After combining, Charles Wright/Life Christian baseball in 1A state tournament semis
Finding a proper mascot has been the biggest challenge for the Charles Wright and Life Christian combined baseball team. The two small private schools didn’t have enough players to field individual baseball teams in recent years, so they were permitted to combine their programs four years ago.
They call themselves “the academies.” But are they the Tarriers of Charles Wright or the Eagles of Life Christian? Perhaps the Eagle-Tarriers? Senior pitcher Easton Francis had a better idea.
“We have a fake coyote who watches over the field when the geese come out,” Francis said during practice at Charles Wright on Wednesday. “So he’s kind of our honorary mascot. We call him ‘Terry the coyote.’”
Terry is bringing good vibes to this year’s CWA/LCA squad, which has advanced to Friday’s semifinal round of the Class 1A state baseball tournament. The 1A tournament will be held in Bellingham on Friday and Saturday.
“We had guys who were hungry from last year,” Francis said. “We had a pretty upsetting season, lost in districts last year. So I think everybody came back ready to eat and I think we showed we can play.”
It’s the third season for coach Henry Cheney, who played for Charles Wright (‘16) before going on to play college baseball at the University of Portland. Cheney, who is the grandson of Ben Cheney — namesake of the Tacoma Rainiers’ Cheney Stadium — has focused on culture building and buy-in during his time as the program’s coach.
That means getting excited about things like laying down a bunt to move the base runner along. Cheney noticed the players were originally apprehensive about the small-ball strategy, but they came around. Like in the district tournament, when the team’s No. 9 hitter, a freshman, laid down a perfect bunt to take lead against rival Bellevue Christian.
“The joy on his face when he ran into the dugout, it was like Christmas Day and his teammates were ready to open presents with him,” Cheney said. “That was such a pivotal moment.”
Francis has been one of the state’s top two-way players in the Class 1A. He sports a 1.53 earned run average with 70 strikeouts in 45.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he’s been one of the team’s top hitters with a .385 batting average , seven doubles, two triples and a team-high 24 RBI. Shortstop/pitcher Reece Colbert leads the team in hitting, batting .459 with six doubles, three triples, a home run and 20 RBI.
Top to bottom, CWA/LCA is getting contributions from the entirety of its lineup, often in clutch moments throughout the postseason. The team faces No. 3 La Center in the tournament semifinals, 10 a.m. Friday at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham. The winner advances to the championship game, 4 p.m. on Saturday.
“I think it means the world to us,” Francis said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever enjoyed playing baseball so much. We love each other so much. I wouldn’t want to play with anybody else. These players make it so easy to root for each other and there’s just so much buy-in.
“We don’t care who has the big game, don’t care if I went 0-for-3. All we care about is moving on, heading to the right. We all have the same eyes on the prize.”
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
