Two students from the Mather Martial Arts Academy took home awards from the recent Tillamook Martial Arts Open.

Sebastian Lorentzon took first place in his division of the flag sparring competition, and went on to win the flag sparring Grand Champion title.

His younger brother, Nils Lorentzon, took first place in the 5-and-under flag sparring division.

Both boys – who took Karate in Sweden – have been in training under Master Mike Mather while their father has been working in the United States for the past six months.

The boys will return to Sweden next month.

Also leaving in January will be Rochelle Lester, who is joining the U.S. Air Force. Lester placed second in Points Sparring and third in Forms at the recent Tillamook Open.

Also competing were Nicholas Eastman (Finalist award in Flag Sparring age 8-9 beginners division);

James Webb (Finalist award in Flag Sparring and Points age 8-9 beginners division);

Alexis Mather (first place Flag Sparring, first place Points age 6-7 Intermediate/Advanced division);

Matthew Mather (second place Flag Sparring, second place Points, 5-and-under division).

Baseball Academy offers program in SeasideWinter baseball? There will be plenty of it for three weekends at Seaside High School, starting Jan. 17.

Seaside will be the host for Spring Training 2004, a national program of the Midwest Baseball Academy.

Six days of advanced hitting and pitching instruction will be offered for players in grades two to 12. The program will take place on weekends between Jan. 17 and Feb. 1.

The training session in Seaside will be the first of its kind in the area, and will feature top area coaches, indoor facilities and batting cages.

The program is for all players in the region, including Astoria, Seaside, Knappa and Warrenton.

Space in each session is limited. For more information, call (866) MBA-HITS, or on the Web:

(www.BaseballAcademy.net) to register online. Registration deadline is Dec. 30.

The $95 tuition covers all three weekends of the hitting or pitching program. Players can participate in both, attending two hours each week. The cost for the double sessions is $190.

To see dates and times for Seaside, check: www.BaseballAcademy.net To register, click on the site you wish to attend, complete the on-line registration form and mail a check to the national office. If you have further questions or encounter problems registering, call (800) 669-6323.

Since starting in 1988, Midwest Baseball Academy has brought instruction to more than 8,000 young players in nine states.

After dozens of camps throughout the Midwest and East Coast, Midwest Baseball Academy developed and launched a specialized hitting and pitching spring training program aimed at serious players from elementary school to college.

From about 300 players in its Spring Training 2001 program, the Academy’s Spring Training 2002 grew to more than 1,000 players attending some 40 sessions at six different sites.

In 2003, close to 3,000 players attended about 150 sessions at 16 locations. Many sessions sold out months before they began. In response to the increased demand and national attention, the Academy is adding additional sites.

Seaside is the only Western state to host a Midwest Baseball Academy program. Gulls’ varsity coach Joel Dierickx will be the site coordinator.

Hitting sessions will be offered through grade 12, with pitching sessions for grades two through eight.

The program is not a lecture clinic. With a player-coach ratio of about 5-to-1, each hitter and pitcher gets plenty of individual attention in a small-group atmosphere.

For three weeks, hitters will rotate through a series of supervised stations, including indoor batting cages, each designed to teach a different piece of hitting.

Players will participate in hitting games and drills used by the nation’s top high school and college programs. The program is designed to improve pitch and strike-zone recognition, timing, balance, quickness, power, situational hitting, bunting and other aspects.

Young hitters can build a foundation and understanding of the swing, while experienced players will cover advanced topics such as hitting different pitches to different fields, hitting curveballs and changeups, and more.

WHS alumni basketball sign-ups heldWarrenton High School alumni are encouraged to register for the alumni basketball tournament scheduled Dec. 27. Cost is $10 per player. For information, call Pam Sturgell at 861-9690.