High school baseball is back, and the pulse of the program is pounding throughout the community, bringing excitement and hope.

The Pirates are fielding a promising team in 2022. Head coach Simon Perrin predicts, “This season has a lot of potential, if we play our type of baseball.”

Vashon’s present and future baseball scene, from T-ballers to high school seniors, looks bright. Vashon Youth Baseball and Softball, the program that introduces and trains our local players, is seeing fantastic numbers, energy and talent. This is what helps our baseball future remain stable and strong, as all of our current high school players came up through those programs. The younger kids who are there now will one day wear the green and gold.

Last year’s very young, but talented, varsity baseball team is stronger and more confident this season.

“They are hitting and base running with intent, a difference from last year, and we’re not holding our breath,” said Perrin. “The speed of the game is increasing from last season. Our dug-out energy is outstanding, comparable to the state team.”

Perrin is now in his second year of leading the Pirates. Assistant coach Greg McElroy is back and joined by assistant coach Chester Pruett. Coaches Perrin and Pruett were teammates on the 2016 state championship team for Vashon. They are bringing their passion for and knowledge of the game to show this group of players what it takes to get to a state championship. But as Coach Perrin put it, they are teaching them to be good citizens first, and talented baseball players second.

The first week of games brought a successful 2-2 overall record and a 2-1 outcome for conference play. Their first game against University Prep was non-conference and Coach Perrin worked in some younger players to “get the varsity jitters out of the way.” He positioned players to receive some important reps and get them ready for the season. The team lost the game but the season’s goals for the day were accomplished.

On March 23, a five-inning doubleheader at Cascade Christian took place. A rain shower, earlier in the day, left the field a mess. Each step the players took sounded like they were working on a farm, but they pushed through as any Northwest athlete knows how to do.

Will Frith started on the mound in the first game. The Pirates scored in the bottom of the first, but Cascade Christian punched back with three runs on a couple of hits and an error. In the third inning, a key double play by the Pirate’s shortstop Jack Harvey and second baseman Finn Hawkins held the game close. Then in the fourth, with two outs, Vashon’s offense went to work.

Harvey was hit by a pitch followed by singles from Hawkins, Finn Magonegil, Maxwell Delgado-Williams, Sam Walker and Frith. Vashon went up 6-4, and with excellent base running and Frith completing the game with two earned runs and three strikeouts, the Pirates racked up the first win of the season.

“Will Frith pitched well for us, picked up right where he left off last year,” said Perrin.

The second game of the doubleheader proved more challenging, but not due to particularly poor play by the Pirates. The mojo just exited stage left as it does in baseball. Sam Walker pitched a complete game and threw well. A few errors in key moments, a couple of bloops, and untimely walks built a wall the Pirates just couldn’t scale.

Lefty pitcher Sando for Cascade Christian kept Vashon to only two hits in the 3-7 loss. But the Pirates kept battling and never gave up, which is a key component to the season’s approach, according to Coach Perrin.

“Untimely errors and walks and a few small mistakes undid us,” he said. “But the great thing is they fixed the problems in under 24 hours for the next game at home. It’s pretty impressive that they can bounce back from a winnable loss in one day and do what they did.”

On March 24, players took for field for a home game against Seattle Christian, and the Pirates were firing on all cylinders. Finn Hawkins pitched a complete game in five innings for the 2-14 win, finishing with no earned runs and six strikeouts.

The baserunning was stellar. The Pirates, in particular Finn Magonegil, Maxwell Delgado-Williams and Jack Harvey, kept constant pressure on the Warriors’ defense. Vashon’s defense had a rocky start in the first inning with a case of the drops, but quickly tightened up into locked down the rest of the way, culminating in what may wind up being the best play of the year by Delgado-Williams — diving in center field for the out.

And the hits were coming in bundles for the entire starting team. Danny Baldinger singled. Magonegil kept up his hot hitting this season with a double.

Delgado-Williams, Frith and Hawkins also doubled. Sam Walker and Will Weber both had two hits on the day, with Weber crushing a triple to right-center. Jack Harvey and Walker led the offense with three hits each. Charlie Walker went three-for-three with three RBIs.

“Our batted balls in play is just outstanding so far as a team and to see a freshman, Charlie, have a day like that is special,” Perrin said. “Our brand of baseball is scrappy, running the bases well, and our motto is – we’re better, we know it and we’ll prove it.”

The next games for Vashon Varsity Baseball are:

April 1, at home, vs. East Jefferson at 4 p.m.

April 4, at home, vs. Bellevue Christian at 4 p.m.

April 6, at Bellevue Christian, at 6:30 p.m.

April 8, at Sultan High School, at 3 p.m.

For the full schedule, visit tinyurl.com/2p95upea.