Five Baker High tennis players qualify for state tournament
Five Baker High tennis players earned state berths at Ash Grove, capped by an all-Baker boys doubles final and a strong run from Liz Timm in singles.
Five Baker High tennis players advanced to the state tournament out of a district bracket that turned the Ash Grove courts near Baker High School into a measure of how far the Bulldogs have come. Liz Timm claimed a place in girls singles, and the doubles teams of Gabe Schwartz and Theo Pepera and brothers Jacob Burton and Weston Burton all punched tickets to Corvallis after a weekend that showed Baker could contend across the draw, not just in one event.
The district tournament opened Tuesday, May 12, continued Friday, May 15, and finished Saturday, May 16, forcing players to hold their level over several rounds instead of peaking for one match. Timm reached the semifinals by beating Karli Kretschmer of La Grande, 6-3, 6-2, in a round-three match Friday. That result followed a steady run that had already included straight-set wins in Baker’s final tune-up matches, including May 6 at Mac-Hi and April 30 against Nyssa at the Ash Grove courts.
Baker’s depth showed most clearly in boys doubles. Schwartz and Pepera won their semifinal Saturday morning, as did the Burtons, setting up an all-Baker championship match. Jacob and Weston Burton rallied to win the final 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in a tiebreaker, a result that gave Baker two doubles pairs deep into the bracket and one district title to go with it. For a small program, that kind of internal championship speaks louder than a single standout performance.
Kaitlyn Schwin added another solid finish for the Bulldogs by winning the district consolation title in girls singles. She had already been in form heading into district play, winning 6-1, 6-3 against Nyssa on April 30 and sweeping a straight-set match at Mac-Hi on May 6. Along with Timm’s run and the doubles results, Schwin’s finish gave Baker a full day of proof that the roster was playing its best tennis at the right time.
The state tournament is set for May 21-23 in Corvallis at Oregon State University’s tennis facilities, including the OSU Tennis Complex and Timberhill Tennis Club. Baker’s results fit into the Oregon School Activities Association’s 4A/3A/2A/1A postseason structure, and they also show something more local: a program that has built enough balance, match toughness and postseason confidence to send five players on to the sport’s biggest stage in Oregon.
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