By Matt Crownover
Chronicle staff

     After completing the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Liberty Bell April 29, the Oroville baseball team is focusing on the district playoffs.
     District play starts May 10 at Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee, with the Hornets drawing a first-round game against either Kittitas or Waterville, said coach Tam Hutchinson.
     Led by seniors Jake Hilstad and Nathan Thompson, Oroville has accumulated a 7-8 record, 5-7 in the North Central 2B/1B League.
     “Jake and Nathan provide a lot of leadership and they’re both very good hitters,” said Hutchinson.
     Junior pitcher Bud Swenson is the team’s ace, earning five of the squad’s seven wins.
     “He’s got some zip on the ball and some movement and he’s right around the plate most of the time,” said Hutchinson.
     Hutchinson added that first baseman/pitcher Brandon Funston and infielder J.T. Miller also have been playing well for the Hornets.
     Hutchinson has been the head baseball coach at Oroville since 1999 with the exception of the 2004 season.
     Before then he was the coach at Ballard High School in Seattle for 15 years.
     After winning just two games last year, none in league play, Hutchinson said the team’s goal was to find a way to make post-season play.
     “At the beginning of the season we were just hoping to make the playoffs,” he said. “Now we’re just going to take it one game at a time and see how far we can go.”