High school baseball 2026 season preview: Emerald Ridge Jaguars
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 Emerald Ridge Jaguars 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.
EMERALD RIDGE JAGUARS
Head coach: Justin O’Keefe
2025 results: 15-11, 4A District 3/4 tournament
OUTLOOK
Call it a youth movement, not a rebuild. Emerald Ridge may have lost 10 seniors from last year’s team, but this year’s group is quietly confident the Jaguars will remain a contender.
“A lot of people are gonna underestimate us, now that we lost a bunch of people, but I think we also gained a couple guys, we’ll have guys step up that are gonna be good leaders on this team,” junior RHP Jackson Dion told The News Tribune from an indoor practice at Diamond Sports Training Center in Puyallup on Tuesday. “We’re gonna come out showing people that we’re a good team and we play like underdogs.”
The biggest reasons for optimism: the return of Dion, alongside junior RHP Zach Morris. Both have played varsity baseball since they were freshmen and their arms should keep Emerald Ridge in most of the team’s games this season while the young lineup comes along.
“Offseason, we’ve seen a lot of great things out of them,” Emerald Ridge coach Justin O’Keefe said. “They’ve had the experience. If we can get both of them to 7, 8 starts, there’s three quarters of our season.”
Dion said he’s been working on a new changeup with some dive, while Morris said he’s developed a slider in the offseason.
The 4A SPSL remains one of the toughest leagues in the state, with Sumner, Puyallup, Olympia and others all eyeing deep postseason runs.
“I think a lot of teams underestimate us,” Morris said. “They’re not gonna be ready for what’s gonna happen.”
O’Keefe’s group could see a more small ball, create-havoc-on-the-basepaths gameplan this year. He said the thing that has immediately jumped out to him in early-season practices is how much team speed the young roster has.
“Putting pressure on defenses to make plays is gonna be our biggest thing,” he said. “Ball in play and letting these guys run is gonna be the key to success, I think, for us.”
KEY PLAYERS
RHP Jackson Dion
RHP Zach Morris
C Zach Humphreys
CF Preston Bolam
SS Maleeq Razzaq
SAVE THE DATE
April 1 & 3: vs. Puyallup, 4 p.m., at Puyallup, 7 p.m.
April 7 & 8: vs. Curtis, at Curtis, 4 p.m.
