By Nathan Joyce
MaxPreps.com
Central Kitsap center fielder Caleb Brown committed to play baseball at the University of Washington before the season.
He played the entire season in front of professional scouts, and he showed why Saturday at the Class 4A West Central District tournament.
The reigning Narrows League MVP went 6-for-6 with two home runs, two doubles and five RBI in two games as CK beat a pair of foes in mercy-rule shortened games to advance to the state tournament for the second straight year.
"I've never had a day like that," said Brown, who was the Narrows League Bay Division MVP in football.
Brown, who finished the regular season hitting .450, said he had been struggling in recent weeks.
In the first game, he went 3-for-3 with a solo homer to right field. In the nightcap, he was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a three-run homer to center field. He was intentionally walked in his last trip to the plate.
The Cougars rapped out 14 hits in the second game.
"That's always been the key," Baxter said. "If we hit the ball like we're capable of hitting the ball, we're going to be fine."
Not that the pitching was bad Saturday, either. Casey Bohlmann gave up only two hits in the opener. Bohlmann was efficient, throwing just 50 pitches, 33 for strikes. He cruised the first three innings on just 21 pitches and didn't give up a hit until a two-out double in the fourth.
In the second game, Allen Hewey and Nate Roberts gave up only four hits.
Central Kitsap will return to Kent Memorial next Saturday for the first round of state. CK will face Northwest District champ Mountlake Terrace (17-6) in the first game of the Region I tournament at Kent Memorial at 10 a.m.
Baseball: Top 3A Team Misses State
Eastside Catholic entered the week as the No. 1 team in the 3A classification.
It ended the week without qualifying for the state tournament. The Crusaders (20-3) had won 18 straight entering the Metro League tournament, but back-to-back losses to Seattle Prep and West Seattle sealed their fate.
Seattle Prep won the Metro title after losing in the title game the previous two years.
Basketball: Husky Star Takes Over at West Seattle
Donald Watts, who was a basketball star at the University of Washington, has his first head coaching job. Watts, who was the state player of the year in 1995 for Lake Washington, will coach West Seattle.
Watts, who is the son of ex-Sonic Slick Watts, played in pro leagues in Europe and South America. He now plays for the Everett Explosion of the International Basketball League.
West Seattle qualified for state last season for the first time since 1970.
Soccer: Lions Roaring Into State
The Bellarmine Prep Lions are ranked No. 3 in the nation according to one poll.
It’s easy to figure out why: They don’t give up goals.
The Lions, which won several games in Ireland during a trip earlier this spring, recorded their fourth straight shutout in the Class 4A West Central District tournament, beating Emerald Ridge 2-0.
Bellarmine improved to 19-1-0, their only loss coming to a team in Ireland. The Lions went 3-1 during an April trip. They’ve won eight straight since then.
The win over Emerald Ridge put the Lions in the Class 4A state tournament, which begins today around the state. Bellarmine hosts traditional power Snohomish Tuesday at Mount Tahoma.
