Outlaws raising funds for trip

For many years, the Sisters Outlaws baseball team headed south to Arizona for the Coach Bob Invitational in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. The trip had many benefits for the team - including the basic opportunity to get on the field in decent weather.

Coach Matt Hilgers is reviving that tradition.

"The baseball team used to do it every year," he said. "It's just awesome for kids."

The tournament draws teams from across the nation, and the action is played out on 20 to 30 high school fields. The team plays three to five games, and practices on off days. A lot of team-building goes on.

The trip is expensive, and the team needs to raise $22,000 to $32,000 to make it happen. The Sisters community can pitch in with direct donations to the Outlaws' booster account by visiting https://bit.ly/shs-baseball.

"Right now, we'd be leaving March 20, and come back March 28," Hilgers said.

The timing is important, Hilgers notes, because in some years, a sloppy Sisters spring limits the Outlaws' time on the field. In fact, last year, the first time they hit the field was in the first game of the season.