Eastside Catholic have had their backs against the walls countless times in 2026.

After losing their first game on May 6 in the Metro League tournament as the number three seed, the Crusaders have been in several “loser out” games and have fought back time and again, heading into the 3A state semifinals on a 7 game winning streak.

“It's been a really fun ride to see these guys kind of come together as a group and start clicking,” head coach Kyle Larsen said. “We talked about after we lost that game, we said ‘it could be done, but we can't count ourselves out’ and you could just see it in their faces that they were going to be ready to take on the challenge and get after it.”

The message that Larsen expressed to his team was that if they come together, this could be done. He voiced the complete belief his squad needed to have.  

“It was just kinda one of those things where I'm like, ‘Man, you guys have to give yourselves a chance and believe that you guys can get it done.’”

After some mixed results to start the year, the Crusaders have been playing their best baseball late in the season. Larsen credits a very specific mindset towards helping with the recent success.

“Play loose, play fun and play for each other,” Larsen said.  

Larsen also credits the teams confidence growing as they continue to handle high-pressure environments game after game.

The pitching has certainly been a big key to the recent success. The Crusaders have only allowed six total runs in the seven games they have won, with their defense and pitching carrying a heavy load. Senior RHP Jay Baxter has been leading the way, capped by a complete-game shutout performance against Mount Vernon, the top-seeded team in the 3A state tournament.

“They're letting our defense work. We're making a bunch of plays behind them…  I believe in these guys enough, and I believe in Jay enough to walk two guys to load the bases, and I know we're going to make a play.”

The Crusader bats have come alive in big moments as well. The belief for each other is producing the teamwide success.

Before the upset of top-seeded Mount Vernon, 17 seed Eastside Catholic trailed 16 seed Kelso late in a state play-in game, falling behind 3-0 in the 6th inning. However, the bats came alive late, winning 6-3 in extra innings to reach the Mount Vernon regional.

FINAL/8: Eastside Catholic 6, Kelso 3

The Crusaders rally from a 3-0 hole and win it in a wild contest, securing a spot in the 3A regional this weekend

‘26 RHP Jay Baxter (@ECBaseball_Cru/@sdmesa_baseball) throws 2.2 scoreless in relief to earn the W pic.twitter.com/8RFll1IafJ

— Prep Baseball Washington (@PrepBaseballWA) May 20, 2026

Heading into the regional, the Crusaders were the big underdog in terms of seeding, but they maintained belief internally.

“Mount Vernon is an amazing group of guys and team and well-coached, but I don't think there was any doubt in our mind that we could play and compete and stay in these games, just because of what we had been doing,” Larsen said.  

After defeating Mount Vernon, Eastside Catholic defeated another higher seed in Roosevelt, winning 2-0 behind a great pitching performance from senior Tristan Weigum.

The Crusaders now look to Friday where they face Decatur in the 3A state semifinals. They hope to continue their strong play in a push for a 3A state title.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SHOWCASE	STATE	DATE	LOCATION
Spokane Summer ID	WA	06/24	Gonzaga University - Spokane, WA
Seattle Summer ID	WA	06/30	Island Crest Park - Mercer Island, WA
Seattle Summer ID - Session II	WA	07/07	Bannerwood Park - Bellevue, WA
Seattle Rising Stars ID (Class of 2030-2031)	WA	07/07	Bannerwood Park - Bellevue, WA
Tacoma Summer ID	WA	07/14	University of Puget Sound - Tacoma, WA
2026 Pacific Northwest State Games (Invite-Only)	WA	07/28	Ridgefield Recreation Complex - Ridgefield, WA

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