Badger baseball up to bat in the 2022 season
Bo Bateman (left) and helps Porter Schulte at batting practice in the Bonners Ferry High School wrestling room, as the Badgers wait for field conditions to improve.
Photo by EMILY BONSANT
BONNERS FERRY — Badger baseball is headed to Orofino on Friday for the team’s season opener.
Head coach Tom Turpin and the team are still high off last year's district championship win and league title win — the first since 2016. Last season, the Badgers were 15-9 overall and 10-2 in league. The Badgers went 0-2 at state, going out in the consolation bracket. The Badgers baseball team won a state championship in 2018.
Last year, the Badgers were a sophomore heavy team, and now have a large number of returning upperclassmen.
“One year later, we are stronger, older and wiser,” Turpin said.
With four seniors, nine juniors and a sophomore returning from last year’s state team, Turpin said he has high hopes for the Badgers.
With the basketball season going long due to state competition, some players have only started practice this week. In addition, the Badgers are still playing inside due to field conditions.
“It is typical for North Idaho that we have to go south in order to play on a dry field,” Turpin said. “We won’t step on grass until Orofino. We won’t see an outfield foul ball until Orofino.”
The Badgers are making do practicing indoors, but the real test will come when they get out on the field.
Turpin said the team’s goals and expectations are the same as last year, to win the league title and the district championship. He believes they should repeat history again this year.
The Badgers play at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in Orofino on Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday.