Updated: 6/1/25 6:45 PM
The Eli Sports Network will be covering the 4A State Baseball Tournament in this blog. For coverage of the 3A, 2A, 1A, 2B, or 1B, they are on separate blog posts. The top of the blog has all of the scores from the 4A State Tournament, with written recaps of the two Semifinal games and State Championship Games, which include some highlights. We also read the names of the seniors for Jackson and Puyallup, as their third-place game was canceled. We wanted to give those seniors a proper send-off, and that video can be found at the bottom of the page.
Click Here For The Link To The 4A State Bracket.
State Championship @ Parker-Faller Field, Yakima
Saturday, May 31st
#13 Lake Washington 15 vs #3 Eastlake 5
Semifinals @ Parker-Faller Field, Yakima
Friday, May 30th
#10 Jackson 1 vs #3 Eastlake 2
#13 Lake Washington 8 vs #1 Puyallup 1
There will NOT be a 3rd Place Game. Jackson and Puyallup will be awarded Co-3rd Place.
Opening Round
Saturday, May 24th
#11 Issaquah 6 vs #6 Sumner 2
#14 Curtis 0 vs #3 Eastlake 1
#10 Jackson 5 vs #7 North Creek 0
#15 Olympia 0 vs #2 Kamiakin 6
#12 Kennedy Catholic 3 vs #5 Richland 5
#13 Lake Washington 8 vs #4 West Valley (Yakima) 0
#9 Camas 1 vs #8 Lake Stevens 11
#16 Moses Lake 0 vs #1 Puyallup 5
Quarterfinals
Saturday, May 24th
#11 Issaquah 2 vs #3 Eastlake 4
#10 Jackson 6 vs #2 Kamiakin 4
#5 Richland 4 vs #13 Lake Washington 5
#8 Lake Stevens 5 vs #1 Puyallup 6
Recaps
State Championship Game
Lake Washington Kangaroos – 15/15/1
Eastlake Wolves – 5/5/0
Two years ago, the Eastlake Wolves won their first State Baseball Championship. Also, two years ago, Lake Washington took second place in the 3A State Baseball Tournament. Eastlake returned five players from their championship roster, while Lake Washington returned seven players from the runner-up squad of 2023. Eastlake and Lake Washington had played each other twice in the regular season, with each side winning a game. After a wild road to the title game, both teams took the field in the 51st 4A State Baseball Championship Game.
In the first inning, Lake Washington had a single, but Eastlake was able to catch the runner stealing. Eastlake headed to the plate in the bottom of the first with a purpose. Thomas Wood started things with a double, then Rodrigo Montano was hit by a pitch. After a pair of outs, Noah Koong was also hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Dominic Miller hit a fly ball to right field, but with the wind blowing over 20 MPH and gusting over 35 MPH, the Lake Washington outfielder had trouble grabbing the fly ball. That allowed two runs to score, and Eastlake jumped out in front. Travis Beam stepped up to the plate and knocked in a run with an RBI single to make it 3-0. Kade Haroldsen poked a single to drive in two more runs, and Eastlake held a 5-0 lead after just one inning of play. Incredibly, Eastlake had scored seven total runs in their three State Tournament games going into the title game, and nearly matched that in one outstanding inning of offense.
Lake Washington immediately responded with three straight hits to begin the second inning. A lead-off double from Will Cooley, an RBI single from Kane Nishikawa, and a single from Gavin Johnson. Brady O’Cain moved Nishikawa and Johnson over with a bunt, which set up Logan Schuster to drive them both in with a two-RBI single to make it a 5-3 lead for Eastlake. Eastlake was able to get a single from Cody O’Donnell in the bottom of the second, but weren’t able to drive him in and add to their two-run lead.
The game turned on its head in the third inning. Boden Reeve got things started with a lead-off double. After an out, Will Cooley had an RBI single to make Eastlake’s lead shrink down to just one at 5-4. Kane Nishikawa got on with a double, then Gavin Johnson hit an RBI single to tie the game at five apiece. Brady O’Cain grounded out to second, but the Kangaroos pushed another run across the plate to take a 6-5 lead. Logan Schuster continued the big inning with an RBI single as Lake Washington led 7-5. Malachi Toungate and Noah Kwon each drew a walk to load up the bases for Reeve. Reeve took full advantage of the moment and hit a bases-clearing triple to give Lake Washington a seven-run third inning and a 10-5 lead. The Kangaroos sent 12 batters to the plate, and all nine batters in the order either reached base safely or drove in a run.
In the bottom of the third, Eastlake had runners on second and third but weren’t able to score them. Lake Washington added another run in the top of the fourth inning, as they used a pair of walks and hit by pitches to load up the bases and get a run to make it 11-5. Rodrigo Montano got a double for the Wolves in the bottom of the fourth and made his way to third base, but again the Lake Washington defense came up with timely outs to maintain a six-run lead.
In the fifth inning, Lake Washington’s Will Cooley drew a walk, and with two outs, Gavin Johnson was hit by a pitch to keep the inning going. Brady O’Cain hit a two-RBI triple to give Lake Washington a 13-5 lead. Logan Schuster brought O’Cain home on the next at-bat with an RBI double to make it 14-5. After Ryan Hartnett drew a walk, Noah Kwon hit an RBI single to make it 15-5 and put Lake Washington three outs away from their third State Baseball Championship. In the bottom of the inning, Will Cooley recorded a pair of strikeouts, including the final out to secure Lake Washington’s third baseball State Championship and their first in 4A with a 15-5 win.
Lake Washington set the record for most runs scored in a 4A State Championship Game with 15 runs. The two teams combined for the most runs scored in a 4A State Championship Game, with 20 total runs.
Our Thorbeckes Game MVP could’ve gone to the entire team for Lake Washington. The Kangaroos epitomized what it means to be a team champion. However, Gavin Johnson took the Game MVP honors. The senior reached base safely three times, had three singles, scored thrice, drove in a run, and had multiple great defensive plays to help lead Lake Washington to the title.
Lake Washington’s State Title run is one of the more impressive ones the tournament has seen. In the Opening Round, the Kangaroos defeated West Valley (Yakima), the four-seed and regional host, 8-0. In the Quarterfinals, the Kangs took down defending State Champions Richland, who were the five-seed, 5-4. In the Semifinals, Lake Washington took down undefeated and nationally ranked in the top five, Puyallup 8-0, which saw the game get suspended in the top of the fifth. After a 13-hour suspension of play, the Kangaroos didn’t skip a beat and won 8-1. Then scoring 15 consecutive runs after trailing 5-0 after the first inning in the State Championship was one of the greatest displays of resiliency this tournament has seen.
Eastlake has a lot to be proud of, as for the second time in three years, the Wolves made the State Championship Game. Eastlake had a pair of one-run wins in the State Tournament and has won its District Tournament a whopping four consecutive years. The Wolves will return some key contributors to the 2026 team, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them make another return trip to the Final Four.
Game Highlights
Lake Washington’s Final Out To Secure The State Championship
Lake Washington’s Boden Reeve’s Three-RBI Triple
Lake Washington’s Brady O’Cain’s Two-RBI Triple
Eastlake’s Kade Haroldsen’s Two-Run Single
State Semifinals
Jackson Timberwolves – 1/3/1
Eastlake Wolves – 2/6/0
In the District 1/2 Championship Game, Eastlake defeated Jackson in the rain, 14-0. 13 days later, the two sides found themselves pinned against each other with a berth in the State Championship Game up for grabs.
Both teams were successful in getting baserunners on, but it would be Eastlake that capitalized first in the second inning. The Wolves had a leadoff double in the bottom of the second inning from Noah Koong. After a strikeout, Kade Haroldsen brought him in on an error to give Eastlake a 1-0 lead. Eastlake’s starting pitcher, Rodrigo Montano, was outstanding all game long and shined in the fourth and fifth innings, striking out five batters in a row. Also in the fourth inning, Eastlake added to its lead, with Dominic Miller getting a leadoff single. Jayden Matsuoka drove him in with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Jackson loaded up the bases in the sixth inning, but Montano got out of the two-out jam with a flyout. In the seventh inning, Jackson’s Lucas Poindexter led off with a single. After a pair of outs, the Timberwolves were down to their final strike when Quin Johns got on with an RBI double to bring Poindexter home and pull Jackson to within one run. On the next at-bat, Ashton Bergman hit a single into left field, and Johns took off for the plate. Eastlake’s Gabriel Prock scooped up the ball, fired it into the infield, where third basemen Cody O’Donnell caught it, turned, and fired it to the catcher, Travis Beam. Beam dropped the tag down in time for the final out as Eastlake won a thriller 2-1.
Eastlake would advance to their second State Championship Game in three years, while Jackson’s great run came to an end with the cancellation of the 3rd place game. The Timberwolves were the 8-seed in their District Tournament, the 10-seed in the State Tournament, and they made deep runs in the postseason, proving they deserved to be a Final Four team.
Our Thorbeckes Game MVP went to Eatslake’s Rodrigo Montano. Montano struck out eight batters, threw a complete game, allowed only four hits, and stole a base after being hit by a pitch. Without his domination on the mound, Eastlake might not have advanced to the title game.
Game Highlights
Eastlake Wins State Semifinal With Tremendous Play At The Plate
Jackson’s Quin Johns With RBI Double In The Top Of The 7th
Lake Washington Kangaroos – 8/9/0
Puyallup Vikings – 1/4/1
All year, the Puyallup Vikings have been the talk of the country, being nationally ranked all year and going undefeated. Lake Washington jumped up to 4A during the reclassification cycle of last summer, after many successful years in 3A. The Kangs flew under the radar, but Lake Washington used their brand of baseball to make another trip to the State Tournament. Two of the more successful programs over the last two decades collided for what would turn out to be a memorable Semifinal.
Lake Washington started the game with Noah Kwon drawing a walk and Boden Reeve getting on with a single. Aidan Mehlberg drew a walk, and the bases were loaded. After a strikeout, Kane Nishikawa drove in a run on a single, but Puyallup’s Jacek Garden delivered a strike to home, and Keagan Soliza got the tag down in time for the second out of the inning as Lake Washington led 1-0. Gavin Johnson delivered a two-run double as the Kangs took a 3-0 lead. Brady O’Cain followed up with an RBI single to make it 4-0. After a passed ball scored O’Cain, Lake Washington closed out the top of the first with a 5-0 lead and sent all nine batters to the plate.
Puyallup looked to respond as Brayden Landry got on with a leadoff single. Mason Pike slammed a line drive into right field, but Lake Washington’s Brady O’Cain made the grab and fired it to first to get the double play and end the first inning with even more momentum for the Kangs. Noah Kwon led off the second inning with a double and, after moving to third on a wild pitch, was driven in by Boden Reeve with a sacrifice fly to put Lake Washington up 6-0. In the top of the third, Kane Nishikawa led off with a single, and after back-to-back outs, Logan Schuster drew a walk. Pitcher, Shane Johnson, who was also the designated hitter, stepped up to the plate, and helped himself out with a two-run double to give the Kangs an 8-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Mason Pike doubled for Puyallup, but wasn’t able to get home as Lake Washington remained on top 8-0. After the inning was over, the umpires, coaches, WIAA staff, and other staff at Parker-Faller Field discussed issues with the lights for the infield. There were two light towers that weren’t fully illuminated, and it caused the infield to be darker than the outfield. Insufficient lighting presents a major safety concern for the players, umpires, and coaches. The decision was made to suspend the game until Saturday morning to resume play at 10 AM.
When play resumed on Saturday morning, Lake Washington brought in a new pitcher in Oliver Stevens, and Stevens continued to pitch very well. The fifth inning saw both teams get a runner on, but neither could advance the runner past first base. The sixth inning was highlighted by Puyallup’s Gage Thompson blasting a home run to left field to get Puyallup on the scoreboard, but the Vikings still trailed 8-1. Lake Washington would get the Semifinal victory 8-1 to advance to the State Championship Game.
Our Thorbeckes Game MVP went to Noah Kwon for Lake Washington. Kwon set the tone in both the first and second innings and was reliable defensively at shortstop, making multiple great plays to hold Puyallup to just one run.
Puyallup’s phenomenal season came to a close as a nationally ranked team, which is an incredible accomplishment itself. Puyallup has also been a consistent contender in the State Tournament, making 17 consecutive State Tournaments. The last time Puyallup missed the State Tournament was 2007, when the entire 2025 roster was either an infant or not even born. The senior class for Puyallup made the Final Four every year, and some players started 15 State Tournament games, which is another remarkable accomplishment. The Vikings have a lot of talent returning to the 2026 team and will be looking to extend their streak of making State Tournaments and Final Fours.
Game Highlights
Lake Washington’s Gavin Johnson Adds To Kangaroos Big First Inning
Lake Washington’s Shane Johnson With The Two-RBI Double
Puyallup’s Gage Thompson Clobbers Solo Home Run
ESN Honors Seniors For Jackson And Puyallup
www.elisportsnetwork.com
