Playoff Time!

With the 3A regular season wrapping up yesterday, both the 3A & 4A leagues shift their focus to the KingCo playoffs. Here's a look at the final league standings and playoff seedings:

KingCo 3A
#1) Mount Si 12-2
#2) Lake Washington 11-3
#3) Bellevue 10-4
**) Interlake 6-8
#4) Liberty 6-8
#5) Mercer Island 5-9
#6) Juanita* 3-11
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Sammamish 3-11

* - Juanita earns the final playoff spot thanks to a sweep over Sammamish
** - Interlake moves to the 2A bi-district playoffs and does not participate in the KingCo tournament

KingCo 4A - Crest Division
#1) Skyline 10-4
#2) Redmond 9-5
#3) Issaquah 7-7
#4) Newport 6-8
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Eastlake 5-9

 

KingCo 4A - Crown Division
#1) Inglemoor 10-5
#2) Ballard* 9-6
#3) Woodinville 9-6
#4) Bothell 9-6
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Garfield 5-10
Roosevelt 1-14

* - Ballard won the three-way tiebreaker and earns the #2 seed.

The 4A tournament starts on Saturday, while the 3A playoffs kick off next Tuesday. Links to the brackets can be found below:

• KingCo 4A Tournament Bracket
• KingCo 3A Tournament Bracket

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 6

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 6: April 23 - 30, 2012

Crest Division
Pitcher of the Week: Andrew Stull, Sr., Eastlake
In the last week of the season, Eastlake’s hard throwing right-hander, Andrew Stull, was called on three times to shut the opposing team down. In those three appearances, Stull tossed nine innings, only allowing two runs. Demonstrating excellent command of his pitches, he struck out a remarkable 11 while only walking one.

Player of the Week: Peter Hendron, Sr., Redmond
Redmond senior Peter Hendron’s bat stayed hot in the final week of the season. In three games, the Mustang slugger posted a 5-11 week with three doubles. Hendron also scored four times while driving in two.

Crown Division
Pitcher of the Week: Paul Crane, Sr., Ballard
Ballard starting pitcher Paul Crane tossed a gem in the final week of the season. In a complete game shutout versus Bothell, he struck out seven and only walked two. In fact, a Bothell Cougar never reached third base in the Ballard 11-0 win.

Player of the Week: Willie Augustavo, Jr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor again takes home player of the week honors in the Crown division. This time the extremely consistent junior, Willie Augustavo, is recognized. In extending his hitting streak to 16 games, the young infielder posted a .500 average, going 5-10 with a 2B and a 2 run homerun. The round-tripper was the eventual game winner over Bothell. Augustavo had 5 RBI on the week.

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 4

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 23 - 28, 2012

Player of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
For the third time in four weeks, Trevor Lane has earned a KingCo weekly award, picking up the Player of the Week honors for Week 4. The senior pitcher/first baseman had an outstanding week at the plate for the Wildcats, leading them to a 4-0 record and into a first place tie headed into the home stretch. Lane went 7-for-13 (.539) with a grand slam and 9 RBI in the four league games. He also added three runs scored and a couple stolen bases for Mount Si. Overall in 2012, Lane is hitting .444 with 6 doubles, a home run, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored. Those numbers along with his tremendous performance on the mound have him in the hunt for KingCo 3A MVP honors.

Also nominated: Alex Himstead, MI; Connor Foreman, Bellevue

Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Taylor, Sr., Mt Si
Senior right hander Trevor Taylor is this week's winner thanks to a complete game shutout win over Mercer Island. Taylor, who is the third different Wildcat to win pitcher of the week this season, went 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 7 in an 11-0 Mount Si victory. He needed just 80 pitches to go the distance, throwing 53 of them for strikes and not walking a single batter. Taylor has been on top of his game all season, working 30 innings and allowing just 4 earned runs - good for a 0.93 ERA.

Also nominated: Trent Ishii, Bellevue; Drew Quinlan, Bellevue; Austin Strother, Interlake; Zach Johnson, LW; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si; Trevor Lane, Mt. Si; Ross Tassara, Mt. Si

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 3

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 16 - 21, 2012

Player of the Week: Sam Finfer, Jr., Interlake
Junior catcher Sam Finfer collects this week's player of the week award for an outstanding performance in week 3 of league play. The left handed hitter doubled twice and homered, finishing the week 4-for-10 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. His offensive output combined with his outstanding work behind the plate for the Saints earned him the award.

Also nominated: Jack Carlson, Bellevue; Nick Johnson, LW

Pitchers of the Week: Austin Strother, Jr., Interlake
Joining his battery mate in KingCo honors this week, junior southpaw Austin Strother is the pitcher of the week in the 3A conference for week 3. Interlake's ace started two games last week and did not allow an earned run over 12 1/3 innings of work. He allowed just six hits and 3 walks while striking out 16 opposing batters.

Also nominated: Nolan Watson, Bellevue; Reece Karalus, Mt. Si; Hunter Goldberg, Mercer Island; Zach Johnson, LW

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 5

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 5: April 16-21, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Matt Sinatro, Jr., Skyline
Though only playing one game due to a bye shortened week, Skyline junior Matt Sinatro made enough of a splash to be recognized as the Crest Player of the Week. The left-handed hitting shortstop turned in a 3-4 day with two doubles and three RBI in a tight win over the Bothell Cougars.

Pitcher of the Week: Peter Hendron, Sr., Redmond
For the second straight week, a Redmond Mustang arm has been awarded Crest Pitcher of the Week honors, this time for the ever so rare feat of a perfect game. Senior right-hander Peter Hendron sat down 21 Eastlake hitters in a row, striking out the first five of six. In all, Hendron sat down ten via strikeout while propelling Redmond to a 1-0 win.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Blake Wilson, Sr., Inglemoor
Inglemoor senior Blake Wilson turned things up a notch offensively this past week. In two games against Woodinville and Redmond, the right-fielder was 5-8 at the plate with two doubles and a triple. Most eye-popping, however, were his 7 RBI to lead all Kingco players on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Marty Luchenbach, Sr., Woodinville
Oregon State signee, RHP Marty Luckenbach of Woodinville, is this week’s Crown Pitcher of the Week. The tall right-hander turned in a complete game, no hit performance against the Issaquah Eagles. He struck out eight and walked four while lowering his season ERA to 2.91 in four starts..

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 2

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: April 9 - 14, 2012

Player of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
One week after picking up Pitcher of the Week honors, Mount Si senior Trevor Lane collects another award, this time winning Player of the Week for week 2. The left-handed hitter finished the week an outstanding 7-for-9 at the plate, scoring six times and driving in four more. Lane also stole 2 bags for the Wildcats, helping lead his squad to a 2-1 week.

Also nominated: None

Pitchers of the Week: Zach Johnson, Sr., LW & Reece Karalus, Sr., Mt Si
Two senior pitchers collect this week's award for outstanding performances. Johnson, the senior southpaw from LW heading to Edmonds Community College next season, was masterful in beating the top-ranked Mount Si Wildcats on Friday night. Johnson scattered six hits and allowed just a solo home run in a complete game victory. He struck out 7 Wildcats in the process. Karalus, who is committed to the University of Santa Clara, tossed a 2-hit shutout, striking out 7 in Mount Si's 7-0 win over Liberty. The righty needed just 79 pitches, and missed the strike zone just 20 times all afternoon.

Also nominated: Trevor Lane, Mt. Si; Trevor Taylor, Mt. Si;

KingCo 4A Awards: Week 4

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 4: April 9-14, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Lucas Eliason, Soph., Redmond
Lucas Eliason, the sophomore backstop for the Redmond Mustangs, came alive for the surging club. In three games, Eliason went 4-8 hitting two homeruns and a double while driving in six. With three walks, he posted a .636 OBP, scoring three times.

Pitcher of the Week: Adam Cline, Sr., Redmond
Columbia University bound Adam Cline led the Redmond Mustang pitching staff to a perfect 3-0 week in Kingco play. The right-hander tossed an 87 pitch complete game shutout against the Bothell Cougars on Monday. He came back on Friday to shutout the Woodinville Falcons for the final three innings to earn a save. In the 10 scoreless innings, Cline struck out 8 and only walked two.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Sam Kennard, Sr., Garfield
Sam Kennard of Garfield has earned player of the week honors for his offensive output versus Newport and Skyline. In two games, the senior went 3 for 6 with a double. He also tallied 3 RBI, driving in half of the Bulldog runs on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Caleb Jaeger, Sr., Ballard
After multiple nominations due to dominating performances in this Kingco season, Caleb Jaeger of Ballard is the Crown pitcher of the week. In two games, the senior threw 10 1/3 innings of shutout baseball against Issaquah and Skyline. The Issaquah effort was a complete game shutout. His season ERA is now a miniscule 0.56 with his ERA in Kingco play at 0.65.

Hitting the Home Stretch

As we approach the final two weeks of play, conference races are heating up in the KingCo 3A & 4A leagues.  Four games remain for the 4A teams, with the 3A teams each with five games remaining on the slate.  Here's a quick look at the divisional races:

KingCo 4A - Crest Division
Skyline 8-2
Redmond 7-4
Issaquah 5-6
Newport 5-6
Eastlake 4-7

Skyline holds a game and a half lead over smoking hot Redmond, who was won seven straight league games and ten straight overall after an 0-7 start.  The win streak continued on Friday behind the perfect game of Peter Hendron in Redmond's 1-0 victory. Those two clubs match up on Monday - a win for Skyline would clinch the Crest Division crown as they would hold the tiebreaker over the Mustangs thanks to a season sweep.  Just one game separates Issaquah, Newport and Eastlake, who are fighting for two playoff spots.


KingCo 4A - Crown Division
Bothell 7-4
Inglemoor 7-4
Woodinville 7-4
Ballard 5-6
Garfield 4-7
Roosevelt 1-10

This hotly contested divisional race has all three Northshore teams tied for the top spot at 7-4.  Each team has four games remaining, so there's a good chance the division title could be decided on the regular season's final day (Monday, 4/30).  Ballard scored a huge win over Garfield last Thursday, completing a season sweep and giving them the upper hand on the Bulldogs for the final playoff spot in the Crown division.  The Beavers hold a full game lead and the tiebreaker, putting them in good shape.  Roosevelt must win out and have Ballard lose out to have any chance at the post-season.


KingCo 3A/2A
Lake Washington 8-1
Bellevue 7-2
Mount Si 6-2
Interlake 4-5 **
Mercer Island 3-5
Juanita 3-6
Liberty 3-6
Sammamish 1-8

** Interlake (2A) will not play in the KingCo post-season; they will instead play in districts with other 2A schools

Nine games into the conference season, Lake Washington sits alone atop the conference at 8-1.  Their lone blemish came to Bellevue, who knocked off both LW and Mount Si last week before losing to Interlake on Friday afternoon.  The Wolverines are one game back at 7-2, with Mount Si a game and a half back with a record of 6-2.  The top three spots appear secure, with a 3 game difference between 3rd and 4th place Mercer Island.  Juanita and Liberty are currently tied for 5th place at 3-6, with each team holding a full two game lead over Sammamish for the 6th and final playoff spot.

Stage Set for Friday Night Lights

Both Lake Washington and Mount Si won games on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, setting up a first place battle between two 5-0 teams on Friday night. The game will be played at 7:00 PM at Lee Johnson Field. Mount Si is ranked #1 in the state, with an overall record of 10-1 while LW sports a 9-2 record heading into the contest. Should be a fun atmosphere under the lights at Peter Kirk Park.

A look at the results from the past two days of KingCo 3A play:

Liberty 5, Mercer Island 4 - The Patriots scored five runs in the first two innings and made the lead hold up, picking up their first win of the 2012 campaign, 5-4 over Mercer Island. Izak Styskal struck out 7 in a complete game effort, scattering 8 hits and a walk while throwing 102 pitches. Blake Reeve had two hits and an RBI for Liberty, while Alex Himstead was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI for MI.

LW 11, Interlake 5 - Senior Victor Mayorquin's grand slam capped a furious comeback as the Kangs rallied for an incredible 10 runs with two outs in the seventh inning to shock the Saints, 11-5. LW was held in check all afternoon by Interlake lefty Austin Strother, who left the game with 2 on and 1 out with his team leading 4-1. The Kangs kept grinding out at bats and tied the game thanks to a 2-run single by Zach Johnson and a bases loaded walk by Shawn Gray. From there, walks and hit batters extended the lead until Mayorquin's blast sealed the deal. Sam Finfer drove in three runs for the Saints, who fell to 2-3 in league play. Sophomore Jordan LaFave reached base safely in all four plate appearances for LW, who heads into Friday night's showdown with Mount Si a perfect 5-0 in league.

Bellevue 10, Juanita 0 - The Wolverines continued their stellar play, winning their fourth straight KingCo game after an opening day loss, 10-0 over Juanita. Connor Foreman and Jack Meggs each scored two runs, while Jack Carlson scored three times for Bellevue. Following a loss to Mount Si on the first day of KingCo play, Bellevue has not lost, remaining just a game back of the first place Wildcats and Kangs.

Mount Si 11, Sammamish 0 - Trevor Taylor shutout the Totems over five innings to extend the Wildcats scoreless streak to 26 innings as Mount Si topped Sammamish 11-0. The defending KingCo 3A champs have allowed just a seventh inning run to Bellevue in the league opener, sporting an incredible 0.21 ERA in five league games. Trevor Lane followed up a 4-for-4 performance on Monday with another perfect effort, going 2-for-2 with a triple, walk, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored. Lane is now hitting .484 on the year, and will get the ball in Friday night's showdown against 5-0 Lake Washington.

Wednesday/Thursday 4A Action

Rain forced 2 of Wednesday's 5 scheduled 4A games to be bumped to Thursday. A full recap of the five games follows:

Wednesday/Thursday 4A Recaps
Bothell 6, Issaquah 1 - Brady Mickelson worked around some control issues to allow just 1 earned run in four innings as the Cougars knocked off Issaquah Wednesday, 6-1. Zach Anderson, Rex Carlin and Jake Storer each doubled for Bothell, who pulled into a second place tie with Inglemoor just a single game behind Crown Division leading Woodinville. Issaquah falls to 3-5 with the loss and finds itself in last place in the Crest Division. However, parody reigns, with the Eagles just a single game out of second place.

Skyline 2, Garfield 1 - Skyline's Clayton Huber outdueled Garfield's John Trupin in a classic pitchers duel, as the Spartans improved to 6-2 in league play with a 2-1 win over Garfield. Skyline scored single runs in the second and third innings and made the one-run lead hold up throughout. Huber also added two hits (including a double) and an RBI, while Corbin Powers also had two hits and a run batted in. Ricky Nakamura and Derek Billey picked up two knocks each for the Bulldogs in the loss.

Redmond 5, Roosevelt 1 - Senior Peter Hendron struck out 8 batters in six shutout innings to help the Mustangs continue their resurgence with a 5-1 win over Roosevelt. Redmond has won four straight KingCo games and six straight overall since starting their season 0-7. Steven Danek, Lucas Eliason, Brent Firth and Hendron all had two hits a piece, pacing the 'Stangs 10 hit attack.

Woodinville 7, Eastlake 3 - Caleb Hamilton was 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI and Marty Luckenbach pitched six strong innings as the Falcons topped Eastlake Thursday, 7-3. The game was tied at 1 into the bottom of the fifth, when Woodinville broke through scoring four times. Eastlake responded with two in the top of the sixth, but would get no closer. Woodinville improves to 6-2 in KingCo play with the win, one full game ahead of Inglemoor in the Crown Division.

Newport 4, Ballard 2 - Senior Nate Anderson's walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh sent the Knights home victories, as they knocked off a game Beavers squad, 4-2. Anderson's HR was just the third hit of the game for Newport, who was held in check all afternoon by Ballard's Joe Jacobson. Ben Welch and Alex Stamey each had two hits for the Beavers in a losing effort.

Full Slate of KingCo Action

First off, wanted to apologize again for the lack of coverage last week on the blog. It was a crazy week and I wasn't able to keep up with all the action. Hoping to stay on top of things from here on out.

Monday was the first day of the KingCo season with a full slate of action. With both the 3A and 4A on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule this week, there will be a lot of great baseball being played! Here's a look at yesterday's results.

Monday 4A Recaps
Ballard 4, Issaquah 0 - Senior Caleb Jaeger continued his tremendous run of pitching, striking out 5 in a complete game shutout as the Beavers blanked Issaquah, 4-0. Ballard scored four runs in the second inning off Eagle starter Ethan Kalin and Jaeger did the rest, scattering four hits and a walk in his seven innings of work. Stuart MacGeorge drove in two runs and stole two bases for Ballard, who evened their KingCo record at 4-4.

Garfield 5, Newport 3 - Colin Evenson allowed just 1 earned run in six solid innings and Sam Kennard was 2-for-3 with a double and 2 RBI as the Bulldogs knocked off the Knights, 5-3. Ricky Nakamura added three hits for Garfield, with Hayes Gorecki working a scoreless seventh for the save. Senior Jake Chinery had two hits for Newport, who struggled defensively, committing four errors on the afternoon.

Redmond 4, Bothell 0 - The Mustangs continued their resurgence, winning their third straight KingCo game 4-0 over Bothell. Adam Cline shutout the Cougars, allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Conner Bozman was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Steven Danek and Patrick McGrath each doubled for the 'Stangs. Bothell saw their four-game league win streak snapped.

Inglemoor 4, Skyline 2 - Inglemoor continued its strong play, downing Crest Division leading Skyline 4-2 on Monday evening. Danny Larsen was the inning pitcher, scattering 6 hits and 3 walks in 6 solid innings. He was aided by Willie Augustavo, who accounted for all four Viking runs by scoring twice and driving in two more. Patrick Harrod and Jack Valencia each had two hits for Skyline in a losing effort. The Spartans hold a one game lead over Eastlake in the Crest Division, while Inglemoor pulled to within a half-game of Woodinville in the Crown with their fourth straight win.

Eastlake 2, Roosevelt 1 - Junior Michael Staudinger's solo home run in the sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie and propelled Eastlake into second place in the Crest Division with a 2-1 win over Roosevelt. Starters Andrew Stull (Eastlake) and Graylin Derke (Roosevelt) both pitched well, but didn't factor into the decision. Josh Barokas worked three shutout innings in relief for the Wolves to pick up the win. Pitching was the story of the game, with the teams combining for just 6 hits on the afternoon.

Monday 3A Recaps
Mount Si 7, Liberty 0 - Santa Clara bound Reece Karalus continued the Wildcats amazing pitching run, shutting out the Patriots 7-0. Mount Si has not allowed a single run in the past 21 innings, allowing just a single run to Bellevue last Monday in their first 4 league games. Karalus allowed just 2 hits and didn't walk a single batter, needing just 79 pitches to go the distance. He was helped by fellow senior Trevor Lane, who finished the afternoon a perfect 4-for-4 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI. Ben Wessel took the loss for Liberty, who is still searching for their first league win. Mount Si improved to 4-0 in league play and will look to continue their scoreless streak when they take on Sammamish on Wednesday.

Lake Washington 13, Juanita 10 - Theo Alexander's majestic grand slam in the fifth inning gave the Kangs the lead for good, as they improved to 4-0 in KingCo play with a 13-10 win over rival Juanita. The game was a classic Peter Kirk affair, with strange bounces, key plays and a ton of offense. Alexander's big blast came one inning after Juanita's Avery Britton had cleared the bases with a three-run double to put the Rebels back on top. Zach Johnson also homered for LW, with senior Ben Ciuba working the final two innings to preserve the win. Victor Mayorquin doubled and drove in three for LW, who will take on Interlake on Wednesday. Juanita, who lost their second straight league affair, got two hit nights from senior John Robinson and sophomores Bradley Close and Andy Cosgrove.

Mercer Island 8, Interlake 4 - The Islanders responded from a tough opening week with avengance, as they used a five-run third inning to down the Saints, 8-5. Senior Hunter Goldberg was the winning pitcher, and he got help from Chris Lawler (3-for-4, 2 RBI) and Matt Orehek (2-for-3, 3 RBI). Keegan Ogard and Brandon Lawler added 2 hits a piece for MI, which snapped a scoreless streak of 21 innings with the third inning 5-spot. Jake Wilson had 2 hits for Interlake, who fell to 2-2 with the loss.

Bellevue 8, Sammamish 5 - Bellevue fought back from an early deficit, scoring three times in the fifth and twice more in the sixth to topple the Totems, 8-5. Sammamish was led by the three hits of Joey Sullivan, with Paul Heywood and Ryan Hashimoto each added two hits a piece. The Wolverines win was their third straight, as they kept pace with Mount Si & Lake Washington, just one game back of the division leaders.

KingCo 3A Awards - Week 1

KingCo 3A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: April 2 - 7, 2012

Player of the Week: Theo Alexander, Sr., Lake Washington
Outfielder Theo Alexander picks up the first KingCo 3A player of the week award in 2012. The senior who has committed to UC-Santa Barbara helped lead LW to a 3-0 week, going 4-for-7 with a triple, 2 home runs, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored. He also drew 4 walks, ending the week with a .727 on base percentage. Entering Monday night's contest, Alexander was slugging 1.200 on the year, with 16 RBiI and 11 runs scored in just 9 contests.

Also nominated: Daniel Besmer, Mount Si; Jack Meggs, Bellevue

Pitcher of the Week: Trevor Lane, Sr., Mount Si
Southpaw Trevor Lane was the star amongst many strong pitching performances in the first week of KingCo 3A play. The Western Nevada bound senior tossed a 1-hit shutout over Mercer Island on Wednesday, walking just 1 and striking out 10 in the process. Lane was in command all night and led a Wildcat staff that allowed just a single run in 21 innings of play. Lane has allowed just 3 runs in 18 innings this season, with an amazing 10:1 strikeout to walk ratio (30 Ks, 3 walks).

Also nominated: Reece Karalus, Mount Si; Zach Johnson, LW; Michael Raine, Bellevue

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 3

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 3: April 2 - 7, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: Clayton Huber, Sr., Skyline
For many teams, offense has been hard to come by this year. Not true of the Skyline Spartans as Clayton Huber led them with his stick to a 2-0 week in Kingco play. In the two games, Huber was 5-7 with a double, a triple, and a homerun. He also drove in three while scoring two.

Pitcher of the Week: Brandon Mahovolich, Sr., Issaquah
For the second week in a row, an Issaquah pitcher garners the Crest Division’s pitcher of the week honors. This time it is staff ace, Brandon Mahovolich, for his complete game shutout of the Garfield Bulldogs. In the effort, the Gonzaga signee struck out ten without walking a single hitter.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Willie Augustavo, Jr., Inglemoor
Junior Willie Augustavo of the Inglemoor Vikings is this week’s player of the week in the Crown Division. Augustavo had hits in all three league games and drove in two runs for Inglemoor, who went a perfect 3-0 on the week.

Pitcher of the Week: Danny Larsen, Sr., Inglemoor
Senior Danny Larsen of Inglemoor again nabs pitcher of the week honors in the Crown Division, completing the sweep of the awards for the red-hot Vikings. In his 2nd complete game of the season, Larsen threw a 3 hitter in the 3-1 Viking win over Issaquah. In striking out three and walking just one, he lowered his Kingco 4A ERA to 1.56 in three games pitched.

Catching Up This Weekend

My apologies to the blog readers - been a tough week for me to get ahead of things. The blog will get caught up this weekend with a review of this week's baseball action. I will continue to update Twitter with the latest scores and hope to have some short recaps posted by the end of the weekend.

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 2

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 2: March 26 - 31, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: No Nominations


Pitcher of the Week: Ryan Guiberson, Jr., Issaquah
Out of the pen, junior hurler Ryan Guiberson pitched the Issaquah Eagles to victory past the Skyline Spartans. The left-hander threw five shutout innings allowing the Eagles to win it in the 9th. On the day, he struck out two while only walking one.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Sam Lee, Jr., Bothell
Junior Sam Lee, earned player of the week honors in the Crown division for his work with the stick. The Bothell Cougar catcher posted six hits in nine at bats. He also drove in two while belting one home run.

Pitcher of the Week: Caleb Jaeger, Sr., Ballard
Senior Caleb Jaeger of the Ballard Beavers went the distance and then some in tossing eight innings as Ballard defeated Roosevelt 3-1. He struck out 11 Roughriders without walking a single hitter. Jeager is off to a hot start this year, giving up only three runs in 15 innings pitched in Kingco games.

Pitching Dominates KingCo 3A Openers

With aces on the mound for many of the league's teams on Monday, pitching was the story. The four losing teams combined to score just five runs, while only one team scored more than five runs. On to the recaps...

Mount Si 5, Bellevue 1 - The defending KingCo 3A and state champions picked up where they left off, beating Bellevue 5-1. Staff ace and Santa Clara signee Reece Karalus allowed just an unearned run and struck out 11 Wolverines, going the distance on 104 pitches. He also added two doubles and scored two of the Wildcat five runs. Mount Si used four consecutive doubles in the top of the seventh to break open a 1-0 game and give them the opening day victory. For Bellevue, Drew Quinlan pitched well in defeat, allowing just four hits and a run in five solid innings. Nolan Watson added a double for one of the two Wolverine hits.

LW 8, Sammamish 1 - Junior Nick Johnson scattered 7 hits in a complete game victory, while senior Theo Alexander homered and drove in 3 as the Kangs started league play 1-0 with an 8-1 win over Sammamish. Johnson didn't walk a single batter and struck out 7, needing just 86 pitches to get through seven innings. Four Kangs (Victor Mayorquin, Shawn Gray, Jeremy Parkhurst, Alac Wong) had two hits a piece, with Parkhurst and Mayorquin collecting doubles and Wong driving in two runs. Senior Corey Scheppe had two of the Totems seven hits and scored the lone Sammamish run.

Juanita 3, Mercer Island 1 - Taylor Dantini, Ty Eng and Sean Brennan combined to 3-hit the Islanders as Juanita upended MI, 3-1. Dantini picked up the win, allowing just 2 hits and a run over four solid innings. Eng and Brennan took care of the rest, with Brennan striking out the final batter of the game with the bases loaded in the seventh. The Rebels young lineup collected eight hits against Mercer Island starter Hunter Goldberg, with sophomore Michael Petter going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Fellow sophomore Brad Close had 2 hits as well for Juanita, who is looking to return to the playoffs in 2012. Matt Orehek had two hits and an RBI for the Islanders, who will look to bounce back against Mount Si on Wednesday.

Interlake 3, Liberty 2 - The Saints used a three-run sixth inning to sneak past Liberty, 3-2. Liberty starting pitcher Ben Wessel was cruising, but ended up being undone by some shaky Patriot defense. Liberty loaded the bases in the seventh, but left the tying run stranded at second base to end the game. Wessel took the loss despite allowing just 4 hits and striking out 7 in six strong innings. Junior Austin Strother pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings before giving way to Nate Wehner, who earned the win allowing 2 runs in the final 2 2/3 innings. Henry Lin was 2-for-3 with an RBI for Interlake, while Blake Reeve doubled and drove in a run for the Pats.

2012 KingCo 3A Preview

KingCo 3A - Pre-Season Coaches Poll
1) Mount Si (5 first place votes) - 47 points
2) Mercer Island - 40 (1)
3) Lake Washington (1) - 37 (1)
4) Interlake - 32 (1)
5) Bellevue - 26
6) Liberty - 20
7) Juanita - 12
8) Sammamish - 10

Coaches were asked to rank their division in order of projected finish, excluding their own teams. 7 points were awarded for 1st, 6 for second and so on down to 1 point for last place.

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Team Capsules (listed alphabetically)
Bellevue Wolverines
Head Coach: Pete Wilkinson (1st year)
2011 Summary: 7-7 KingCo (T-3rd in KingCo), 10-11 overall, lost in first round on KingCo playoffs

Returning starters: Jack Carlson (Sr - 2B/OF), Connor Foreman (Sr - SS/P), Jack Meggs (Jr - OF/P), Jack Perkins (Sr - OF/P), Drew Quinlan (Sr - OF/P), Michael Raine (Sr - P/UTIL), Jake VanWolvelaere (Sr - P/1B)

Top newcomers: Mason Adams (Jr - 3B/P), Greg Bennett (OF/SS), Reid Hartmann (Jr - C), Chandler Hawk (Soph - IF), Trent Ishii (Sr - P), Beau Jack (Jr - 2B/LF), Robby Lundquist (Fr - C), Jack Moore (Jr - IF), Freddy Moss (Jr - OF/1B), Teddy Rou (Jr - 1B/P), Aaron Saathoff (Jr - C), Nolan Watson (Jr - 3B/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Wilkinson: We bring back 6 regulars from a team that competed for the top spot in the league for half the season in 2011. There is pitching depth and a very solid outfield. We must prove ourselves in the middle infield and at catcher, and we must be able to compete at the top end of the pitching staff if we’re to make a run at a Conference title. Team speed is good. Offensive production is the biggest question mark from 2011. The group is athletic, versatile, and hungry.

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Interlake Saints
Head Coach: Marc Linn (2nd year)
2011 Summary: 8-6 KingCo (3rd in KingCo 3A), 13-11 overall, lost to eventual State champion Burlington-Edison 3-2 in 9 innings at Regionals

Returning starters: Austin Strother (Jr - P/DH), Sam Finfer (Jr - C), Jake Wilson (Sr - OF), Carl Snaring (Sr - P/OF), Joey Button (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Henry Lin (Soph - P/IF), Nate Wehner (Soph - P), Jihad Mardini (Jr - OF), Jason Sass (Soph - P/IF)

Season Outlook from Coach Linn: Our health is going to be the Key. We are not a deep team but we do return several players from the team that advanced to the regional tournament a year ago. Our Pitching will be the strength of our team once again. Our offense must be able to generate more run support for our Pitchers this season to be successful. We are going to ask players to step into more of a leadership role this season since eight seniors graduated last year. The nice situation is players know the expectations this season compared to a year ago with a new coaching staff.

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Juanita Rebels
Head Coach: Sherman Leach (2nd year, 3-17 career record)
2011 Summary: 3-11 KingCo (Last in KingCo 3A), 3-17 overall

Returning starters: Conner Jackson (Sr - P/UTIL)

Other returners: Sean Brennan (Jr - P/OF), Avery Britton (Jr - OF/P), Taylor Dantini (Sr - OF/P), Ty Eng (Jr - P/OF)

Top newcomers: Daniel Atkins (Sr - C/OF), Brad Close (Soph - IF), Andy Cosgrove (Soph - C/IF), Matt Iverson (Sr - P), Kyler Kedroske (Soph - IF), John Robinson (Sr - IF/P), Conner Rusch (Jr - IF/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Leach: A nice core group of arms give optimism to the Juanita program this season. With only five seniors and three sophomores, it will be a young, but athletic group. The first week will be a strong indicator of what’s to come for the Rebels.

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Lake Washington Kangs
Head Coach: Derek Bingham (8th year, 106-57 career record)
2011 Summary: 8-5 KingCo (2nd in Crown division), 13-11 overall, lost in KingCo championship game, advanced to State tournament, lost to Hanford at Regionals

Returning starters: Theo Alexander (Sr - OF), Nick Johnson (Jr - P/IF), Zach Johnson (Sr - P/1B), Victor Mayorquin (Sr - OF), Steve Semler (Jr - C)

Other returners: Alac Wong (Jr - IF/OF)

Top newcomers: Ty Amundsen (Jr - 1B), Ben Ciuba (Sr - P), Shawn Gray (Jr - OF/P), Robert Hill (Jr - P/IF), Chase Keierleber (Jr - IF/C), Jordan LaFave (Soph - IF), Rasik Parikh (Jr - P/OF), Jeremy Parkhurst (Sr - IF), Jacob Reddinger (Sr - P)

Season Outlook from Coach Bingham: The Kangs enter 2012 looking to build of a strong finish to last season’s campaign. While we lost a good bit of talent to graduation last year, a solid core returns including five starters from a year ago. We will be talented but inexperienced on the mound, with Zach Johnson the only player on the roster to pitch any KingCo innings in 2011. A strong junior class along with the solid seniors that return have the Kangs setting their sights on competing for a KingCo championship and a return to the State tournament.

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Liberty Patriots
Head Coach: John Martin (1st year)
2011 Summary: 6-8 KingCo (5th in KingCo 3A), 9-10 overall, lost in the KingCo tournament

Returning players: Jack Brady (Sr - OF), Monte Korsmoe (Sr - P/C), Blake Reeve (Sr - P/IF), Izak Styskal (Sr - P/OF), Ben Wessel (Sr - P/1B/OF)

Top newcomers: Lorin Archibald (Soph - IF), Garrett Hughes (Jr - IF), Jalen Mano (Jr - OF), Luke Oman (Jr - C), Darren Peterson (1B), Nicholas Short (P/OF)

Season Outlook from Coach Martin: Hope to have decent pitching support. Will work hard to compete in the tough 3A KingCo league.

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Mercer Island
Head Coach: Cory Smith (3rd year, 31-17 career record)
2011 Summary: 7-7 KingCo (T-3rd in KingCo 3A), 13-10 overall, 3rd place in KingCo tournament

Returning starters: Max Dammeier (Sr - P/OF/1B), Nick Holstead (Sr - IF), Hunter Goldberg (Sr - P), Chris Lawler (Soph - IF/P), Cameron Ogard (Sr - C/DH), David Oppenheim (Sr - OF/P), Matt Orehek (Jr - IF), Phil Pugel (Sr - OF/P)

Other returners: Alex Himstead (Jr - P/1B), Isak Morris (Jr - P/OF)

Top newcomers: Nick Chandler (Jr - OF/P), Keegan Ogard (Soph - C), Steven Petrie (Jr - OF/P), Mack Schlamp (Jr - UTIL)

Season Outlook from Coach Smith: 10 players with some varsity experience returning to compete this year with some new talent for a deep roster. Pitching depth is very good this year and should help keep ball games close. We are excited about this group and hope to be in the hunt for a league title.

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Mount Si
Head Coach: Elliott Cribby (2nd year, 22-3 career record)
2011 Summary: 12-1 KingCo (KingCo 3A regular season champions), 22-3 overall, KingCo 3A Tournament Champions, 3A State Champions

Returning starters: Ryan Atkinson (Sr - IF), Daniel Besmer (Sr - OF), Justin Henak (Sr - UTIL), Reece Karalus (Sr - P/1B), Trevor Lane (Sr - P/1B/OF), Trevor Taylor (Sr - P/OF/3B)

Other returners: Brian Woolley (Jr - UTIL)

Top newcomers: Joe Boyce (Jr - P), Carson Breshears (Soph - IF), Gunnar Buhner (Jr - IF), Joey Cotto (Jr - OF), Connor Jensen (Jr - IF), Evan Johnson (Soph - C/OF), Connor Swift (Jr - P/OF), Ross Tassara (Sr - P/IF), Zach Usselman (Soph - C/P)

Season Outlook from Coach Cribby: The Wildcats look to repeat as KingCo 3A Champions and defend their 2011 3A State Championship. A trio of power arms on the mound in Seniors Reece Karalus, Trevor Lane, and Trevor Taylor have the ‘Cats poised for another run.

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Sammamish Totems
Head Coach: Pete Orgill (1st year)
2011 Summary: 4-10 KingCo (Xst in Crown division), 10-10 overall

Returning starters: Michael Colombi (Sr - SS/P), Joe Giachetti (Soph - P/IF), Ryan Hashimoto (Sr - P/OF), Paul Heywood (Sr - P/IF), Tyler Hormel (Sr - OF), Jacob West (Sr - P)

Other returners: Christian Davis (Sr - OF), Aaron Farnum (Sr - IF), Eric Nahn (Sr - P/OF), Joe Sullivan (Sr - C), Shing Varakitsomboon (Sr - OF)

Top newcomers: Tristan Cates (Soph - P/3B), Nick DeGallier (Fr - P/1B), Ben Friedman (Fr - C), Corey Scheppe (Sr - 1B)

Season Outlook from Coach Orgill: With mostly Seniors, the Totems are ready to compete this year for a spot in the post season. This team is full of hard workers and players who love playing the game and playing together. This year’s team will play hard and wants to win and with this group of seniors anything is possible.

Spartans, Falcons Remain Unbeaten in KingCo Play

Skyline and Woodinville are now the lone unbeaten KingCo 4A clubs, winning by identical scores on Wednesday. Here's a look at the action from a wet and windy Wednesday.

Crest Division
Skyline 6, Newport 2 - Junior Matt Sinatro's two-out RBI double broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning as Skyline topped Newport 6-2 in a battle of unbeaten Crest Division teams. Both starting pitchers threw the ball well, with reigning Crest Division pitcher of the week Matt Lunde exchanging blows with Newport starter Aaron Sandefur. Both allowed 2 runs in five innings before giving way to the bullpens. Skyline took advantage in the seventh, with Sinatro's double keying a four-run rally. Following the double, Jimmy Sinatro was intentionally walked. Senior Clayton Huber made the Knights pay, doubling home two more insurance runs for Skyline. Junior Corbin Powers picked up the win, working 2 shutout innings in relief of Lunde. The Knights were held to just 3 hits on the day, with their lone RBI coming from Kyle Goemmer.

Issaquah 6, Redmond 1 - Gonzaga signee Brandon Mahovlich kept the Mustang bats in check, allowing just a run on four hits as the Eagles topped Redmond on Wednesday night, 6-1. Mahovlich was effectively wild, walking six but striking out nine in the complete game victory. Issaquah scored 4 runs in the third off Mustang senior starter Peter Hendron, with Ethan Kalin driving in two. They tacked on 2 more in the 6th on a 2-run home run by senior catcher Andrew Kemmerer. Hendron, who was 2-for-3 with Redmond's lone RBI, took the loss for the 0-4 'Stangs.

Crown Division
Garfield 5, Inglemoor 0 - Senior Collin Evenson spun a 6-hit shutout and Liam McFeely doubled and drove in two as the Bulldogs evened their KingCo record at 2-2 with a 5-0 win over Inglemoor. Evenson needed just 87 pitches in the complete game victory, not walking a single batter while striking out 3. McFeely's double started the scoring in the third inning, and Garfield tacked on two more runs in the fourth and a single tally in the sixth en route to the impressive win. Junior Willie Augustavo doubled for the Vikings, who dropped to 1-3 with the loss.

Bothell 7, Ballard 5 - Rex Carlin and Brett Steiner each doubled and drove in a run as Bothell slipped past the Ballard Beavers, 7-5. The game was tight throughout, with Carlin also shutting out Ballard through five innings. The Beavers scored twice in the 6th to close the gap to 3-2. That was as close as they'd get however, as Bothell scored four times in the top of the seventh and held off a seventh inning rally. Carlin was the winning pitcher, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits in six innings of work. He was helped by Kellen Webster, who finished the day 2-for-4 with 2 RBI. Frank Airey chipped in two hits for the Beavers in the loss.

Woodinville 6, Roosevelt 2 - A five-run fourth inning was the 'Riders undoing, as they dropped Wednesday night's game to the #3 ranked Falcons, 6-2. Roosevelt got out to an early lead, scoring on a Woodinville error in the first and a solo home run by Mitchell Bouldin in the third. Myles Franklin singled home a run in the bottom half of the third to cut the deficit in half at 2-1. Woodinville would take the lead for good in the fourth, bringing all nine batters to the plate in a 5-run inning. Cody Bauman took care of the rest, working three shutout innings to pick up the save in relief of Jeff Wyner. Bouldin had two of Roosevelt's three hits, with senior Graylin Derke taking the loss. For the 4-0 Falcons, Shea Donlin and Myles Franklin each had 2 hits, with Franklin driving home two runs. Woodinville will go for the Crown Division sweep on Friday when they host Ballard at 6:30 PM.

KingCo 4A Awards - Week 1

KingCo 4A Baseball - Players of the Week
Week 1: March 19 - 24, 2012

Crest Division
Player of the Week: John Armour, Sr., Eastlake
Eastlake senior John Armour had a fine week at the plate for the Wolves. In two games, the outfielder went 4-6 with one double. However, the biggest at bat came in the form of a walk off RBI against Issaquah on Thursday, completing a perfect 2-0 week for the Crest Division leading Wolves.

Pitcher of the Week: Matt Lunde, Sr., Skyline
Skyline’s southpaw, Matt Lunde, earned pitcher of the week honors for the Crest division for his dominating performance against the Redmond Mustangs. Lunde was in control from beginning to end as he tossed six innings while only allowing one hit and one walk. He also fanned eight Mustang hitters in the performance.

Crown Division
Player of the Week: Shea Donlin, Sr., Woodinville
WSU bound Shea Donlin paced the potent Woodinville attack in going 4-7 in the two game week. The senior shortstop drove in four and scored three times. Donlin was also able to swipe two bases in the perfect 2-0 week for the Woodinville Falcons.

Pitcher of the Week: Danny Larsen, Sr., Inglemoor
The pitching line of the week comes from Inglemoor senior Danny Larsen. The lefthander quieted the Ballard Beavers’ bats in pitching a complete game, one hitter. He struck out two and walked none in the 9-0 Viking win.

Seattle Times 4A/3A Baseball Rankings

The first rankings are out from Mason Kelley at the Seattle Times, and the KingCo conference is well represented. At the 3A level, the defending state champion Mount Si Wildcats top the poll with their 4-1 record. Lake Washington and Mercer Island are on Kelley's watch list as teams that just missed the cut.

As for 4A, Woodinville is the highest ranked KingCo team, coming in at #3 behind Puyallup and Kentwood. Newport checks in at #6 with their perfect 5-0 record. Eastlake, Garfield and Issaquah round out teams to "keep an eye on".

You can view the entire rankings here:
4A and 3A high school baseball rankings - Week 1