The Gig Harbor Tides Varsity has been playing the best they can throughout this year, and a part of the team that has been getting the most attention is the outfield. The guys covering the outfield grass are headlined by none other than Cooper McCutcheon (12), Tristan Schaefer (12), and Daniel Porras (11). These three gentlemen have been killing it and tracking down balls like their lives depend on it. They have been doing everything in their power to not leave anything behind them while being able to get the ball in quickly to throw some guys out.

The first man up to talk about is the one and only Cooper McCutcheon, who has been in a huge workload for the Tides while also leading off for the team in the lineup. He has been slashing a .344 average while also leading the team with a .450 on base percentage. Being the leadoff man, he has been able to get himself into scoring position several times to give his team a chance to score. With twenty runs scored this year, he has a threat on the base paths, which will continue to help contribute to his team this season. With not a single error this year, McCutcheon has been impressive, with every ball coming in his direction finding his glove. When guys are on the base paths, they are frightened for their lives to try and advance another 90 feet. His toughness is inevitable, as he has been hit by pitches twelve times throughout the season. The cannon of an arm he attains is the deadliest part of his tool collection. When asked about what a comparison to an MLB great is, McCutcheon replied, “A healthy Byron Buxton or the great Ichiro Suzuki because of the amount of hits I can get.” Ha-Seong Kim is another name that is eerily similar based on his hitting skills and the gameplay of McCutcheon. Hopefully Coop can finish his season off right, and we can’t wait to see what he will end up doing after his high school years come to a close.

Tristan Schaefer, who is in centerfield for the Tides has been excellent this year as well. Following up McCutcheon, who is hitting second in the lineup, has been stellar, helping to lead the team offensively and get the momentum rolling with the bats. With his great athleticism and blazing speed, his sort of accolades have proved him well on both the offensive and defensive sides of play. Based on his abilities as a player, Schaefer said, “I think my game resembles Ronald Acuna Jr., who is an elite player and a superstar for the Atlanta Braves.” This is a high comparison considering that Acuna has a strong arm and has tremendous power behind his swing. Schaefer has been improving his game over the course of the season and is continuing to prove himself as one of the best players on the team. He will continue to ball out this year and try his best to receive offers at the collegiate level to continue his baseball career after high school.

The great Guatemalan power hitting Daniel Porras has been tearing it up the year on varsity, as the junior has been rolling in all aspects of the game. The right fielder has been on one lately, which is why teams aren’t scoring any runs on the Tides. The lockdown defense by Porras has been like a brick wall out there, as he is always keeping everything in front of him. He has the second-best average on the team and has continued to show off his power and contact in every game that he is playing in. With men on base, he is consistent with bringing them home playing out of his mind when it comes to getting RBI’s. When asked about his player comparison to an MLB player, Porras said, “The player that resembles my game the most is Mike Trout because of his excellent power as well as his incredible arm strength.” He also hit a home run this year, which can prove the power that he has at the plate and the potential he can have as he finishes out the season this year and moves onto next year, thriving as a senior.

All these incredible athletes have been extraordinary this year in the outfield and have really represented the Tide Way to their best abilities. This trio has been unstoppable this year and has proved to be the core of this team, and hopefully they can play their best as they end the regular season against Peninsula in a two-day series.