Over the next several weeks, leading up to opening day, we’ll be publishing our team previews ahead of the 2026 spring season. Team previews touch on programs spanning all state classifications, counting down through the official Prep Baseball Oregon Preseason Power 25 Rankings.

Team Previews are generated through a mixture of coaches' responses gathered through our perennial coaches questionnaires, as well as insight from Prep Baseball Staff. Stay tuned the next several weeks for the unveiling of Team Previews and the complete Power 25.

Today, we spotlight the #22 ranked Bend Lava Bears. 

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High School: Bend Lava Bears   
Head Coach: Quinn Clair
Division: 5A
League/Conference: Intermountain
2025 Record (Finish): 17-11
2025 Playoff Finish: 5A state round of 16

 

ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Key Players Lost: Fischer Barber, Will Goodman, Cash Hattenhauer, Makai Morton

TEAM OUTLOOK

Starting Pitching: Cole Cooper, Marcio Silva

Bullpen: Lewis Knapp, Jack Burge, Urijah Johnson

Top Seniors: Kaden Cooper, Cole Cooper, Spencer Dildine, Lewis Knapp, Mason Pendergast, Marcio Silva

Top Juniors: Wyatt Holmberg, Derek Lima

Underclassmen to watch: '29 Urijah Johnson

Areas to watch: Middle infield

Team Strengths: Senior class, pitching depth

Overall Summary

Bend is coming off of some success in 2025 and look poised to take a step forward, returning a strong core of talent in their senior class. The Lava Bears are headlined by two-way talent Cole Cooper. The righty hit .371 in the middle of the order last spring and led the team in innings as well, throwing to a 1.82 ERA in 42.1 IP. Senior catcher Kaden Cooper is another offensive threat returning after hitting in the three-hole down the stretch last season. Mason Pendergast led the team in hitting in a more limited sample size last season, and could be poised for a larger role offensively. Senior Marcio Silva rounds out the talented senior class, posing a threat with the bat while also throwing 33 innings last spring. Expect Silva to take on even more innings with the graduation of multiple key arms. Another big storyline to monitor will be the potential impact of freshman Urijah Johnson. The athletic talent has already worked his fastball into the mid-80's and has an incredibly high ceiling on the mound. Bend has plenty of intriguing matchups on the schedule this spring, including games with North Medford, Summit and Ridgeview. Look for the Lava Bears to improve upon their 2025 record and make a real push at the 5A state level.

Find more information on the 2026 Bend program below:

+ Follow them on IG: @lava_bear_baseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Oregon Preseason Power 25 homepage

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