylie collected 2 hits, a triple and a single while scoring 3 times. Erik Thompson and Corey Madden also collected doubles in the one-sided contest.

2000 Varsity High School Season Results:               

TBirds end High School regular season with 8-4 victory.

Todd Hadley was 3 for 3 , including a single, a double and a triple, to lead the TBirds to an 8-4 win over West at Mulcahy Stadium.  The 3 hits raised Todd's season batting average to a whooping .621.   Chris Jones scored 3 times, including 2 on the back end of double steals to help secure the win.  Jeremy Wylie picked up his 3rd win of the short season.  As usual, the TBirds waited until late in the game to break it open.  Chris Jones and Rodney Zigarlick lead off the top of the 7th with singles and after Jeremy Wylie moved Chris to third with a flyball to center field, Chris and Rodney pulled off a nice double steal, with Jones scoring.  Todd Hadley followed with an RBI triple to right center.   The win left the TBirds record at 10-1 overall and 9-1 league.  This is the second straight 9-1 season for the East squad and their High School record over the last 3 years now stands at 26-4.

East drops first game of year. (5/19/00)

The East High Baseball team dropped their first contest of the season with a 4-3 loss to Bartlett at Mulcahy Stadium.   Two days after clinching the Region IV Title the TBirds used the contest as an opportunity to get playing time for many of their players that have not seen much time this season.  East removed all of the regular starters after 3 innings, with the score tied 3-3.  Todd Hadley collected 2 hits prior to his removal and Travis Babcock absorbed his first loss of the season.

TBirds clinch Region IV Championship with 12-5 rout of Service. (5/17/00)

The East High TBirds baseball team clinched their second straight Region IV Championship with a come from behind 12-5 victory over the Service Cougars at Mulcahy Stadium.  Rodney Zigarlick had a tremendous game at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a single, a double and a homerun.  Rodney ended the day with 5 RBI's, a stolen base and 1 run scored.  The win lifted the Thunderbirds record to 9-0 overall and 8-0 in league play.  There are currently only 2 teams with winning records remaining in the Region IV regular season (East with 8 wins - 0 losses and Service with 5 wins - 3 losses).  East fell behind 3-1 in the second inning on a solo homer by Grant Breager, two walks and a 2 run triple by Aaron Witt.  The TBirds broke the game wide open with 6 runs in the bottom half of the 5th inning.  The inning started with Travis Babcock reaching on an error, singles by pinch-hitter Peter Bullock and Corey Madden set the stage for a 2 run double by standout leadoff hitter Chris Jones and then Rodney Z. followed with the coup-de-grace 3 run homer over the right-center field fence.   Chris Jones also had an excellent outing, going 3 for 4 at the plate, scoring 3 runs and 3 RBI's.  The diminutive lefthander, affectionately know as "Jonesy" to his teammates, also pitched the last 3 2/3 innings in relief to pick up his 3rd victory of the year.

Another wild finish improves East to 6-0, sets up showdown with Cougars. (5/15/00)

Trailing by 2 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th and no one on base things looked bad for the 5-0 TBirds.  When Erik Thompson and Antoine McLeod walked things looked a little better and when Dimond pitcher Jon Meister hit leadoff hitter Chris Jones to load the bases, things really got interesting.  The next 2 East hitters (Rodney Zigarlick and Jeremy Wylie) hit shots up the middle that the Dimond shortstop couldn't handle and suddenly the game was knotted at 7-7.  Todd Hadley stepped up, stroked a basehit to right and East won 8-7.  Todd Hadley had a great game, going 4-5 at the plate with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's.  Erik Thompson hit a solo homerun in the 3rd inning.  Tom Obermeyer pitched 6 innings, giving up only 4 hits.  Chris Jones pitched the top of the 7th and picked up his 3rd win of the season.  The TBirds had 10 hits, compared to 5 for the Lynx.   

Wylie K's 13 in win over Chugiak.   (5/13/00)

Jeremy Wylie struck out 13 Chugiak batters, walking only 2, as the East TBirds improved to 5-0 in league play.  The TBirds built an 11-2 lead and then cruised to an 11-4 final at Mulcahy Stadium.  Chris Jones, Jeremy Wylie and Todd Hadley each collected 2 RBI's in the one-sided contest.  Hadley finished the day 3 for -4 at the plate, with a double and 2 singles.  After falling behind 2-0 on a Josh Wilson homerun in the first inning, East stormed back with 11 unanswered runs, on 14 hits over the next 6 innings.   

Babcock fans 12 in TBird win over Bartlett (5/12/00)

Travis Babcock struck out 12 Golden Bears in an 8-3 win at Kosinski Fields.  Babcock nearly had to be pulled from the game after being struck on the ankle by a line drive in the 3rd inning.  He remained in the game, striking out 8 of the next 18 batters, including 3 straight K's in the 7th to "close the show."  Todd Hadley collected 3 singles in 3 at bats and Chris Jones had a double and 3 RBI's to lead the TBird hitters.  After leading 3-0 Bartlett tied the game in the top of the 6th, only to have East strike back for 5 runs in the bottom of the inning.      

TBirds edge Dimond in extra innings, 12-10, to improve to 4-0.  (5/10/00)

The East TBirds hooked up with the Dimond Lynx in a dramatic extra inning contest.  With 2 outs in the top of the 7th, Rodney Zigarlick delivered a crucial RBI single to score Antoine McLeod, who had reached on a fielders choice.  Zigarlick also turned in a stellar defensive gem in the 7th, when with 2 on and only 1 out,  he dove for a ball to his right touched third and doubled off Bill Serventi to end the Dimond threat.  East then scored 2 unanswered runs in the top of the 8th, on singles by Devin King, Grant Bledsoe and a triple by Antoine McLeod.   Travis Babcock came on to pitch in the bottom of the 8th to nail down the save.   Chris Jones pitched 3 strong innings in relief to pick up the victory.  Mike Moran started and gave up all 10 runs through the first 4 innings, many due to uncharacteristic sloppy play and errors by the TBird defense.   The TBirds out hit the Lynx 14-13 in the wild game at Mulcahy Stadium.  Travis Babcock ended the game with 3 hits in 4 official at bats to lead the TBirds.  Mike Moran drove in a run with a ground rule double in the 1st inning for the undefeated East squad.  Bill Serventi hit a 3-run homerun in the Lynx 6-run second inning.

East knocks off Chugiak 8-2.   (5/8/00)

The TBirds improved to 3-0 with a 8 to 2 win over Chugiak at Mulcahy Stadium.  Jeremy Wylie went 2 for 2, with a double and 3 RBI's.   Rodney Zigarlick had a triple and scored 2 runs for the 4-0 TBirds.  East pitchers Rodney Zigarlick and Corey Madden combined on a 2-hitter. 

TBirds 10-run West.   (5/6/00)

Chris Jones went 3 for 3 and Jeremy Wylie went 2 for 2, as the TBirds improved to 2-0 with a 16-6 win over West at Mulcahy Stadium.  Jimmy Owens tripled in 2 runs, walked twice and scored 3 runs for the East team.  Wylie picked up the win for the TBirds after replacing Corey Madden early in the game after Corey was hit on the pitching hand by a line drive.

East comes from behind to start regular season with win over Service. (5/5/00)

The East High baseball team rallied for an 11-8 victory in the regular season opener for both clubs.  East fell behind 4-0 when Taylor Nerland hit a 3-run homerun in the top of the 4th inning.  It was actually the first hit of the game for Service, who capitalized on walks and hit batters to gain the lead.  East scored 5 runs in the top of the 5th on RBI singles by Chris Jones and Todd Hadley.  The TBirds took the lead for good with 4 runs in the top of the 6th.  The inning started with a single by Jones, a fielders choice by Rodney Zigarlick.  After Rodney stole second, Jeremy Wylie delivered a single to left to score Rodney.  Todd Hadley was then hit by a pitch, Travis Babcock followed with an RBI single and Tom Obermeyer rocketed a double to left-center to score Hadley and Babcock.  Tom Obermeyer went 4 for 5 at the plate to pace the potent TBird offense.  The TBirds ended the game with 14 hits, including doubles by Rodney Zigarlick and Tom Obermeyer.  Jeremy Wylie started the new season with 3 straight walks and scored 3 runs for the defending Region IV champions.  Mike Moran and Travis Babcock pitched a 5-hitter for the TBirds.

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Pre-season games

East wears out bats on Palmer pitchers (5/1/00)

Article from Anchorage Daily News:  East High manager Tony Wylie makes the Thunderbirds baseball team run 10 wind sprints after every game.  "It helps to keep them in shape," Wylie said after Monday's season-opening nonleague game against Palmer.  "They run wind sprints whether we win, lose or draw."  The East players ran the wind sprints with smiles on their faces after running away from Palmer with a 21-3 rout in five innings at the Kosinski Fields.

Thunderbirds pitchers Rodney Zigarlick, Grant Bledsoe and Erik Thompson combined on a one-hitter. East batters generated 12 hits off Palmer hurlers Blake Aro, Aaron Turner and Alan Shults.  Bledsoe and Thompson highlighted a five-run fourth inning with, respectively, an RBI double and a three-run inside-the-park home run after Travis Babcock launched a three-run triple during a seven-run third inning.  "It was just a 1-0 pitch down the middle, and I just crushed it," Thompson said of the one-out homer that gave East an 18-0 lead. "When it came at me, it was like a beach ball."   The game seemed like a day at the beach for East, but Wylie kept the contest in perspective, as it didn't count in the Region IV standings and it occured early in the season.  "The disadvantage of a game like this is you tend to lose focus a bit," Wylie said. "You want them to maintain focus for seven innings (in region games). We're not going to score 21 runs on Service."

Palmer shortstop Rob Baldwin ended a no-hit bid for East with a two-out RBI single to the gap in the top of the fifth inning. Baldwin also scored in the inning on error while Brian Weller provided the Moose's other by coming home on a passed ball.  "I wanted to get something started. ... I was trying to get something started for most of the game," said Baldwin, who was 0 for 2 before the hit. The game was also a good start to the season for Thunderbirds starter Zigarlick, who suffered from tendinitis in his throwing arm last season.  The senior right-hander shut down the Moose for two innings while striking out five and allowing one walk.  "I was trying to mix it up," Zigarlick said. "I was trying to get them off-balance." East jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, highlighted by Todd Hadley's two-run single. The Thunderbirds stretched the lead to 9-0 in the second as Chris Jones singled in two runs.  "We stopped stealing when it got to 9-0," Wylie said.

Arizona Spring 2000

3/25/00:
Varsity vs. Cushing Academy, Massachusetts:
The Post 34 Tbirds won the opening game of their spring trip by a score of 7 to 4 over Cushing Academy of Massachusetts.  The game, played at the Mountain Pointe High School baseball complex in Tempe, was a seesaw contest featuring 4 lead changes.  Kyle Madden was the hitting leader for the Tbirds going 2 for 3, with one run scored, a double and a RBI.  The Tbird pitchers allowed only 6 hits and struck out 8 in the 7-inning contest.  Mike Moran picked up the win.   Other pitchers in the game included Tom Obermeyer, Travis Babcock, Jeremy Wylie, Kyle Madden, Danny Bookey and Rodney Zigarlick.  Tom Obermeyer had an RBI triple in the fifth inning driving in Ricky Crocker who had doubled to lead off the inning.   Rodney Zigarlick was 1 for 2, with 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

JV vs. Cushing Academy, Massachusetts
The Junior Tbirds edged the Cushing JV squad by a 4-3 score.  Mark Barnhouse scored the winning run on a 5th inning walk issued to Zac Hembree.  The junior varsity team also used 7 pitchers in their game.   Jordan Farkas, Erik Thompson, Victor Mota, Alex Contreras, Anton Maxwell, Grant Bledsoe and Chris Jones all took their turn on the hill.  The Tbirds coupled timely hitting with Cushing Academy walks to turn the tide on the "New Englanders."   Riley Smith, Zac Hembree, Erik Thompson and Grant Bledsoe all collected hits in the close contest.  Grant Bledsoe was the winning pitcher and Chris Jones picked up the save. 

3/27/00:
Varsity vs. Eagle Crest, CO.
The Eagle Crest squad jumped on the Tbirds for 14 runs in the top of the first inning in the tournament opener.  The Tbirds then settled down and outscored the Colorado team 1-0 through the last 5 innings.   Unfortunately, 1 run on 1 hit was all the Tbirds could manufacture in their second appearance of the spring.  Travis Babcock was the losing pitcher and Danny Bookey worked 4 1/3 strong innings in relief.  Bookey gave up only 2 hits over the remainder of the game.  Jeremy Wylie picked up the solo single for the Tbirds.

JV vs. Seton High, AZ.
The junior Tbirds fell behind 2-0 in the second inning before storming back for a decisive 10-2 win.  Jordan Farkas struck out 6 through the first 4 innings and Corey Madden whiffed 6 batters over the last 3 frames.   Alex Contreras, Jimmy Owens and Mark Barnhouse each singled twice.  Grant Bledsoe collected an RBI double.   

3/28/00:
Varsity vs Paradise Valley, AZ
The Tbirds spring record fell to 1-2 after a 15-5 loss to the local Scottsdale Arizona team.  The lopsided score was not indicative of the overall game.  The teams were knotted in a 5-5 tie going into the bottom of the 6th inning when the wheels fell of the Tbird wagon.  A couple of errors, 3 walks and some timely singles resulted in a 10 run outburst.  Erik Thompson collected a double and Jeremy Wylie belted a triple in the losing effort. 

JV vs. Paradise Valley, AZ
The junior Tbirds edged the Paradise Valley J.V. squad 6-5 at Horizon High School.  Grant Bledsoe picked up the victory with 5 strong innings on the mound and went 3 for 4 at the plate.  Corey Madden belted a solo homerun in the 3rd and ended the day 2 for 3, with 2 RBI's.  Antoine McLeod also collected 2 hits and 2 RBI's.  The junior Tbirds built a 6-0 lead, scoring 2 in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the 4th.  The Paradise Valley J.V. squad closed the gap to the final 6-5 score by plating 5 in the 5th.  

3/29/00:
Varsity vs. Heritage, CO
The Tbirds continued to be plagued by the old "one bad inning syndrome" in a 9-2 loss.  The real problem in the game, other than the 7-run second inning, was the 14 stranded baserunners.  Tom Obermeyer deserved a better fate for his pitching performance.  Tom struckout 4 and walked 4 in his 2000 season debut on the hill.  The Tbirds left runners in scoring position in all 7 innings, including bases loaded in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th.   Chris Jones belted an opposite field triple in the losing cause.

JV vs. Valley Dodgers, British Columbia
The junior Tbirds  lost their first game of the trip to the Valley Dodgers squad from Canada.  The Tbird team battled to the end despite falling behind 7-0 by the 3rd inning.  The final score was 15-7 in the slugfest at the Horizon H.S. field.  Corey Madden was tagged with the loss.   Alex Contreras and Grant Bledsoe each collected doubles for the junior Tbirds.

3/30/00:
Varsity vs. Valley Dodgers, British Columbia
The Tbirds held off a last inning comeback by the Canadian team and unfortunately had to settle for the tie due to the 2 1/2 hour tournament time limit.  Kyle Madden was the batting hero for the Tbirds, going 3 for 3, with 2 homeruns and 3 RBI's.  The effort landed Kyle on the "all-tournament team", as he ended the spring tourney 6 for 12, with 5 RBI's.   Jeremy Wylie and Erik Thompson each hit .333 during the tournament.

JV vs. Seton High, AZ
Chris Jones and Erik Thompson combined for a 2-hit, 6-0 shutout.  Jones earned the victory by striking out 8 in the first 4 innings and E.T. whiffed 4 over the last 3 frames to earn the save.  Jimmy Obermeyer doubled and scored in the fourth and Jimmy Owens scored twice to help the junior Tbirds improve to 4-1 on the young season. 

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