It’s a common site at any Tacoma Rainiers’ baseball game during the summer – the stands at Cheney Stadium are filled with several youth baseball programs.
The Thurston County Saints 15U club got to take the experience a step further, however, by actually playing on the same field as the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate.
After playing .500 ball for the first part of the season, the TC Saints caught fire at the end, stringing together an impressive 11-game winning streak, culminating by earning a spot in the 3rd Annual GSL State Tournament championship game on July 16.
The team came up short in its bid to capture the state title, losing 7-3 in the championship contest to the Kent Bulldogs.
“The final game didn’t quite work out the way we wanted it to,” TC Saints 15U head coach Ethan Berchet-Hall said, “but we couldn’t be prouder of them and how they played at the end of the season.”
The TC Saints 15U team was comprised of Conner Bourbon, Austin Sheldon, Austin Duncan, Max Henry, Cody Whalen, CJ Beard, Brandon Larson, Ben Barker, Dayton Holmstrom, Jordan Ziegler, Jaidon Matthews, Dylan Burnett, Logan Thomforde, and Andrew Stafford.
“This group has been awesome. This is my second year with most of the team, and the growth we have made over the last two years has been incredible,” Berchet-Hall said. “They are competitive and dedicated and get after it every game, but they are also goofy and full of personality. It has been a joy to coach them.”
In addition to facing a strong Kent squad, the Saints had to overcome 90-degree heat, which was substantially hotter on the field.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a quick lead in the game, scoring four runs in the first before adding three runs in the sixth to grab a commanding 7-0 advantage.
The Saints went hitless through the opening five innings. Matthews broke up the no hit bid in the bottom of the sixth with a run-scoring blast to left field. The hit ignited the Saints’ offense, leading to a three-run inning which trimmed the deficit to 7-3.
The Thurston County club, however, was unable to get any closer as Kent sealed up the game and the state tournament title following a scoreless seventh inning.
“It’s a tough place to play in and the heat was difficult, but it really was a fun experience for the team,” said Berchet-Hall, who was joined on his staff this season by assistant coaches Matt Zeutenhorst and Austen Lee.
“This is our second year together as a coaching staff and we work together well,” Berchet-Hall said. “I usually focus on the hitters and infielders, Austin takes care of the pitchers and outfielders, and Zeut is our catching guru and first base coach.”
The TC Saints opened the year a pedestrian 14-10 before catching fire and going on a lengthy winning streak.
The Saints advanced to the title game by going a perfect 4-0 in pool play at the 15U GSL State Tournament. The team was simply dominant during pool play, outscoring opponents a combined 37-1 to advance to the state championship game.
Heading into the title game, TC Saints’ leadoff hitter Whalen was hitting a team-best .451 this season with 24 stolen bases.
Beard, who is hitting .382, paced the squad with 36 RBI.
Rounding out the Saints’ offensive attack was Matthews, who hit .344 with 12 doubles and 29 runs scored; Larson, who hit .388 with 29 RBI and 25 runs scored; and Henry, a .329 hitter.
On the mound Bourbon registered a 7-1 record and leads the team in innings pitched (60), strikeouts (50), ERA (.583) and WHIP (.827).
Sheldon was equally impressive pitching this year, posting a 7-1 record with a 1.72 ERA, while Beard was second on the squad in innings pitched with 45 and had a 2.01 ERA.
According to Berchet-Hall, one of the biggest highlights for the team this year was winning the GSL #Earnit Tournament.
The #Earnit Tournament is an annual event hosted by the GSL Tournament in honor of former Timberline High School baseball standout David Padilla, who passed away in 2015 following a three-year battle against osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer.
“It was our first tournament win and was made even more meaningful because it was a memorial tournament for a local kid that some of my coaching staff had played with when they were in high school,” Berchet-Hall said. “Winning that one meant a lot to the team and coaching staff.”
