State softball: Mt. Spokane vying to win Greater Spokane League’s first fastpitch title in nearly 20 years
On the heels of an unbeaten regular season, Mt. Spokane will look to do what no other Greater Spokane League team has done in the past 18 years: win a state fastpitch softball title.
That journey begins Friday for the second-seeded Wildcats (23-0) at the Regional Athletic Complex in Lacey against 18th-seeded Inglemoor at 9 a.m. in the State 3A tournament.
Led by standout junior pitcher Addison Jay and a solid group of hitters throughout the lineup, including Kaydin Bradeen and Makenzie Morris, the Wildcats are making their third consecutive state berth. Mt. Spokane earned a program-best fourth-place finish two seasons ago before missing out on a trophy last year.
“It burned a little bit last year going into state and then leaving without a trophy,” Jay said last month. “But that is what motivates us, and we are at the point where we just have to take it game by game and let our work turn into results.”
Standing in the way of the Wildcats’ title hopes though is a strong group of 3A front-runners, including top-seeded Stanwood (20-3) and defending 2A champion and No. 3 seed Sedro-Woolley (21-3).
“There’s just more experience this year coming into it than last year,” Mt. Spokane coach Carl Adams said. “I think during practice today they just felt relaxed and comfortable and felt maybe like they know what we’re getting into here.
“Certainly we know there are lots of great teams that we will run into, but they can now rely on that experience in those situations.”
If Mt. Spokane lifts the championship trophy on Saturday afternoon, it would join Shadle Park (2007) and University (2003) as the only champions from the GSL.
“I mean, to accomplish that for them would be such a cool thing to say that they had done,” Adams said.
“It would be exciting for the league. Obviously just making a great memory that they’d have for a lifetime.”
Freeman top seed in 2B: When the State 2B tournament begins Friday morning at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima, all eyes will be on the Freeman Scotties.
That’s due to the Scotties’ 21-2 record , good enough to earn them the top seed in the 16-team bracket.
But Freeman isn’t the only Northeast 2B team with a shot at the title.
In the same side of the bracket as Freeman is fifth-seeded Liberty (16-4) – a team that finished third in the WIAA’s RPI rankings and beat Freeman once this season. There is also eighth-seeded Northwest Christian (18-4) and No. 15 seed Colfax (12-12).
The Scotties open against 16th-seeded Lake Roosevelt. Liberty faces No. 12 Toledo and NWC takes on ninth-seeded Cle Elum-Roslyn, all at noon. Colfax begins its tournament at 10 a.m. against second-seeded Pe Ell/Willapa Valley.
Four teams seek 1B title: Inchelium, Almira/Coulee-Hartline and Colton earned the third, fourth and fifth seeds, respectively, while Springdale will be the No. 11 seed in the State 1B tournament, which begins Friday in Yakima.
Inchelium (19-2) and ACH (16-7) earned byes into the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. Colton (14-4) opens against No. 12 Muckleshoot Tribal in the first round and Springdale (12-15) takes on sixth-seeded Darrington.
DeSales and Liberty Christian are the top two seeds, respectively.