High school baseball midseason power rankings: Top 10 teams in South Sound

Jon Manley, Lauren Smith
·5 min read

The postseason is drawing near as high school baseball enters the final stretch of the regular season this spring in the South Sound.

The News Tribune is ranking the top 10 programs in the area, regardless of classification.

We considered a variety of factors when ranking teams, including strength of schedule, quality wins, high-level individual talent and more.

Puyallup’s Gage Thompson corrals a pop-up by Olympia’s Evan Nicol in front of teammate Mason Pike during Wednesday afternoon’s baseball game at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington, on April 12, 2023. Puyallup won the game, 6-2.
Puyallup’s Gage Thompson corrals a pop-up by Olympia’s Evan Nicol in front of teammate Mason Pike during Wednesday afternoon’s baseball game at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington, on April 12, 2023. Puyallup won the game, 6-2.

1. Puyallup (15-2) — Only losses this season have come to 4A state title contender Eastlake and valley rival Sumner. Power-hitting catcher and Stanford commit Kai Halstead highlights one of the state’s deepest lineups. Right-hander Hunter Grasser has been as steady as it gets, while shortstop Mason Pike, an Oregon State commit, is an electric reliever with a fastball that sometimes hovers above 90 mph.

Tahoma catcher Carson Ohland and closing pitcher Jackson Walker celebrate the final out in the Bear’s 4-2 victory over the Federal Way Eagles in Tuesday afternoon’s baseball game at Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Tahoma catcher Carson Ohland and closing pitcher Jackson Walker celebrate the final out in the Bear’s 4-2 victory over the Federal Way Eagles in Tuesday afternoon’s baseball game at Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

2. Tahoma (19-0) — Undefeated Bears have answered every test and came out on top against some of the 4A NPSL’s best competition last week, taking two games from Federal Way and two from Kennedy Catholic. Tahoma features the state’s top-rated prospect in the 2023 class in catcher Carson Ohland, a UW commit and legitimate five-tool player.

Sumner High School senior left-handed pitcher Jacob Bresnahan, an Oregon commit, struck out 19 batters in a high school game against Olympia Bears on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Sumner High School senior left-handed pitcher Jacob Bresnahan, an Oregon commit, struck out 19 batters in a high school game against Olympia Bears on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

3. Sumner (13-5) — There are a lot of good arms in the 4A SPSL this season, and lefty Jacob Bresnahan, an Oregon commit, has been perhaps the best of the bunch. He’s coming off a seven-inning complete game shutout against defending 4A state champion Olympia, in which he allowed just one hit and struck out 19 of the 23 total batters he faced. He also leads the team in RBI with 24. Third baseman Davis Jaquez (.476 batting average, six doubles, triple, 17 RBI) has torn the cover off the ball this season.

Olympia starting pitcher Lincoln Berg squares off against Puyallup’s Donte Grant to open Wednesday afternoon’s baseball game at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington, on April 12, 2023. Puyallup won the game, 6-2.
Olympia starting pitcher Lincoln Berg squares off against Puyallup’s Donte Grant to open Wednesday afternoon’s baseball game at Olympia High School in Olympia, Washington, on April 12, 2023. Puyallup won the game, 6-2.

4. Olympia (13-4) — Bears bounced back with wins over Rogers and Graham-Kapowsin after a loss to Sumner last week. Runs have been tough to come by against the Bears, who are conceding just 1.8 per game to opponents behind a strong defense and pitching staff. USC commit Sax Matson (0.39 ERA) is the staff’s ace, while lefty Lincoln Berg (1.81 ERA) and right-hander Trace Pruitt (0.40 ERA) round out one of the state’s top rotations. Third baseman Logan Shepherd (.538 batting average, six doubles, triple) is having a monster season at the plate.

Federal Way shortstop Jay O’Neill stretches in an attempt to tag out Tahoma base runner Griffin Bye on a successful steal during Tuesday afternoon’s baseball game at Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Tahoma rallied to win the game, 4-2.
Federal Way shortstop Jay O’Neill stretches in an attempt to tag out Tahoma base runner Griffin Bye on a successful steal during Tuesday afternoon’s baseball game at Federal Way High School in Federal Way, Washington, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Tahoma rallied to win the game, 4-2.

5. Federal Way (10-5) — Eagles will look to bounce back in the final stretch of the season after dropping both games against Tahoma and splitting two-game series against Kentwood and Mount Rainier. Encouragingly for Federal Way, the Eagles led in both games against undefeated Tahoma before Bears comebacks. Right-hander Orlando Young (2.46 ERA, 60 strikeouts), a UW commit, has electric stuff. Shortstop Jay O’Neill (.396 batting average, 19 hits, five doubles) has been the team’s most consistent producer at the plate.

Curtis High School pitcher Tyler Logan photographed before a baseball game against Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma on Monday, April 11, 2022.
Curtis High School pitcher Tyler Logan photographed before a baseball game against Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma on Monday, April 11, 2022.

6. Curtis (12-4) — Vikings opened the season with eight consecutive victories and won nine of their first 10 games in a tough 4A SPSL schedule. They rallied from three straight league losses to Sumner, Olympia and Bethel with an extra-innings win over Bellarmine Prep last week. Gavin Brubaker, last season’s 4A SPSL co-offensive player of the year, leads Curtis in batting average (.420), hits (21), doubles (four) and RBI (14).

7. Timberline (11-3) — After a season-opening loss to 4A SPSL program Curtis, the Blazers won their next eight, including besting a pair of reigning state champions. Timberline posted a 7-6 win over defending 2A state champion Tumwater in March, and then a 4-3 win over last season’s 4A winner Olympia two days later. The Blazers lead the 3A SSC with two weeks of regular season play remaining, and after league losses to Gig Harbor and Capital, have won each of their past three, including splitting with the Tides and posting back-to-back victories against Central Kitsap. Key matchups with Peninsula and rival North Thurston are ahead.

Tumwater head coach Lyle Overbay talks with his team before the T-Birds host the visiting Aberdeen Bobcats in a 2A Evergreen league contest on Thursday, April 7.
Tumwater head coach Lyle Overbay talks with his team before the T-Birds host the visiting Aberdeen Bobcats in a 2A Evergreen league contest on Thursday, April 7.

8. Tumwater (14-3) — Defending 2A state champions are leading the 2A EvCo with two weeks to play in the regular season. T-Birds have won 12 of their past 13 games, disrupted by a lone league loss against Aberdeen in the second game of a doubleheader the first week of April. Only other losses this season are against 4A program Union and 3A SSC front runner Timberline. Tumwater carried a five-game winning streak into the week.

9. Kennedy Catholic (13-3) — Lancers rolled to 10 consecutive wins to open the spring before dropping their first loss to 4A NPSL rival Federal Way. Only other losses this season are to Tahoma, and Kennedy Catholic’s 6-5 loss to the 4A NPSL favorite last week was only the second one-run game the undefeated Bears have played this spring. The Lancers have six players with 10-plus RBI in a balanced lineup. Saint Martin’s commit Peter Hollabaugh is hitting .490 and leads the Lancers in runs scored (26), hits (25) and doubles (six).

10. Enumclaw (17-1) — Hornets are on a 15-game winning streak since their only loss this season on the road against 3A program Ferndale in March. They remain undefeated in 2A SPSL play, having outscored league opponents, 202-10, with seven shutouts in 14 wins to this point. Cooper Markham has tossed a pair of five-inning no-hitters this season against Silas and Steilacoom, and has allowed only four hits and one run through six appearances. The Oregon commit has 58 strikeouts across 30 2/3 frames.

Peninsula shortstop Payton Knowles finishes off the top of the seventh with a 6-3 double play during the 3A District 3/4 championship game against Auburn on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Auburn High School in Auburn, Wash.
Peninsula shortstop Payton Knowles finishes off the top of the seventh with a 6-3 double play during the 3A District 3/4 championship game against Auburn on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at Auburn High School in Auburn, Wash.

THE NEXT FIVE

Peninsula, Silas, Gig Harbor, Rogers, Emerald Ridge

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories