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Sports

Cupertino High Grad Shining on College Baseball Stage

Ex-Pioneers pitcher having stellar season at Western Oregon University.

Since a move to the NCAA Division II level in 2002, the Western Oregon University baseball team has embarked on a dominant run through the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Last week, the Wolves secured their 10th straight GNAC Championship, helped out greatly by a familiar name to the area.

Aaron Headrick, a Cupertino High graduate in 2007, started every game but two for the Wolves this season, racking up big numbers during his teams impressive championship journey. The former Pioneers pitcher doesn’t pitch at the college level, but he can sure swing a mean stick.

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The infielder has been nominated for the All-West Region Daktronics team for his 2011 campaign. Rounding out his senior year in style, Headrick is hitting .326 and leads the conference with 15 doubles. He ranks in the top 10 in the GNAC in total bases, slugging percentage, and batting average. Headrick has posted 25 runs scored, 23 RBIs, and seven steals.

“This season has been great,” Headrick said. “We’ve played some great baseball and I have great coaches helping me get better every day.”

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Headrick went to a Junior College in the state of Washington before transferring to Western Oregon for his final two years of eligibility.

The versatile player has started at shortstop, second base and first baseman this year for the Wolves.

“As a junior, I fought through some injuries and didn’t get to play as much as I wanted to,” Headrick said. “We have a complete team. I just want us to finish the season strong and hopefully make a run. A Division II World Series title would be the dream ending, but we’re just taking the season one game at a time.”

Highly recruited coming out of the JC ranks as a cannon-armed shortstop, Headrick tore his labrum in his shoulder shortly after arriving at Western Oregon. Still not 100 percent, Headrick still displays the smooth infield defense he had before, but hasn’t regained full strength back in his throwing arm just yet.

“Aaron has stepped in playing several roles for us,” Western Oregon head baseball coach Jeremiah Robbins said. “The arm injury really set him back, but his bat got him in the lineup. He had a cannon for a arm. He’s definitely our best infielder even after the injury.”

Headrick has hit second in the lineup for the majority of the year.

“The guys just love playing baseball,” Robbins said. “Aaron (Headrick) runs the bases very well and is also a very good bunter.”

The Wolves have four regular season games remaining before the regional tournament brackets are announced this Sunday. The team is expected to earn a bid to regionals.  

“Our number one goal is always to win a conference championship,” Robbins said. “Number two is to get to a regional final. We’ll have a good shot to do that this season. This has been a really fun group to coach. Aaron is one of our hardest workers and one of my favorite players to coach.”

Headrick and Western Oregon hope to continue playing into the middle of June.

“It’s baseball,” Robbins said. “When you get hot, you never know how far you can go.”

 

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