Campbell throws 10 Ks in Monroe baseball’s Senior Night win

Published 12:05 am Thursday, April 24, 2025

MONROE — After losing the first game of their series with Everett on Monday, the Monroe baseball team bounced back with a 4-0 win over the Seagulls on Wednesday’s Senior Night. The win was the Bearcats’ (6-9 overall, 5-3 league) fourth in their last six contests while the Seagulls (6-11, 5-3) dropped their fifth in the same span.

Junior Caleb Campbell had a gem of a game on the mound in his team-high sixth start, striking out 10 while allowing just four hits and two walks.

“Absolutely,” Campbell said when asked if his first win of the season was his best game in 2025. “It was nice to be able to command the zone and get outs early.”

And get outs he did — Campbell was perfect through the first three innings of the game, retiring nine straight, including three strikeouts.

Campbell also kept runners on their toes all night, picking off two Seagulls with large lead-offs after attempting eight pickoffs in the game.

“I knew what my plan was — if I let those guys get on base, which I was hoping I wouldn’t, but when I did, we were all on the same page about long holds and picking guys off,” Campbell said. “The scouting report was great.”

Campbell also got the scoring started in the bottom of the third, making contact to force a fielder’s choice that allowed senior third baseman Braden Bingham to score on his big night.

Bingham (1-for-3, 3B, 1 run) found himself in scoring position at third thanks to a triple to right field to lead off the inning. It was Bingham’s first triple of the season on a night when his pre-game Senior Night advice to teammates was to have a “growth mindset.”

“The beginning of the season started off rough. I kind of got my swing together, stuck to a plan when I was at the base — just growth mindset, just compete,” Bingham said. “It’s all in your mind. It does not take skill to hit a ball.”

Some may contest that last point when they watch junior first baseman AJ Welch belt out extra base hits.

The Bearcats’ other ace went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run thanks to a timely double soon after Bingham scored. That hit brought home Campbell and sophomore Mike Enrico (0-for-3, run) to make it a 3-0 ballgame almost halfway through.

Junior Jack Enrico (1-for-3, RBI) brought Welch home on a fifth-inning single for what turned out to be the game’s final run.

Everett sophomore pitcher Lincoln Stewart exited the game in the fifth inning, as it was a tough game in an otherwise strong season that saw Stewart boast a 1.8 ERA. Lincoln made a heads-up play in the first inning by catching a bunt and throwing out a runner stranded between first and second for a double play.

Everett head coach Alex Barashkoff confirmed Stewart had been dealing with arm soreness earlier in the day and will rest until next week when the Seagulls meet Snohomish for their last league series of the season.

“Our velocity was down and they took advantage of it,” Barashkoff said. “I think if Lincoln was at 100%, it would have been a little different.”

The Seagulls offense was the unlucky recipient of Campbell’s big day, as Everett went 4-for-23. Senior center fielder Andreas Gutierrez (2-for-3) had two of those hits while senior and 2024 All-Wesco First-Team catcher Luca Morales drew both of the team’s walks.

Morales pointed to issues with mentality in the box for Everett’s recent slide.

“Some of us were ready to play, some of us weren’t,” Morales said. “It comes down to focus, intensity and level-headedness. I think a lot of guys get too above themselves, too below themselves, and end up making a lot of mistakes.”

With the district playoffs just two weeks away, Morales still believes the Seagulls could improve on a 2024 first-round exit, provided Everett qualifies for the 12-team tournament.

“Our team is very driven to play baseball,” Morales said. “That kind of (postseason) setting would really drive us to our fullest potential… if we make it to playoffs.”

Monroe’s other fourth-year player, outfielder Brennan Sheppard (1-for-2), believes the Senior Night win can be a starting point for a special Bearcats run after they came up one game short of state in 2024.

The key?

Just play baseball.

“We need to not worry about our opponent and who we’re playing and just play our type of ball,” Sheppard said. “I think we can go really far and as long as this batting keeps up, I think we’re good to go.”

The Bearcats will need all their firepower for their last league series of the year next week against Wesco North 3A/2A favorite Stanwood. First, Monroe will take on Lake Stevens at home on Friday afternoon while the Seagulls will play at Meadowdale on Friday as well.