Updated 5/31/26 

The Eli Sports Network will be covering the 3A State Baseball Tournament in this blog. For coverage of the 4A, 2A, 1A, 2B, or 1B, they are on separate blog posts. The top of the blog has all of the scores from the 3A State Tournament, with written recaps of the two Semifinal games and the State Championship Game, which include some highlights.

Click here for the bracket.

Opening Round

Tuesday, May 19

#19 White River 2, #14 Liberty (Renton) 7
#18 Enumclaw 0, #15 Monroe 1
#20 Central Valley 1, #13 Shorewood 9
#17 Eastside Catholic 6, #16 Kelso 3 (8 Innings) (Coverage Below)

Round 2

Saturday, May 23

#11 Southridge 1 vs #6 Kentlake 3
#14 Liberty (Renton) 0 vs #3 Gig Harbor 6
#10 Mountain View 5 vs #7 O’Dea 15
#15 Monroe 4 vs #2 Kennewick 5
#12 Peninsula 0 vs #5 Snohomish 2
#13 Shorewood 6 vs #4 Decatur 8
#9 Roosevelt 5 vs #8 Mercer Island 1
#17 Eastside Catholic 2 vs #1 Mount Vernon 0

Quarterfinals

Saturday, May 23

#6 Kentlake 7 vs #3 Gig Harbor 4
#7 O’Dea 3 vs #2 Kennewick 0
#5 Snohomish 1 vs #4 Decatur 2
#17 Eastside Catholic 2 vs #9 Roosevelt 0

Semifinals (Funko Field – Everett)

Friday, May 29

#7 O’Dea 1 vs #6 Kentlake 2  (Coverage Below)
#17 Eastside Catholic 7 vs #4 Decatur 1  (Coverage Below)

Third Place Game (Funko Field – Everett)

Saturday, May 30

#7 O’Dea 10 vs #4 Decatur 5

Championship Game (Funko Field – Everett)

#17 Eastside Catholic 6 vs #6 Kentlake 7 (8 Innings) (Coverage Below)

Game Coverage

State Championship

#17 Eastside Catholic Crusaders – 6/4/1
#6 Kentlake Falcons –                      7/9/2

(Everett, WA) In a matchup of two teams vying for their first State Baseball Championship, Eastside Catholic and Kentlake were looking to make school history. Eastside Catholic had been on a miraculous run, winning four loser-out games in the Metro League Tournament and four State Tournament games to reach the title game. Kentlake fell in the District Title Game, but rallied to make the State Title Game, including a revenge win over Gig Harbor in the Quarterfinals, after the Tides won 12-0 a week before. On a brisk night, the 3A State Championship Game would be one of the most indelible title games in 3A Tournament history.

Eastside Catholic had the Long brothers of Ryan and Tyler each reach base, but Kentlake held them scoreless. The Falcons got their offense going early, Lincoln Moore drawing a walk, and his older brother Christopher driving him in on an RBI double to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Jackson Harrigan had an RBI single to drive in Christopher Moore as Kentlake led 2-0 after the first. After a scoreless second inning, Eastside Catholic showcased their offense in the top of the third. Tyler Long drew a two-out walk, and Kobe Reese followed up with a single. Hudson Schock drove both of them in with a two-run single to tie the game. Gavin Bode also drew a walk, but Kentlake got out of the inning. Jack Champion, who came on for Eastside Catholic in the second inning, retired the Falcons in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the third. Champion had Tommy John surgery and was at one point told he wouldn’t throw again. 10 months later, he incredibly threw back-to-back no-hitters and was a force for the Crusaders, helping EC go on such a deep run.

Both sides were held scoreless in the fourth, despite Kassian Elder getting in scoring position for Kentlake, but Champion worked his way out of the inning. Ryan Long started the fifth with a double for Eastside Catholic, and Tyler Long got on with a fielder’s choice. With runners on the corners with no outs, Kobe Reese visited the plate and hit a long fly ball to left field that was misplayed, allowing Evan Alexander, who was running for Tyler Long, to score and give EC a 3-2 lead. Later in the inning, the Crusaders had the bases loaded with two outs and Gio Iraola was hit by a pitch to give Eastside Catholic a 4-2 lead. Once again, Kentlake had two baserunners get on, but the Eastside Catholic defense backed up Jack Champion to maintain a two-run lead. In the sixth inning, River Shute drew a walk for Eastside Catholic to get the lead man on. Ryan Long was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Tyler Long dropped down a bunt and Kentlake attempted to get the lead runner out at third, but the throw went wide, allowing Shute to scamper home and make it a 5-2 Crusader lead. Kentlake’s Tucker Bartlett with two on and one out forced a ground ball up the middle, which was handled perfectly by the shortstop Christopher Moore, as he was able to turn two and get out of the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Kentlake got the leadoff man on, but EC’s shortstop Gio Iraola turned two to shut down the Falcons and hold a three-run lead going into the seventh.

Kai Jambor, Gio Iraola, and River Shut all drew walks to get the bases loaded with two outs, and Ryan Long delivered with an RBI single to give Eastside Catholic a 6-2 lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Tucker Bartlett recorded a strikeout, and as Kentlake came to the dugout, the Falcons had a pep in their step despite trailing by four runs and three outs away from second place. Lincoln Moore led off the bottom of the seventh with a single, and Jacob Lawrence followed that up with a single of his own. Washington commit Christopher Moore drove in his little brother Lincoln for the second time with an RBI double as Kentlake trailed 6-3 with two on and no outs. Matthew Ledbetter stepped up to the plate and drilled a ball down the right field line that stayed fair. Both runs easily scored, and Ledbetter hustled into third with at the time was the biggest hit of his life. After a strikeout and a walk, Tucker Bartlett went to the plate and smashed a fly ball to center field, which Kobe Reese gloved for Eastside Catholic, but Ledbetter tagged up from third to improbably tie the game at six. Eastside Catholic got out of the inning by getting a flyout as the State Championship Game went to extra innings.

In the eighth, Kentlake retired the side in 1-2-3 order as the Falcons had a chance to win the title in the bottom of the eighth. Eastside Catholic forced a strikeout to the leadoff man. Lincoln Moore drew a walk but was left at first after a popout. With two outs, Christopher Moore came to the plate once again. Moore, who was described by his head coach, Mike Suguro, as one of the most decorated Falcons ever, had a chance to make history for Kentlake by driving in his little brother, Lincoln, for the third time in the game. With a 1-1 count, Lincoln Moore stole second to put him in scoring position, but the pitch was called a strike to Christopher. Christopher worked the count full, and Eastside Catholic opted to intentionally walk him, which brought up Matthew Ledbetter. Facing a 2-0 count, Ledbetter swung and grounded one through the left side of the infield. Lincoln Moore took off and didn’t think about stopping at third, charging for home and for glory. With a headfirst slide, Lincoln Moore scored the winning run on Matthew Ledbetter’s RBI single, giving Kentlake their first State Baseball Championship, winning an exhilarating game, 7-6. The Kentlake dugout flooded the field, chased down their hero Matthew Ledbetter, and dogpiled just to the right of second base.

The Game MVP could’ve been handed out to no less than 10 players, as there were outstanding efforts all over the diamond. Kentlake’s Lincoln Moore and Matthew Ledbetter ultimately took home co-Game MVP honors. Ledbetter was the starting pitcher and struck out four in five innings, and went 3-5, featuring a single in the fifth, a two-RBI triple in the seventh, and the biggest hit in school history, his walkoff single in the eighth. Lincoln Moore drew two walks, stole a base, singled, and scored three times. Kentlake’s Christopher Moore also had a wonderful game with his spectacular defense, and was potent with the bat in his hand. He went 2-3, two RBI doubles, drew a walk, and was intentionally walked. Tucker Bartlett was also great on the mound, limiting Eastside Catholic offensively while also driving in the tying run.

Eastside Catholic’s Ryan Long has had a tremendous career and left it all out there. The school record holder in doubles recorded another one in the title game, had an RBI single in the seventh, was a leader, and showcased excellent defense. Tyler Long reached base four times and scored twice. Kobe Reese had another great night, with a single, a run scored, and reaching base three times.

Kentlake’s season ends with the State Championship, a first for the baseball program in school history. The Falcons record ends at 22-5.

Eastside Catholic takes home second place for the second time under their head coach Kyle Larsen, which ties their best finish in school history. The Crusaders completed one of the most improbable and impressive runs to a near State Championship this state has seen in any sport, winning seven straight loser-out games and eight games in a row. Their record ends at 18-13.

Game Highlights

Matthew Ledbetter’s State Championship Walkoff Single

Hudson Schock’s Two-RBI Single To Tie Game Early

Kentlake Ties Game In 7th 

State Semifinals

#7 O’Dea Fighting Irish – 1/1/0
#6 Kentlake Falcons –      2/5/0

(Everett, WA) Both O’Dea and Kentlake took down Regional hosts with three-run victories in the State Quarterfinals and were looking at a berth in the State Championship Game. With the winds starting to kick up and the sun breaking through, a pitcher’s duel and defensive battle broke out.

O’Dea’s Nolan Barrett and Kentlake’s Christopher Moore got the nod to start on the mound for their respective teams. Moore, a senior, is a commit to the University of Washington, while Barrett is just a sophomore, who is a top 10 player in his class in the state. Both worked 1-2-3 innings in the first and allowed one baserunner in the second, but relied on their great defenses behind them to keep the game scoreless. Both pitchers recorded strikeouts to end their half of the third inning, but the fourth is where the offenses made some noise.

O’Dea’s Hutton Leverett, a two-time State Champion as the starting quarterback for the Irish on the football field, drew a one-out walk. Luke Bishop came up to the plate and drove him home on an RBI double to score the first run of the game. Jacob Lawrence for Kentlake made a pair of nice plays at second base to hold O’Dea to a 1-0 lead halfway through the game. Kentlake’s Lincoln Moore drew a leadoff walk while Lawrence singled right behind him. Christopher Moore drew a 3-0 count and was intentionally walked before Matthew Ledbetter singled Lincoln Moore and Jacob Lawrence home. Christopher Moore attempted to score a third run on a broken play, but the O’Dea defense gunned him down at home as Kentlake took a 2-1 lead.

In the fifth, Noah Vandervort for O’Dea reached second base but was left stranded there as Kentlake flew out twice to Jack Gonzalez in center field in the bottom of the inning, but maintained a one-run lead. Christopher Moore forced three groundouts in the top of the sixth, and Kentlake loaded up the bases in the bottom of the inning, but Barrett wonderfully worked his way out of the jam. Harris Giaquinta reached second base in the top of the seventh, representing the tying run, but Christopher Moore and Tucker Bartlett each recorded a strikeout to give Kentlake a narrow 2-1 victory.

Kentlake’s Matthew Ledbetter earned Game MVP honors with three singles, including the two-RBI single in the fourth inning to provide the Falcons their lone runs of the game. Christopher Moore was excellent on the mound with eight strikeouts and nearly went the full distance before reaching the 105 pitch count limit. Jacob Lawrence was spectacular at second base defensively while singling twice and scoring what ended up being the game-winning run.

O’Dea’s Nolan Barrett was outstanding on the mound, throwing a complete game, striking out four batters, and limiting a really potent Kentlake offense. Luke Bishop was key with his RBI double, and Noah Vandervort reached base twice for the Irish.

Kentlake moved on to the State Championship Game while O’Dea headed to the third-place game.

Game Highlights

Kentlake Takes The Lead On An RBI Double

O’Dea’s Luke Bishop’s RBI Double For First Run Of State Semis

Kentlake’s Tucker Bartlett Strikes Out Final Batter

#17 Eastside Catholic Crusaders – 7/8/0
#4 Decatur Golden Gators –             1/3/1

(Everett, WA) Decatur was the only Regional host that survived a tumultuous week of the 3A State Tournament, and by reaching the State Semis, guaranteed they would at worst tie for the best finish in school history. Eastside Catholic had to win three games last week as part of an unprecedented run of winning seven consecutive loser-out games to reach the State Semis for the second time in three years.

Eastside Catholic wasted no time getting their offense going, as Ryan Long drew a leadoff walk. Kobe Reese was hit by a pitch, and Hudson Shock and Gavin Bode each had back-to-back RBI singles to give Eastside Catholic a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Gio Iraola was walked with the bases loaded to give Eastside Catholic a 3-0 lead after the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Ethan Flavel had a double, and Dylan Reano had a single, but the Crusaders forced Decatur to ground into an inning-ending double play. In the second inning, Tyler Long singled and stole a base, and Kobe Reese hammered a double to drive in Long to make it 4-0. Hudson Schock drove in Reese on an RBI sacrifice fly as the Crusaders led 5-0.

Neither team scored in the third, but in the fourth, Kobe Reese led off with a single and another stolen base. Hudson Schock drove in Reese again with an RBI single as Eastside Catholic led 6-0. Decatur would get a run back in the bottom of the inning, starting with Dylan Reano getting on with a hit by pitch. Nate Gilmore singled, and after Tyler Buol was hit by a pitch and with the bases loaded, CJ Gatterson grounded into a fielder’s choice, which drove in a run for the Golden Gators, but Eastside Catholic still led 6-1. Neither side scored in the fifth and sixth innings, and Eastside Catholic’s Gio Iraola added another run in the seventh for the Crusaders as they would win 7-1.

Eastside Catholic moved on to the State Championship Game for the first time since 2012 while Decatur would face O’Dea in the third place game.

Game Highlights

Opening Round

Eastside Catholic 6, Kelso 3 (8 Innings)

(Kelso, WA) State baseball playoffs began on Tuesday as four first round games in the 3A tournament took place. With the 20-team tournament, eight 3A teams got in the action early and at Rister Stadium in Kelso, the Hilanders would look to defend their home turf against Eastside Catholic. After upsetting their way into the quarterfinals last season, the Crusaders looked to utilize strong pitching to replicate that success on Tuesday. Kelso would return to state tournament action for the first time since 2024 and would look to setup a rematch with the team that knocked them out that spring in Mount Vernon.

Bryce Collins pitched around a one-out double by Tyler Long in the top of the 1st and then was the first Hilander to reach base with a leadoff walk against Jack Champion. The lefty tried to pickoff the courtesy runner in Tyen Lee at first, but a bad throw saw Lee go first to third with nobody out. Champion would settle in but Adam Swanson cashed in early with an RBI single to give Kelso the 1-0 lead.

The Ole Miss commit settled in and Bryce Collins rolled in the 2nd with a couple of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 2nd inning. In the bottom of the 2nd, a leadoff walk by Miles Franett saw Kenny Doble come in and run for him. Sosefa Logotaeao got down a sacrifice bunt to move Doble to second with on out. Jack Champion then got Carter Huntley to popout to Tyler Long at second base for a big second out. The lineup card turned over to Bryce Collins and the senior helped himself out with a base hit to center. Doble would be waved home and the throw from Kobe Reese in center bounced off the mound which allowed him to score without a play to make it 2-0.

Collins and Champion spun scoreless innings in the 3rd and after seeing his 9 consecutive batters retired streak end with a single by Kobe Reese, Collins retired the next two to keep the shutout alive. In the bottom of the 4th, Carter Huntley reached with one out on an error and that error hurt Eastside Catholic bad. Bryce Collins sent a double to the wall in center to score Huntley to extend Kelso’s lead to 3-0.

Eastside Catholic had a chance to score in the 5th, but stranded runners at second and third. Jack Champion had his first 1-2-3 inning in the 5th and the Crusaders built on that momentum in the 6th. A double with one out by Kobe Reese put a man on and Hudson Schock got Eastside Catholic on the board with an RBI single, making it 3-1. Schock moved to second on a groundout by Gavin Bodde but with two outs Eastside Catholic needed a clutch hit. That is exactly what they got as Kai Jamber sent a triple into the right field corner to bring home Schock and make it 3-2 with the tying run at third. Collins would preserve the lead as Gio Iraola grounded out to third to end the inning.

With a brand new ballgame, Eastside Catholic got a big double play as Jay Baxter came on in relief of Champion and kept it a one-run game into the 7th. Adam Swanson was on to try to close things out in the 7th for Kelso but gave up a leadoff single to Josh Connelly-Smith. Xavier Padilla ran for Connelly-Smith but stayed at first after River Shute struck out. A grounder by Ryan Long moved Padilla to second but the Crusaders were down to their final out. A soft grounder by Tyler Long looked like it might end the game but the ball got under the second baseman’s glove. Padilla never stopped running and scored despite the ball not leaving the infield. All of a sudden, Eastside Catholic had tied the game up at 3-3.

Jay Baxter stayed on the mound for the bottom of the 7th and got in some serious trouble. Bryce Collins led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Westyn Bell. With the winning run on third and one out, Eastside Catholic elected to intentionally walk Blake Larwick and Adam Swansonto load the bases and create a force out at the plate. The force out wasn’t needed however as Baxter dug deep and struck out Trey Snow and Brady Snaza to strand the bases loaded and send this playoff game to extra innings.

In the 8th, Eastside Catholic pulled away. Hudson Schock was hit by an 0-2 pitch and advanced after Gavin Bodde singled. Adam Swanson got Kai Jamber to groundout to Bryce Collins at first while keeping the runners at second and third. Then the Crusaders rolled the dice. Schock broke for home on the first pitch to Gio Iraola but the shortstop did his part. The squeeze play worked to perfection as Schock scored while Iraola was thrown out for the second out. With Eastside Catholic up 4-3, the Crusaders added on with two outs on an RBI triple by Xavier Padilla and a wild pitch. With a 6-3 lead, Eastside Catholic closed things out as a two-out single by Carter Huntley was stranded in the home half. Six unanswered runs saw Eastside Catholic complete the comeback with a 6-3 win over Kelso in 8 innings.

Our Sumner Holiday Inn Express MVP of the game went to Jay Baxter for Eastside Catholic. The senior took over on the mound in the 6th and got a double play to escape trouble and rolled after that. Baxter also escaped a bases loaded jam with one out in the 7th to avoid letting the winning run score. He went 2 2/3 scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and two walks with six strikeouts. He was dominant out of the bullpen to allow the Crusaders offense to complete the comeback.

With the win, Eastside Catholic keeps their season alive and advance to take on the defending 3A state champions and #1 seed in Mount Vernon on Saturday at 1pm, joining the regional that includes Roosevelt and Mercer Island as well. Kelso has their season come to an end with a record of 14-9 in their first trip to state since 2024.

Notable Performances

Eastside Catholic

Kelso

• Bryce Collins- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO, 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Adam Swanson- 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO, 1-3, RBI, BB
• Blake Larwick- 1-3, BB

Link to watch full game replay on the NFHS Network (subscription required)

ESN Postgame Show

Highlights

Collins RBI Double

Jamber RBI Triple

Eastside Catholic Squeeze Play in 8th

www.elisportsnetwork.com