Coming off a remarkable run to state in 2018, which included the first KingCo title since 2001, head coach Craig Bishop has high expectations moving forward.
“Our goal this year is to get back to state and frankly, my personal goal is to win a game at state because Inglemoor baseball has not ever done that,” Bishop said.
The Vikings started the season off strong on March 12 shutting out Juanita 6-0. However, in a rematch of the 2018 KingCo championship two games later, the Vikings were toppled by Skyline 12-1 on March 18.
“[The team] needs to stay fresh with what they’re working on, and they need to challenge themselves to not become stagnant with how they approach things,” Bishop said, “Monday night (the 12-1 loss to Skyline) was a function of our complacency, because we got caught thinking that we had it figured out.”
As conference play picked up, however, the Vikings found their footing, winning eight straight games at one point, including victories over Newport 13-1, Woodinville 5-0 and North Creek 7-0. The eight-game streak ended in the Viking’s second meeting with Skyline. A 10-4 loss in that game dropped Inglemoor to second place in KingCo and put Skyline in the driver’s seat.
Currently trailing the leader by just half a game, the Vikings still have a legitimate shot at reclaiming the 1 seed in KingCo before the regular season ends.
According to Bishop, coming into the season, the team’s biggest question mark was their consistency on the mound. However, pitching has turned out to be a strength for the defending champs.
Sophomores Kolby Solomon and Kellen Stull, as well as junior Garrett Oremus, have been crucial to answering those question marks. The three have accounted for 70.2 out of the 92 total defensive innings, tallying together an ERA (earned run average) of 1.69.
As the playoffs loom closer, Bishop is seeking to keep his message to the team very clear.
“A lot of these guys have been with me for a long time and the message has been pretty consistent but it’s also my job to keep them intent on being successful,” Bishop said.
Senior Sam Hollenbeck said the team has one goal in mind, which is to make it back to state.
“I think we can go anywhere as long as we play to our best ability,” Hollenbeck said.
