HUMBOLDT — Jake Haviland has done a lot in his Cub career. He has been the ace for Humboldt and has also been a key hitter for the past couple of seasons.
One thing was left on the “bucket list” before the senior hung up his spikes. He wanted to hit a home run and on Senior Night, he got his pitch.
“He threw a fastball right down the middle,” Haviland said. “Coach (Mike Miller) has been telling us to stay back and keep our weight back so that is what I did. It felt so good coming off the bat.”
Haviland crushed the ball over the left field fence Thursday during the Cubs 12-1 game one victory over Cherryvale at the Humboldt Sports Complex.
“It took me 18 years to do it and I finally did it,” Haviland said. “When I was running around first and saw it go over the fence, it felt so good. It was such a relief. I finally accomplished it.”
The Cubs kept playing well in game two and rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to topple Cherryvale, 8-4.
Humboldt honored its seniors during its final home game of the season. In addition to Haviland the other Cub seniors are Tyler Korte, Corey Whitcomb, Rhett Smith, and Dillon Aikins. Haviland said after the games that he was proud to be a part of that senior class.
“It has been a blast playing with them,” Haviland said. “We grew up together, playing traveling ball and now being undefeated league champs. It is a lot of fun playing ball with your best buddies.”
Whitcomb has been a key part of the Cub defense in center field and also has proven to be a steady bat at the top of the order.
“Whitcomb is one of the best outfielders we have had come through our program,” Miller said. “He has made some huge plays for us defensively that really have changed some games. After struggling at the plate to start the year, he has put in a lot of work and he’s hitting at the right time for us.”
Smith is another batter that has hit near the top of the order all season and he is another reason the Humboldt defense has been so solid, as he controls the game from behind the plate.
“Smith has been our starting catcher the last two years and has become one of the best defensive catchers in the league,” Miller said. “He has really worked hard to become the player he is and his improvement at the plate has been huge for us.”
Miller has been very pleased with the development of Korte this season.
“Korte has put together his best season this year,” Miller said. “He has always had the tools to be really special and it has been great to see how far he has come. When he stays with a good approach and really locks in, he is one of the best hitters we have.”
Aikins is another key defender for the Cubs up the middle. This season he earned the starting job at second base.
“Aikins has become an every-game player for us in his senior year,” Miller said. “He has given us solid defense at second base and great speed on the base paths.”
