Four Thurston County high school boys baseball teams finished competition at WIAA State baseball competitions on May 30, 2026, with Tumwater finishing in 2nd place. Rochester, Northwest Christian and Olympia high schools also sent teams to State Tournament games.
Tumwater (23-5), competing at the 2A tournament, fell 0-1 to defending champion Bainbridge in the state final game. The game was a nail-biting, extra-inning heartbreak loss for Tumwater after an outstanding pitching effort from senior Braeden Konrad. The T-Birds took a 15-game winning streak into the final.
Tumwater head coach Lyle Overbay was proud of his team’s fight. “We did a lot of great things in the game to give us a chance and everyone pulled for each other and backed each other up,” remarked Overbay. “The team prepared every day with a team-first mentality. Seniors showed by example and that was the reason we made it as far as we did. They played as a team and believed in each other.”
Olympia High School (20-7) placed 5th in the 4A competition. After an opening round win against Woodinville (15-5), the Bears fell 1-11 to first seed Richland.
Bears head coach Derek Weldon praised the daily preparation and mentality his team had throughout the season and was happy that the program has now had seven straight state appearances.
“The boys put it together, played hard, competed, and did everything within their power to extend our season as long as possible,” stated Weldon. “Our goal every year is to win a state championship. When you fall short of that goal, it hurts. But this group, and our entire program, have so much to be proud of. I’m incredibly grateful to our seniors for the way they led all year, to every player and coach for their willingness to work and grind, and to the entire Olympia Baseball community for making the 2026 season another special one.”
Northwest Christian (11-7) and Rochester (14-10) also competed at state competitions. Northwest Christian lost in the 1B opening round to Wahkiakum with a score of 6-9 on May 19, at the RAC in Lacey. Rochester, competing in 1A play, fell to Colville on May 23 with a score of 0-6.
Northwest Christian had last played in a state tournament game in 2014, so head coach Jordan Potis stated how excited his school was with making the tournament. “I think we had some really great moments this year and some really encouraging things to build on for next year,” Potis remarked. “The seniors were a big part of our success this year. Their on-field leadership, experience and competitive fire will be missed, but I’m excited to see that role passed on to this next group of players.”
