Washington state tournaments

All tournament times listed are for Friday. Tournaments continue Saturday.

State baseball

Class 1A – Freeman vs. Rochester, 1 p.m.; Class 2A – Pullman vs. Sehome, 7 p.m.; Yakima County Stadium. Coach Chad Ripke said his first-time 1A semifinalists Scotties, last year’s runner-up Naches Valley, Rochester and Kalama are similar. “All can throw it, play defense and are aggressive on the base paths,” he said. “It will come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes because we are so evenly matched.” Freeman (21-1) has scored 40 runs in its last three games and won a pair of 3-0 games prior to that. Tyler Ford is 8-0 and Abe Mega 8-1 on the mound and the team has good hitting and speed throughout the lineup. Freeman set school records in home runs and stolen bases. “The things we’ve accomplished as a team are exciting for me and the kids,” Ripke said. “If we do things right we have a darn good shot.”

Pullman is a surprise 2A semifinalist. “The season was very inconsistent with glimpses of what our potential was,” said coach Lance Lincoln. Others in the field are defending champion Sehome, third-place Cedarcrest and East Valley-Yakima

Class 1B – Colton vs. Touchet at 10 a.m.; Northport vs. Lake Quinault at 1 p.m., Parker Field (Yakima). Northport’s Tucker Guglielmino has piled up amazing stats for last year’s fourth-place finisher. He’s 13-1 in just his second year pitching with a 1.50 earned run average and 99 strikeouts in 76 innings. His on-base percentage is higher than .800 with a .566 batting average, 13 home runs and 70 runs batted in. “He’s a force,” said coach Don Baribault. “He’s been walked 37 times, 16 intentionally, six times with the bases loaded.” This is the Mustangs’ seventh state playoff and third final four this decade.

Softball

4A – Shadle Park vs. Kentlake, 9 a.m.; Central Valley vs. Stadium, 11 a.m. SERA Fields, Tacoma. A year ago at the State 4A softball tournament in Tacoma, there was anticipation of a title showdown between Shadle Park and Kentlake. The Highlanders won the title, but Kentlake stumbled and the matchup didn’t materialize. This year, Sam Skillingstad, a pitcher headed to Oregon, and Felecia Harris, an infielder-pitcher bound for Washington, meet right off the bat. “Honestly, I tell you we were very surprised to meet them in the first round,” said coach George Lynn. The Highlanders are 25-0. Central Valley (20-7) is making its second appearance, the last in 1996. “It’s a first in my time here,” said coach Jeff VanHorne. “The girls accomplished every goal they had this year and I couldn’t be happier.”

3A – North Central vs. Auburn Riverside, 11 a.m. SERA Fields, Tacoma. North Central (18-5) finished fourth last year and returns for the fourth straight year behind pitcher Kelsie Vallies.

2A – Colville vs. Sehome, 10 a.m.; West Valley vs. Burlington-Edison, 10 a.m.; Pullman vs. Centralia, noon, Carlon Park in Selah. Colville’s Indians, who twice have placed third, are making their 12th appearance, Pullman its third. WV was last to state in 1998.

1A – Freeman vs. Warden and Lakeside (Nine Mile Falls) vs. Cedar Park Christian, noon, Franklin Park Softball Complex. Spokane is the site of the two-day, 16-team event. The first games are at 10 a.m.

2B/1B – Kiwanis Park, Yakima. Seven area teams play. In 2B, Lind-Ritzville and Liberty play at 9 a.m. and Selkirk at 11. In 1B, Odessa, Garfield-Palouse, Columbia and Inchelium all play at 1 p.m.

Tennis

They’re known as “Big E” and “Little E.” Mead singles players, senior Ethan Burns and sophomore Ethan Vaughn have teamed up in doubles and are among representatives to Friday’s State 4A tournament in Vancouver.

“I decided to go that route,” said coach Bill Wagstaff. “I looked into the crystal ball trying to predict the outcome and to me there were five (singles) people looking for three spots.”

Even though Vaughn, who displaced Burns as Mead’s No. 1 singles player, had qualified for state the year before, Wagstaff said he felt the odds were better for reaching state in doubles.

The pair finished third in region, beating last year’s state fourth-place team from Lewis and Clark. The 6-foot-3 Burns (“Big E”) is making his first state appearance. Joining them are Mead girls Katrina Schwab in singles, and Britta and Katijene Stime in doubles.

Ferris regional singles champions Whitman Hough and Katie Griffith, plus Saxons doubles partners Colin Siok and Kevin Satre are also state-bound.

Mt. Spokane doubles teams, Jarred Dahl and Freddy Identeg, Nick McMurray and John Maccini are at the 3A tourney in Kennewick. Clarkston qualified nine players for the 2A in Seattle. Various 1A/2B/1B configurations and total of 29 area athletes play in Yakima.

Boys soccer

2A – Cheney vs. Quincy, 6 p.m., Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner. The Blackhawks (19-1) were state favorites last year but were upset in the first round. This year the high-scoring team is in the round of four.