Miller excited to be Outlaw softball coach

Ben Miller's first week as head softball coach at Sisters High School was similar to the first weeks of his predecessors. He was met with blue sky, but a frozen field that had taken a beating from Mother Nature.

But like those before him, he made the most of it while spending the extra hours working on the field.

"I had a few parents helping me and we spent Saturday and Sunday morning working on the field," said Miller, who assisted outgoing varsity coach Jim Milliman the last two seasons.

"But despite not being able to practice outdoors we were able to work on conditioning, do a lot of development stuff, talk about the culture of team and expectations for the season.

"It's helped in getting freshman ready for practice and getting them used to practicing at a higher level," added Miller. "So, though we'd prefer to be on the field, we have accomplished a lot the first week."

The season isn't that far ahead, as the Outlaws open the season on March 12 against Madras. They will host Summit of Bend on March 15. The Outlaws will also compete in the Central Oregon Spring Break Tournament, scheduled for March 25-27. Sky-Em League play opens April 1.

The Outlaws finished 2013 with a 4-13 record after going 10-9 in 2011.

But despite the field conditions, Miller is very excited about the upcoming season. And he has about two-dozen reasons for his optimism. For the first time in two years, Sisters will field a varsity and a junior varsity team.

"It is exciting to see the numbers grow," said Miller, who also has coached at the Little League and adult slow-pitch softball levels. "We're really focusing on building the program back up to where it was a few years ago."

A graduate of Junction City High School, Miller is married and has three children. He said his biggest adjustment from being an assistant to head coach has been "organization."

"It's a learning curve, for sure," said Miller. "I'm dealing with new things as head coach. It's a lot more organizational time. I'm just trying to stay ahead of problems."

With a half-dozen returning players and some newcomers to the program, Miller said he expects the varsity to be "pretty strong."

Key returnees are seniors Taylor Nieri, Harley Rowe, Tiffany Milliman and Lauren Cantwell. Key newcomers include Redmond transfers Cassidy and Maddy Edwards, and Ashley Smith from California.

Nieri and Rowe are four-year varsity players and have received all-league honors. Milliman was an all-league player as a junior.

Cassidy Edwards had a standout junior season for Redmond High in 2012 when she batted .570 in 27 games. She caught, played infield and outfield, and also won 10 games as a pitcher. She also stole 28 bases. She has signed to play collegiately at Clackamas Community College. Her sister Maddy is a freshman.

Miller also noted that his first week of practice was without six Outlaw basketball players, who will join the team once their roundball season ends. He said hoopsters Madison Ross and Ellie Rickard, both seniors, would also be playing this season.

Miller is looking to hire a junior varsity coach. He noted that Milliman and Jeff Edwards would be volunteer assistants for the varsity.

Not having a junior varsity team the last two seasons presents a new challenge for Miller - connecting the players.

"We have a lot of freshmen and need to connect them with the older players," said Miller. "We will have both teams practicing together twice, at least once each week. There's a lot of bonding that needs to be done."

He pointed out that there were no juniors in the program, but six seniors give experience, and the three sophomores are also returning.

"I'm excited," said Miller. "It's a good way to come in as a head coach."