Name: Peninsula High School
City and State: Gig Harbor, WA
Head Coach
Michael Johnson
Assistant Coaches
Steve Atkinson, Heath McLellan, Matt Thomas, Ben Sleeter, Jon Scholer, Cooper Sims
Who are some key returning players for the team and what do you hope to see from each of them this year?
Payton Knowles (Sr, short stop): Payton earned South Sound Conference MVP honors last year and there is no reason he can’t have another outstanding season in 2023. We look for him to once again be a staple up the middle defensively and in the heart of our batting order. With a young group this year, our coaching staff will lean on Payton’s leadership skills to help carry our team culture forward.
Troy Buchanan (Sr, center field & pitcher): Troy showed tremendous growth at the plate last year and cemented himself as a middle of the order guy. We expect that to continue this season and as our everyday center fielder, Troy helps make the middle of our defense a huge strength. Additionally, with a healthy arm coming into the season, we are excited to get Troy back on the bump and expect him to contribute heavily in late inning situations.
Reece Brown (Sr, first base): Reece has worked his tail off this off-season and is coming into the spring bigger, faster, stronger, and improved in every facet of his game. If he can carry his new found confidence into the 2023 season, we expect he’ll contribute heavily in the middle of the order.
Gavin Sheets (Jr, pitcher) and Grayson Ford (Jr, pitcher): Gavin (1st Team) and Grayson (Honorable Mention) both earned all league honors last season as sophomores and were huge reasons we won our league and advanced to the state tournament. Gavin was matched up with every other school’s number one last year and shined. His 2022 performance not only earned him 1st Team all league honors, but also All-State recognition. Grayson was the top arm out of our bullpen last season and proved to be as reliable as they come in that role. Heading into 2023, we expect more of the same from these two, only this year this young duo will be our 1 and 1a. They will anchor our rotation and be relied upon to keep the opposing hitters off balance and opposing teams off the scoreboard.
Who are some key underclassmen that are moving up in the program and can make an impact? What do you hope to see from each of them this year?
Aiden Valdez (Jr, pitcher): Although a junior, Aiden spent his freshman season on the injured reserve with a knee injury, so this will be just the second year we get to have Aiden on the field. His ability to throw strikes consistently, could earn him a prominent role on our staff as our third starter or middle reliever. Improved mechanics and gains in his velocity have the coaching staff excited for the potential of the young man.
Matthew Sleeter (So, catcher) and Jonathan Vergara-Dykes (So, catcher): Sleeter and JV come into the 2023 season with their sights set on the starting catcher position and each of them will get every opportunity. Matthew’s improved arm strength and ability to call a game are both positives, and his off-season work with the stick looks to be paying off. JV is a plus defensive catcher and has shown flashes of a solid stick. We expect these two to push each other this season and beyond. This will be a fun competition to watch.
Isaac Schultz-Tait (So, INF): With long-time second baseman, Ben King, graduating last year, Isaac will look to compete for the starting second base role in 2023. Defensively he has a solid glove that will play well at the varsity level and would solidify a top tier middle infield along side Knowles. And after a freshman campaign that saw him lead our JV team in hitting, our coaching staff is excited about the potential this young man brings.
Sophomore Class: Our sophomore class is as strong as they come, with a ton of depth. Along with the three guys mentioned above, players like Jackson Thomas (P), Hayden Bundy (OF), Matthew Saunders (OF, P), Cole Scholer (INF, P), and others could earn their way into a contributing role with the varsity team this season. That is yet to be seen, but I am excited knowing the future is definitely bright here at Peninsula.
What areas will you be focusing on early in the season?
Early season focus is about continuing to build a culture where the process becomes more important than the outcome of any game. We want our players to want to embrace the day-to-day grind this game requires to be great. Not only to improve themselves, but to also make the guys around them better. If we can push each other, lift each other up, make every rep count, and hold each other accountable, I am confident the wins will come. In this difficult South Sound Conference, often times a win comes down to executing the little things, and if as a group we can buy into the importance of “process” we will put ourselves in a good position to win some ball games.
What are the expectations and goals for the team in 2023?
We go into every season believing we should win the conference and advance to the State tournament. This year is no different. After finishing atop the conference last year, this group has the goal of defending their league title, advancing to the State tournament, and being one of the final four teams to play in the Championship weekend. As young as we will be, if these boys continue to play for something greater than themselves, continue to play for family, continue to play for Wanny … anything is possible.