These baseball teams didn’t win league titles but could surprise in the playoffs
Now in his 13th season coaching high school baseball, Brett Jaime hasn’t managed a better pitching staff.
Tahoma might not be the 4A NPSL champion – Kennedy Catholic grabbed that crown by one game – but the reigning third-place state finishers have sights set on a district trophy and perhaps another deep run at the big dance. If pitching is the key that unlocks such a stretch, the Bears have it.
Junior lefty Adam Jay is the staff’s No. 1 pitcher. It’s been that way for three years, thanks to a moving fastball and blossoming secondary arsenal.
In Maple Valley, they call him “Big Game Adam.”
“He always seems to step up when we need him the most,” Jaime told The News Tribune. “He’s done that since his freshman year. … He’s beat really good teams.”
Jay carried Tahoma to a 4A semifinals appearance in 2023 and shoved again in ‘24 with 49 strikeouts and a 2.65 ERA (34.1 IP). Reinforcements have arrived. No. 2 starter Neal Burtis (28 IP) posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, fanning 44. Senior righty Jackson Walker (28.1 IP) flashed a 2.96 ERA and Tahoma-best 33-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Jaime, meanwhile, possesses a pair of Division-I-caliber relievers: Bryson Leach, a Gonzaga commit, and sophomore Sean Evans, whose fastball could flirt with the mid-90s in the coming years, his coach said.
“Those five guys are all studs,” Jaime added.
Now, the Bears are one win away from clinching another state-tournament berth. Jay battles Emerald Ridge’s Nick Fazio, a Washington State commit, in Tuesday night’s 4A District 3/4 tournament opener. The loser needs consecutive wins later this week to secure their state bid.
“We’re going to have our work cut out for us,” Jaime said.
Without a league title, here are five programs selected by The News Tribune that could make noise this postseason.
Curtis (11-10 overall, 8-10 SPSL 4A) — Vikings will have their work cut out for them playing through the left side of the district bracket, but momentum could be on their side, especially after last week’s win over league champion Puyallup, a state-title contender with a loaded lineup. Parker Mady, who is getting looks from Division I football programs, is one of the league’s best natural athletes at shortstop. Vikings followed up the win over Puyallup with a 12-2 win over Timberline at Cheney Stadium on Thursday. Take your pick of programs from the 4A SPSL, too. Curtis is a team with a chance to make a run, but we think the league’s depth means any of the contenders could get hot and find themselves in the state bracket.
Fife (14-7 overall, 12-4 SPSL 2A) — Albeit on a four-game skid, this is a complete Trojans team. Three solid starters form Fife’s rotation, led by Evan Reece (33.1 IP, 4-1, 2.94 ERA, 38 K). The offense is volcanic, capable of erupting for double-digits over anyone. Sophomore 3B/OF Dylan Hoots continues a breakout campaign, slashing .433/.493/.517 with 24 runs and 24 RBI. SPSL rival Steilacoom remains another contender; the clubs split a two-game series from April 23-24, each by lopsided scores (12-4, 12-2). Fife reached the 2A quarterfinals in 2023.
Olympia (15-6 overall, 12-6 SPSL 4A) — Few teams in the area are as hot lately as the Bears, who finished the regular season on a six-game win streak, including a 14-6 nonleague win over 3A SSC champion Capital. Olympia’s pitching could carry it deep into the postseason and the bats have caught up: the Bears are averaging eight runs per game over the six-game win streak.
Silas (14-5 overall, 10-2 PCL 3A) — The Rams are scorching, rolling through opponents across a current nine-game win streak. Five qualified Silas hitters own batting averages over .300, but Carter Lystra is the Rams standout, leading the club in most categories. Silas’ top pitcher sports a 4-0 record (30 ⅓ innings) with a sparkling 1.62 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Also the leadoff hitter, Lystra is slashing .356/.494/.508 with 11 RBI.
Tahoma (14-7 overall, 8-4 NPSL 4A) — The reigning 4A third-place state finishers have sights set for another run, and with Adam Jay on the mound, anything feels possible for Tahoma. The Bears toppled NPSL-champion Kennedy Catholic and Jay dazzled in a 3-1 win over the Lancers on April 2, when the junior southpaw tossed a 5.2-inning shutout that featured six strikeouts without a walk. If pitching is the key for postseason baseball, Tahoma possesses it. Jay’s the number one (4-1, 2.65 ERA, 49 K), but Jackson Walker (2-2) and Neal Burtis (2-2) each have posted 28-plus innings with 33-or-more strikeouts and ERAs below 3.00.
