WA Power 25 Team Preview - #5 Olympia
March 17, 2024
As we get into the start of the 2024 HS baseball season. We will be previewing our preseason Power 25 teams for Washington.
Stay locked in on Prep Baseball Washington for consistent scores, reports and video throughout the entire season.
We continue our look at the top teams across the state with #5 Olympia
WASHINGTON POWER 25
TEAM PREVIEWS
OLYMPIA BEARS
High School - Olympia
Head Coach - Derek Weldon
Classification - 4A
2023 Record - 20-5
Last Year’s End - State quarterfinals
Key Players Lost - 2B Logan Shepherd (Tacoma CC), LHP Sax Matson (USC) , 1B Evan Nicol (Saint Martin's)
Top Returners - RHP/OF ‘25 Lincoln Berg (UNCOMMITTED), RHP/SS ‘25 Trace Pruitt (Washington), SS ‘24 Jack Skelley (Centralia), RHP ‘24 Jacob Carlson (Tacoma CC)
What To Watch For - Trace Pruitt and Lincoln Berg are one of the best 1-2 punches at the top of any rotation this season in the state. While their pitching styles contrast, their ability to consistently get outs and accumulate innings makes the Bears tough to match-up with regardless of when you face them during the week. With years of postseason experience under their belts, look for them both to take another leap forward in their pitching throughout this season. The questions will be who will pick up innings besides those two and will the offense provide support? So far, Jacob Carlson, a Tacoma CC commit, looks to be a relief candidate who could end up in some big spots down the stretch out of the bullpen and Central Washington commit Will Bailey has done a nice job in some early appearances so far as well.
Offensively, the middle of the line-up is stacked with Pruitt, '24 SS Jack Skelley (Centralia College) and '24 Cameron Costello (Central Washington) all providing reliable contact but also driving the ball for power. Costello especially has really seen an uptick in his pure strength and is showing a nice power stroke through 3 games. Skelley is also off to a hot start and is having the strong senior campaign we're accustomed to seeing from Olympia infielders. Pruitt is well known for both is offensive and pitching exploits and he's a legitimate POY candidate as a Junior this season. '25 OF/LHP Lincoln Berg is the table setter at the top of the line-up and a typical on-base machine who has delivered in clutch moments.
As the season goes on, keep on eye on how 2026 prospects OF Milo Tolebrt and INF Rylan Holmberg are developing. Both have seen early opportunities and they could develop quickly given their physicality and athleticism. Which wouldn only bolster an already potent roster.