Friday Harbor softball advances to State; baseball season comes to an end
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, May 19, 2026
By Declan O’Malley, Journal contributor
Friday Harbor High School softball closed the regular season strong, winning two of its final three games. The Wolverines fell to Blaine 12-3 on May 2 but rebounded with a dominant 13-2 road victory over La Conner on May 4. Friday Harbor carried that momentum into its regular- season finale May 6, defeating La Conner again 17-7 at home. The Wolverines scored 30 runs across their final two victories to close the regular season on a high note.
Friday Harbor finished the regular season with a 13-7 overall record and a .650 winning percentage. The Wolverines placed second in the 1B/2B Northwest District standings with a 7-2 district record. Friday Harbor went 8-2 at home, 4-5 on the road and 1-0 in neutral-site games, scoring 244 runs while allowing 133. The team entered the postseason riding a three-game winning streak.
In the district tournament, Friday Harbor finished runner-up after a 7-4 loss to Coupeville in the championship game. The Wolverines still secured a berth in the state tournament with a 15-5 victory over Orcas Island High School on May 14 at Skagit Valley Playfields.
Baseball
Friday Harbor baseball saw its season end in the district playoff semifinals with a 5-3 loss to Orcas Island High School. Orcas Island later qualified for the state tournament after advancing to the district championship game, where it fell 13-2 to Mount Vernon Christian.
The Wolverines opened the season with a 12-2 win over Mount Baker on March 12 before facing a challenging stretch against Coupeville, Granite Falls, Lynden Christian, South Whidbey and Mount Vernon Christian. Friday Harbor earned key district wins, including back-to-back victories over Orcas Island in late March and early April and dominant wins over Darrington, 12- 1 and 13-1.
Friday Harbor closed the regular season with three straight wins over Northwest Christian and La Conner, including a 13-5 road win and a 9-7 home victory.
The Wolverines finished 8-9 overall with a .471 winning percentage, going 6-5 in district play to place fourth in the 1B/2B Northwest standings. The team went 5-5 at home and 3-4 on the road, scoring 96 runs and allowing 112.
Track and Field
Friday Harbor track and field posted strong results at the 21st Annual Tomahawk Classic on May 2 at Marysville Pilchuck High School. Ben Baisch won the boys’ 400 meters in 52.87, while Channing Kleine placed second in the 100 meters with a personal-best 11.16 and third in the 200 meters with a 22.85 PR. The boys also earned third-place finishes in the 4×200 and 4×400 relays, while Clive Nye placed second in the javelin at 138-10. Kelly Donogh finished sixth in the triple jump and posted a top-10 long jump, and Neil Gresseth placed sixth in both the 800 and 1,600 meters.
On the girls’ side, Stella Carli placed second in both the 200 and 400 meters, including a 26.56 personal best in the 200. Ella Cohen won the high jump at 4-8, Flora Compton placed second in the 1,600 meters with a 5:41.92 PR, and Autumn Vaught finished fourth in the 3,200. The girls’ 4×400 relay team of Georgia VanderYacht, Vaught, Wren Shearking and Ayla Weese-Burkhardt placed third in 4:39.11.
At the NW 1B/2B League Championships on May 7 at Bulldog Stadium in Mount Vernon, the Wolverines continued their strong postseason run. Channing Kleine won the 100 meters in 11.1 and placed second in the 200, while Ben Baisch captured the 400 title in 52.5. Neil Gresseth ran a personal-best 4:53.1 to finish third in the 1,600, Nick Taylor placed third in the 800, and the 4×100 relay finished fourth.
In field events, Clive Nye placed third in the javelin and fourth in the shot put, PJ Nixon was fifth in the discus with a PR, Grayson Matthews finished second in the high jump, and Kelly Donogh placed fourth in both the long jump and triple jump. On the girls’ side, Stella Carli won the 400 and 800, Flora Compton captured the 1,600 title, Ayla Weese-Burkhardt placed second in the 800, and Ella Cohen finished second in the high jump at 4-8. Lena Wilson, Clara Borner, Nadya Troutman, and Savannah Ovenell also contributed scoring performances.
