Orland hosting invasion of Outlaws

Evan White's tenure with the Chico Outlaws ended last spring after the team signed a Japanese female knuckleballer, but after pitching for a summer in Canada, White has returned to the Outlaws and is bringing them to Glenn County for a promotional series.

The Outlaws will play four games against the Maui Na Koa Ikaika of Hawaii at Bihler Field in Orland in doubleheaders starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.

All games will count toward the North Division standings of the North American Baseball League, which was formed into two divisions this season as a merger of the Golden Baseball, Northern and Frontier leagues.

Outlaws spokesman Bryan Feathers said the leagues' forging this alliance has enabled all teams involved to expand geographically and shed reputations of being from small, weaker independent leagues, ultimately attracting more attention from Major League Baseball scouts.

The last known professional baseball games to take place in Willows were when the semipro Glenn County Cardinals played there over 50 years ago.

White vs. "Knuckle Princess"

Garry Templeton, the Outlaws' field manager last summer, opted to cut White in order to make room on the Outlaws' roster for Eri Yoshida, then an 18-year-old phenomenon.

Yoshida came to the United States to play in the Arizona Winter League after her sidearm knuckleball gained worldwide attention in 2009 for the Kobe 9 Cruise of Japan's Kansai Independent Baseball League.

She was signed by the Outlaws for the summer of 2010 and in eight starts compiled an 0-4 record and 12.27 earned-run average, yielding 40 runs (35 earned), 21 walks and 15 hit batsmen. In 25 2/3 innings, she struck out only four batters. Yet, due to her popularity, the Outlaws exercised her 2011 option.

After a second winter in the AWL with the Yuma Scorpions, Yoshida decided to return to Japan's KIBL as a practice player for the Hyogo Blue Sandars.

Meanwhile, White spent the 2010 summer pitching for the Edmonton Capitals, who are now part of the newly-formed NABL. Last summer for the Capitals, White pitched 72 2/3 innings with a 3-5 record and 4.46 ERA, striking out 50 with just 22 walks.

Templeton, now the coach for Maui, has recruited Yoshida again, and as of press time the Knuckle Princess was in negotiations to pitch for the Na Koa Ikaika.

White's return

Despite being released by the Outlaws before the 2010 season, White remained in contact with the club's general manager, Mike Marshall. After his season in Canada, White returned to work the 2010-11 school year for the Corning Union High School District as a paraprofessional educator. He was also hired by Orland High School in 2011's spring season as the varsity baseball coach, during which the Trojans finished 6-19.

Marshall accepted White's invitation to be the keynote speaker for OHS' inaugural Hall of Fame Dinner Auction, and there Marshall hinted at the possibility of White's return to professional baseball.

"Mike knew he needed pitching help this year and hoped that he could entice Evan to come out of retirement to pitch," Outlaws assistant GM Mary Marshall said.

The 28-year-old right-hander, a 2000 graduate of Corning High, tossed three scoreless innings and fanned five hitters in last week's 2011 debut with the Outlaws against his former ballclub, the Capitals.

"Trusting in Evan's abilities, Mike (Marshall) moved him up in the rotation," Mary Marshall said. "Mike is thrilled to have Evan on the team."

Instead of throwing a pair of practice bullpen sessions last week, White was pressed into service and he joined the team for this weekend's road trip to Chicago, where White was slated to start Friday.

Batting for Chico

The Outlaws' four-game series with Maui was originally going to be played in Lodi, but White worked out a deal with Marshall and brought the games to Orland.

The most shocking aspect of his return to this Outlaws was not what happened on the mound, but what happened at the plate. In addition to his three innings pitched, White also went 1-for-1 in the July 7 nightcap versus the Capitals at Nettleton Stadium.

"It was my first time throwing or picking up a bat in a game since last September," White said. "It felt great. I threw a lot of strikes and got a lot of ground balls."

He had known for all of two days that he was going to pitch against his old team, but he hadn't thought about the prospect of stepping into the batter's box.

"I took probably 10 swings in BP one day during the season," White joked, referencing batting practice while coaching at Orland High in the spring. "I came up to hit in a bunt situation, with runners on first and second, and tried to move them over."

The sacrifice attempt turned into a base hit that loaded the bases. White exited the hill after throwing 50 pitches with a 7-0 lead, and the Outlaws hung on to beat Edmonton, 8-7.

As of Wednesday, the Outlaws (18-25) were last place out of five teams in the NABL's North Division, but trailed next week's opponent, Maui, by only one game.

Coach Marshall's Outlaws

Mike Marshall played Major League Baseball for 11 seasons and is a member of two World Series champions, the 1981 and 1988 Dodgers. An outfielder for most of his career, Marshall earned a spot on the 1984 National League All-Star team and hit a World Series home run for the 1988 champions against the Oakland Athletics.

In an effort to expand the Outlaws' fan base, the team is also showcasing their skills in Redding against Yuma. The games from Aug. 2 to 4 will be played at Tiger Field, and Aug. 5 to 7 at Shasta College. Jose Canseco is a player-manager for Yuma.

The Glenn County Fairgrounds will lend its bleachers to Bihler Field for the Outlaws' games against Maui, and the Orland Bearcats Junior American Legion team will serve as the games' ushers. Fans are also encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to sit down the foul lines, as bleacher seating will be limited.

The End Zone Bar and Grill is hosting a barbecue and the Outlaws are also sponsoring fun giveaways both nights. Parking is free.

White is scheduled to pitch the series finale on Wednesday night.

Admission is $5 for adults (age 13 and over), $2 for children (ages 6 to 12), and children under 6 years old are free.

Contact Paul Gadbois at 824-1036 or corning_sports@yahoo.com.