District baseball: Top 10 individual performances from opening rounds
District high school baseball tournaments are underway across the state. Coveted spots in state tournaments are up for grabs. Some have already been claimed.
As the district semifinals and championship games near, here are 10 standout performances from the South Sound in the opening rounds.
1. Neal Burtis, Tahoma
Any no-hitter is impressive, but a no-hitter in districts, against one of the top teams from southwest Washington? That’s even more impressive.
Burtis was lights out in Tahoma’s 2-0 win over Union in the opening round of the Class 4A District 3/4 tournament on Tuesday, tossing seven innings with no hits, no runs, 10 strikeouts and one walk.
Burtis, the team’s leadoff hitter, also came through with a pair of hits in the win. Burtis, a lefty, is an Oregon State commit.
2. Milo Tolbert, Olympia
Olympia saw contributions from up and down its lineup in an 8-3 win over Emerald Ridge in the opening round of the 4A District 3/4 tournament, but if we had to pick just one standout performance, we’ll go with designated hitter Milo Tolbert, who had a pair of hits and two RBI batting cleanup.
3. Cooper Hordyk, Curtis
Hordyk dominated on the mound for No. 7 Curtis in its 2-1 road win over second-seeded Battle Ground in the opening round of the 4A District 3/4 tournament on Tuesday. He tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing just one hit, one run, walking five and striking out four. The win clinched a 4A state tournament berth for the Vikings.
4. Jake Miller, Sumner
“Mr. Clutch” came through again for the Spartans in a wild rally, delivering the game-winning RBI on a double in the seventh inning to beat Kennedy Catholic, 7-6. Kennedy Catholic led 6-0 in the fourth inning before Sumner mounted a furious comeback. The win clinched a 4A state tournament berth for the Spartans.
5. Mattson Ducharme, Fife
Earned the win in a 4-3 win over Port Angeles in 2A District 3 tournament quarterfinals, sending Fife through to the tournament semifinals. Ducharme tossed six innings, giving up six hits, three runs (one earned), walking three and striking out three.
6. Brayden Landry, Puyallup
Landry, a UW commit and Puyallup’s shortstop, continues to be a hitting machine this spring. In Tuesday’s 11-1 win over Mount Rainier in the opening round of the 4A District 3/4 tournament, Landry went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk.
7. Bryson Miller, Bellarmine Prep
How ‘bout the Lions? After beating Timberline in the league tournament to clinch a district tournament berth, Connor Unruh’s squad wasn’t done yet. Bellarmine beat North Thurston, 4-1, in a loser-out opening round game in the 3A District 3 tournament on Tuesday. Miller, who got the start, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, one run, four walks and striking out five.
8. Gavin Mills, White River
The three-hole hitter and Hornets’ right fielder had a day at the plate, going 3-for-4 and driving in four runs in White River’s 10-1 blowout win over Central Kitsap in the opening round of the 3A District 3 tournament. The win sets up a matchup with top-seeded Decatur in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round.
9. Cade Owen, Silas
Owen got the start for Silas and delivered, tossing five shutout innings, allowing three hits, a walk and striking out six in a 5-0 win over Auburn Mountainview in a loser-out game in the opening round of the 3A District 3 tournament. At the plate, he collected a pair of hits.
10. Oliver Potts, Enumclaw
In a 7-3 win over Capital in a loser-out game in the opening round of the 3A District 3 tournament, Potts went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, batting cleanup. Also tossed five innings on the mound, allowing five hits, three runs (one earned), walking two and striking out five.
This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 12:30 PM with the headline "District baseball: Top 10 individual performances from opening rounds."
