Legendary Coach Jack Flitcraft Retires After 30+ Years in High School Baseball
Jack Flitcraft @ Winter Hitting Camp
Long time coach and retired teacher Jack Flitcraft officially announced his retirement from coaching high school student athletes. Flitcraft was a social studies teacher and Physical education teacher at Gresham High School for 30+ years. During his time at Gresham, Flitcraft served as the head football coach and head baseball coach. Once retiring from Gresham, Flitcraft would come out to John Day, Oregon to help coach Ryan Carpenter host several spring break baseball tournaments. "My dad was also a teacher and coach at Gresham High School so I knew Jack very well growing up," said Ryan Carpenter. "But once Jack started to come out and help me with our tournaments, we really connected and became good friends."
Once Carpenter took over the program at Estacada High School, Jack Flitcraft quickly joined as the head pitching coach among many other duties. During Flitcraft's two years in the Estacada Baseball Program the teams dramatically improved. Each year the team improved in wins and numerous kids were positively impacted by Coach Flitcraft. "After I informed the team that coach would not be returning this season," explained Carpenter "some of our older players were really disappointed. I think the baseball program will really miss Jack this year, as he had an infectious personality that everybody loved." It is Coach Carpenter's hopes that the baseball program does not forget the contributions and wisdom that coach Flitcraft shared with the student athletes in this community.
Flitcraft, who is a grandfather, and is expecting his wife to retire at the end of the year, will have more opportunities to spend with his family. He will also be helping his old high school coach with some much needed repairs in his house. He will also get more time to spend drifting and fishing the Deschutes river, which he wishes to do more of.
THANK YOU COACH FLITCRAFT FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ESTACADA COMMUNITY!
Once Carpenter took over the program at Estacada High School, Jack Flitcraft quickly joined as the head pitching coach among many other duties. During Flitcraft's two years in the Estacada Baseball Program the teams dramatically improved. Each year the team improved in wins and numerous kids were positively impacted by Coach Flitcraft. "After I informed the team that coach would not be returning this season," explained Carpenter "some of our older players were really disappointed. I think the baseball program will really miss Jack this year, as he had an infectious personality that everybody loved." It is Coach Carpenter's hopes that the baseball program does not forget the contributions and wisdom that coach Flitcraft shared with the student athletes in this community.
Flitcraft, who is a grandfather, and is expecting his wife to retire at the end of the year, will have more opportunities to spend with his family. He will also be helping his old high school coach with some much needed repairs in his house. He will also get more time to spend drifting and fishing the Deschutes river, which he wishes to do more of.
THANK YOU COACH FLITCRAFT FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ESTACADA COMMUNITY!
Ranger Baseball Field Takes Another Step Up With A New Scoreboard
Last March Head Coach Ryan Carpenter’s Grandfather passed away at age 93. Leonard, born in Amorette, Missouri, loved baseball and had a short stent in the New York Yankees organization. In April, The Carpenter family came together to donate money to fund a brand new scoreboard for the Estacada Baseball Program. “We believe Dad (Leonard) would love to be remembered in a small town and on a baseball field,” Said his son Scott Carpenter. Over the past two years Leonard saw several Ranger Baseball Games. “I think it is a special deal to know that a part of my grandpa will be watching over all of our home baseball games,” Commented Coach Ryan Carpenter.
Rangers Win 1st Annual Estacada Baseball Festival
The Estacada Rangers won the first annual Estacada Summer Baseball Festival. Despite a rainy Saturday and half of the tournament cancelled the Rangers rallied on Sunday to defeat rival Molalla for the championship trophy. "It was a great victory for our program and our community." said Coach Carpenter. "It was great to bring teams from around the Portland Metro Area in to Estacada. It was an opportunity for us to show off our new field to other teams and parents as well as bring some business into our town."
Alumni Jacob Layton Plays in 4A All Star Game
Class of 2011 graduate Jacob Layton was selected to play in the 4A Oregon High School All Star game. Layton was one of only 14 athletes selected to represent the North Side of the state of Oregon. The Team played a best of 3 series in Roseburg, Oregon. Layton started both at catcher and as a designated hitter. Layton had 3 hits in 7 at bats as the North was defeated by the south 2 games to 1.
Layton will attend Mt. Hood Community College to play baseball this season.
Estacada Well Represented in All League Honors
Senior - Jacob Layton
1ST TEAM ALL LEAGUE - UTILITY
Senior - Luis Mena
1ST TEAM ALL LEAGUE - OUTFIELD
Junior - Tyson Settle
2ND TEAM ALL LEAGUE - OUTFIELD
Baseball: Estacada getting a level playing field
Jerry Ulmer, The Oregonian, July 30, 2010
Thanks to a boost from the community, Estacada's baseball team finally will compete on a level playing field. Literally.
Since the school was built, the varsity baseball field has been uneven. Left field and left-center field have sat about five feet below home plate, posing a challenge for outfielders.
"My joke has been that if you're a 5-foot-2 freshman out there in left field, chances are the crowd wasn't going to see you out there playing at all," Estacada baseball coach Ryan Carpenter said.
Since Monday, Estacada coaches and community members have pitched in to help rebuild the field. They are moving about 6,000 cubic yards of dirt to level the field.
"It's quite an undertaking," said Carpenter, who is driving a dump truck this week for the first time. "I'm just amazed at this community and their willingness to put their stuff out there and help out this cause, and make our baseball program better and more respected. To have that sense of pride, it's pretty awesome."
With the donated materials and labor, the district expects to save about $25,000 for the rebuilding project, which began last fall with two new dugouts and a new backstop.
After the earth-moving is completed this weekend, Carpenter said, the district will pay to install an irrigation system. The project also includes a new, donated 8-foot-high plywood fence.
The rebuilding project started last fall when Estacada graduate Cory Riedel, a construction worker, helped the school build two dugouts for $6,000. PGE donated four 40-foot telephone poles to provide the frame for a new backstop.
Thanks to a boost from the community, Estacada's baseball team finally will compete on a level playing field. Literally.
Since the school was built, the varsity baseball field has been uneven. Left field and left-center field have sat about five feet below home plate, posing a challenge for outfielders.
"My joke has been that if you're a 5-foot-2 freshman out there in left field, chances are the crowd wasn't going to see you out there playing at all," Estacada baseball coach Ryan Carpenter said.
Since Monday, Estacada coaches and community members have pitched in to help rebuild the field. They are moving about 6,000 cubic yards of dirt to level the field.
"It's quite an undertaking," said Carpenter, who is driving a dump truck this week for the first time. "I'm just amazed at this community and their willingness to put their stuff out there and help out this cause, and make our baseball program better and more respected. To have that sense of pride, it's pretty awesome."
With the donated materials and labor, the district expects to save about $25,000 for the rebuilding project, which began last fall with two new dugouts and a new backstop.
After the earth-moving is completed this weekend, Carpenter said, the district will pay to install an irrigation system. The project also includes a new, donated 8-foot-high plywood fence.
The rebuilding project started last fall when Estacada graduate Cory Riedel, a construction worker, helped the school build two dugouts for $6,000. PGE donated four 40-foot telephone poles to provide the frame for a new backstop.
Estacada Summer Baseball Finishes Season with Double Digit Wins
Article Written By Evan Jensen - The Estacada News
It’s the first season in years that the Estacada High School Rangers baseball team has competed in a summer league, and it proved to be a successful tool for improving on an already-solid program, Coach Ryan Carpenter said.
“Ultimately, our summer season was a huge success,” Carpenter said. “We finished the overall season with 10 wins and 12 losses. That’s a major step in the right direction for us. All summer long, we continued to get great community support at our games, with people coming out to watch us play. Now I just can’t wait for baseball season to start next February so we can pick up where we’ve left off.”
The 22-game season proved to be the perfect training ground for the EHS baseball team that beat the number one team in the Capital League during the spring season. And the no-practice program took some of the pressure off the players competing against varsity teams and junior varsity teams in the Oregon Junior State Division I baseball league.
“There was a lot less pressure in the summer league than spring baseball,” Rangers baseball player Tyson Settle said. “The record didn’t really matter as much, so we could take more risks. We could really put the game on the line to try something new that we wouldn’t normally do. And if it didn’t work, we could probably learn from the mistake without making the whole season turn out bad.”
“Our pitching also really impressed me this summer,” Carpenter said. “Travis Babikoff, Ryan Vauthier, Bryan Gongora and Jacob Layton all did a phenomenal job as starting pitchers for us. Our pitching rotation will be pretty deep next year. Having said that, we still have a few unanswered questions about positions next season. I think there’s going to be a great competition for third base. We’ve got two or three kids who will be competing for that spot. And we're also looking for a fourth outfielder when Ryan Vauthier is pitching or Tyson Settle is catching.”
It’s the first season in years that the Estacada High School Rangers baseball team has competed in a summer league, and it proved to be a successful tool for improving on an already-solid program, Coach Ryan Carpenter said.
“Ultimately, our summer season was a huge success,” Carpenter said. “We finished the overall season with 10 wins and 12 losses. That’s a major step in the right direction for us. All summer long, we continued to get great community support at our games, with people coming out to watch us play. Now I just can’t wait for baseball season to start next February so we can pick up where we’ve left off.”
The 22-game season proved to be the perfect training ground for the EHS baseball team that beat the number one team in the Capital League during the spring season. And the no-practice program took some of the pressure off the players competing against varsity teams and junior varsity teams in the Oregon Junior State Division I baseball league.
“There was a lot less pressure in the summer league than spring baseball,” Rangers baseball player Tyson Settle said. “The record didn’t really matter as much, so we could take more risks. We could really put the game on the line to try something new that we wouldn’t normally do. And if it didn’t work, we could probably learn from the mistake without making the whole season turn out bad.”
“Our pitching also really impressed me this summer,” Carpenter said. “Travis Babikoff, Ryan Vauthier, Bryan Gongora and Jacob Layton all did a phenomenal job as starting pitchers for us. Our pitching rotation will be pretty deep next year. Having said that, we still have a few unanswered questions about positions next season. I think there’s going to be a great competition for third base. We’ve got two or three kids who will be competing for that spot. And we're also looking for a fourth outfielder when Ryan Vauthier is pitching or Tyson Settle is catching.”
Rangers open summer league with three-game winning streak
Article written by Evan Jensen - Estacada News
Just a few weeks after the Estacada High School Rangers varsity baseball team closed a history-making season under the direction of head coach Ryan Carpenter, the Rangers summer league team is off to a hot start.
For the first three games of the season, the Rangers have dominated the competition with a 3-0 record. The Rangers beat Gresham on June 3 with a 5-2 score, outplayed Tualatin 7-5 and battled Reynolds for a 7-6 victory.
“We’re off to a fresh start,” Carpenter said. “It’s a brand new season, and there’s a lot of power knowing everyone is starting out at 0-0. It gives us a chance to approach things from a different angle, and we’ve also picked up a couple of new players.”
Ryan Vauthier didn’t play for the Rangers during the regular baseball season because of an injury, but he’s returned to play baseball in the Junior State League and also plans to join the varsity baseball team on the field in 2011.
“He’s been a real spark for our team so far,” Carpenter said. “He’s helped us out quite a bit already. We’ve got a 30-game season ahead of us, and already we’re starting to see improvements and the team really coming together.”
The Estacada Rangers closed the spring season with a 3-15 record. Although the team finished last in the Capital League, those three wins represent a milestone in Ranger baseball history. When the Rangers defeated the top-ranked North Marion Huskies 7-6, it marked the first win for the Rangers since 2007. The Rangers went on to beat the Molalla Indians in two separate games during the season.
Estacada’s summer baseball team, playing in the Junior State League, is made up of members of the varsity baseball team. With a 30-game season, the Rangers will play a couple of games a week through the middle of July without meeting for practice. When the Rangers play 4A schools similar in size to Estacada, they’ll be facing off against those schools’ varsity teams. But when the Rangers play larger schools — such as Tualatin, which is a 6A school — in the greater Portland area this summer, they’ll typically be competing against the junior varsity teams.
Only two players on the Rangers varsity baseball team were seniors during the 2010 season, so the majority of the team will play together during the summer season to prepare for the 2011 season in the Capital League.
“Summer league gives us a chance to reload and get some more playing time,” Carpenter said. “We’re playing about every other day, and we don’t hold practices. In the summer, kids need to be kids. Some work on the Christmas tree ranches and have jobs, some kids are playing summer football and basketball. The main thing about summer baseball is playing a lot of games, having fun and continuing to get better as a program.”
The Rangers summer league baseball team will play Horizon Christian at home today, June 16, beginning at 6 p.m. On Friday, they will face off against the Gladstone Gladiators on the road. On Saturday, the Rangers will play a double header against Molalla at home, beginning at noon, and host a game against La Salle on Monday, June 21, beginning at 6 p.m.
“Summer baseball is very common among most high school programs,” Carpenter said. “In my opinion, this is where you actually get better. In the spring season, there’s a lot of focus on reaching the playoffs and trying to get to the top. Summer league baseball gives the kids the opportunity to relax a little, see how they perform in certain situations and see where they are going to excel. Just about every successful high school baseball program plays summer baseball now.”
All summer league games are free of charge, and the Rangers concession stand will be open during home games.
Just a few weeks after the Estacada High School Rangers varsity baseball team closed a history-making season under the direction of head coach Ryan Carpenter, the Rangers summer league team is off to a hot start.
For the first three games of the season, the Rangers have dominated the competition with a 3-0 record. The Rangers beat Gresham on June 3 with a 5-2 score, outplayed Tualatin 7-5 and battled Reynolds for a 7-6 victory.
“We’re off to a fresh start,” Carpenter said. “It’s a brand new season, and there’s a lot of power knowing everyone is starting out at 0-0. It gives us a chance to approach things from a different angle, and we’ve also picked up a couple of new players.”
Ryan Vauthier didn’t play for the Rangers during the regular baseball season because of an injury, but he’s returned to play baseball in the Junior State League and also plans to join the varsity baseball team on the field in 2011.
“He’s been a real spark for our team so far,” Carpenter said. “He’s helped us out quite a bit already. We’ve got a 30-game season ahead of us, and already we’re starting to see improvements and the team really coming together.”
The Estacada Rangers closed the spring season with a 3-15 record. Although the team finished last in the Capital League, those three wins represent a milestone in Ranger baseball history. When the Rangers defeated the top-ranked North Marion Huskies 7-6, it marked the first win for the Rangers since 2007. The Rangers went on to beat the Molalla Indians in two separate games during the season.
Estacada’s summer baseball team, playing in the Junior State League, is made up of members of the varsity baseball team. With a 30-game season, the Rangers will play a couple of games a week through the middle of July without meeting for practice. When the Rangers play 4A schools similar in size to Estacada, they’ll be facing off against those schools’ varsity teams. But when the Rangers play larger schools — such as Tualatin, which is a 6A school — in the greater Portland area this summer, they’ll typically be competing against the junior varsity teams.
Only two players on the Rangers varsity baseball team were seniors during the 2010 season, so the majority of the team will play together during the summer season to prepare for the 2011 season in the Capital League.
“Summer league gives us a chance to reload and get some more playing time,” Carpenter said. “We’re playing about every other day, and we don’t hold practices. In the summer, kids need to be kids. Some work on the Christmas tree ranches and have jobs, some kids are playing summer football and basketball. The main thing about summer baseball is playing a lot of games, having fun and continuing to get better as a program.”
The Rangers summer league baseball team will play Horizon Christian at home today, June 16, beginning at 6 p.m. On Friday, they will face off against the Gladstone Gladiators on the road. On Saturday, the Rangers will play a double header against Molalla at home, beginning at noon, and host a game against La Salle on Monday, June 21, beginning at 6 p.m.
“Summer baseball is very common among most high school programs,” Carpenter said. “In my opinion, this is where you actually get better. In the spring season, there’s a lot of focus on reaching the playoffs and trying to get to the top. Summer league baseball gives the kids the opportunity to relax a little, see how they perform in certain situations and see where they are going to excel. Just about every successful high school baseball program plays summer baseball now.”
All summer league games are free of charge, and the Rangers concession stand will be open during home games.
Rangers Get First Taste of Post Season Play
The Ranger summer baseball team ended their 2011 season on a high note. On July 30th, the Rangers hosted 6A McKay High School in a best of 3 series. The winner qualified for the state tournament at Western Oregon University. The Rangers played a great first game as both teams had good pitching and defense. After seven hard fought innings, Estacada fell short 2-1. The second game was much different as the Rangers ran out of pitching and “gas.” McKay breezed through the second game 13 to 2.
“This was a very successful year of baseball program.” Said head coach Ryan Carpenter. “In the spring we fell one game short of the playoffs and this summer we gained some confidence and experience that I hope will propel our teams to the next level.”
The Estacada Baseball program finished the summer season with 14 wins and 7 losses. The Rangers finished 2nd in the summer league which consisted of Horizon Christian, Canby, Hood River, Molalla, Franklin, Cleveland, and La Salle.
“This was a very successful year of baseball program.” Said head coach Ryan Carpenter. “In the spring we fell one game short of the playoffs and this summer we gained some confidence and experience that I hope will propel our teams to the next level.”
The Estacada Baseball program finished the summer season with 14 wins and 7 losses. The Rangers finished 2nd in the summer league which consisted of Horizon Christian, Canby, Hood River, Molalla, Franklin, Cleveland, and La Salle.
Author Robin Cody Slated as Keynote Speaker at Annual Diamond Dinner
Robin Cody was born in St. Helens and grew up in Estacada, Oregon. A graduate of Yale, he taught at the American School of Paris for a decade and was Dean of Admissions at Reed College in Portland before taking up freelance writing in 1984. While writing, he has been a baseball umpire, a basketball referee, and special ed school bus driver.
Cody is the author of Ricochet River, a novel full of rivers, fish and Indian lore. In 2005, The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission recognized Ricochet River as one of the 100 essential “Oregon books.”
Voyage of a Summer Sun is the non-fiction account of Cody's 82-day solo canoe trip down the Columbia River, from its source in Canada to its mouth at Astoria. With Voyage, Cody won the 1995 Oregon Book Award for literary non-fiction, and the 1996 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award.
Both of those books are in the Oregon State Library’s “150 Books for the Oregon Sesquicentennial,” February 2009.
His most recent book, Another Way the River Has, is a collection of short true stories published by Oregon State University Press in April, 2010.
Cody is the author of Ricochet River, a novel full of rivers, fish and Indian lore. In 2005, The Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission recognized Ricochet River as one of the 100 essential “Oregon books.”
Voyage of a Summer Sun is the non-fiction account of Cody's 82-day solo canoe trip down the Columbia River, from its source in Canada to its mouth at Astoria. With Voyage, Cody won the 1995 Oregon Book Award for literary non-fiction, and the 1996 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book Award.
Both of those books are in the Oregon State Library’s “150 Books for the Oregon Sesquicentennial,” February 2009.
His most recent book, Another Way the River Has, is a collection of short true stories published by Oregon State University Press in April, 2010.
