HEPPNER, Ore.-The Blue Mountain Little League Juniors Softball team recently finished second in the 2025 West Region Junior Girls Softball Tournament in Tucson, Arizona.
Coached by Rachel Allen, the BMLL Juniors team was made up of 12 players between the ages of 12 and 15 from the Heppner and Echo areas.
“The run that we had at Districts, winning the Oregon State Championship, and through the West Regionals was pretty impressive considering the small population we pull from,” said BMLL Assistant Coach Tim Dickenson.
Coming together
Allen and her Assistant Coaches, Tim Dickenson and Josh Coiner, selected players, whose families were willing to commit to a summer of softball, from two teams in Echo and one in Heppner.
“It was a good group of girls with great families and parents behind them that enjoyed the support of their community,” said Dickenson.
As the team came together early in the summer, they realized that Blue Mountain was too long for a traditional chant, so the team came up with a goat mascot, that fit with the Blue Mountains and could also stand for Greatest Of All Time.
The “Let’s Go Goats” chant morphed into “SCO GOATS” for short, followed by a collective “NAAAAYY” from the team, and the mascot was quickly embraced, appearing on T-shirts and temporary tattoos throughout the season.
After dropping their first game to Union County at Districts in La Grande, the BMLL Juniors hit their stride at the plate, flashing the offensive power that would carry them the rest of the summer, with wins by scores of 18-0, 8-6 and 11-10, to claim the District Championship.
“From top to bottom, our lineup could hit,” said Dickenson. “It was a testament to the drive and dedication of these girls, and they were rewarded for it.”
At the State Tournament, the BMLL Juniors scored at least 20 runs in every game, shutting out Klamath Falls 20-0, defeating Southwest Portland 26-2, and beating Corvallis twice 25-5 and 25-4, to claim the Oregon State Championship on July 14.
Community support
Despite the dominant performance, the BMLL Juniors had a quick turnaround, having to be in Tucson for the West Regionals on July 17.
“The turnaround was crazy,” said Dickenson. “We had done some fundraising for State, but now we had to figure out how to get to Arizona.”
The team fundraised for a couple days on social media, and the community that embraced the team on the field rallied behind them, with donations and sponsorships to ensure they could get to the West Regionals.
The parents of some players also made the drive to Tucson, with one family transporting all the team’s softball gear in a trailer, according to Dickenson.
“We couldn’t have done it without the truly amazing support we received from the community,” said Dickenson. “This team was an extension of their families and a reflection of the dedication of our communities.”
2025 West Region Junior Girls Softball Tournament
The BMLL Juniors joined 10 other teams at the West Regionals, including Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Southern California, Arizona, Washington, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Northern California.
The team never got down at West Regionals, despite having to contend with late-night games followed by early mornings, back-to-back contests, the Arizona heat, and even weather delays.
“This was an amazing group of girls,” Dickenson said. “They were always uplifting, to the point that other players, coaches and even the groundskeepers noticed.”
The BMLL Juniors opened their tournament run with a dominant 17-2 win over Hawaii on the night of July 18, followed by a 17-0 shutout of Montana early the next morning.
After a quick turnaround, the BMLL Juniors lost to Northern California, 12-2, to fall into the loser’s bracket of the West Regional.
The team quickly rebounded from their first loss, getting past Arizona 7-6 on July 20, before beating Nevada 17-1.
Following that win, the BMLL Juniors had to wait out a rain delay before taking the field for their second game of the day at 9:30 p.m.
While they would eventually win the game 19-5 over Southern California, clinching a spot in the Championship, the game didn’t end until about 11:30, according to Dickenson, which meant another quick turnaround, with first pitch of the Championship game set for 9 a.m. on July 22.
After two must-win games and playing on short rest for the second time in the tournament, the BMLL Juniors came up just short against Northern California, bringing a second-place finish home to Northeastern Oregon.
“This season was an experience second-to-none,” said Dickenson. “These girls competed every game and created memories they will never forget.”
2025 BMLL Juniors Softball
Sydnee Wade
Braelyn Perry
Harper Coiner
Brynley Allen
Sylver Longgood
Emerson Spike
Gracie Putnam
Kamryn Dickenson
Isabel Payne
Matison Hendrix
Emily Bonner
Tymber Longgood
Manager: Rachel Allen
Assistant Coach: Tim Dickenson
Assistant Coach: Josh Coiner
