West Seattle High School is back on the winning track after a Monday victory that followed a Friday loss. Thanks again to Caryn Johnson for the report and photo from todays game:

Monday afternoon, West Seattle hosted Franklin at Hiawatha. They bounced back nicely after their first defeat in the Metro League on Friday against Ballard.

Freshman #32 Reuben Gut started on the mound for the Wildcats. After shaking off some nerves and giving up a few hits and a run in the first inning, he settled down nicely to pitch the next four, allowing no more to score.

Jack Page went 4 for 4 with 3 singles and a triple, but it was the bat of Morgan McCullough that had the biggest boom. He hit his first home run of the season in the third inning out to right field to score two runs and take control of the game. Three others on the team would also have multi hits in the game. In the end, the Quakers just couldn’t keep up and fell to the Wildcats in 6 innings, 12-2.

Next game is Wednesday evening at 6:15, against Garfield, on their home field.

You can see the Wildcats’ full season record and schedule here.

West Seattle High School is at the top of the Metro League baseball standings. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and photos from today’s victory:

The Wildcats traveled over the pond to take on the Crusaders of Eastside Catholic. Junior Ryan Kimsey [#15, above] started on the mound for Westside. He would go on to throw a complete game of shutout baseball, giving up only two hits and striking out three. Again West Seattle’s defense was strong behind their pitcher.

Juniors Jack Page and Nathan Johnson led the team with two hits each.

Andrew Burggraff [#39, above] had a double in the 4th inning to hit in an insurance run. In the end, behind the strong pitching of Kimsey and the great defense, West Seattle topped Eastside Catholic 3-0 and now sits atop the Metro League standings at 6-0 in league play.

Next game is 3:30 pm Friday against Ballard at Whitman Middle School.

See the full league standings on the left sidebar of this page.

Carson Wright

West Seattle High School‘s varsity baseball team is undefeated in league play, reports Caryn Johnson, after today’s 4-2 win over Nathan Hale HS:

It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball. The Wildcats hosted the Raiders of Nathan Hale at Hiawatha. Starting pitcher for West Seattle was junior #17, Carson Wright [photo above]. He pitched 5 strong innings and had a great defense backing him up all the way through the game. He got into a bind in the bottom of the 2nd inning, but the Wildcats turned a nice double play to end the inning, not allowing any runs to come across. Carson would go on to strike out 2 and only give up 2 runs. Sophomore Anthony Coats would come in to close the game and pitched two innings of shut-out baseball.

West Seattle didn’t have as many hits as Hale, but they all came at key moments. They played “small ball” to manufacture enough runs to top Hale. Anthony Coats led the team with two hits and two RBI’s. Nathan Villegas and Nathan Johnson also contributed to the score with one RBI each.

Also remember that the West Seattle High School baseball team is selling Mariners tickets as a fundraiser to the June 28th Mariners vs Pirates game. Email – wshsmarinerstickets@gmail.com to purchase and help support the team. Selling tickets also qualifies the team to continue participating in the High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field. More details on this upcoming game to come.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats next play Eastside Catholic, at EC, 3:30 pm Wednesday.

Another youth-sports season is under way in our area – this time, Southwest Little League. The photos and report are from Erin Hauk:

The Southwest Little League kicked off the 2016 season on Saturday with the annual Jamboree at Mel Olsen Stadium in Steve Cox Memorial Park. SWLL President Terri Robison [above] welcomed families and introduced the teams while coaches and players paraded on to the infield for the national anthem.

SWLL serves West Seattle south of SW Juneau and east of 35th SW, through White Center and into North Burien (see the boundaries on this page).

Another victory for the West Seattle High School baseball team – thanks to Caryn Johnson for the report and photo:

West Seattle came away with another win this afternoon at Hiawatha, taking on Cleveland.

Anthony Coats #4 started on the mound and threw four solid innings, striking out seven and only giving up one run. Carson Wright #17 came in to close out the game. Jack Page, Anthony Coats and Ryan Kimsey led the team with two hits each.

In the end, Cleveland just couldn’t keep up with the bats and pitching of West Seattle, falling to the Wildcats 16-1. Next game is Friday at Southeast Athletic Complex (Rainier Beach High School) at 3:30.

A big baseball win for West Seattle High School this afternoon – thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photos and report:

The weather cooperated for baseball players and fans this afternoon. West Seattle took on powerhouse O’Dea at Bannerwood Ballpark in Bellevue. The game didn’t look like it was going to get off as it was raining right up until the 1st pitch.

Westside jumped out fast with two back to back hits by Jack Page (#9, photo above) and Morgan McCullough (#3). Anthony Coats (#4) then came up and drove in the first run of the game.

Key hits also came in the 5th inning with bases loaded, Jamie Maples (#6, photo above) hit a double into center field to drive in two more runs. Jamie also took to the mound for West Seattle. He would keep the O’Dea bats quiet until the 5th inning where they would try to start up a rally, but the West Seattle defense backed up their pitcher and only gave up one run. Jamie would go on to pitch a complete game, striking out 7, walking 2, and only giving up 5 hits. In the end, the Wildcats came out victorious against O’Dea 3-1.

Next game is Wednesday against Cleveland at Hiawatha, first pitch 3:30 pm.

Another win for the undefeated Chief Sealth International High School Seahawks – 9-1 today over Franklin HS. Thanks again to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score: Sealth pitcher Isaac Hamilton got the win, with 3 strikeouts in five innings; offensive stars included Jackson Chilcott, who went 1-1 with a triple-RBI hit, 2 walks, hit-by-pitch, and 2 runs scored, and David Johnson, who had 2 RBIs, going 2 for 4. Sealth next plays Lakeside, 3:30 pm Wednesday at Magnuson Park.

(WSB photo: Milwaukee in green, Denver in white)

This weekend’s National Wheelchair Basketball Association women’s championship tournament at West Seattle High School ended with new champions – the Milwaukee Lady Bucks! In the finals at midday today, they beat last year’s champs, the Denver Lady Rolling Nuggets, 66-36. The game was streamed live; you can watch the playback on YouTube here.

As we reported on Friday and Saturday, eight teams competed, including the local Seattle Storm; Seattle Adaptive Sports co-hosted the tournament.

The photo and report are from a Pathfinder K-8 “Proud Parent“:

Pathfinder K-8 was in its own March Madness today. The boys’ middle-school basketball team entered the day as the third seed and knocked off second-seeded Orca K-8 in the semi-finals. With a bit of rest and a whole lotta heart, the boys went into game two of their double header and took down the one seed, Broadview, to win the Seattle Public Schools Sound Division championship (all Seattle K-8 schools). Big congratulations to the kids and coaches Mike Giomi and Rob Wright for bringing the trophy back to WS and making Pathfinder school history!

March is prime time for championship basketball, and you’ll find more of it today at the West Seattle High School gym. Three games on Friday evening tipped off the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Women’s Championship Tournament; 13 games are scheduled today, starting at 8 am. Eight teams are here for the tournament, including the defending champs, the Denver Lady Rolling Nuggets:

That’s #12 Christina Schwab with the ball. Denver was playing the Seattle Storm in one of yesterday’s openers, while another game featured the Milwaukee Lady Bucks vs. the NWSRA Lady Hawks:

For Milwaukee, that’s #4 Mareike Miller with the ball.

The WSHS gym is partitioned into three courts for the tournament; the 8 am games are Milwaukee vs. the PossAbilities Shield Maidens, the Dallas Lady Mavericks vs. Seattle, and Denver vs. the University of Arizona; subsequent games are at 9:45, 11:30, and then two semifinals at each tipoff time of 1:15 pm and 3 pm. Sunday’s schedule has three consolation games at 9 am and the championship game at 11. No admission charge to drop in and watch any or all of the games, which are co-sponsored by Seattle Adaptive Sports; WSHS is at 3000 California SW.

At Hiawatha Playfield this afternoon, West Seattle High School simply overwhelmed Rainier Beach, 23-3. Thanks to Caryn Johnson for the photos and wrapup:

Another beautiful afternoon for baseball at Hiawatha.

Sporting their new home jerseys, West Seattle hosted Rainier Beach. The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the first inning and never looked back.

Carson Wright (#17) pitched 4 strong innings, giving up only one run and striking out 8. Junior Daniel Lo (#18) came in to close out the game. In the end, the game only went 4½ innings as West Seattle put up 23 on the Vikings.

Next game is scheduled on Monday, at 3:30 against O’Dea at Bannerwood Ballpark in Bellevue.

High-school baseball continues and Chief Sealth International High School is 2-0 on the season, after a road win against Ingraham this afternoon. Final score 6-1, with the Seahawks’ Evan Moe getting the win, pitching 7 innings, striking out 7, and giving up only 3 hits. Jackson Chilcott scored a run and had four hits; Ingraham Chamberlin went 2 for 2. Thanks to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score. The Seahawks play Hazen at home tomorrow (Saturday) at noon; here’s the full season schedule.

You don’t have to go to an arena or be in front of a screen to see national-championship basketball this weekend. It’s happening at West Seattle High School starting tonight – Seattle Adaptive Sports and the Seattle Storm wheelchair basketball team are hosting the National Wheelchair Basketball Association Women’s Championships tonight, Saturday, and Sunday. Teams from around the country will be here, including the Denver Lady Nuggets defending their title; many of the athletes are Team USA Paralympians. Games are tonight at 5, Saturday at 8, 9:45, 11:30, 1:15, and 3 pm, Sunday at 9 am, championship game at 11 am, awards at 1 pm; no admission charge. WSHS is at 3000 California SW.

Our second report on the start of high-school-baseball season: Close game for West Seattle High School, opening the season with an extra-inning loss this afternoon at Hiawatha, vs. Highline. The photo and report are from Caryn Johnson:

Wednesday afternoon officially opened the West Seattle High School Baseball season. It was a beautiful, but cold afternoon for baseball. Jamie Maples (#6 – photo above) started on the mound for Westside, pitching three innings. The Wildcats got off to a slow start, falling behind until the bottom of the 6th inning, where they took advantage of some costly errors by the Pirates, scoring 3 runs to go up heading into the last inning. Yet, in the end, errors on the West Seattle side let Highline back into the game, pushing it into extra innings.

In the end, the Wildcats fell just short, losing 8-7 in eight innings.

The next game is scheduled on Friday at 3:30 against Rainier Beach at Hiawatha Playfield.

See the full season schedule here.

First of two high-school-baseball reports: Chief Sealth International High School opened the season today with a 3-0 win on the road against Tyee HS in SeaTac. Head coach Ernest Policarpio (who is also Sealth’s athletic director) sent the box score – Sealth pitcher Nik Turcinec got the win, 7 shutout innings with 8 strikeouts. Offensive star was Jonathan Pashby, who went 2 for 2, with 2 RBIs, 1 run, 1 walk. Next up, the Seahawks play Ingraham at 4 pm Friday at the Northwest Athletic Complex; see the full schedule here.

(Photo by Richard Figgins)

The Seattle Lutheran High School boys’ basketball season has ended, with a sixth-place finish at the 1B state tournament in Spokane. This morning, the Saints lost to Garfield-Palouse, 59-54. It was the end of an incredible season, as you can see by the full list of game results here. SLHS plays in the Sea-Tac League, which honored head coach Brett Kapels as Coach of the Year, with Xavier Turner and Josh Meyer making the all-league first team.

Thanks to Mike Jensen for the report from the state 1B boys-basketball tournament in Spokane: Final score, Seattle Lutheran High School 52, Shorewood Christian 47. SLHS plays for fourth place at 8 am tomorrow, vs. Garfield-Palouse.

At 10:30 Friday morning in Spokane, it’s the next state-tournament game for two boys-basketball teams whose schools are just a few miles apart – Seattle Lutheran (north of The Junction) and Shorewood Christian (east of Arbor Heights). Both lost their opening games on Thursday afternoon – the Saints falling to Almira-Coulee-Hartline, 50-44, and the Lions to Yakama Nation, 59-49. Friday’s winner will advance to the 4th-place game on Saturday morning.

That’s the West Seattle High School baseball team on the day they played in the annual HS Baseball Classic at Safeco Field last year. Caryn Johnson shared it in honor of the team getting ready for the 2016 season – with updates including their annual sales of tickets to an M’s game:

Bring on BASEBALL!! The West Seattle High School Wildcats took to Hiawatha Monday afternoon for their first practice of the season. It is a great turnout of boys and they all, including the longtime coaching staff, can’t wait for the season to begin. A jamboree is scheduled for Saturday, March 12th at Liberty High School and the first game is the following Wednesday, March 15th, vs Highline at Moshier Field.

We would also like to pass along some information on the team as well as our annual fundraisers. The team has a new website – www.westseattlehsbaseball.org It is still “a work in progress”, but we hope to get more information about the team uploaded soon. On the website you will find information about our big Mariners Ticket fundraiser. Selling Mariners tickets not only raises funds for the team, it also qualifies them to play in the annual High School Baseball Classic at Safeco Field. We are always so excited to see our boys play at this spectacular venue. You can find information on the new site about how to purchase tickets to support the team as well as when to come out to Safeco to watch this FREE game. Any inquiries about M’s tickets can also be sent to westseattlemarinerstickets@gmail.com.

The other fundraiser is our annual silent auction/spaghetti dinner hosted by the baseball team on Saturday, April 9th, at West Side Presbyterian Church from 5:00 – 9:00 PM. Again, we’ll be posting information about this fun event on our website as it becomes available. Here’s to a great season. Thank you for your support.

(UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON with info on state games for SLHS, SCHS)

(WSB video: SLHS starters’ introduction)

8:15 PM: We’re at Renton High School, where the first quarter is over and the Seattle Lutheran High School boys are ahead of Columbia Adventist Academy, 15-7, in the regional playoffs. SLHS went out to a 11-0 lead before the Kodiaks got on the board. With tough defense by the Saints, at six seconds left in the quarter, Columbia Adventist ran out of time and notched a shot-clock violation. Winner of this game goes to state, while the other team’s season will be over. We’ll be updating each quarter.

8:31 PM: Halftime, and the Saints lead the Kodiaks, 31-13. (Photo above, basket in progress by Josh Meyer, midway through the second quarter.)

8:54 PM: End of the third quarter now, and Seattle Lutheran is up 51-26. Highlights during this quarter included two back-to-back baskets by Meyer, including a three-pointer.

9:10 PM: The Saints kept building their lead, and have just won the game 71-32:

They’re headed to the state tournament in Spokane; we should find out tomorrow who they’ll play and when. We’ll add more photos and game stats when we’re back at HQ. (added) Leading scorers: Meyer with 20, Xavier Turner (below) with 19:

Simon Solomon scored 9 points.

ADDED SUNDAY AFTERNOON: The opening round in the state 1B boys’ basketball tournament is set: Seattle Lutheran will play Almira-Coulee-Hartline at 2 pm Thursday, right after Shorewood Christian (which is just east of Arbor Heights) plays Yakima Tribal at 12:15 pm. (Both SLHS and SCHS made it to the state tournament last year, with Seattle Lutheran finishing third, Shorewood Christian finishing fifth.

Somebody in your family playing youth baseball this season? Here’s a new way to get geared up – a swap event at Second Gear Sports (WSB sponsor) coming up one week from today. To get ready for it, SGS is accepting gear starting TOMORROW! Here’s the announcement:

Second Gear Sports and West Seattle Baseball are hosting a first annual cleat and gear swap extravaganza on March 5, 4-7 p.m.

Join us to trade in outgrown cleats for newer ones! Get the first shot at this season’s best used and new baseball gear at a special price. This event is open to all families with baseball players.

Before the exchange, bring clean, gently used baseball gear (cleats, bats, mitts, helmets, pants, bags, etc.) to Second Gear Sports for drop-off between Feb. 28 – March 3. Items will be inventoried and gear (except for cleats) will be priced.

During the exchange, every attending family can take free cleats from the swap table. Free cleats will only be available during the event on a first-come, first-served basis. Other baseball gear will be available for sale at great prices, as well as additional in-store discounts, complimentary snacks and drinks.

After the exchange, remaining cleats/gear will move into store inventory, subject to regular consignment terms.

Questions? Contact Second Gear Sports at 206-935-3552 or info@secondgearsports.com

Second Gear Sports is at 6529 California SW in Morgan Junction, open 11 am-5 pm Sundays, 10 am-6 pm Mondays-Saturdays.