Olympia’s Fast electric, throwing two-hit shutout in 6-0 win over Issaquah in 4A quarterfinal
Taber Fast has had an incredible run of bad luck at Olympia High School. He’s in his senior year and somehow, this is his first season suiting up and playing games for the Bears’ baseball team.
He had to sit out his freshman year because of transfer rules. He was seven practices into his sophomore season when the coronavirus pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt and the season was canceled. And a week before his junior season, he broke his wrist.
To his credit, the senior Texas Tech commit doesn’t dwell on the misfortune that stole three of his high school varsity baseball seasons. No, he’s got one crack at this thing and he’s determined to make the most of it. In Saturday’s Class 4A state tournament quarterfinal game against Issaquah at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey, the hard-throwing left-hander was nearly unhittable.
He tossed a complete-game, seven-inning shutout against the Eagles, taking a no-hitter through four innings and allowing just two hits when it was all said and done and striking out nine. Olympia won 6-0, advancing to next week’s Class 4A state tournament semifinals at GESA Stadium in Pasco.
“It was just one of those games where I felt like everything was working,” Fast said. “My changeup, my curveball, my fastball. But I’ve gotta give it to my guys behind me. They made some really good plays today and I feel like this was a whole team effort, not just me.”
True to his family name, the fastball was electric on Saturday. Fast’s changeup was good, too, and his curveball was lethal, hanging in the zone the first time through the lineup before being spiked in the turf later in the game.
“Best he’s been, probably the most complete outing he’s had,” said Olympia coach Derek Weldon. “92 pitches, something like that. Just attacking the zone. He’s got electric stuff. He’s still learning how to pitch. He’s come a long way this year and it’s been awesome.
Technically, he’s a fresh face for the Bears. But the way he seamlessly meshes with the other players on the team, Weldon feels like Fast has been around for years.
“He’s a selfless dude, a great teammate,” Weldon said. “I didn’t know what to expect because I had never coached him. I coached him seven days in 2020 before covid ended our season. Awesome kid, coachable as can be, loves his teammates. … He’s assimilated really well.”
Top to bottom, Olympia’s lineup was productive, including a three-hit effort from Gabe Downing — who plays quarterback for the Bears on fall Friday nights — in the No. 9 spot. Second baseman and leadoff hitter Logan Shepherd said the bats have been coming alive lately.
“We’ve been really working with it lately, moving guys around, trying to find that extra 9 spot,” he said. “Today, Gabe Downing really showed up, did really well at the plate today.”
Defensively, things are made easier for the infield behind pitchers like Fast and Rylan Haider, who threw a complete-game in Olympia’s 3-1 win over Chiawana in the opening round of the tournament a short time before the team’s second game.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Shepherd said. “It’s super easy to work behind them, you always know they’re going to fill up the zone and when they’re pitching to contact, you know your defense is going to back you up.”
Fast was pretty good at the plate, too. He had three singles and an RBI sacrifice fly in the win. Brody Phinney, Logan Shepherd and Evan Nicol also drove in runs in the win.
The last time there were spring sports state tournaments in Washington was in 2019. Olympia advanced all the way to the 4A state championship game that spring, falling to Moses Lake in the title game, 5-3. Now, the Bears are one win away from finding themselves in the same setting in consecutive tries.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Shepherd said. “The past two years, not really getting to do anything. What we’ve been preparing for the past two years, I know coach Weldon has been very hungry to win our school’s first state championship since he arrived.”
Weldon’s thoughts drifted back to the 2020 team. After a runner-up finish in 2019, the seniors were ready for a shot at redemption, but never got the chance. If Olympia were to hoist the trophy next weekend in Pasco, that group would be on Weldon’s mind, too.
“We’re playing for more,” he said.
Olympia will face fourth-seeded Richland in the semifinals on Friday, May 27 at Gesa Stadium in Pasco at 1 p.m. A rematch of the West Central/Southwest bidistrict championship game is potentially in play, as Olympia’s 4A SPSL peer Puyallup also won its two games on Saturday. Puyallup will play No. 14 Skyline in the other semifinal contest at 10 a.m. on Friday, also at Gesa.
This story was originally published May 21, 2022 at 10:44 PM.
