After several years in the Portland City League, the Knights graduate and join the Northwest’s premier semi-pro baseball league, the Pacific International League. As rookie members, the club spends most of its time on the road playing 22 of 30 league games as visitors. The club responds to the intensified competition and posts an impressive 20-10 league record. The Knights transition to primarily collegiate players is complete. The roster features All-Pac-10 and All-WCC performers Joey Gerber of Oregon State and Brian Graham of University of Portland to go with 13 other top collegiate prospects. The Knights turn in another excellent performance at the Kamloops International Baseball Tournament, but again come up empty handed after ripping through the winner’s bracket with victories over the San Francisco Seals, San Diego Stars and Ontario Meadowlarks. Aloha loses a single-elimination championship game to the San Diego Stars. The Knights play very well in tournaments capturing the second annual “Praegitzer Select” at Volcanoes Stadium by drubbing the Seattle Studs 12-0 and placing second at the prestigious Hawaii International Baseball Championship Tournament. The Knights beat two Japanese All-Star clubs from the Big Six Universities on its way to the championship game, which it loses to Tohoku Fukushi University 5-0.
Highlights
Derek Birley of George Fox is named All-PIL. Birley hits .337 with a team leading 14 HR, 15 doubles and 51 RBI.
Randy Rutschman joins the club after years with Taylor Electric. Appointed player/manager, Randy’s positive attitude and leadership qualities benefit the team greatly and he hits .371 in his rookie season with the Knights.
Future MLB draft picks Joey Gerber of Oregon State and Brian Graham of University of Portland lead the club in batting average and wins. Gerber hits .351 and Graham posts a 7-4 record.
Knights beat the vaunted San Diego Stars 16-1 in arguably the Knights best one-game performance ever. Joe Gerber homers and doubles. Mark Newell of Oregon State tosses complete game victory.
Rich Dorman of Western Baptist College and Jordan Hunt of Edmonds CC throw a combined no-hitter vs. the Richmond Budgies, the second Knights’ no-hitter on record.
Mark Newell of Oregon State emerges as the staff ace going 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in limited action. Due to a spring injury, Newell eases into action and pitches only 32 innings, which doesn’t qualify for the team ERA title.
Jason Barrow of Chemeketa CC wins the inaugural Joe Segel Hustle Award.
Outfielder Ryan Suyama of Chemeketa CC, third baseman Derek Birley and pitchers Mark Newell and Jordan Hunt are selected to play in the PIL All-Star game.
Knights beat two Japanese All-Star teams in the Hawaii International Baseball Championship Tournament to win its pool (2-1) and earn a championship bid. Aloha loses twice to Tohoku Fukushi University by combined score of 7-0 and place second. Left-hander Yuji Yoshumi twirls both shutouts, the championship game gem on one day’s rest.
Praegitzer Select champs. Brett Smith named MVP.
Knights go 3-1 at Kamloops International Baseball Tournament, place second. Brett Smith named Most Valuable Catcher.