Prep all-stars head for state tourney

With a grueling all-star schedule behind them, the Glacier Prep team is back in action this week at the state tournament in Great Falls.

Prep was slated to face Havre at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to begin four games in pool play. Glacier plays North Bitterroot Valley at noon Thursday. On Friday, games are set for 9 a.m. against Bozeman and 3 p.m. versus Mission. Single-elimination bracket play begins Saturday morning.

"We've had a good week-and-a-half of rest," Glacier Prep manager Ken Darling said Monday, and that is what the pitching staff needed. "We should be up to par."

Prep will have three solid starters on the mound — Hugh Ramlow, Brandon Maassen and Brady Harwood. Two other hurlers — Nate Boone and Jared Trinastich — will be used in middle relief roles. Boone is a lefty; the others are righthanders.

"They keep getting better, the arms keep getting stronger," Darling said of the Prep pitchers. "Our pitching was strong at Ronan (the last tournament). If they keep it up and we hit the ball we're going to be competitive at the state tourney."

Darling said Prep should have a solid defense to back up the pitching.

"Our outfielders track the ball well," he said, "but we need a little more hustle. That's coming around."

Plate performance will be a key for Prep at state.

"We need to be more aggressive at the plate. I want to see my players swinging at close pitches," the manager said, and avoid looking at a called third strike. "We want to eliminate that from all our games.

"We need to hit it a little bit harder, start pushing it out of the infield and we'll be OK," Darling said.

Leading the Prep attack are Harwood and Zach Darling, and Trinastich is "coming on," manager Darling said. Boone, Gage Smith and E.J. Havens have been consistent at the plate.

"The rest of the team needs to pick it up," Darling said. "The key to scoring is to string together runs."

Cohesiveness would lead Prep deep into bracket play en route to the state title.

"If we decide to come together and play as a team we're going to be very competitive at this tournament," Darling said. "If we're up, we play well."

The Prep state champion advances to the regional tournament, which begins Aug. 2 in Bozeman.