Wilder Baseball, loaded with top players from all over the North Olympic Peninsula, opened the 2012 season by winning three of four games last weekend.
Easton Napiontek, Wesley Giddings and Michael Konopaski of Port Angeles, Tyler Campbell of Sequim and Kyle Kelly of Port Townsend all had strong weekends for Wilder.
In addition, Brady Konopaski — a JV player at Port Angeles this spring — showed that he can play with the big boys.
“We had a great weekend,” Wilder manager Rob Merritt said.
“More than anything, we just pitched well.”
And Wilder will just get stronger as the team, based out of Port Angeles, will pick up two Chimacum players, a North Kitsap standout and an athlete from Kingston as all of those state-caliber teams were knocked out of the playoffs last weekend.
Chimacum’s Michael Nordberg, who will be the Cowboys’ ace pitcher in 2013, is one of the two Chimacum players who will suit up for Wilder.
Wilder will open the home season this weekend at Civic Field.
Toyota to play Wilder
Toyota Baseball of Seattle will play Wilder in a Saturday doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. and a Sunday doubleheader beginning at noon.
Last weekend, Wilder split with the Hoquiam Hawks on Saturday, winning 15-0 in five innings and then losing 5-1 in the nightcap.
Wilder swept Aberdeen there Sunday, winning 4-1 and 13-1 in five innings.
Giddings (1-0) pitched a complete-game five innings in Saturday’s first game against Hoquiam.
He allowed just two hits and no runs while striking out six.
Napiontek, who swung a big bat the entire weekend, went 2 for 3 with 3 RBIs while scoring a run.
Campbell, who is helping catch Wilder along with Port Angeles standout catcher Marcus Konopaski, went 1 for 3 with a two-RBI double and he scored a run.
Cole Uvila, this weekend’s leadoff batter from Port Angeles, went 1 for 2 with three runs scored and an RBI.
Michael Konopaski went 2 for 2 with two RBIs and two runs scored while Clark Rose of Klahowya went 1 for 2 with two RBIs and a run scored.
In the nightcap, Chase Jangula allowed just three earned runs in five innings while taking the 5-1 loss. He fanned three while walking just one.
“Chase pitched well in the game,” Merritt said.
Young Brady Konopaski pitched one inning.
Wilder managed just a run on four hits.
Rose went 2 for 3 at the plate with a run score while Connor Gauge went 1 for 1 and Brian DeFrang had the other hit.
In Sunday’s first game against the Aberdeen Merchants, Kyle Kelly (1-0) — the Port Townsend ace — gave up just one earned run in six innings of work, allowing four hits while striking out 11.
He walked only one.
Napiontek picked up the save, striking out the side in the final inning.
Uvila went 2 for 4, scoring a run while Rose went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Kelly helped his cause by going 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs.
In the nightcap, Rose (1-0) showed he can pitch, too, as he threw the first two innings, striking out five while allowing two hits and walking two.
“Rose can pitch well,” Merritt said.
Brady Konopaski pitched an inning while Michael Konopaski threw the final two innings, striking out four.
Kelly went 2 for 4 at the plate with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.
Napiontek smacked a triple and a double, going 2 for 3 with three RBIs and scoring a run.
Campbell went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBIs and a run.
Brady Konopaski went 1 for 1 with two walks, RBI and scoring two runs.