Friday, Aug. 07, 2009

Wong helps Dust Devils slip past Emeralds

HERALD NEWS SERVICES

EUGENE -- Joey Wong is chasing another championship this summer in the Northwest League.

Wong went 1-for-4 with a run-scoring single during a six-run second inning that sparked Tri-City to a 6-4 win over Eugene on Thursday at Civic Stadium.

Wong was drafted this summer by the Rockies in the 24th round after his junior year at Oregon State, and he elected to skip his senior year to sign with Colorado.

"It's been great," Wong said. "Obviously I'd like to hit better, but we've got great guys, we're playing good baseball, and we're looking forward to making the playoffs. So it's been a blast."

Wong is hitting .198 as the everyday shortstop for the Dust Devils (28-18), who are leading the East Division, eight games ahead of Spokane.

"I feel really comfortable at the plate. Now I just need to keep going at it and try to get some balls to fall in," Wong said.

Tri-City is chasing its first league title since 1984, but championships have come much more frequently for Wong, who is looking to add a professional title to his prep and college championships.

The 21-year old has already racked up an impressive list of championships, starting during his days at Sprague High in Salem, Ore. He was the quarterback when the Olympians won the state football title in 2004, and he was an all-state selection in baseball that spring when Sprague won the state title.

As a freshman at OSU, he was named to the All-College World Series team as the Beavers won their second straight national title.

"Winning is what it's all about," Wong said. "I've been fortunate to be in good programs and it has continued this summer and that's all you can ask for."

Tri-City knocked Eugene starter Miles Mikolas out of the game with six runs as it batted through the order in the top of the second inning.