Several Basin teams clinch state berth

MOSES LAKE — With district tournaments wrapping up over the weekend, the brackets for several WIAA state tournaments have been set for baseball and softball. See below which of your favorite teams are in and where they’re heading.  

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Baseball (14-6)  

The Warriors enter the 1B state baseball tournament as the third overall seed, which earns them a first-round bye. Prior to falling short 4-3 to Liberty Christian in the district tournament, they strung together eight straight wins where they outscored their opponents 155-10.  

After appearing in the state tournament in the last few seasons, chasing a state title has fueled them this season, Head Coach Hunter Lee said.  

“We've been so close for the last couple of years, and we still haven't won that state championship, and it takes a lot to get over that hump,” he said in a prior interview.  

The Warriors have been focused on improving the little things this season, said Lee.  

“Just focus on what we can do every single day, every single inning, every single pitch, every single practice... just focusing on being the best we can be in those smaller chunks, and not getting so caught up in the big picture, and just trusting more of the process of getting there. If we do all those things correctly, then hopefully good things will happen in the end.” 

First pitch is set for May 23 at 1 p.m. at ACH High School. 

Softball (14-6)

The Warriors softball crew is another team motivated by previous state tournament appearances.  

“We ended up staying for the championship game, and all the girls got really excited, and they were like, ‘We want to be here next year,’” Head Coach Faye Butler said in a previous interview.  

After falling to Liberty Christian 12-4 in the district tournament, they rebounded with a 12-2 win over Wilbur-Creston-Keller. As the third overall seed in the 1B state tournament, they earned a first-round bye and will play the winner of Muckleshoot Tribal vs Colton at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima on Friday.  

Moses Lake 

Baseball (12-8)

The Mavericks entered the district tournament as the second seed which sent them straight to the championship game where they fell short 5-3 to the West Valley Rams. However, they rebounded with a 1-0 in over Wenatchee behind a strong pitching performance by Dagen Enquist. In seven innings, he allowed just three hits, two walks, zero runs and struck out seven batters.  

Pitching has been a strength for the Mavs this season, Head Coach Donnie Lindgren noted in a previous interview.  

“We've got four or five guys that are throwing for us, and they've been outstanding so far,” he said. “Our defense makes the plays; they don't walk a lot of guys or anything else... they've been solid all year for us. Coach (Rick) Baldini, our pitching coach does an outstanding job working with them and getting them ready to go.” 

They enter the 4A state tournament as the 15 seed and will travel to Heritage Park in Puyallup to take on the two-seed Sumner at 1 p.m. Saturday.  

Othello 

Baseball (21-4)

After falling short 5-1 to Ellensburg in the 2A district tournament semifinals, the Huskies were in a do-or-die situation the rest of the way. They bounced back with a 4-1 win over East Valley, which advanced them to a crossover game. From there, they dominated Anacortes 11-1 to punch their ticket to the 2A state tournament as the third overall seed.  

They kick off their tournament run on Saturday when they host Chief Sealth at 10 a.m. in Othello. After their loss to Ellensburg, Head Coach Sonny Garza made it clear what the Huskies need to do going forward to find themselves on the right side of the results.  

“Momentum has got to be high. Every situation has to be laser focused, and we’ve got to execute,” he said.  

Royal 

Baseball (14-9)

The Royal Knights punched their ticket to the 1A state tournament as the 16-seed after navigating rocky waters in the district tournament. After suffering a 4-2 first-round loss to Connell, Royal bounced back with back-to-back wins over College Place and Chelan to advance. 

With prior experience in the postseason in the last few seasons, Head Coach Tony Jenks noted in a prior interview that should give them some extra confidence. To build on that, they’ve embraced a new motto this season to improve by one percent each day.  

“The accumulation of however many days we get to work at it and get better, is 1% every day. We're getting a little better and giving effort. I think as we do that, the winning will take care of itself,” he said.  

The Knights travel to Olympic Stadium on Saturday to play the top seeded Montesano at 1 p.m. 

Softball (19-7)

The Knights are entering the 1A state tournament as the eighth seed after a long road through the district tournament. After suffering a 1-0 loss to Naches Valley, they were moved into the consolation bracket where they still had an opportunity to play for a state berth.  

From there, they strung together four straight wins over Connell, Kiona Benton, Chelan and Colville. They begin their state tournament run on Thursday when they play Klahowya at 3 p.m. at the Columbia Playfields in Richland.  

Head Coach Lisa Lawrence feels confident in her team’s potential and has been working with them on the smaller details that can make a difference.  

“We've been watching film and doing some team bonding outside of practice, just because at this point in, a lot of the fundamentals and skills that we need on the field are pretty solid,” she said. “We've practiced a lot, but getting our mental game straight and playing as a team are really what's going to carry us deep into the (post)season.” 

Warden 

Softball (15-10)

The Cougars season has had its ups and downs, but as of late they are riding a hot streak offensively.  

Their postseason started in the Eastern Washington Athletics Conference tournament where they went 1-2 overall. However, they advanced to the district tournament where they strung together a series of dominant wins.  

They first defeated Liberty Bell 31-0 before shutting out Tri-Cities Prep 5-0. Even though their ticket to state had been earned, they finished off the district tourney with a 24-11 win over Brewster.  

In a previous interview, Head Coach Randy Wright emphasized mental strength as a key to success.  

“That’s the main thing. The mental side this time of year is important, so just making sure that they’re locked in and not overwhelmed by playoffs,” Wright said. 

The Cougars enter the 2B state tournament as the 13-seed and will face the fourth seeded Napavine at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima on Friday at 11 a.m. 

    The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors’ Josie Emerson (9) heads toward third base during a game earlier this season.
  

    Airana Pruneda (11) steps into her swing while at bat for the Warden Cougars earlier this season.
  

    The Mavs’ Dagen Enquist throws his next pitch during a previous game this season.
  

    The Knights’ Ernie Weeks (15) unleashes his next pitch while on the mound for Royal earlier this season.
  

    The Othello Huskies’ Donny Suarez (10) bunts the ball during their game against Ellensburg.
  

    The Knights’ Leah Christensen (7) applauds her teammates from third base during their game against Zillah earlier this season.