Former Umatilla High School Baseball players returned to the diamond On May 2 for an Alumni Baseball Game, hosted by the Umatilla Booster Club to raise money for Umatilla Athletics.
The game brought together 22 UHS alumni athletes and several other members of the Umatilla baseball family, for an afternoon of competition and reconnecting. Fans gathered to watch former players lace up their cleats once again and relive their playing days on the UHS field.
Current UHS seniors David Garcia and Carter Griggs served as team captains and coaches for the event. Before the game began, the two seniors held a playground style draft to select their teams, creating Team Garcia and Team Griggs.
Early on, it looked to be a runaway for Team Garcia, but Team Griggs rallied in the fifth inning to take the lead and eventually held off a late comeback attempt in the top of the seventh inning to secure the win.
Following the game, players and families gathered for a post-game feast, donated by Assistant Coach Ian Coyle and Reser’s Fine Foods.
The alumni game not only raised funds for Umatilla Athletics, but also highlighted the strong connection many former players continue to have with the baseball program. By the end of the day, many participants were already looking forward to making the alumni game an annual tradition.
Participants in this year’s alumni game included:
‘25 RJ Estrada
‘25 Dominick McCallister
‘25 Davis Raymond
‘22 Frank Monahan
‘21 Ty Schaefer-Cranston
‘18 Seth Cranston
‘12 Andres Sanguino
‘12 Justin Vandever
‘10 Larry (Taylor) Pankey
‘09 Aaron Trukositz
‘09 Steven Williams
‘08 Andrew Barthel
‘08 Anthony Estrada
‘07 Bryon Quillen
‘06 Marcelo (Marc) Estrada
‘05 Paul Madsen
‘04 Giz Aguilar
John Capers (UPD)
Ian Coyle (Current Coach)
Corey Griggs (Current Coach)
Daniel Raymond (Current Coach)
Tracy Robertson (Current Head Coach)