By Josh:
At any level of baseball, winning a championship is an amazing feeling and accomplishment. Winning a championship on your home field, in front of your own fans is almost magical.
On Monday night the Corvallis Knights won the West Coast League Championship on their home field, in front of their home fans. All season long the Knights stood out as one of the best teams in the West Coast League, winning the south division regular season title by a commanding 7 games.
I got to watch this team play twice in the playoffs and three times during the regular season and from that small sample size I can tell you that this team was special. They had strong pitching, played solid defense, and were the most aggressive base running team I think I have ever seen.
I don’t know who the MVP of the regular season or even the playoffs were for the Knights but I can tell you if I had a vote it would be center fielder Blake Drake. Not only did he cover the outfield with reckless abandon but he was a terror for every team he faced when he reached base. On more than one occasion I watched him reach first on a walk or a single and then two pitches later be standing on third. I think it is because of this that it was fitting that he score the winning run of the championship game.
Being at this game was special for me personally. I’ve been to high school state championships but this was the first time I have been able to watch a championship game at a high level than high school in person, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The players did a great job to win the championship but it is the staff of the Knights that made the experience one that won’t soon be forgotten by the fans that were there.
I am excited I saw the championship, sad that the WCL season is over, but I am already counting down the days until the 2014 season begins and the Corvallis Knights look to defend their title.