Preparations are underway for another summer of American Legion baseball in Douglas County and for a second time in five seasons, the Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s AAA baseball team will have a new skipper.

Eric Savage, a 2006 graduate of South Umpqua High School and a Docs alum from 2006-07, will take the helm of the youth baseball program.

“I’m extremely excited to get going … I’m completely honored and I just got to pinch myself,” Savage said of becoming the next Docs’ head coach.

“It’s a special place and to know that myself and multiple other family members went through the program and now I’m at the helm of it, it means so much to me. I just can’t wait to get going on the field with my guys and I can’t say enough about the excitement I’m experiencing right now.”

The 35-year-old Savage takes over for Jeremiah Robbins, who concluded his second stint as head coach for the the Docs after going 22-19 last summer and reaching the final four of the Oregon state tournament. Robbins holds a career record of 83-63.

“We’ve always had a good tradition and foundation (under previous coaches). I’m trying to keep some of the things that have worked for us going,” Savage said.

Savage has been in coaching since his playing career at Western Oregon University came to an end in 2011. He started on the coast with summer ball and spent three seasons as an assistant with Southwestern Oregon Community College.

More recently, Savage has coached within the Roseburg Legion program for the past few seasons as assistant with the Docs under former coaches Scott Shaver and Robbins and as head coach of the single-A teams Pepsi and Dr. Randol’s.

“I’m going to preach the underdog mentality and we’re going to look at developing players as much as possible, physically and cognitively baseball-wise,” Savage said. “We’re going to try to compete and find that competitive edge.

“I know that we might be playing against larger population-size opponents that pull from some really good areas, but I’m a firm believer in the underdog mentality and having that bulldog mentality.”

Around 90 players signed up for Legion baseball earlier this month and Savage expects that the number of local players trying out for the four Legion teams within the program will grow closer to 100. Tryouts are scheduled for May 30 through June 2 at Bill Gray Legion Stadium at Champion Car Wash Field in Roseburg.

Savage, a Special Education teacher and Dean of Students at Coffenberry Middle School in Myrtle Creek, has seen the successes of the past for the Docs. As a player he helped the team win an Area 4 title and he wants to win championships now as a coach, but he also wants to make American Legion baseball a special experience for the players.

“I want (the players) to come back to the area and have this memory (of playing for the Docs) be something that’s special and sticks with them like it has for me,” he said. “You know, just sitting in a room with Rod Trask, who was my head coach and been around forever, brought back so many memories. Gosh, I just want them to have that same experience about how special this program is.”

Filling out the Docs’ coaching staff will be Cody Watkins, a former Docs player (2013) and current head coach at Douglas High School, and AJ Doolittle, a former player under Savage at SWOCC. Watkins was an assistant under Savage last season with the Pepsi Bottlecaps and will coach outfielders. Doolittle, who played Legion ball with the Medford Mustangs, will handle the pitchers.

Other former Docs have shown interest in helping out on a part-time basis, including Zack Mandera, Tommy Ghasedi, Johnny Farrington and Lance Bennett.

The Dr. Stewart’s season is scheduled to start June 5 with a nine-inning non-league game against the Medford Mustangs at Lithia & Driveway Fields in Medford.

Former Docs player and current Glide High School head coach Justin Bennett will take over for Savage as the skipper for the Pepsi Bottlecaps this summer.

Nathan Williams returns as head coach of Dr. Randol’s Crowns, which will return to a single-A schedule this year, but will compete in a different league than Pepsi, increasing the chances of the Roseburg Legion program getting two teams into the single-A state tournament in July.

The Loggers, a youth development team for ages 13-15, will be led by Noah Miller, another former Docs player.

Roseburg Dr. Stewart’s baseball games will once again be broadcast on local radio station The Score 92.3 FM/1490 AM, with a live video simulcast available to watch at 541radio.com.