Shorewood projected as top Wesco 3A team in baseball coaches’ poll

Wesco 3A baseball coaches expect Shorewood to have the top team in the division.

The Everett Herald reported Thursday that a pre-season poll of Wesco 3A coaches had ranked the Thunderbirds first with the Shorecrest Scots fifth among the eight Wesco 3A teams.

Last year, Shorewood reached the final four of the State 4A tournament after placing third in the Northwest District tournament.

The top six teams in the 3A division this year will qualify for the District 3A tournament.

The Herald also named Shorewood senior left-handed pitcher Blake Snell as one of five “players to watch” in the Wesco 4A, Wesco 3A and Cascade 2A-1A Conferences.

The Herald also reported that Baseball America had named Snell as the top-ranked player in the State.

The Herald said that Snell is part of “a loaded Thunderbirds team that includes UW signee Trevor Mitsui and Gonzaga recruit Kevin Moriarty.”

The Herald reported that Snell has “signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Washington but is a likely professional draft selection.”

Shorewood opened its season with a 12-4 home victory over North Kitsap of the Narrows 4A league, Monday.

Shorewood has a Tuesday 4 p.m. home game with Mariner of the Wesco 4A South, a Wednesday, March 16, 4 p.m. home game with Edmonds-Woodway of the Wesco 4A South, before playing host to and Inglemoor of the Kingco 4A, Saturday, March 19 at 1 p.m. and playing Snohomish of the Wesco 4A North, Tuesday, March 29.

The Thunderbirds open Wesco 3A play against Shorecrest March 30 at Shorecrest and April 1 at Shorewood.

Then, Shorewood has Wesco 3A series against Glacier Peak, April 4-5, and Oak Harbor, April 8 and 12.

Shorewood plays out of the Wesco 3A. April 14 and 15 for a home game with Redmond of the Kingco 4A league and a game at Mariner.

Shorewood returns to Wesco 3A play against Mountlake Terrace April 19-20,Everett, April 22 and 25,Lynnwood April 26 and 29, and Meadowdale May 2-3.

Shorecrest opens its season Tuesday, with a 4 p.m. home game with Snohomish of the Wesco 4A North, followed by a Thursday, March 17 game at Ferndale of the Northwest Conference 3A division, and a Friday. March 18 game at Kamiak of the Wesco 4A South, a Tuesday, March 22, home game against Arlington of the Wesco 4A North, and a Wednesday, March 23, game at Stanwood of the Wesco 4A North.

Shorecrest’s Wesco 3A play includes series against Oak Harbor March 25 and 29, Shorewood March 30 and April 1, Meadowdale April 5-6, Lynnwood April 8 and 12, Glacier Peak April 19-20, Mountlake Terrace April 27 and 29, and Everett May 2-3

The order of finish as predicted by Wesco 3A baseball coaches:

1. Shorewood

2. Mountlake Terrace

3. Glacier Peak

4. Oak Harbor

5. Shorecrest

6. Meadowdale

7. Lynnwood

8. Everett