The Ridgefield Raptors got off to a fast start this summer, and the players say that the coaches and the host families set the tone with a positive vibe, allowing players who barely knew each other the opportunity to create lasting friendships

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

Winning makes everyone feel good.

But does feeling good make everyone win?

Honestly, what comes first?

This year, it sure seems as if the Ridgefield Raptors came into the baseball season with a winning attitude, a fun vibe, and a contagious spirit of adventure.

Off the field, and then on the field.

It might start with the coaching staff.

Or it could be the host families.

And, of course, the players have to be all on board.

It was a magical first half of the West Coast League schedule for the Raptors. So good, in fact, that the Raptors have already clinched a spot in the playoffs later this summer.

The WCL goes with two halves of a baseball season. The first-half winner is assured a playoff spot. This year, the Raptors ruled the South Division in the first half with a 20-7 record.

The second half of the season started last week, with the Raptors on the road.

On Friday, the Raptors return to the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex for their first home series of the second half of the season.

They hope for the same vibes they had in the first half.

“The host families and coaches, they set the tone for the type of energy and how everything is run here,” said Joseph Jasso, who has been with the Raptors for a few years now.

This year?

“Everyone felt that immediately,” he said.

Jasso, along with Jackson Weber and Justin Brown, are staying at the home of Jodi and Tony Rayburn. Jodi said they have been host families for years.

It never ceases to amaze her how so many players move to Ridgefield for the summer, and … boom, instant connection.

“These boys come together for the summer, and they’re best friends,” Jodi said.

“I showed up knowing only a few guys,” Brown said. “Everyone meshed together really well. It only took a couple of days.”

Jodi said she loves being a host family because “I get to be a mom again,” noting that she and her husband are empty nesters.

The Rayburns feed not only the players living in their home, but their teammates. A Saturday morning brunch recently brought several players to the house. The three Raptors who live there are encouraged to invite other Raptors to join them. Sometimes it is for meals. Other times, it is for games, cards, or to watch videos.

Jodi said she knew there was something special about this year’s group right away.

“That first week, you could tell they were all grateful that they were getting to play ball this summer. That was a huge, huge thing,” she said. “The whole group, they are happy to be here. They are excited to play.”

At that Saturday brunch, baseball players had a lot of fun, making fun of each other.

“I love to listen to them laugh and chirp at each other,” Jodi said. “These boys will be friends forever.”

The transition from coming from, say Michigan, to Clark County is just made easier with a home life.

“The chemistry,” said Brown, a Michigan native, as key to success. “Everyone wants what is best for the team. Everyone will play their roles and do what they need to help the team win. And outside of that, with the host families, we get to bond together.”

Jasso also explained to the newcomers what it is like to play in Ridgefield.

“I told them what’s ahead,” he said. “I got them excited about this place. I think that’s part of our success right now.”

“Everybody shows up for all the games. The community takes pride in the Raptors,” Weber said. “It’s a special place.”

“The community has our backs,” Brown added. “It makes it a really cool experience.”

It all added up to a 20-7 first-half record.

Raptors coach Chris Cota has been in baseball for decades. He understands not to get too high nor too low in the middle of a season.

“20-7 will put you in a good mood. If we were 7-20, who knows how well they’d be gelling,” he said last week, before the start of the second half of the season. “It’s good to see them all get along and play hard together.”

Right about now is when the Raptors will have to figure out if those good vibes can continue even during tough times. For the first time all season, the Raptors are in a funk, win-loss wise. They are off to a slow start in the second half of the season.

The Raptors are looking for a win on Thursday in Yakima to end a losing streak, then return to the RORC on Friday, July 10, to begin a three-game series with the Portland Pickles. Expect a huge crowd for that series against Ridgefield’s rivals. The Pickles always seem to bring a number of their fans across the river, to help make for a rowdy ball park.

Win or lose, the Raptors understand what the summer is about for them.

“I want them to make sure they know that the No. 1 thing, we want them to get better, and the No. 2 thing is we want them to enjoy it while they’re getting better,” Cota said. “We try to make it fun for them, but at the same time understand that we’re here to do some work. They bought into that.”