Ticket punched: These South Sound baseball teams clinched 2026 state berths
Punch those tickets!
With district tournaments in full swing, these South Sound baseball teams have clinched state berths in WIAA brackets from May 19-30:
CLASS 4A
CURTIS VIKINGS (16-7)
District win: Curtis 2, Battle Ground 1 (opening round)
Recap: Burke Shepard’s two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning lifted the Vikings over the No. 2 Tigers, 2-1, in Tuesday’s road win. Junior right-hander Cooper Hordyk threw 5.2 strong innings (1 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K), notching his South Sound-best eighth win of the season. Erik George recorded a four-out save.
Quality wins: Sumner, Gig Harbor, Puyallup, Battle Ground
OLYMPIA BEARS (19-5)
District win: Olympia 8, Emerald Ridge 2 (opening round)
Recap: Olympia’s five-run second inning Tuesday clinched the program’s sixth state tournament berth in head coach Derek Weldon’s nine years at the helm. Senior right-hander Travis Kunkel struck out four across 4.1 solid innings (2 ER) and designated hitter Milo Tolbert went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Quality wins: Tumwater, Curtis, Puyallup, Sumner, Emerald Ridge (2x)
SUMNER SPARTANS (17-4)
District win: Sumner 7, Kennedy Catholic 6 (opening round)
Recap: A rally in the valley: Jake Miller’s two-out, walk-off double to center field in the seventh inning capped a six-run comeback. Sophomore Brody Santman’s RBI single in the seventh tied Tuesday’s game at six before Miller won it; Xander Cypher delivered a two-run home run in the sixth.
Quality wins: Curtis, Olympia, Puyallup (2x), Emerald Ridge, Kennedy Catholic
TAHOMA BEARS (20-1)
District win: Tahoma 2, Union 0 (opening round)
Recap: Oregon State commit Neal Burtis no-hit Union in Tuesday’s 2-0 win, silencing the Titans with 10 strikeouts across seven stellar innings. Bears shortstop Beckett Turnbow launched a solo home run in the second inning and Trey Davies scored on an error in the sixth.
Quality wins: O’Dea, Eastlake, Kennedy Catholic, Kentlake, Mercer Island, Kentridge (2x), Decatur, Union
CLASS 3A
DECATUR GATORS (19-2)
District win: Decatur 20, White River 4 (quarterfinals)
Recap: Infielder Dylan Reano went 3-for-3 with five RBI and the Gators cruised in Wednesday’s mercy-rule win over White River. Decatur erupted for 15 runs in the second inning to erase an early, four-run deficit; Reano delivered a two-run homer with a walk and two doubles.
Quality wins: Kentlake (2x), White River (3x), Peninsula
GIG HARBOR TIDES (16-7)
District win: Gig Harbor 11, Bellarmine Prep 3 (quarterfinals)
Recap: Zach Smith hit an inside-the-park home run in the fifth inning, four Tides recorded multiple RBI, and Gig Harbor handled Bellarmine Prep in Wednesday’s district quarterfinals. Senior right-hander Jake Cuda scattered eight hits and three earned runs (8 K) across 5.2 innings.
Quality wins: North Thurston, Silas, Peninsula (2x)
KENTLAKE FALCONS (17-4)
District win: Kentlake 7, Silas 0 (quarterfinals)
Recap: UW commit Christopher Moore dazzled across 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing two hits with four walks and nine strikeouts in Wednesday’s win. Kentlake plated all seven runs and recorded all three hits in the fifth inning, capped by Matthew Ledbetter’s two-run single and Jackson Harrigan’s sacrifice fly.
Quality wins: Mountain View, White River (2x), Silas
PENINSULA SEAHAWKS (17-5)
District win: Peninsula 8, Enumclaw 4 (quarterfinals)
Recap: Andy Merry’s go-ahead, RBI single sparked a four-run sixth inning in Wednesday’s 8-4 win and clinched Peninsula’s third state berth in five years. Seahawks designated hitter AJ Williamson delivered three RBI and leadoff catcher Pete Browand went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks.
Quality wins: Gig Harbor, Bainbridge, North Thurston, Silas, Curtis
This story will be updated as local programs secure state berths.
