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 Washington 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 preview the #11 ranked Lake Washington Kangaroos. 

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High School: Lake Washington Kangaroos   
Head Coach: Derek Bingham
Division: 4A
League/Conference: KingCo
2025 Record (Finish): 20-11
2025 Playoff Finish: 4A state champions

 

ROSTER PREVIEW

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 4
No. of Returning Pitchers: 4
Key Players Lost: Shane Johnson, Boden Reeve, Mason Smithwick, Aidan Mehlberg, Gavin Johnson, Brady O'Cain, Logan Schuster, Marcello Giusti

TEAM OUTLOOK

Starting Pitching: Oliver Stevens, Asher Crossley

Bullpen: Kane Nishikawa, Will Cooley, Matthew Milinkovic

Top Seniors: Will Cooley, Kane Nishikawa, Malachi Toungate, Asher Crossley, Brady Carlson

Top Juniors: Noah Kwon, Oliver Stevens, Sam Mehlberg 

Underclassmen to watch: '28 Owen Price, '28 Matthew Milinkovic, '28 Brayden Greenberg

Areas to watch: Pitching depth, replacing seniors

Team Strengths: Defense, returning left side of the infield

Overall Summary

Lake Washington enters 2026 coming off of a miraculous 4A state championship run a season ago. Though the Kangs lose several key players from the title-winning squad, they also return enough pieces to be a competitive side this spring. Senior OF/P and Gonzaga commit Will Cooley will hit toward the top of the lineup, providing speed and a quality LH bat after hitting over .340 last spring. Cooley can also run a fastball into the mid to upper 80's on the mound in shorter stints. Junior Noah Kwon is another key returner, providing a plus glove at shortstop defensively with top of the order experience. Senior Kane Nishikawa was instrumental in the playoffs down the stretch and will be a regular on the dirt as well. On the pitching side, junior Oliver Stevens is the leading returner in innings pitched from last spring. Stevens posted a 3.5 ERA in 27 IP and will likely be asked to do even more on the mound. Senior Asher Crossley is another intriguing arm with plus stuff when in the strike zone. With many graduated players, young prospects such as Owen Price, Brayden Greenberg and Matthew Milinkovic may see increased time at the varsity level. The Kangs have games against Battle Ground, Eastlake, Woodinville and Union to highlight their 2026 schedule. Expect Lake Washington to use their championship experience to once again be a strong 4A side.

Find more information on the 2026 Lake Washington program below:

+ Follow them on IG/X: @kangsbaseball
+ Visit the Prep Baseball Washington Preseason Power 25 homepage

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