Scooter Chapman

The green at Peninsula College soon will be of the fake variety.

By now you must know that the Peninsula College Pirate ladies softball team is playing its last season on the Wally Sigmar diamond on the college campus, as the college has opted to bring in women's soccer in the fall and suspend the small diamond sport.

"Peninsula College has enjoyed great success with its men's soccer program and we hope to mirror that success with women's soccer," said Rick Ross, P.C. athletic director.

The men's team, led by head coach Andrew Chapman, has earned five consecutive playoff appearances and includes two division championships and two final four appearances.

The athletic staff moved quickly and last week announced a coaching staff, with Pirate men's assistant Kanyon Anderson signing on to be the head coach and former Roughrider soccer star and Clackamas Community College player Alle Petty as his assistant.

Already they have had meetings and are putting together a competitive team ready for action in the first season.

Bottom line? They've been talking about soccer for a long time and, under different financial circumstances, Ross might've been able to keep fast pitch and add soccer, but the budget crunch is such that the fast-pitch team, while being competitive some years, has not had the success hoped for and bringing in soccer will enable more women to take part in a sport.

One other bottom line: It's been very expensive to keep the small diamond in shape for fastpitch doubleheaders in the spring, as the outfield areas, where the soccer team plays, turns into mush due to the drainage system.

Time to put in a new field.



Pitching a plan

After the current softball season ends May 11 against Shoreline, the college begins a so-called minor capital project to completely tear up the current Sigmar field and install state-of-the-art field turf.

The college is allocated, by the state, a minor capital project every two years and this is the year they can take advantage.

The diamond will be gone and fake turf will installed, complete with its excellent drainage system and sewn-in lines (no more having to line the field, maintenance crew) as well as sub-infrastructure which will be the concrete and electric service for the installation of lights in the future.

Plans are to turf the entire field, leaving the college with a full soccer field running east and west and almost another full field to the south for practice, warm-up, etc. That area, as Ross explained, will have built-in sleeves for softball bases so if fastpitch returns, they already will be installed.

College folks plan to keep the backstop and dugouts, if possible, so they can be used by youth softball or baseball as well as a practice area to keep it multipurpose.

Yes, the new turf will help both teams. The Pirate men played well in the Sigmar slop when the field almost was under water and think how much better they will play without swim fins ...

Meanwhile, get out and support the Pirate softball squad. The Pirates are home at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 18, for two against Green River, then April 6, 13, 23, May 1, 4 and 11 and let's get a huge crowd out for the last one.



Sheedy shines in B.C.

Gazette kudos to Bob Sheedy of Port Angeles who took second place in the pentathlon at the World Masters Indoor Track and Field Championships in Kamloops, British Columbia.

The veteran Port Angeles Roughrider track and cross country coach ran the 60-meter hurdles, long jumped, threw the shot, high jumped and ran 1,000 meters with 1,500 athletes from 62 countries in the fourth World Games.

Sheedy won the 60, shot and high jump and at age 69 that's not bad, folks. He was one of seven in his age division and he was runner-up to 68-year-old Doug Renwick of Canada who had 3,118 points. Sheedy totaled 2,987 and was the only American among entries from Germany and Austria as well as Canada.



Hoopla

The young Peninsula Pirate basketball team was two-and-out at the state basketball tournament but got a taste and they're eager to return under coach Peter Stewart.

Seven players return for next year. Stewart saw a lot of basketball last week at various state tournaments and recruiting is fast and furious.

Women's coach Allison Crumb returns up to 11 players next season and with a couple of additions, look for the Pirate ladies to be tough as nails next hoop season.



Gridiron

The Olympic Peninsula Eagles football team is ready for an open house and scrimmage March 27 on the Sequim High School field. There will be free food and drink and fans will be able to watch the team in action.

They will play several games in Sequim and three in Port Angeles this year. Hopes are high for this year under coach Mike McMahon.

Speaking of football, Sequim coach Erik Wiker already knows his schedule for next fall.

After a trip to Forks,

Sequim hosts Meridian, then jumps into the Olympic League season with home games against Klahowya, North Mason, Olympic and North Kitsap and with road games to Bremerton, Kingston and Port Angeles.

The 'Rider game is slated for Oct. 29 at Civic Field. That's the last game of the regular season for both schools and really will mean something next fall.



Columns by KONP 1450 AM sports announcer Scooter Chapman appear weekly in the Sequim Gazette. He can be reached via e-mail at scooter@olypen.com.