Spring has finally rolled around, and that means spring sports have begun! Barlow offers the most sports of any season in the spring, including boys’ and girls’ tennis, track and field, girls’ flag football, boys’ and girls’ golf, baseball, softball, and boys’ volleyball. All of these teams return to the season hoping for strong results.
Boys’ tennis comes into the season ready for a competitive season, along with a coaching change. Boys’ tennis has gained a new head coach, Trent Nelson, who helped coach last year, but this is his first year as the head coach. A goal Nelson has for the season is “to make sure every player has a good year and do it while winning. These guys have what it takes to win, so I have confidence they will achieve both!” Boys’ tennis is in a competitive league with lots of exciting matches to come. Nelson is confident in the abilities of all his returners and new players to compete. “Every single returning player has taken incredible strides and exceeded postseason expectations, and I am very excited to see how they match up vs the best competition,” he says.
Girls’ tennis is looking forward to a strong season this year. There has been a change to the head coaching staff, as Andrew Pate, the former head coach for boys’ tennis, is now the head coach for girls’ tennis. Pate is entering his 28th season as a varsity tennis coach. Pate is looking forward to “seeing players get better during the season.” Girls’ tennis had a successful season last year, with one district champion doubles team and two doubles teams qualifying for state. Pate hopes to see similar success this year, saying, “The goal is always to be Mount Hood Conference Champions, and to send as many players to state as possible.” The girls’ tennis team is prepared for a competitive season, and Pate is looking forward to “getting to know the team and helping them become the best players they can while having a lot of fun!”
Track and field comes into this season welcoming several new coaches and a competitive team of returners, along with many new athletes. Coach Scott Jones, who has been coaching Barlow track and field since 2013, has several goals for this season. “I am excited to see what this team will do. The goals for this season are to have fun and help athletes improve,” says Jones. The new track and field coaching staff includes Coach K, the new high jump coach, who has many years of experience coaching high school and collegiately, Coach Grace, the new discus and shot put coach, who is a Barlow alum and competed in college, and Coach Helmes, the new triple jump and long jump coach who previously coached these events at Parkrose. The goal is for both the boys’ and girls’ teams to finish in the top three or four at the Mount Hood Conference District Meet. Along with achievements in the district, Jones hopes for success at State. “The hope is always to get as many athletes to state as possible and hope that they can compete well enough to earn a top 8 finish and be on the podium,” explains Jones. “We think we can get between 10 and 14 athletes to state this season.”
Girls’ flag football enters this season ready to defend their state championship title. Last season, flag football won their first state championship title during their second season in existence, defeating three teams they had lost to earlier in the season on their way to the title. Coach Neil Collins is entering his third year coaching Barlow flag football and his 20th year coaching football. Flag football will have a young team, with only 3-4 returning varsity players. Collins looks forward to this season, saying, “We will be a young group. I am excited to see how we adapt to some new rule changes this season that will definitely change the way the game is played.” The team’s goals for the season are to place first in the district and push for a spot in the playoffs. Collins encourages students to come out and support flag football. “If students have never watched a flag football game, they should definitely give it a shot. The game is fast-paced and exciting to watch,” explains Collins.
Boys’ golf is entering the season prepared to rise to the occasion. Boys’ golf has a new head coach this year, Seth Misenhimer. Misenhimer was previously a golf professional, teaching hundreds of clinics to players of all ages, as well as competing at the professional level. “Barlow Golf is a perfect fit for me,” says Misenhimer. “I was once a Bruin Golfer and am very excited to be coaching at my alma mater this season and the seasons to come.” This season, boys’ golf has several returners who are expected to be impactful. The boys’ golf league is competitive, as Nelson, Clackamas, and Central Catholic are expected to have solid rosters. Misenhimer says his goals for the season are “to teach these players how to play their best golf under pressure, rise to the occasion, and be the best they can be on and off the golf course. One day at a time.”
Girls’ golf looks forward to this season, with many veteran golfers returning. Last year was a successful season, according to fourth-year head coach Nick Hudson. “Last season, the team qualified for regionals at the OGA course at Woodburn and were close to qualifying for state. Lots of the players made growth and improvement throughout the season,” says Hudson. This year, the team hopes to see similar results. The goal for the season is to “qualify for regionals again, and I’m really hoping we can make it to the state tournament this season!” says Hudson.
Baseball is getting ready for a successful season. Last season, baseball had a record of 12-15, ranked 4th in the Mt. Hood Conference. The team entered the playoffs ranked 18th, falling in a close game to Sheldon. Baseball is coached by Brady Burdick and has many returners to the roster this year. A competitive season is ahead as the conference is full of teams that will make this an exciting season for Barlow baseball.
Softball begins the season hoping for similar successes as last year. Last season, softball ended the season with a record of 18-10. They entered the playoffs ranked 17th and won their first round 13-2, eventually falling to the number one seed Sunset in the second round. The team is coached by Rob Gehrke and has numerous returners this year. Barlow softball is looking forward to a season full of great results and achievements.
This year, boys’ volleyball became an official Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) sanctioned sport. After two years of being an “emerging activity”, Barlow’s boys’ volleyball team will be ready to compete as a true OSAA sport. Playing in a 5A/6A combined league, boys’ volleyball will anticipate a competitive season this year.
This season of spring sports will be full of strong competition and exciting moments. Many coaches encourage students to come out and support Bruin athletes in their spring sports. Coach Collins sees this season as “an opportunity for students to get outside again and hopefully get some sunshine while at the same time supporting their fellow Bruin student-athletes.” Coach Jones thinks spring sports should get more people to attend. “The events are fun, and there are a lot of athletes that see other teams have the stands packed, but spring sports get very little support like that.” Consider taking Coach Collins’ and Coach Jones’ advice and go out and support Barlow athletes during the spring season!
