It’s been an up and down season for most of the baseball teams in Whatcom County, but eight of the ten teams have qualified for district play, and they will all be playing tomorrow.
3A
FERNDALE
Despite a 17-3 overall record, they are the sixth-seeded team in a very strong district. Averaging near nine runs per game, the Golden Eagles are loaded offensively and have totaled 15 round-trippers on the season. They also have a lot of varsity experience with numerous seniors that have been starters since they were sophomores.
Infielder Jake Mason had produced steadily all season, and leads his team with a .529 batting average, .897 slugging percentage and a .605 on-base percentage. He also leads with 31 runs batted in, 36 hits and 13 doubles. In fact, half of his base hits have been for extra bases this season.
First baseman Camden Raymond has driven the ball to all fields this season, and brings a .400 batting average into the district tournament. He also carries a .566 on-base percentage.
Outfielder Dylan Strom leads the team with six homeruns on the season, and has nine in his varsity career. He’s also just struck out five times on the season, an extreme rarity where a player has more homeruns than strikeouts. In the majors, it has only been done once in the last 65 years.
Outfielder Andrew James has one of the most violent swings in Whatcom County, and it has turned him into an extra-base machine. He has ripped five doubles, two triples and four homeruns on the season, while knocking in 25 runs.
Third baseman Jordan Mason leads his squad with 27 runs scored and 21 walks. The senior leadoff hitter also has some pop, and his hit four homeruns in his varsity career.
Sophomore infielder Talan Bungard has come on strong lately, and tied Jake Mason for team lead with three triples, while also leading his team with 15 stolen bases.
On the mound, it’s a lot of the same names with Jake Mason leading the way with a 5-1 record, and a 0.55 ERA. Strom is a flamethrower that has struck out 61 batters over 36 2/3 innings, and Raymond is equally effective as a starter (5-0 record) or a reliver (two saves).
The Golden Eagles will open up at Mount Vernon at 2:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Matthew Hippner IF 11 2 Dylan Strom P/OF 12 3 Talan Bungard IF 10 4 Carson Walser-Wasisco OF 11 6 Jake Mason P/IF 12 7 Tipton Bundy C/IF 12 8 Braylon O'Breen C/IF 9 9 Andrew James OF 12 10 Brady Lira OF 12 11 Dylan Moore IF/OF 11 13 Bishop Ootsey OF 11 14 Tre Ferry P 12 15 Jordan Mason IF 12 18 Lane Oostra P/IF 12 19 Camden Raymond P/1B 11 20 Trevor Fetty 1B 12 21 Greydon Radke C/1B 11
2A
LYNDEN
The Lions enter the tournament as the #2 seed with a 16-5 record.
It looks like the same kind of Lynden squad that everyone has been accustomed to. Hitting depth, pitching depth, just plain ol’ player depth. It’s plug and play time again for Lynden, and it has continued to work.
Junior Lane Simonsen leads the pitching staff after another wonderful regular season that saw him go 6-1, striking out 78 batters over 46 innings of work and posting a 0.76 ERA. This also included a no-hitter late in the season in which he struck out 16 batters.
Seniors Kobe Baar (catcher), Lincoln VanDiest (third base) and Campbell Nolte (left field) have been constant contributors throughout the season in the middle of the lineup. Each of them have a batting average hovering around .350 with multiple extra base hits and double digit RBI’s.
Senior short stop Coston “Bubba” Parcher hasn’t put up the same batting average as he did last season, a .470 on-base percentage has been extremely useful in the leadoff spot.
Varsity newcomer Kael Stapleton has been a welcome addition with a team-high 13 stolen bases and just five strike outs in 76 plate appearances.
Simonsen and senior Kaedan Hermanutz have hit homeruns on the season as well.
Lynden will face Bellingham at Anacortes at 3:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 3 Coston Parcher P/SS 12 5 Lane Simonsen P/C 11 8 Trey Baar P/OF 11 10 Lane Heeringa P/OF 12 11 Austin Tolsma P/OF 11 12 Cooper Moore SS 11 15 Kaedan Hermanutz P/DH 12 18 Jaydin Oaks P/OF 10 20 River Langstraat P/2B 11 21 Isaiah Oudman P/1B 10 22 Elijah Migchelbrink 2B 12 23 Lincoln VanDiest P/3B 12 24 Kobe Baar C 12 25 Tristan Thomas P/C 10 29 Campbell Nolte OF 12 33 Jax Baar C 9 40 Jesus Ortiz P/1B 12 42 Kael Stapleton P/1B 11 44 Matthew Carroll P/3B 9 45 Dylan Reyes 3B 10
SQUALICUM
The Storm have cooled off after starting strong this season, finishing with an 8-10 record to capture the #5 seed. A wrist injury to senior Elijah Knowlton has shelved Squalicum’s top player, but you can’t count the Storm out.
Senior shortstop Chase Andersen has been swinging a hot bat as of late, and will bring his .323 average and .400 on-base percentage into the tournament. Once he’s on base, he’s always a threat as he and Cole Sumner each lead the team with 11 stolen bases.
With them on base, look for senior catcher Hayden Hollingsworth to knock them in. Sophomore Ben Hebert and junior Brady Scammell also provide great speed.
Junior third baseman Colby Lewis is tied with Andersen for a team-high 10 runs batted in, while Josh Kreta, Dylan Johnson and Jamisen Brock can all handle the bat.
Hebert has been the workhorse on the mound for Squalicum, and he has struck out 45 batters in 44 innings of work. Kreta has developed into one of Whatcom County’s top relief pitchers.
The Storm will battle Archbishop Murphy at Anacortes at 10:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 2 Chase Andersen SS 12 4 Maximus Wright OF 10 5 Josh Kreta OF/P 11 6 Ben Hebert UTL 10 7 Colby Lewis 3B/P 11 11 Hayden Hollingsworth C 12 13 Henry Ingersoll C 9 14 Brady Scammell OF 11 17 Dylan Johnson UTL 11 19 Cole Sumner 2B/P 12 20 Kristjan Pedersen OF 12 21 Davis Miller IF 10 23 Blaze Robles IF 12 35 Jamisen Brock OF 11
BELLINGHAM
The Bayhawks claimed the #7 seed earlier in the week by defeating Lakewood, and come into the tournament with an 8-12 record.
Bellingham has a great mix experienced players as well as some youngsters, and one of the top freshmen around is Alden Scott. He leads his team in wins (3), innings pitched (46) and strike outs (54). At the plate he’s hitting .333 with four doubles, a triple and 11 runs batted in.
Junior first baseman Jesse Harward has been a welcome addition after transferring from Mount Baker. The strong lefty leads the squad in average (.373), hits (22), doubles (5), and runs batted in (12).
Senior leadoff hitter Wyatt Harris has also quietly put together a strong season with 12 runs batted in of his own, along with team-highs in walks (16) and stolen bases (9).
Senior catcher Ethan Brimble has a cannon behind the plate, and is a tough out in the middle of the lineup, while freshman shortstop Kai Nelson has been on a roll lately, offensively.
Key players like Owen Rasmussen, Jake Troost and James Armstrong have helped guide this team into the postseason. Each of them have had multiple key moments, while playing all over the diamond.
Bellingham will face Lynden at Anacortes at 3:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Owen Rasmussen UTL 11 2 Alden Scott P/3B 9 6 Ethan Brimble P/C 12 7 Jake Troost UTL 11 8 Owen Hanstead UTL 9 9 Kai Nelson SS/P 9 10 Liam Poulton-Claypool OF 12 11 Joe Harward 3B/C 9 13 Rylan Neem UTL 10 14 Alvin Larsen UTL 12 15 Jacob Reed 1B 12 16 Hunter Bryant-Pearson OF 11 17 Reece Ficklin OF 11 18 Eli Goodbuffalo UTL 9 19 Wyatt Harris IF/P 12 23 Aiden Carpenter UTL 11 24 James Armstrong 3B/OF 12 25 Jesse Harward 1B/P 11 33 Tyler Frost UTL 10 34 Joe Toof OF 11
SEHOME
Despite a 5-14 overall record, the Mariners won when it was needed most, and they are back in the district playoffs.
Senior ace Jacob Gillig picked up four of his teams’ five wins on the mound during the season. His 60 innings pitched tops Whatcom County, and he’s amongst the leaders with 77 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA.
Senior catcher Carson Neff is the toughest out in the Mariner lineup. With a .500 on-base percentage, he’s also leading the team in runs (11), hits (18), doubles (4), runs batted in (7) and stolen bases (14). He has also struck out only six times in 66 plate appearances.
Freshman center fielder Hudson Neff has been extremely valuable in the leadoff spot, posting a .371 on-base percentage while hitting .254, and sophomore shortstop Ryder McGrath has shown extra-base power as of late, while playing great defense.
McGrath can also bring it on the mound, posting a 2.26 ERA and striking out 30 batters in 31 innings.
Senior Ben Sefrit is a good clutch player, and has tied Carson Neff for the team lead in RBI’s.
Sehome is no stranger to playing “small-ball” and guys like Campbell Robbins, Sal Backman, Gunnar Tweit and Riley Malloy can all get the sacrifice bunt down.
The Mariners will be at Anacortes at 5:30.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Gunnar Tweit 2B 9 2 Hudson Neff CF 9 3 Jackson Evans C 10 4 Carson Neff C/P 12 5 Riley Malloy OF 12 6 Benjamin Ricks OF 9 7 Salvador Backman OF 11 11 Jacob Gillig P/IF 12 15 Grady Bernhard 1B 10 18 Ben Sefrit P/1B 12 20 Keegan Glennon OF/P 9 21 Greysen Mack OF 11 23 Campbell Robbins IF/P 11 24 Ryder McGrath SS/P 10
1A
BLAINE
The Borderites finished the regular season with a 13-6 record, and it was a wild season for the border town nine.
Numerous walk-off wins, and great pitching performances against top-notch teams, Blaine looks like a team that is primed for this moment.
Three-year starter Axel Puls is an MVP-caliber player that brings it every day. A switch-hitting shortstop that is constantly one of the toughest outs around. After batting .395 as a sophomore, he’s hit over .400 in each of the past two seasons, and he’s a legitimate power threat from both sides of the plate.
Junior leadoff hitter Mason Akre got a little bit of varsity action last year, but has really shown a ton of abilities this season. With a team-high 15 runs batted in, 18 walks and a .500 on-base percentage, he’s just the guy you want at the top of the lineup.
First baseman Alejandro Moser-Hernandez packs a lot of power, slugging .392 with a homerun, but Blaine has plenty of speed with guys like Puls (14 stolen bases), Hunter Vezzetti (14 SB), Grady Swinburnson (13 SB), Akre (12 SB) and Josh Audette (10 SB).
Juniors Kieran Markusen and Diego Guttierez each have four wins on the season, both doing it with tremendous control. Gutierrez has allowed just six walks over 26 innings, while Markusen has walked just nine batters over 45 1/3 innings and struck out 61 batters as well.
The Borderites will face King’s at Joe Martin Stadium at 10:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Grady Swinburnson 2B/P 11 2 Mason Akre IF/P 11 3 Brady Dohner 3B/P 10 5 Deon Bowman IF 11 6 Kieran Markusen P/3B 11 7 Austin Alaniz OF/P 12 9 Jesse Deming OF 11 10 Josh Audette UTL 12 11 Hunter Vezzetti OF 11 13 Owen Wenger OF 11 14 Evan Yates C 10 16 A. Moser-Hernandez 1B/P 11 17 Jack Albright 1B/P 12 18 Diego Gutierrez P 11 19 Anthony Hirsch OF 12 22 Axel Puls SS/P 12
MERIDIAN
It’s been another great season for the Trojans, and at 12-8 are aiming for another trip to the state tournament.
To do that, they will rely heavily on the left arm of Jonah Aase. The sophomore has put up unreal numbers on the mound, striking out 111 batters and walking just 16 over 51 1/3 innings. He has also thrown two no-hitters, which were in back-to-back starts. He can also handle the bat, as he has a .535 on-base percentage and a .551 slugging percentage. He also has his club’s lone homerun on the season, and has struck out just three times in 72 plate appearances.
Senior Hunter Jones can be used all over the field, and he does some real damage out of the leadoff spot with a .373 average and a team-high 25 hits and 22 runs scored. Junior catcher Ian Forbes is a rock behind the plate, and a major run-producer in the batter’s box, with a team-high 25 runs batted in.
Sophomore Jaeger Fyfe is a slick fielding short stop that has hit .317 with 17 runs batted in, while outfielder Tyson Timmer has a .459 on-base percentage and has scored 17 runs.
Third baseman Silas Berschauer has shown some pop with four doubles, and first baseman Tyrel Brooks is a clutch hitter with nine runs batted in.
The Trojans will open up at Sehome High School against South Whidbey at 12:30.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Jaeger Fyfe SS/P 10 2 Hunter Jones UTL 12 3 Ian Forbes C 11 6 Alex Short P 11 7 Jonah Aase P/OF 10 8 Tyrel Brooks 1B/P 12 11 Lincoln Hoefer 1B 10 13 Blake Johnson UTL 10 17 Ross Driscoll IF 10 18 Silas Berschauer 3B 11 20 Tyson Timmer OF 11 22 Jacob Amundson 2B/P 11 33 Tristan Wang OF 10
LYNDEN CHRISTIAN
The Lyncs, at 8-11, return to the district tournament with a ton of varsity experience, and some big wins under their belt.
Sophomore Austin Engels brings his .421 average, .526 slugging percentage and .554 on-base percentage into the tournament, and he will be relied on heavily.
Senior Lane Dykstra is batting .393 and is tied with Engels and Jonah Terpstra with a team-high in runs batted in with 12.
Junior Brody Bouwman is an intimidating force at the plate, and can really supply big power, as well as clutch hitting, while senior Isaac Paxton is about as steady as they come, with a career batting average over .320 in 180 plate appearances.
Terpstra leads the team with four wins on the mound, while Dykstra leads with 24 strikeouts and a 2.04 ERA. Paxton has won 13 games over his three varsity seasons as well.
Freshmen Eli Maberry and Treyson Johnson have been pleasant surprises, both in the field and at the plate. And, outfielders Dexter Zylstra, Carter Seigman and Logan Brink can really cover a lot of ground.
The Lyncs will face Overlake/Bear Creek at Sehome High School at 10:00.
Roster:
# Name POS YR 1 Eli Maberry IF/P 9 3 Josh Eisenberg C/OF 11 4 Samuel Kok OF/P 9 5 Lane Dykstra 3B/P 12 6 Luke Moorlag 2B/OF 11 7 Jonah Terpstra SS/P 11 8 Edward DeYoung SS 11 10 Jaxon Huleatt OF 9 11 Dexter Zylstra RF 12 12 Carter Seigman CF 11 14 Carson Libolt LF/3B 11 18 Treyson Johnson C 9 20 Logan Brink LF 11 21 Isaac Paxton 1B/P 12 22 Austin Engels 2B 10 24 Brody Bouwman P/IF 11 32 Jase Postma C/3B 10
