High school baseball 2026 season preview: Curtis Vikings
The high school baseball season is underway in Washington, and The News Tribune has been making stops across the South Sound, visiting local programs at practices as games begin. Up next, we’re previewing a handful of teams individually as they begin league play.
Here’s how things are shaping up for the Curtis Vikings this spring.
Editor’s note: The “outlook” section for each program is pulled from the TNT’s practice tour. Find the full practice tour story here, complete with insight on several teams in the area, quotes, photos, videos and more.
CURTIS VIKINGS
Head coach: Bryan Robinson, 14th season
2025 results: 17-9, Class 4A state tournament first round
OUTLOOK
6-foot-4 Curtis pitcher Cooper Hordyk had a breakout season as a sophomore last spring and commanded the strike zone as well as anyone in the 4A SPSL, tossing 50 strikeouts to just six walks.
“Just throwing strikes,” Hordyk said of last season’s success. “First-pitch strikes, especially, is super important. Just getting soft contact, just filling up the zone.”
He’s back for more, and this year he’s throwing harder, his velocity creeping up in the mid-80s.
“I think it can overpower hitters, especially with my command and off-speed pitches,” he said.
Bryan Robinson, who is now one of the league’s longest-tenured coaches in his 14th season after the retirement of longtime Puyallup coach Marc Wiese, is bullish on his junior No. 1 pitcher.
“He’s a physical specimen when it comes to what you want out of an athlete on the mound,” Robinson said. “I think he’s gonna provide just stability, you know what you’re gonna get out of him every start around the zone, he works quick, he’s gonna compete and the guys love playing behind him.”
Curtis also returns all-league catcher Joe Giles — perhaps the team’s best defensive catcher since Quinn Stauffacher donned the blue and white in 2022 — and all-league shortstop Riley Angelo.
“I think we’re all around pretty good,” Hordyk said. “We’ve got a lot of pitchers returning, a lot of bats. So I think we’ll be pretty good this year.”
Robinson said it’s a tight-knit group and thinks its chemistry could lead to special things.
“They have come out and have gelled incredibly quick,” he said. “We have a really good group of guys that are returners from the team that went to the state tournament last year. And they know how to compete. We’re not having to teach that. We’re just implementing some things that we know we need to cover, competing as much as we can at every practice.
“But they’re doing it themselves. It’s a really enjoyable group of guys because they know they can compete in one of the toughest leagues in the state.”
KEY PLAYERS
P Cooper Hordyk
C Joe Giles
SS Riley Angelo
SAVE THE DATE
March 24-25: vs. Sumner, at Sumner, 4 p.m.
March 27: at Olympia, 4 p.m.
April 11: at Gig Harbor 3 p.m.
April 14-15: at Puyallup 7 p.m., vs. Puyallup 4 p.m.
May 1: vs. Peninsula, 4 p.m.
