North-Linn holds fundraiser for former player fighting cancer

TROY MILLS - Zach Ericson contributed a lot to the North-Linn baseball program before graduating after last year.

Now, the Lynx are pitching in to help their former leader, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

North-Linn will hold a silent auction and fundraiser for Ericson and his family during home baseball and softball doubleheaders Thursday, beginning at 5 p.m. The Lynx baseball team faces Class 1A third-ranked Alburnett.

'Both fields will be going at once,” North-Linn Coach Travis Griffith said. 'We will have a silent auction going on between the two diamonds. We'll settle up that night.”

Players and coaches met and decided on the benefit, witnessing Ericson endure chemotherapy treatment. They reached out to supporters and others in the community, and they responded with donations. Many have sold T-shirts, including many from visiting Alburnett.

'It's more just getting Zach to know everyone is behind him,” Griffith said. 'Getting him out to the ballpark once to watch a game would be nice as well with all he's been going through.”

Griffith said Ericson was a quiet kid, who was active in baseball and National FFA Organization. He was a consummate team player for the Lynx, filling any role required by coaches and teammates.

'He was one of our leaders last year,” Griffith said. 'He did a little of everything for us in baseball. He started in all but two positions for us. He is a real quiet leader. He is a fun kid.

'It's tough to see somebody so young to go through something like this.”

The silent auction will include sports memorabilia and various themed baskets. Among some of the items are a carved baseball bat with an Iowa Hawkeye logo signed by members of the Iowa coaching staff, a Green Bay Packers football signed by one of their lineman, a Minnesota Vikings football signed by a wide receiver and a football signed by Hawkeye football coach Kirk Ferentz.

'We hope it's a fun night to have everyone back,” Griffith said. 'I talked to some of our former players. It should be a pretty packed house.”

An outpouring of support has come in beyond the communities that feed into North-Linn school district. Griffith praised Alburnett for their contributions, offering items for the silent auction and joining the Lynx in wearing 'Team Zach” shirts under their jerseys.

The Maquoketa baseball program raised money during a previous game, Central City Coach Quincey Luedemann and his employer made a sizable donation and Cascade Roamn Hummel paid for one of the bats made in Worthington. The baseball community is rallying around one of its own.

'It's a group effort,” Griffith said. 'Everybody putting something in and helping.”

THREE METRO TEAMS CRACK RANKINGS

Three Metro teams were included in the latest installment of the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association state rankings, released Monday.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Jefferson were joined by Linn-Mar in the Class 4A rankings. The Cougars fell from first to fourth, the J-Hawks climbed to sixth and the Lions, thanks to a sweep of Kennedy last week, cracked the top-10 at No. 9. Cedar Rapids Prairie received votes.

In 2A, Cascade is ranked first. Dyersville Beckman, which has played in three straight state finals, is fifth, one spot in front of Iowa City Regina. South Winneshiek is eighth.

West Delaware is ranked fourth in 3A with Wamac foe Williamsburg at 10th.

The Tri-Rivers Conference is represented in the 1A ratings. Alburnett dropped from first to third with Lisbon at No. 7.

HULLETT, RASO AMONG TRIPLES LEADERS

Iowa City Regina's Payton Raso and Springville's Trevor Hullett are tied with three others for the state's lead with four triples.

Raso is hitting .520 with two home runs and a double. Hullett owns a .476 batting average with three doubles.

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com