State softball preview: Local teams poised to make waves

As the high school softball state tournament get underway this week, there are eight local teams who still have a shot to bring home a title across various classifications and locations.

For 4A, Jackson, Kamiak and Glacier Peak are all still standing after claiming three of the four state berths in the District 1/2 tournament last weekend.

Snohomish, Mountlake Terrace, Stanwood and Cascade all represent the 3A division and Cedarcrest is alive in 2A play.

Here’s a look at the eight teams still standing:

CLASS 4A

Where: Columbia Playfields, Richland.

When: May 26-27.

Jackson

First-seeded Jackson (22-1) is set to face No. 16 Kamiakin (12-11) in the opening round on Friday at 11 a.m. at the Columbia Playfields in Richland. Coming off a 4A district title win over second-seeded Bothell last weekend, the Timberwolves drew the tournament’s top seed in their seventh consecutive trip to state, with back-to-back championships coming in 2018 and 2019. Jackson’s stellar defense has been present through its season-long campaign and helped carry the Wolves through districts. Jackson has allowed just 0.8 runs per game this season with a .970 fielding percentage. UNLV-bound junior Yanina Sherwood has held the circle down for Jackson, racking up a whopping 226 strikeouts on the year over 138 innings pitched, flaunting a 20-1 record and a 0.41 earned-run average. On the offensive end, they’ve also been consistent, headlined by senior Fresno State commit Rachel Sysum, who’s batting a team-best .422 with a school record 14 home runs. Sherwood, Simone Williams, Macie Dean, Hailey Pelletier and Leneyah Mitchell have all connected on at least 20 hits and all have batted .330-plus. Jackson was recently included in the MaxPreps top-25 national rankings.

Glacier Peak

The 20-4 Glacier Peak Grizzlies will open up the state tournament against 11th-seeded Battle Ground on Friday at 9 a.m. After taking the eighth seed in the 10-team 4A District 1/2 Tournament, Glacier Peak ripped through three loser-out contests in a row to claim the No. 6 seed in the state bracket. The Grizzlies come into the pool having won eight of their last nine contests. They’ve shut out teams seven times this season and haven’t allowed more than four runs in a game and a total of just 1.7 runs per contest. GP’s pitching combo of senior Faith Jordan and junior Maya Mesa along with a deep and potent offensive attack across the lineup have been keys to the Grizzlies’ success.

Kamiak

Much like Glacier Peak, Kamiak (19-5) had to play some of its best softball of the season to make it through the district bracket. After a state-clinching win over Skyline last week, the Knights find themselves locked into the No. 9 seed and will face eighth-seeded Rogers of Puyallup at 11 a.m. in the first round in the 4A tourney, with the potential to run up against Jackson in the second round, should the Wolves capture a win over Kamiakin. Kamiak has been able to run up the scoreboard against most opposing schools this year, averaging a league-best 12.3 runs per game and a 9.1 run differential. Kamiak’s lineup is batting .429 this year behind team leader Scarlette Chapman, a junior, who is batting .706 over 85 at-bats. Senior Samantha Rowher follows with a .492 average and has homered eight times. Eight different Knights have connected on at least 20 hits over the season.

CLASS 3A

Where: Regional Athletic Complex, Lacey

When: May 25-27.

Snohomish

Appearing in its eighth-straight trip at state, the No. 2 Panthers will square off against the winner of Garfield (No. 18) and Heritage (No. 15) in the second round of the 3A bracket. Having won eight out of the last nine Wesco 3A/2A league trophies, Snohomish (20-3) is poised for a possible deep postseason run. Two-way star senior Skyla Bristol has been cleaning up on both sides of the field for the Panthers. In the circle, she’s struck out 121 batters over 59 innings, with a 0.36 ERA and a 6-2 record. At the plate, she’s connected on 36 of her 70 at-bats with 10 doubles. Emma Hansen has been equally impressive offensively, batting .493 with a team-high 37 hits and 37 RBI.

Mountlake Terrace

The 10th-seeded Mountlake Terrace Hawks (15-7) came on strong towards the end of the year, finishing off the season 12-3 after a 3-4 start and clinching a state berth with a 7-6 win over Cascade (17-6) in the 3A District 1 semifinal round. Led by Providence College signee and big-time slugger Cameron Dunn, the Hawks have maneuvered their way through close contests this season and are 6-1 in games decided by two runs or less. They will play Mt. Spokane on Friday at 9 a.m.

Cascade

The 17-6 Cascade Bruins narrowly clinched a trip into the 3A state tournament with a 15-14 win over city-rival Everett in a loser-out, nine-inning barn-burner last week. Having been penned in as the eighth seed, they’ll go up against Gig Harbor (No. 9) in the opening round on Friday at 11 a.m. Cascade brings a top-notch offense into state, which has been spearheaded by multi-faceted ace Abby Surowiec. During the regular season, the senior batted .510 (26-for-51), leading the team in runs scored and RBI. She’s also been a part of the Bruins’ two-headed attack in the circle, along with senior Alexa Hamshaw. Both pitched 40-plus innings in the regular season, combining for 155 strikeouts. Junior and starting catcher Jaidyn Wilson leads Cascade with a .537 average, adding a team-high 12 doubles.

Stanwood

After coming in as the last seed in the 3A District 1 Tournament, Stanwood (12-12) found a way to claim one of the three state berths at districts, rattling off wins over Marysville Getchell, Mount Vernon and Meadowdale. The No. 20 Spartans open up with a loser-out matchup against 13th-seeded Ballard Thursday at 3 p.m. for the right to face Bonney Lake (No. 4) in the opening round on Friday.

CLASS 2A

Where: Carlon Park, Selah

When: May 26-27

Cedarcrest

The 14-8 Red Wolves open in the 2A bracket against sixth-seeded Port Angeles on Friday at 9 a.m. Cedarcrest ranked second in Wesco 3A/2A with 9.7 runs per contest, trailing Snohomish at 10.3. Senior catcher Maddie Knowles leads the group with 12 homers on the year and has collected 45 RBI. As a unit, the Red Wolves have batted .366 and notched 178 RBI and 213 total runs.