1A State Baseball: Seton Catholic beats Overlake/Bear Creek for program-best third-place finish
May 30-BELLINGHAM - The Seton Catholic baseball team was somber for just one 10-minute bus ride.
After a semifinal loss Friday night in the Class 1A state playoffs, the Cougars had dinner at a local restaurant. By the time the food arrived at 10 p.m., Seton's players were back to their normal moods.
By the time they arrived at Joe Martin Field on Saturday afternoon, the Cougars had the spirit and energy of a youth baseball team.
"Just enjoying our last moments together, having fun out there and playing loose like we're kids again," senior shortstop Teddy Wieczorek said.
Seton concluded the most successful season in program history with a 9-2 win over Overlake/Bear Creek of Redmond to earn third place.
It's the first time the Cougars (22-6) have taken home a state trophy since the school decoupled its baseball program from King's Way Christian before the 2021 season.
With five seniors and one junior, Seton didn't expect to go farther than the prior two years, which saw the Cougars reach the state quarterfinals.
"We were called the misfits from the beginning on," senior Dalton Woods said. "We didn't think we would go this far. It's really built on brotherhood, the church and believing in Christ."
The Trico League pitcher of the year, Woods tossed a complete game on Saturday. The right-hander allowed just four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
"To go out today and give us everything he did, he left it all out on the field," Seton coach Ted Wieczorek said.
Seton dedicated its season to Woods' mom, Loretta, who died of cancer in January. Woods felt his mother's sprit as he took the mound in the seventh inning having thrown more than 90 pitches.
"I'm looking up saying 'hey mom, give me the energy,'" Woods said. "She gave me the energy. I felt it. I was huffing and puffing. I know you could see it. I was breathing hard. I was giving every last bit of effort I had in those last pitches."
Graham Dumas got plenty of cardio work on the basepaths. The junior outfielder went 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and an inside-the-park grand slam.
With the bases loaded in the second, Dumas hit a deep drive that saw Overlake's center fielder get injured on a diving attempt. He circled the bases to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.
Dumas delivered the dagger in the sixth inning with a two-RBI triple to put Seton ahead 8-2.
That set the stage for a trophy presentation and a longer much happier bus ride home.
"It's about believing in each other," Woods said. "When you gel as a team, you can really do anything."
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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 5:55 PM.