PORT ANGELES — Give them an inch and they may not move a mile, but they’ll be more than happy to advance 90 feet and collect another stolen base on the way to home plate.
The Olympic Crosscutters, which host the American Legion AA District Tournament which wraps today at Civic Field, are a team predicated on speed.
“It’s that fast-break tempo,” Anthony Bitegeko, a member of Neah Bay’s state-title winning basketball team said.
“We’ve got that green light to go for it. Except for a few people, we’ve got that green light.
“It reminds me of how we play basketball at Neah Bay — the run-and-gun mentality.”
Bitegeko and the Cutters bagged four more bases in Friday’s come-from-behind 5-4 victory against Lower Columbia to open tourney play.
“This team is pretty quick. And I love being a part of it because it creates so much chaos for the other team to deal with,” said Lane Dotson,
Head coach John Qualls said he’s never had such a collection of fleet-footed and intelligent base stealers.
“I have more team speed on this roster than on any other team I’ve ever coached,” manager John Qualls said.
“And the kids have incredible base running instincts.
“We’re stealing bags because the kids are fast, they are getting the right jumps, they are timing the pitchers and they are taking advantage of the fundamental flaws of the opposing pitcher.
“They read any deficiency the pitcher has in his release to the catcher.”
A key to base stealing, Bitegeko said, is to look for a pattern in the pitcher’s delivery to the plate.
“You want that pitcher to get a rhythm,” Bitegeko said.
“Once they get caught up in a rhythm they are making little mistakes that you can exploit, like leaning toward the plate and away from first base.
Gavin Velarde, the Cutters’ speedy shortstop, loves playing for a team with a philosophy that’s so suited to his skillset.
“I love stealing bases. It makes everything so much fun,” Velarde said.
“The other teams are always worried about us on the base paths and that creates errors and bad throws from them and more runs for us.”
Qualls is often awed by Velarde’s abilities.
“He changes directions with his body faster than anybody I’ve ever seen,” Qualls said.
“I’ve seen him change directions with both feet in the air. It’s an athleticism that can’t be coached. Just natural ability.”
Velarde looks at the pace of opposition hurlers before he makes his break for the next bag.
“Any pitcher that’s working slow or giving the same looks or not looking at me at all,” Velarde said.
“And I’m gone.”
Velarde and teammate Rwehabura Munyagi Jr of Neah Bay have both been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.”
“He’s like a boat,” Qualls said.
“Once he gets up he rises and gets up on plain. Then he takes off and he’s got a different level that he can reach.”
Bitegeko said he’s still surprised at Munyagi’s fleet feet, despite seeing him at practice and in games last season on the football field and basketball court for the Red Devils.
“Rweha, his speed is incredible,” Bitegeko said.
“He can beat out so many routine plays and get on base and hurt you some more.
“The very first time he pinch-ran he slipped on the base path, full out fell down, and got back up and still tried to steal third. The slip cost him but it was still such a close play and that’s all speed.”
All three players, Velarde, Bitegeko and Munyagi have stolen home during games this summer.
“I always look at the catcher for a few pitches and see if he’s giving me a secondary look at third base,” Velarde said.
“If he’s lobbing the ball back to the pitcher or being careless and not paying attention to me that’s just a green light for me to go.”
Bitegeko looks for lethargy behind the plate.
“You are really looking at how lazy the catcher can be because you want to make them pay for their mistakes,” Bitegeko said.
“When I stole home, the catcher was on his knees the entire time and he was lollypopping the ball back to the pitcher, so I took off.
“You can also wait for an off-speed pitch where the catcher might have to work a little harder and go on that.”
The Cutters’ attack isn’t solely limited to speed demons like Velarde and Munyagi.
Dotson a strapping 6-foot-3, 220-pound first baseman, is not of the usual proportions for a bag thief.
But he’s been one of the team’s biggest base-stealing successes so far this summer.
“Always Lane Dotson,” Velarde said when asked what teammates surprise him on the base paths.
“He gets the best jumps. and I have no idea how he does it.”
Bitegeko agrees.
“Lane gets some great jumps. He’s always catching people off guard,” Bitegeko said.
Let Dotson explain.
For a bigger guy like myself, I read the pitchers and don’t go so much on the pitch,” Dotson said.
“I count the time they are holding the ball in their mitt. I can tell if they are going to throw, I can see their movements and I make my decision.”
Dotson praised another hitter, Justin Porter of Sequim, for his penchant for pilfery.
“The speed I’m most surprised with is J.P.,” Dotson said.
“I didn’t think he was going to be that quick but once I saw him run I was shocked.
“It’s ridiculous.”
Qualls said taking advantage of his team’s speed is a no-brainer.
“Baseball is a pretty simple game — you want to keep moving 90 feet at a time,” Qualls said.
“You do that enough, you take enough bases and good things are going to happen.
“Our philosophy is to not play conservative, to play on the brink of almost a reckless nature, but play with a high IQ.”
And if the Cutters keep playing smart and stick to their speed, a berth in the American Legion AA State Tournament next weekend in Mount Vernon is sure to follow.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.