Recapping the 2022 high school baseball season in West Sound
Each spring, the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable sponsors the Senior All-Star Baseball Game that allows the top 12th-grade players from in and around West Sound the opportunity to play one final contest before graduation.
Wednesday's contest at Central Kitsap High School served as the final chapter in a season that saw teams play a full schedule and compete in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic completely wiped out games in 2020 and shortened the 2021 season to six weeks.
The ability to return to normal wasn't lost on Central Kitsap senior Easton Herdman, who'll play next year at Everett Community College.
"We were all happy to get out there and play a full season and be with all of our friends one last time," Central Kitsap senior Easton Herdman said.
Let's close the book on the 2022 season with a recap of Wednesday's game before moving on to the Kitsap Sun baseball player of the year, all-league selections and a review of how teams fared in the postseason.
American All-Stars top Nationals
Wednesday's game featured the American All-Stars (Central Kitsap, North Kitsap, Kingston, Bremerton, Sequim and East Jefferson) against the National All-Stars (Crosspoint, South Kitsap, North Mason and Port Angeles).
The Americans won 14-7, using a six-run sixth inning to blow open a game that was close through five innings. Herdman earned most valuable player honors for the Americans after finishing 4-for-4 with a triple, RBI and four runs.
Herdman, whose father Eli played in the Minnesota Twins' minor league organization after hitting 24 career home runs at Central Kitsap in the early 1990s, said he was looking forward to growing as a player at community college.
"I'm ready to go to Everett and start working toward what I want," he said.
Port Angeles' Beckett Jarnagin went 2-for-3 with a double, run and two RBI to earn the MVP award for the Nationals.
Before the game, Crosspoint's Bryce Baird accepted the Dick Todd Award, presented by the Peninsula Umpires Association.
Players nominated to play to the Washington State Baseball Coaches Association All-State Series (June 25-26 in Yakima) were Colton Bower and Dalton Brockett from North Kitsap, Herdman and Chris Simonson from Central Kitsap, Thunderr Doty and Javin Zoolkoski from Crosspoint, Jarnagin from Port Angeles, Noah Deese, Gary Mullins and Brayden Hagerty from South Kitsap, and Jhunior Aquino and Landon Isenhart from Bremerton.
Bainbridge's Ritchie is Kitsap Sun's player of the year
There's a good chance Bainbridge senior JR Ritchie will hear his name called in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft July 17. The pitching ace certainly didn't disappoint on the diamond this spring. He's the Kitsap Sun's pick for baseball player of the year.
The right-hander finished 7-0 on the mound with two earned runs allowed in 35 and 1/3 innings. He allowed 12 hits, struck out 74 and issued only four walks while posting a 0.39 earned run average and .100 batting average against.
North Kitsap baseball coach Jeff Weible said there's a reason Ritchie could be one of the first prep hurlers selected in the draft next month.
"He's the best high school pitcher I've ever seen in person," Weible said.
Offensively, Ritchie hit .468 with 12 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 35 runs batted in, 26 runs and 26 walks.
Ritchie has a scholarship to attend UCLA, but would forego college if he's drafted high enough and signs with an MLB team.
“If there’s a right fit, a right opportunity for me, it’s hard to pass up those type of opportunities that only come once in a lifetime," Ritchie told the Kitsap Sun in April.
All-league selection roundup
Here's a rundown of the West Sound baseball players who earned all-league honors this spring:
In the South Puget Sound League 4A, South Kitsap senior pitcher Noah Deese earned first-team honors, while second-team honors went to senior catcher Konnor Sutton and senior outfielder Gary Mullins. Earning honorable mention were senior pitcher Brayden Hagerty, senior infielder Cole Darcey, senior utility Sean Shaffer, junior pitcher Bradyn Melton and junior first baseball Kaden Ecklund.
In the South Sound Conference 3A, first-team members for Central Kitsap were junior second baseman Mateo Castro, junior outfielder Garrett Cooper and senior third baseman/pitcher Chris Simonson. Junior Payton Albin and senior Easton Herdman received honorable mention.
In the Olympic League 2A, Ritchie earned player of the year honors. First-team members by school were: Bainbridge — senior infielder Connor Sweeny, junior infielder Luke Lavigne, sophomore outfielder Kent Wisner, senior outfielder Cooper Russell, senior pitcher Tommy Lockyear; Bremerton — senior outfielder Jhunior Aquino, junior pitcher Bryce Ellis; Kingston—sophomore infielder Peau Tameilau, junior pitcher Seamus Gallagher-Kennedy; North Kitsap — senior catcher Colton Bower, sophomore infielder Cole Edwards, junior designated hitter Jaxson Gore, senior outfielder Carl Burchill, senior pitcher Kenneth Johnson; North Mason — sophomore utility Cole McCormick; Olympic — junior infielder Lathan Haywood, junior pitcher Blake Hennessy.
Second-team members by school were: Bainbridge — senior infielder Joey Hildebrandt; Bremerton — junior catcher Nicholas Crowley, junior infielder Brian Infante, senior infielder Landon Isenhart; Kingston — senior infielder Terefa Rutherford, senior pitcher Brockton Foss; North Kitsap — senior infielder Zack Edwards, senior infielder/pitcher Dalton Brockett; North Mason — senior outfielder Bentley Fisk, freshman pitcher Boston Stanley; Olympic — sophomore outfielder Landen Cartwright, junior outfielder Dantie Acacio. Sportsmanship awards went to Bainbridge junior Kyler Miller, Bremerton senior Eli Bali, Kingston senior Brockton Foss, North Mason senior Derick Durbin, North Kitsap senior Andrew Myers and Olympic junior David Matthew.
In the Nisqually League 1A, first-team honors for Klahowya went to freshman pitcher Aiden Michael, junior pitcher Matt Bailey, freshman infielder Juaren Salas, freshman outfielder Carson Moore, sophomore outfielder Blake Robinson and junior designated hitter Gabe Carpenter. Freshman infielder/pitcher Camden Dickey earned second-team honors, while freshman infielder Carson Langguth received honorable mention.
Crosspoint swept the main awards in the Sea-Tac League 1B with Derrin Doty earned coach of the year honors and senior shortstop/pitcher and junior catcher Sam Dykstra sharing most valuable player honors. The Warriors also earned the league sportsmanship award.
First-team honors went to senior first baseman/pitcher Javin Zoolkoski, while second-team honors went to sophomore infielder/pitcher Silas Stenerson, junior outfielder AJ Stevens and senior third baseman/pitcher Bryce Baird.
Crosspoint comes close to state title
Seven of West Sound's 10 baseball programs made the playoffs this spring and four qualified for state.
Crosspoint reached the Class 1B state championship game as the No. 4 seed and faced No. 3 Naselle for the title. The Warriors (21-3) fell 5-3, seeing a potential comeback win nixed after leaving the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Three other West Sound teams qualified for state and suffered defeats in the first round.
In 3A, No. 5 seed Bainbridge (19-4) went into its game against No. 12 Mercer Island without the services of three players due to COVID-19, including Ritchie, arguably the top pitcher in the state. The Spartans lost 8-0 and Mercer Island ended up running the table, winning the title with an 8-4 victory over Kennewick.
North Kitsap (21-3) earned the No. 1 seed in the 2A tournament, then lost 5-1 against No. 16 White River. In 1A, No. 11 seed Klahowya (16-6) lost 5-2 against No. 6 College Place. No. 2 Bellevue Christian, the team that beat Klahowya three times during the regular season to claim first place in the Nisqually League, won the title with a 7-1 win against No. 1 Cedar Park Christian.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Recapping the 2022 high school baseball season in West Sound
