Eleven returners, talented nucleus have Mustangs targeting a potential 19th state championship in 2025

The local boys smiled and laughed as they moved in and around the Harry & David Field dugout.

Newcomers learned the steady expectation of remaining active and shagging foul balls.

Veterans surveyed their surroundings and began the process of developing steps toward a common end goal.

And, oh yeah, the scoreboard stood in their favor after a solid opening night for the Medford Mustangs against Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s in a game filled with free-flowing lineups at Harry & David Field.

“It’s super exciting,” said Jackson Rosenthal of getting the summer season started in Medford. “We’ve got a great group of guys. We fit together really well as a team — everybody likes each other — and, man, we’ve got a good staff. I could see us going on a pretty far run this summer.”

That last sentiment is a lingering one when it comes to the Mustangs, who have earned 18 state championships at the American Legion AAA level and pride themselves on always being in that final conversation.

“After we picked the team and all that and we had practice the next day, and the first thing that I told them was, ‘OK, these are our goals, and our No. 1 goal is to win a state championship,’” said second-year Mustangs manager John King. “That’s what our goal needs to be, and that’s something I feel like we can achieve, so that’s what we need to strive to do is try to get to that point to win that state championship. After that, whatever happens, happens.”

While that may seem bold, it’s nothing new for the Mustangs and their followers to carry such a standard.

“It’s been set with the Mustangs program that that’s what we strive to do every summer,” said King, “and I think that’s what the fans and kids expect when we put this team together, that we have a team where we can compete for a state championship.”

Ask anyone standing around that dugout during Medford’s opener Monday, and the unquestioned response would be that, yes, the Mustangs expect to have that ability this summer.

“I legitimately believe this is one of the best teams I’ve ever played on,” said Mustangs returner Easton Curtis. “We have talent at every position, one through nine, and even the dudes who aren’t playing are super talented, and everybody wants to win the state championship, for sure.”

Medford’s last state title was earned in 2022, marking the seventh championship earned under the guidance of former manager Nate Mayben, and recent bumps in the road have done nothing but fuel the fire for 2025.

Medford was eliminated by Roseburg in 2023, then reached the state tourney after a play-in victory last summer, only to go 0-2 — losing an elimination game against Grants Pass after sweeping the Nuggets in six prior meetings in 2024.

“We’ve got a chip on our shoulder,” said Rosenthal. “I know everybody works super hard, and we want to be there so bad that we’re going to do everything it takes to get there.”

Curtis agreed that this year’s version of the Mustangs are definitely motivated to get back to the top.

“The team a couple years ago was absolutely amazing and so we kind of want to match that energy and match exactly what they did,” Curtis said of the 2022 crew. “It definitely helps, honestly, that we lost last year, because it definitely puts a chip on our shoulder and gets us ready to play this year.”

Medford finished with a 31-18-3 record last summer, taking the No. 2 seed out of Area 4 to state despite a third-place finish in league behind Eugene and Roseburg since the Challengers were automatic qualifiers as the tournament host.

Eleven players return from that roster, with Ashland product Keller Bloodworth moving over from Grants Pass to bolster a lineup that carries four college players. Along with Bloodworth, the older contingent includes Rosenthal, Kellen Willer and Jack Knips.

“We’ve got a good group,” said King. “We got 11 guys that came back and then we picked up Bloodworth to come and play with us this summer, so I feel really good about this squad. It’s going to come down to hitting. We have to keep the ball out of the air. Once we did that late in the game (during Monday’s 8-2 win over Roseburg), we opened it up when we started hitting line drives.”

Rosenthal was Medford’s third-leading hitter last summer, sporting a .361 batting average to go with 34 runs scored and 38 RBIs — just one RBI off the team lead.

Curtis also provided a consistent presence at the plate with a .340 batting average to complement 45 runs scored (three shy of the team lead) and 16 RBIs, while Freeman Rountree hit .291 with 43 runs and 13 RBIs.

Willer batted .259 with 31 RBIs, and Tristan Mallari sported a .243 batting average with 19 RBIs.

Adding Bloodworth in the mix should also benefit the top of the batting order, and the Mustangs have a host of contenders who should allow them to roll the lineup over and produce big-scoring innings.

It will all be about supporting a roster of pitchers that is extremely experienced — Medford returns six of its top seven hurlers — and poised to be the backbone of the squad.

“Our pitching staff is amazing,” said Rosenthal. “If we can just back them up on the offensive end — and we’ve got the guys to do it — I don’t necessarily see a weak spot. I might be tootin’ our own horn a little bit, but I think if we just back them up, they’re going to do their thing and we’re going to have a great summer.”

Medford products Dominic Daffron (North Medford) and Evan Rhoden (South Medford) expect to anchor a rotation that should be able to keep up with an always rigorous summer schedule for the Mustangs.

Daffron pitched a team-high 64 innings last year — going 4-5 with 50 strikeouts and 17 walks and a 3.28 ERA — while Rhoden wasn’t far off those figures with 56 innings pitched, striking out 40 with 15 walks as he put together a 4-3 record and 3.50 ERA.

South Medford senior-to-be Jake Lewis led the Mustangs in wins last year, sporting a 6-3 record and 3.26 ERA, while incoming Cascade Christian junior Grady Sickler was one of the more valuable relievers in posting a 3-0 record and 1.79 ERA in 12 appearances and 24 innings.

Rountree (4-3, 3.38 ERA) and Mallari (1-2, 4.69) each had eight starts last summer, and the Mustangs have 10 players they can put up on the bump that they feel confident about to fit any occasion. North Medford’s Macen Baker and Cade Pettersen are each coming off strong spring campaigns.

Behind the plate, Medford also has a wealth of options in newcomers Easton Douglas, Sean McFall and Brady Patterson, with Sickler also boasting time behind the dish.

“We have a lot of talent, for sure, but we just have a lot of guys that want to win and have the same common goal,” said Curtis. “I feel like everybody is just already molding and we’re already pretty tight. We have a lot of returners, obviously, but even the new guys are fitting right in and it’s been great.”

It’s also been a little easier leading into this summer for King, who took over after a productive 13-year run by Mayben, which followed a sensational standard set by Sandee Kensinger.

King served as an assistant coach to Mayben, and noted how happy he is to be supported on staff by Kevin Shafer, Brett Wolfe and his son, Johnny King.

“There’s a tradition to carry on and, obviously, I need to do what I want to do, but there’s also stuff as an organization that we do because it worked,” said the manager. “There’s a lot of stuff that I do that coach Mayben did, and he was really successful at it, so that’s why I do it. I think it will be a little bit easier for me to figure things out this year. We’ve got a good staff with coach Wolfe coming back, coach Shafer and Johnny being here, and that helps out a lot, too.”

Eugene and Roseburg expect to be top challengers when it comes to play in Area 4, which has historically dominated the state as the top overall league at the AAA level.

The Medford Mustangs will play their home games at a host of sites this summer, including H&D Field, Lithia & Driveway Field 9, North Medford High School and Eagle Point High School. Visit medfordmustangs.com for season schedule and team information.

MEDFORD MUSTANGS 2025 ROSTER

#1 Freeman Rountree

POS: Outfield/Pitcher

B/T: R/R | School: Ashland | Hometown: Ashland | Grad Year: 2025

#3 Easton Curtis

POS: Outfield

B/T: R/R | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2025

#5 Jake Lewis

POS: Pitcher

B/T: R/R | School: South Medford | Hometown: Central Point | Grad Year: 2026

#6 Cade Pettersen

POS: Pitcher/Infield

B/T: L/L | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2027

#8 Tristan Mallari

POS: Infield/Pitcher

B/T: L/L | School: South Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2025

#10 Evan Rhoden

POS: Pitcher

B/T: R/R | School: South Medford | Hometown: Central Point | Grad Year: 2025

#11 Dom Daffron

POS: Pitcher/infield

B/T: R/R | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2025

#12 Jack Knips

POS: Outfield

B/T: R/R | School: Cascade Christian | Hometown: Eagle Point | Grad Year: 2024

#13 Grady Sickler

POS: Pitcher/UTL

B/T: R/R | School: Cascade Christian | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2027

#14 Brady Patterson

POS: Catcher/UTL

B/T: L/R | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2027

#16 Easton Douglas

POS: Catcher

B/T: L/R | School: South Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2026

#18 Sean McFall

POS: Pitcher/UTL

B/T: R/R | School: Eagle Point | Hometown: Eagle Point | Grad Year: 2026

#20 Jackson Rosenthal

POS: Outfield/Infield

B/T: L/R | School: Ashland | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2024

#23 Macen Baker

POS: Pitcher

B/T: R/R | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2025

#25 Kellen Willer

POS: Infield

B/T: R/R | School: North Medford | Hometown: Medford | Grad Year: 2024

#29 Keegan Painter

POS: Infield

B/T: R/R | School: South Medford | Hometown: Rogue River | Grad Year: 2026

#37 Keller Bloodworth

POS: Infield/Pitcher

B/T: R/R | School: Ashland | Hometown: Ashland | Grad Year: 2024

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035