From Sneakers To Spikes -- Kentridge Tandem Makes Transition

KENT

You'd have thought Warren King was ready to relax and celebrate after he led Kentridge High to the Class AAA boys basketball state championship nearly two weeks ago.

You'd have thought wrong.

The 5-foot-10 senior point guard wanted to slip out of sneakers and step straight into spikes after scoring 17 points in the Chargers' 65-55 title-game triumph over Kamiakin. He wasn't happy to hear he had to miss two baseball games because of a minimum-practice rule.

"That was the toughest thing - having to sit out and watch," said King, the Chargers' returning all-South Puget Sound League second-team shortstop. "I've got a lot of time to enjoy the (basketball) championship, but I don't want to miss any games . . . it was unfair."

Not that anyone else from Kentridge is complaining. After all, league baseball play doesn't start until next week, and the boys basketball championship has given the entire school a special glow.

"You can see the school pride everywhere," said baseball Coach Mark Swofford. "The guys on our team were really getting into it. They were talking about it at practice, and they wanted to wear their baseball jerseys down to (the state tournament)."

The other varsity baseball member who played on the basketball team is junior Roger Bledsoe, King's double-play partner and 1991 all-SPSL second-team second baseman. As the heart of the Chargers' defense and offense, King and Bledsoe are being counted upon to help Kentridge approach last year's third-place state finish.

"You're not going to find two kids with as much confidence as Warren and Roger have," Swofford said of his state-tournament veterans. "Those two are looked up to by everyone on the team."

With King and Bledsoe having to put in the required practice time before playing, the Chargers were looking for something that wasn't there the first week of the season. They limped to a 1-2 start.

"We got knocked off by Puyallup in our opener because the rest of the kids knew Roger and Warren weren't there, and they accepted it," Swofford said. "I think they figured they could just wait for their two saviors to come along."

Actually, King and Bledsoe would be god-sends only if they also pitched. With seven returning lettermen who are position players, the Chargers look strong defensively and offensively. But they'll need some young pitchers to come through for them to approach last year's 13-4 league and 19-5 overall records.

"I don't think our pitching is as good as last year's pitching, but then I don't think anyone's pitching in the league is as good as last year's," said King. "That'll even everything out."

"We've got a good nucleus back and some young pitchers who are very capable," Swofford said. "But sometimes kids come out and think because they were third in the state that they can't be beat. They think they can come out and just go through the motions and teams are going to lay down for 'em.

"That's something we need to work against."

King and Bledsoe will supervise the work.

"We need to keep pushing and keep everybody up," said Bledsoe. "We need to have the attitude that we can't stop working."

A double-play combination on the same teams since junior high, King and Bledsoe will see their run stop this summer. King will take his point-guard skills to Seattle Pacific University's basketball program, while Bledsoe will try to attract a college baseball scholarship in his senior year.

"I was kidding Warren about that," Bledsoe said. "I told him it was too bad SPU signed him so quick (for basketball), because it didn't give the baseball schools a chance. He's a great basketball player right now, but there's no telling how good of a baseball player he'll be."

Especially when he can't wait to go directly from the backcourt to the batter's box.

SPSL NORTH DIVISION BASEBALL CAPSULES

AUBURN

-- COACH - Brad Sprague, 3rd year. -- 1991 RECORD - 9-11 overall, 7-11 league. -- KEY RETURNERS - Aaron Scarlett, Sr., P/1B; Ryan Tranholt, Sr., P/OF; Brandon Pillow, Sr., P/OF; Josh Woodard, Jr., OF; Bret Dow, Jr., C; Cory Roletto, Sr., 3B. -- KEY NEWCOMERS - Jason Allred, Jr., OF; Aaron Cruz, Jr., 1B. -- OUTLOOK - The Trojans look to have a strong pitching staff, but the arms are surrounded by an all-new infield.

DECATUR

-- COACH - Gary Holmboe, 20th season. -- 1991 RECORD - 10-6 league. -- TOP RETURNERS - Justin Mentink, Sr., OF/P; Darren Case, Sr., C; Dustin Larson, Sr., OF; Pat Holmes, Sr., 2B/P; Jason Carter, Sr., P/1B; Chad Newman, Jr., OF/P; Rob Brown, sr., SS. -- OUTLOOK - The Gators have great pitching depth, six starters back from last year and probably the best player in the league in Mentink, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound power hitter.

FEDERAL WAY

-- COACH - Bob Stewart, 1st year after previous 12-year (1970-81) stint. -- 1991 RECORD - 18-4 overall, 12-3 league; 2nd in state after losing 7-0 to Redmond in title game. -- KEY RETURNERS - Curt Nelson, Sr., P; Jamie Wright, Sr., SS; David Luke, Sr., 3B/OF; Justin Hendrickson, Sr., C; Duane Dinnocente, Jr., P; Mark Sandwith, Jr., 2B. -- KEY NEWCOMERS - Mark Mathews, Sr., OF; Todd Murray, Jr., P/1B; Keith Bonus, Sr., OF/1B; Matt Priestman, Jr., P/OF; Jim Bruno, Jr., C. -- OUTLOOK - The Eagles are off to a great non-league start. Their strengths are pitching and defense.

KENT-MERIDIAN

-- COACH - Ron Dick, 2nd year. -- 1991 RECORD - 8-10 overall, 8-8 league. -- KEY RETURNERS - Brent Fenster, Sr., SS; Rob Hanson, Sr., C; Chris Schlecht, Sr., 2B/3B; Bart Knoll, Sr., P/OF; Josh Watanabe, Sr., OF; Jason Taylor, Sr., 1B/P; Leon Tolentino, Sr., OF; Adam Day, Sr., OF; Matt Helmboldt, Sr., 3B/2B. -- KEY NEWCOMERS - Matt Bremner, Jr., P/1B; Steve Thomas, Sr., P/1B; Sean Byrne, Jr., SS/2B; Brodie Tuck, Jr., P/OF. -- OUTLOOK - With five two-year lettermen and four other lettermen returning, the Royals have a great chance for their first winning season since 1981.

KENTRIDGE

-- COACH - Mark Swofford, 3rd year. -- 1991 RECORD - 19-5 overall, 13-4 league; won regional championship and placed 3rd in state. -- KEY RETURNERS - Roger Bledsoe, Jr., 2B; Warren King, Sr., SS; Andy Martin, Sr., 1B/P; P.D. Lewis, Sr., C/P; Duane Smith, Sr., OF; Ferron Smith, Sr., OF; Joel Ellis, Jr., 1B. -- KEY NEWCOMERS - Shane Cronin, So., Utl/P; Mark Weynand, Jr., P/OF; Dave Kim, Jr., OF; Aaron Miller, Jr., OF; Gerald Williams, Sr., 3B/P; Aaron Woolman, Jr., 1B/P. -- OUTLOOK - The Chargers have three .400-plus hitters back and three starters from their 1991 infield. How quickly and well some young pitchers develop could be their key.

KENTWOOD

-- COACH - Kurt Phelps, 2nd year. -- 1991 RECORD - 10-9 overall, 10-8 league. -- TOP RETURNERS - J.C. Collins, Jr., C/3B/OF; Shaw Liechty, Jr., OF/DH; Eric Anderson, Sr., Inf; David Graves, Sr., OF/1B/P; Scott Hansen, Sr., SS; Chris Rahm, Sr., P; Mike Moses, Sr., OF. -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Justin Bice, Jr., 3B/P; Bryan Grunow, Jr., 2B; Jason Torgenson, So., 2B; Brent Stenson, Jr., C; Ryan Holm, Jr., Inf; Corey Townsell, Jr., OF; Cameron Houser, Jr., P/1B; Paul Wendler, Sr., OF. -- OUTLOOK - If the Conquerors' hitting measures up to their speed and defense, the division race for the three playoff spots will be a crowded one.

JEFFERSON

-- COACH - Bill Hogan, 1st year. -- 1991 RECORD - 10-7 league. -- TOP RETURNER - Tyson Peters, Sr., 1B/P. -- TOP NEWCOMERS - Jason Aslakson, Jr., SS/P; Jason Watson, Jr., OF; John Kikuchi, Jr., C; Shane Nixon, So., 3B/P. -- OUTLOOK - The Raiders are an extremely young team, with only one returning letterman.