COLUMBIA FALLS — For the second year in a row, the Columbia Falls baseball team is on top of the North Conference.
With an 11-3 conference record, the Wildcats have earned an automatic bid to the first-ever Class A/B state tournament, as baseball split into two classifications this spring. The Class A/B tournament is May 28-30 at Polson, while the Class AA tournament is the same days in Butte.
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While this Columbia Falls team is no stranger to the postseason, shortstop Nico Young said winning beyond the first round of the playoffs has been a challenge for them.
“We've had a disappointing postseason for the last two years, you know, going out first-round exit both years,” Young said. “We're just using that as fuel. We're keeping it in mind, we always talk about it at practice, and you got to fuel off that. You can't let it get to you, and we're just coming in hotter than ever every year.”
Columbia Falls has gained this new confidence from its production on the offensive side of the ball.
Pitcher and infielder Zeke Dunn said the team has put an emphasis on getting base hits and scoring runs.
“Our bats are hot this year. I mean, we really don't have a weak spot in the lineup,” Dunn said. “Everyone's good, and that's just a huge advantage, not having to worry about our 9-hole hitter because he hits just as good as our 1-hole hitter. It's just a great group.”
However, even with the Wildcats’ confidence, there are still things to work on before the tournament starts.
Columbia Falls head coach Chad Green said the team will need more than a high-powered offense to win at state.
“Obviously, if you make it to the state tournament, there's not a bad team there, so you've got to throw strikes,” Green said. “The pillars in our program, I tell the boys all the time, if we throw strikes, if we make routine plays, and we get on base, good things will happen.”
As one of the few teams in Montana that has existed for four years, the senior leaders on this team believe they can live up to those expectations.
“Playing three years of baseball at least with the Columbia Falls Wildcats, we love the coaches. Just our whole team is just high energy all the time,” Dunn said. “Hitting well in the field. If someone does something wrong, we always pick our guys up, just a great group of guys, and I wouldn't ask for a different group ever.”
