Bend Elks ready for postseason push as they eye second-straight trip to playoffs
Published 11:59 am Friday, July 18, 2025
- Salem Marion Berries second baseman Andrew Mhoon tries to tag out Ryder Manale of the Elks during the game on July 10 at Vince Genna Stadium in Bend. (Joe Kline/The Bulletin)
After playing 37 games in six weeks, the Bend Elks are on the home stretch of the regular season and are eyeing a second-straight trip to the postseason.
Less than a month remains in the season, but it is jammed-packed with 18 games that will determine whether or not the Elks once again reach the West Coast League playoffs.
“I think we will be ready,” said Elks coach Allen Cox. “Our top guys took some days off, and a couple guys went to the All-Star game. The schedule favors us with some home games and we’ve been really good at home, so that is a plus for us.”
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The past week was a fun one for the Elks. Five of their players were in Bellingham, Wash., playing in the West Coast League All-Star Game. In an exhibition game against the Northwest Stars on Tuesday, Will Taylor of The Baseball Bat Bros suited up and hit an inside-the-park home run. In Thursday’s exhibition game against the Stars, a couple of Elks coaches got some action in the field.
“It is always fun to get out and compete again,” said Geoff Brown, who is the Elks’ pitching coach but also threw a couple of innings Thursday night. “We planned it that way because leading up into the series with Cowlitz (Wash.) we didn’t want to burn out a bunch of arms. With it being an exhibition game, why not have a little fun and make it fun for the boys?”
Now the focus turns to making a second-straight playoff appearance. With only six series and 18 games remaining – 11 being played at Bend’s Vince Genna Stadium – the Elks find themselves in a tight battle to secure one of the three remaining South Division playoff spots.
By finishing with the best record in the first half of the season, the Portland Pickles (defending WCL champs) already locked up one of the playoff bids. A second playoff spot will go to the team that finishes with the best record during the second half of the season. The Corvallis Knights currently hold that spot.
The final two playoff bids will go to the two teams with the top two overall records throughout the entire summer. The Elks are in a good position to snag one of those two spots, but the margins are thin.
Entering Friday’s slate of games, the Elks have a 20-17 overall record, just ahead of the Walla Walla Sweets (18-18) and the Salem Marion Berries (19-20).
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It is that time of year when some players, especially pitchers, begin to leave the team, but Cox is excited about a lot of the key offensive weapons who will be playing the final couple of weeks, including Jace Miller, Makoa Sniffen, Vinny Salvione and Easton Amundson.
“Our core offense that has been here all summer is staying,” Cox said. “So we are really excited about that. The guys who have been in the lineup all summer are going to be here. As long as our offense scores, which we are usually pretty good at, then we are in a good spot.”
The Elks began a three-game series against the Cowlitz Bears on Friday night at Vince Genna. Following that series, the Elks will be on a seven-game road trip before returning for a seven-game homestand to close out the regular season.