Good to go: Trojans zoom to state

Published 4:52 pm Monday, May 12, 2008

A slow start to the season and a coaching change proved to be just minor bumps in the road for the Auburn High baseball team.

With the first round of the state playoffs slated for Saturday, it appears the Trojans finally have kicked into high gear.

That much was evident last Saturday at Russell Road Park in Kent, when the Trojans worked over Olympic, 13-3, and Capital, 16-1, to claim the West Central-Southwest District’s top seed to state.

Auburn (16-5) will open the 3A tournament at 1 p.m. in Centralia on Saturday against Blanchet. It will be Auburn’s sixth straight state appearance and eighth in the last nine years.

“Guys are playing as a team, playing well and this is the time of the year that’s supposed to happen,” interim coach Gordon Elliott said.

Indeed, the Trojans are.

And indeed, it is that time.

Even in light of Auburn’s recent hot play, Saturday’s performance – both offensively and on the mound – was a high-water mark this season.

Right-hander Colton Brown continued to dominate on the mound, striking out 11 and allowing just three hits in the five-inning, 13-3 rout of Olympia.

In his last three outings, Brown now has combined to strike out 44 batters and allowed a paltry 10 hits in 19 innings of work.

“He’s certainly in a zone,” Elliott said.

But Brown was far from the only story on Saturday. David Olson, the other part of Auburn’s dynamic 1-2 pitching monster, was equally impressive in the five-inning 16-1 romp past Capital.

Not only did Olson deliver with his golden right arm, striking out nine and allowing just four hits, he also wielded a big bat, going 3 for 4 with a pair of home runs and six RBIs.

Brown and Olson had plenty of help, too.

The Trojans pounded out 28 hits in the two games combined.

Leadoff hitter Travis Shreve finished the day 5 for 6 with five runs scored, one stolen base and two RBIs.“He’s been a great leadoff hitter for us all year long,” Elliott said.

Meanwhile, Kevin Cleary added four more hits in the two games combined, including a home run in the victory against Olympia, and five runs scored in six at-bats.

Auburn now has won nine of its last 10. But more impressive is the fact that the Trojans have outscored their opponents during that stretch, 86-28.

“We’re playing good baseball right now and good things are happening to us,” Elliott said.