Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

WIAA Prep Baseball / All-Star Report

STORY FIELD — The uniforms were familiar. The dugouts were not.

For one final evening at Story Field, some of Southwest Washington’s top senior baseball players traded rivalries for friendships, sharing the field with teammates and opponents who had helped define their high school careers.

Players from Naselle, R.A. Long, Mark Morris, Ilwaco, Castle Rock, Toledo, Kalama and Wahkiakum gathered for the 48th annual Southwest Washington Senior All-Star Game, an event that gave graduating seniors one last opportunity to compete before turning the page on their high school careers for good.

The Nationals used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Americans 10-2, but the evening was about far more than the final score.

“It was really tough to be able to give each other a hug and say, ‘This is it,’” Naselle’s Leith Chadwick said. “We’re not ever going to put our jerseys back on and go to war with each other ever again.”

The atmosphere reflected that sentiment throughout the evening.

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WIAA Baseball / Senior All-Stars

Lucky ballplayers from all over the upper reaches of The Blast Zone will get one more opportunity wear their high school jerseys and lace up their spikes on Monday. That’s because the 46th annual Southwest Washington Senior All-Star Game is returning to Story Field for a bonus evening of baseball in Longview.

Lower Columbia College will play host to the event with the game taking place on Story Field, where the LCC Red Devils recently won themselves another NWAC Championship. And while at least several of the participants in the Senior All-Star game will go on to play baseball in college — Monday is all about representing their home town and the old school one more time for the road.

Oh, and there’s a spot in the All-State Series on the line as well.

“Top players from the Southwest Washington Senior All-Star Game will be nominated to play in the All=State Series in Yakima,” said Castle Rock head coach Joe Bair, who also serves as the Senior All-Star Game director.

The annual All-State Series will be held June 26-28.

First pitch for the Southwest Washington Senior All-Star Game is set for 5 p.m. on Monday, with the game is set to last seven innings. Admission is $5 per person and only cash will be accepted.

Senior All-Star Rosters

The Nationals

• Stuart Teter, Castle Rock

• Jack Kerker, Castle Rock

• Jeff Rooklidge, R.A. Long

• Tucker Walling, Castle Rock

• Nolan Scott, Kalama

• Jonah Cadigan, R.A. Long

• Zeppelin Edgell, Mark Morris

• Evan Chisholm, Castle Rock

• Dylan Pelas, Ilwaco

• Riley Young, R.A. Long

• Jase Peterson, Mark Morris

• Corbin Johnson, Ilwaco

• Coaches: Ryan Littlefield (R.A. Long) and Chris Patana (Ilwaco)

The Americans

• Brady Hamer, Castle Rock

• Cooper Carlson, Wahkiakum

• Trajen Ford, Naselle

• Parker Leitz, Wahkikaum

• Deker Bartell, Mark Morris

• Rohan Feigenbaum, Toledo

• Reilly O’Farrell, Mark Morris

• Scott Henington, Naselle

• Tucker Morrow, Mark Morris

• Leith Chadwick, Naselle

• Jerry Neighbors, Castle Rock

• JJ Soden, Castle Rock

• Braylen Lawrence, Toledo

• Coaches: Mack Gaul (Toledo) and Joe Bair (Castle Rock)

*All-Star rosters subject to change.

In Case You Missed It

Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

1B WIAA Baseball / State Report

SELAH – The Naselle baseball team erased an early three-run deficit and carried a lead into the fifth inning Saturday night, but Dayton capitalized on late opportunities to secure a 7-4 victory and the 1B State Championship, Saturday, at Carlon Park.

Three innings on the one hand. Nine outs on the other.

That’s how close the Comets came to delivering a state championship as a parting gift in Randy Lindstrom’s final game as head coach at Naselle High School.

For Naselle at large, the loss ended a remarkable postseason run that saw the No. 2-seeded Comets claim a District IV title one fortnight ago in a Km Mountain Battle barnburner on neutral ground. The Comets went on to rout No. 7 Sunnyside Christian at home last week in the quarterfinals, before living dangerously in a thrilling victory over No. 11 DeSales on Friday at Wood Field to to reach the championship game.

And while the final result wasn’t what Naselle diehards had hoped for, the run added another impressive chapter to one of the state’s most consistent small-school baseball programs as it simultaneously marked the end of Lindstrom’s tenure as skipper of the Comets.

The Comets were making their third appearance in the State championship this decade, after winning back-to-back titles in 2022-23.

“They got huge heart,” Lindstrom said of his team. “This game humbles you real fast. We’ve had our backs against the wall numerous times all year long, and we just weren’t able to come out on top tonight.”

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Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2B WIAA Baseball Championship / State Report

SELAH — Less than 24 hours after watching a trip to the state championship game slip away in heartbreaking fashion, the Toutle Lake baseball team returned to Carlon Park with one final opportunity to leave the WIAA 2B State Baseball Tournament with something to show for its season.

The Fighting Ducks made sure they didn’t leave Wood Field empty-handed.

Toutle Lake erased an early two-run deficit and broke open a tie game with a four-run sixth inning Saturday afternoon, defeating Northwest Christian (Colbert) 6-3 to secure third place in the state and cap yet another memorable postseason run.

For a team which entered the tournament as a double-digit seed and then found itself just one unfortunate inning away from playing for a State championship, the victory provided both closure and validation after Friday’s extra-inning semifinal loss to Napavine.

In related news, the Tigers of Napavine went on to win the State title on Saturday evening. That’s salt in the wound for the Ducks if they allow it to be, but the East Cowlitz County kids were keeping their heads and hearts in their own dugout, and keeping all things in perspective on the season’s final day.

“There weren’t many people that thought we were going to show up here and win a trophy, but there wasn’t a doubt in our minds,” Toutle Lake head coach Chris Byrd said. “We’ve played well at the end. For the last three weekends in a row we’ve played tough teams and we’ve beat them.”

The plucky Ducks arrived in Selah last weekend as the No. 10 seed and knocked off No. 7 Mount Vernon Christian in convincing fashion before going eight rounds with No. 2 Kittitas in “the weirdest game”. Toutle Lake made the return trip to Carlon Park this week, only to fall No. 3 Napavine in an extra-inning semifinal that ended one step short of a State title appearance.

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By Josh Kirshenbaum special to BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

Prep Baseball / State Title History

After winning seven baseball titles in the first 22 years of the State Tournament Era (since 1973), Cowlitz County has found itself in a significant drought. All told, six area programs have won 10 championships, with the bulk of those coming from the smaller schools:

On a related note, the only two teams left standing in The Blast Zone are Toutle Lake (2B) and Naselle (1B), two of the smallest burgs in the area on opposite ends of the coverage area which are also responsible for more than several of those golden trophies.

Keep reading to learn all about every team from the BZM area to play for an official state championship.

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Blast Zone Media / blastzonews@gmail.com

WIAA Prep Baseball / State Reports

Ducks down ‘Canes, clip No. 2 Coyotes in ‘long day’ at State

The Toutle Lake baseball team was too tired to talk after a State doubleheader, and it’s easy to understand why. The Fighting Ducks began their Saturday with a three-hour drive to Yakima before getting off the bus and handling Mount Vernon Christian a 12-2 in the opening round of the 2B State Tournament at Faller Field.

And with a three-hour return trip to look forward to, that would have been enough to make even the angriest of birds sleepy. But the Ducks were just getting started.

What came next was a quarterfinal slugfest against No. 2 ranked Kittitas that ended (mercifully) as a 20-19 victory in extra innings for the Cowlitz County flock.

“Game 2 was the craziest game I’ve ever seen,” Toutle Lake head coach Chris Byrd said via text from the other side of Washington’s most famous mountain range.

Asked if he had time to talk in the immediate aftermath, Byrd understandably deferred

“Tomrrow work?”

Aboslutely. And the wait was worth it, because some incredible numbers surfaced overnight and looked even crazier in the daylight.

The lated more than four hours and included:

• 4+ hours of game time

• 440 total pitches

• 10 lead changes

• 31 hits

• 36 bases on balls

After getting started in full afternoon sunlight, the contest dragged on until both the lights and sprinkler system kicked on. The twenty runs scored by the Ducks are tied for third highest ever scored in a State game by a BZM area team.*

“I’ve coached baseball for a long time and seen lots and lots of baseball games. Never quite seen one like that,” Byrd noted once he’d had some time to recover back home at the nest.

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Luke Roth (Mid-Major Media) special to BlastZoneMedia.com

OSAA Prep Baseball / Roundup

CLATSKANIE – The No. 6 Clatskanie baseball team had one final test last week before the postseason, falling 11-1 to (3A) No. 3 Warrenton in a pre-playoff tune-up game on Tuesday, May 19.

While the final score favored Warrenton, the matchup gave the Tigers a chance to see a high-level opponent before turning their full attention toward the 2A/1A OSAA State playoffs.

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Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

3A WIAA Baseball / Report

RISTER STADIUM — Standing just six outs away from a date in the second round of the 3A State Tournament, the Kelso baseball team watched it unravel in the blink of an eye in front of the home fans.

Behind another gritty outing from senior ace Bryce Collins, an electric crowd that rattled the bleachers inning after inning, and a dugout that never stopped chirping and bouncing, No. 16 ranked Kelso carried a one-run lead into the seventh inning of a loser-out State showdown against No. 17 Eastside Catholic.

Then everything flipped.

After surviving a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, the Crusaders tied the game moments later on a slow-rolling bunt that slipped untouched into the grass between first and second before erupting for three runs in the eighth inning and holding on to eliminate the Hilanders with a 6-3 decision.

The Crusaders poured over the railing the moment Collins’ fly ball settled into center fielder Kobe Reese’s glove for the final out, sprinting out of the dugout in celebration while Kelso players stood silently across the diamond, wondering what happened.

As it turns out, the Scots ran headlong into a suddenly unstoppable foe.

“This group just never gives up,” Eastside Catholic coach Kyle Larsen said. “We had to play four loser-out games last week in six days, and they just keep battling. They’re resilient, they’re fun to watch, and they’re really coming together at the right time.”

For most of the night, though, Kelso controlled the game.

Rain fell briefly early before giving way to loud, emotional playoff baseball as both fanbases packed the stands and rattled the bleachers inning after inning while momentum slowly tightened around the field.

Behind Collins, the Hilanders grabbed early control and looked poised to advance in the State bracket.

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WIAA Baseball / Roundup

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The 1A Report

Rockets get tough to secure back-to-back state berths

Castle Rock took the most difficult, and more painful, road to reach the 1A State Tournament last week. Luckily, winning is said to cure most ailments and the Rockets were over the moon after defeating La Center 2-1 in a winner-to-State/loser-out contest on Saturday at Bearcat Stadium in Chehalis.

The Rockets wore back-to-back pitches with the bases loaded to lock down the walk-off victory over their 1A Trico League rivals.

“These kids have never beat La Center in baseball so, ya, I think it was a perfect storm,” Castle Rock head coach Joe Bair said. “We have nine seniors and over half of them have played on varsity since they were freshmen so they’ve put in the time. It’s cool to see good kids do good things.”

Castle Rock opened the 1A District IV Tournament with a 8-4 loss at Rochester last Monday, then kept its season alive with a 1-0 win at home over White Salmon on Tuesday, before grinding out the thrilling victory over the Wildcats.

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Luke Roth (Mid-Major Media) special to BlastZoneMedia.com

OSAA Prep Baseball / Roundup

Tigers exact revenge, take league crown

The Clatskanie baseball team took care of business last week against Portland Christian, sweeping the Royals to secure back-to-back 2A/1A Special District 1 championships.

For the Tigers, the sweep carried a little extra meaning.

Portland Christian ended Clatskanie’s 2025 season in the second round of the State playoffs, making this year’s series win feel even more rewarding as the Tigers continue to build momentum toward another postseason run.

“We played very well against Portland Christian,” Clatskanie head coach Ryan Tompkins said. “Our pitching and defense was some of the best we’ve had all season. At the plate, Will Van Voorst, Royal Smart and Cash Doney were able to put together consistent quality at-bats.”

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Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

1B Prep Baseball / Roundup

The west end of Ocean Beach Highway will be well-represented in the 1B State Baseball Tournament again this season after Naselle topped Wahkiakum 4-1 for the District IV title on Saturday in South Bend.

Add in Ilwaco, which found a way through the dark side of the 2B District IV bracket to reach the state tournament, and the Lowest Columbia region of The Blast Zone is 3-for-3 in punching tickets to the big waltz on the diamond.

The spring’s third round of the Battle for Km Mountain wound up tipping the same direction as the first two, but once again the Beasts of Burden from Cathlamet were sure to be as stubborn as possible in defeat.

“They’re a good little club over there,” Naselle head coach Randy Lindstrom said. “They just battle, and we always seem to draw everyone’s best effort.”

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Blast Zone Media / blastzonenews@gmail.com

3A Prep Baseball / Report

VANCOUVER — The Kelso baseball team was unable to get over the hump against Mountain View, Friday, falling 7-5 on the road in the 3A District IV championship tilt.

The Hilanders held a 5-3 lead late in the game but gave up four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and could not score again.

The loss was a stark change of pace from the Scot’s shutout of Prairie in the semifinals. What’s more, the late collapse left Kelso holding the No. 16 seed and looking at a tough row to hoe in the upcoming 3A State Tournament.

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Jordan Nailon for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2A Prep Baseball / Report

CENTRALIA – After sweeping Washougal in the regular season the R.A. Long Lumberjacks had their hands all the way full and their backs pushed up against the wall in a 2A District IV elimination game, Wednesday, at Wheeler Field. The Jacks jumped out to an early lead, but had to knuckle down in the middle innings in order to keep a pesky Panthers team from seizing control, and then doubled down on small ball in order to live to play another day.

After a successful walk-off suicide squeeze executed by Kamble Johns in the bottom of the seventh inning R.A. Long came away owners of a 3-2 win over Washougal — and a bunch of short fingernails to prove it.

And what, exactly, was going through Johns’ head when he saw the squeeze sign come in from RAL skipper Ryan Littlefield in the third base coach’s box?

“Just get it down. Simple as that,” Johns said. “Either get it down or let it hit you – and leave the rest to the base running.”

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BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

3A Prep Baseball / Report

RISTER STADIUM — With the playoffs finally underway and its season suddenly on the line the Kelso baseball team didn’t need to ask for a show of hands to find its hero on Wednesday. Facing Prairie in a 3A District IV semifinal affair on their home field, the Hilanders had a pair of familiar faces jump to the front of the line to carry the flag for the hosts in a 3-0 victory.

Blake Larwick accounted for all of Kelso’s runs with a 3-run home run in the bottom of the third inning. And Bryce Collins did nearly all the rest for the Scots by tossing a complete game shutout.

That win earned Kelso a State berth and the boys in blue and gold are presumably laughing all the way to the District title game — although attempts to reach Kelso skipper Tyler Parsons for comment were once again unsuccessful so we’ll all just have to use our imaginations.

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Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2A Prep Baseball / Report

MONARCH PARK — In a low-scoring District playoff contest where offense never came easily, Aberdeen consistently kept Mark Morris from settling into rhythm at the plate Tuesday afternoon. Behind a composed outing on the mound and steady defensive play to back it up the Bobcats controlled the tempo throughout a 4-1 victory over the Monarchs in a 2A District IV quarterfinal at Monarch Park.

Runs were hard to come by all afternoon — the hosts had a particularly tough time finding their way around the bases.

“They got ahead and got us out of our offensive rhythm,” MM head coach Brock Myklebust said.

Aberdeen starter Gabe Matthews established tempo early and never really allowed the Monarchs to settle in offensively. The Bobcats filled the strike zone consistently while forcing weak contact and limiting big innings throughout the afternoon.

“He established tempo early and hung onto it,” Aberdeen head coach Layne Bruner said. “He filled the strike zone and stayed ahead.”

Aberdeen’s dugout remained active throughout the afternoon, keeping pressure on the Monarchs during key moments. With a stiff wind blowing across the field throughout the afternoon routine fly balls turned complicated and added another layer of difficulty defensively for both sides.

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Luke Roth (Mid-Major Media) special to BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

OSAA Prep Baseball / Roundup

Tigers gear up for pivotal series with PDX Christian

The Clatskanie baseball team took care of business when it mattered most last week, sweeping Gaston in a three-game series to lock up a spot in the state playoffs and move to the brink of a Special District 1 title.

The Tigers opened the series Tuesday at home with a dominant 13-0 win in five innings, then traveled to Gaston on Friday and finished the sweep with a 13-3 win in game one and a 7-6 victory in game two.

With the sweep, Clatskanie now needs just one win in its upcoming three-game series against Portland Christian to clinch the league championship.

“Gaston has a good pitching staff and lineup,” Clatskanie head coach Ryan Tompkins said. “We were able to generate some runs throughout the series by being patient at the plate and aggressive on the bases.”

That approach showed immediately in Tuesday’s opener.

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Matt Baide for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

WIAA Prep Baseball / Roundup

The 3A Report

Scots blank Peninsula in postseason tuneup

The Kelso baseball team won 4-0 against Peninsula last Tuesday, May 5, at Rister Stadium to complete the regular season.

The Hilanders did not have a league game on the schedule last week and will open the postseason later this week at home.

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Luke Roth (Mid-Major Media) special to BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2B Prep Baseball / District Quarterfinals

LONG BEACH – Toledo had already emptied the tank once Saturday and came up empty in its attempt for a second cruise at the beach.

After beating Onalaska a morning thriller to advance in the 2B District IV baseball tournament, the fourth-seeded Riverhawks from the Central 2B League ran headlong into a rested, top-seeded Ilwaco team from the 2B Pacific League in the quarterfinals.

Behind a fast start at the plate and a steady effort on the mound, Ilwaco run-ruled Toledo 11-1 in six innings on Tinker Field at Culbertson Park in Long Beach.

“We really just played about as clean as we’ve played in a while,” Ilwaco head coach Bret Hopkins said. “It seems like they’ve been waiting for the postseason to kick into high gear and I think we’ve done it – I think we’ve found another gear.”

The final stanza of the mid-afternoon mercy rule affair was a far cry from Toledo’s rabid comeback for a 10-7 victory over Onalaska in the tournament opener earlier in the day in Long Beach. That do-or-die victory appeared to leave the Riverhawks’ running on fumes in enemy territory.

“It didn’t go our way. I wouldn’t liked to see us compete a little more in Game 2,” Toledo head coach Mack Gaul said. “Ilwaco’s a really good team and capitalized on the mistakes we made.”

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Skyler Smith for BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

2B Prep Baseball / Report

LONG BEACH — Toledo found itself trailing late in the game Saturday with its District playoff opener beginning to slip away. The Onalaska Loggers had been pesky all morning, and as high noon came and went it looked more and more likely that there might be an upset at the beach.

But the Riverhawks answered with seven runs in the sixth inning, rallying past Onalaska 10-7 in a 2B District IV loser-out playoff game on Tinker Field in Long Beach.

“We just had confidence the game wasn’t dead until we woke up,” Toledo’s Nico Acosta said.

The Riverhawks opened that definitive inning with a walk and back-to-back singles before consecutive RBI knocks suddenly cut the deficit to 7-5. With the action on the base paths Toledo’s dugout began to stir.

Moments later, Nico Acosta ripped a bases-clearing double down the left-field line and advanced to third on a throwing error to highlight a seven-run sixth inning where Toledo erases the deficit and reclaimed control of the game for good.

Toledo’s dugout erupted after the hit, while the crowd along the third-base line came to life as the Riverhawks surged back into the lead late.

“I knew if it started inside, the pitch was probably going to end up in the middle,” Nico Acosta said. “I just turned on it.”

Toledo head coach Mack Gaul said that never-say-die mentality has followed the Riverhawks throughout the season.

“We’re only down, but never out,” Gaul said.

The No. 4 seeded Riverhawks jumped out early, using walks and timely hitting to manufacture the game’s first run. Toledo would stacks runs later in the game, but the middle innings were full of trepidation for the Cheese Town nine.

As the No. 8 seed out of the Central 2B League, Onalaska was playing with house money in the tournament, and the Loggers refused to et things spiral out of control right away. That wouldn’t happen until much later in the ballgame.

After falling behind early, the Loggers answered with their biggest swing of the afternoon. That shot in the arm arrived when Rowdy Lyons delivered a triple that turned into a Little League style inside-the-park home run following an outfield error, helping swing momentum toward Onalaska and casting a shadow of doubt over the Toledo side of the field..

“The whole message was battle with these guys,” Onalaska head coach Weylin Womack said. “I felt like we did that pretty well today.”

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Luke Roth (Mid-Major Media) special to BlastZoneMedia.com / blastzonenews@gmail.com

OSAA Prep Baseball / Roundup

Tigers slide by Knappa in next-door series

The Clatskanie baseball team made a major statement in Special District 1 play last week, sweeping Knappa in dominant fashion to stay in control of the league race.

The Tigers opened the series Tuesday with a 13-0 home win in five innings, then traveled to Knappa on Friday and completed the sweep with a 14-5 win in Game 1 of the doubleheader and an 11-0 victory in five innings in Game 2.

With the sweep, and a 13-0 win over Gaston at home on Tuesday, Clatskanie (13-5) now sits at 9-1 in Special District 1 play, one game ahead of Portland Christian (12-8, 8-2) for first place.

“Knappa had always been tough, and this past week we were able to take advantage of them struggling with command and got a lot of free bases,” Clatskanie head coach Ryan Tompkins said.

“Our pitchers were very efficient and our defense had settled in and played very complimentary.”

That formula showed up throughout the series. Clatskanie drew 33 walks across the three games and consistently put pressure on Knappa’s pitching staff and defense.

Clatskanie sits at No. 6 in the latest Mid-Major Media rankings and No. 10 in the OSAA State Rankings. The Tigers face Gaston again on the road later this week, before closing the regular season next week with a key series against Portland Christian that will likely decide the league title.

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