The Olympian’s 2021 All-Area baseball team

By Dave Weber

June 7, 2021 5:00 AM

Olympia junior pitcher/outfielder Rylan Haider (left) and senior pitcher/infielder Aiden Herrick are expected to lead the Bears as they contend for a 4A SPSL title. They are shown before baseball practice at Olympia High School on Friday, April 2, 2021. Tony Overman toverman@theolympian.com

First- and second-team selections for The Olympian’s 2021 All-Area baseball team.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Drew Reynolds, W.F. West, sr. — The Texas Tech-bound Reynolds was 2A Evergreen Conference Most Valuable Player after recording video-game-like offensive statistics and guiding the Bearcats pitching staff through a district championship season at catcher. He batted .564 with a .679 on-base percentage and .897 slugging percentage. “When you think about what an MVP is, he’s it,” said W.F. West coach Bryan Bullock. “He makes everybody around him better.”

Tumwater baseball head coach Lyle Overbay runs drills alongside senior third baseman Conner Bourbon during T-Bird baseball practice at Tumwater High School on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Tony Overman toverman@theolympian.com

COACH OF THE YEAR

Lyle Overbay, Tumwater. Mixing lessons from his 14 years as a Major League player with an approachable communications style, the first-year Thunderbirds’ coach led Tumwater to a 16-3 overall record that included runner-up finishes to W.F. West in both the 2A EvCo and the Southwest District tournament. The T-Birds snapped the Bearcats 48-game league winning streak with a 4-0 victory during April. The winning runs in each of W.F. West’s wins over Tumwater came in the Bearcats final at-bat. Tumwater also recorded a shutout victory, 5-0, over 3A South Sound Conference champion Timberline.

Olympia senior pitcher/infielder Aiden Herrick (left) and junior pitcher/outfielder Rylan Haider are expected to lead the Bears as they contend for a 4A SPSL title. They are shown before baseball practice at Olympia High School on Friday, April 2, 2021. Tony Overman toverman@theolympian.com

PITCHERS

C.J. Beard, Timberline, sr. — Beard went 4-1 as a Blazers’ pitcher, with a 2.10 earned run average. He struck out 30 batters while walking only one. Playing shortstop on days he didn’t take the mound, Beard, a first team All-3A SSC pick, batted .336 and stole 12 bases.

Rylan Haider, Olympia, jr. — Already committed to Washington State, Haider used a fastball that can reach 90 miles per hour, along with a slider and a changeup to post an 0.93 ERA and 0.87 walks and hits per inning pitched. He struck out 34 batters while walking only nine. Frist team All-4A SPSL.

Aiden Herrick, Olympia, sr. — Throwing a fast ball that tops out at 88, Herrick had a 1.69 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He struck out 30 while walking just six. First team All-4A SPSL. Herrick will play next season at Georgetown University. The only member of The Olympian’s 2019 All-Area team who makes a return appearance in 2021, Herrick was a second team selection in ’19, when the Bears finished second in the state in 4A.

Ryan Orr, Tumwater, jr. — Like Haider an early commit to WSU, Orr proved a big game starter for the T-Birds, snapping W.F. West’s win streak and fashioning a three-hit, 13-strikeout shutout of Washougal in the district semi-finals. He struck out 60 batters in 29 innings and walked only six, using a 90 MPH fastball and a big breaking curve. His ERA was a microscopic 0.44. “Giving up only two earned runs in 29 innings is unheard of,” said Overbay. First team All-2A Evco.

Tanner Vaughn, W.F. West, sr. — Coach Bryan Bullock calls Vaughn “one of the top arms in the state.” Bound for Cowley County Community College in Kansas, Vaughn went 6-1 with a 0.71 ERA. The first team All-2A EvCo selection struck out 53 while walking just 12.

CATCHER

Nate Kassler, Tumwater, sr. — An All-2A EvCo first team selection, Kassler recorded a .366 batting average, with a .558 on base percentage and .500 slugging.

INFIELD

Connor Bourbon, Tumwater, sr. — Bourbon, who displayed gap-to-gap power and the ability to bear down with runners in scoring position, hit .423, driving in a team-high 20 runs, but Overbay points as much to the Edmonds Community College commit’s defensive play. “He played a remarkable third base, took hits away from opponents for our pitchers.” A first team All-2A EvCo choice.

Chase Clark, North Thurston, sr. — An All-3A SSC first teamer, Clark batted .323 with a .488 OBP. He scored 10 runs and drove in seven more.

Kolby Kero, Capital, sr. — A 3A SSC co-player of the year, Kero hit .417 with a .593 OBP. He collected 10 extra base hits to both drive in and score 15 runs. A strong defensive first baseman, Kero also proved a clutch hitter, said coach Brian Shannon, pointing to Kero’s 11th inning home run in a win over league champion Timberline.

Brit Lusk, W.F. West, sr. — An All-2A EvCo first teamer, Lusk was a vocal leader for the Bearcats, said Bullock, but also came through statistically, batting .391, with a .462 OBP and .543 slugging. He drove in 15 runs and scored 12. He also contributed some innings as a pitcher.

Chris Rivera, Timberline, jr. — A co-MVP of the 3A SSC, Rivera posted a batting average that looks like a typo — .667 – driving in 19 runs and scoring 17 more. He hit five home runs and stole six bases. “He’s a great hitter, a big average with big power,” said coach Mark Rubadue of Rivera, who struck out just three times.

OUTFIELD

Mitchell Armstrong, Capital, sr. — An All-3A SSC first team choice, Armstrong batted .380. He scored 15 runs and drove in 14. He accumulated nine extra base hits, including four triples. “Mitchell put pressure on opposing defenses with his speed and tremendous effort,” said Shannon.

Chanz Doughty, River Ridge, jr. — Doughty hit .463 with a .521 OBP. He belted four home runs, driving in 15 and scoring 10 on his way to first team All-3A SSC honors. Doughty struck out only three times in the Hawks’ 14 games.

Grady Finney, Tumwater, sr. — A first team All-2A EvCo selection, Finney batted .400 with a .464 on base percentage for the T-Birds. He scored 17 runs and drove in 14.

DESIGNATED HITTER

Benito Valencia, Centralia, sr. — Valencia was the All-2A EvCo DH, batting .385 and posting a 1.032 OPS. He drove in 17 Tiger runs.

UTILITY

Noah Aliff, Centralia, sr. — A pitcher and first team All-2A EvCo outfielder for Centralia, Aliff struck out 36 batters in 34 innings. Playing centerfield, he hit .308, driving in 10 runs and scoring 15.

Tony Groninger, Rochester, jr. — Groninger earned first team All-2A EvCo honors with his arm and his bat. As a pitcher, he was the ace of the Warriors’ staff while as a hitter, he had a .304 batting average while scoring 12 runs and driving in nine.

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Kayden Dawson, Capital, jr.; Tyler McLellan, Timberline, soph.; Kobey Moore, Elma, sr.; Jackson Twitty, Olympia, sr.

Catchers: Cameron Erickson, Centralia, sr; Mike Green, Rainier, sr; Kaleb McNeely, Timberline, soph.

Infielders: Zavien Brewer, River Ridge, sr; Justin Elliott, Elma, sr; Brady Johnston, Elma, sr; Camden Oram, Tumwater, sr; Cooper Schulz, Capital, sr; Brendan Wagner, Shelton, jr.

Outfielders: Owen Bryan, North Thurston, jr; Cade Haller, W.F. West, sr; Branden Hartley, Rochester, soph; Max Taylor, W.F. West, sr.

Utility: Brody Rustemeyer, Elma, sr; Easton Snyder, Tenino, soph.