LWACO — A youthful Ilwaco baseball team is looking to reload and repeat as Pacific League champs.

Gone, however, are nine seniors and seven starters from a historic class that compiled a 17-7 record last season, including a league championship and back-to-back state tournament appearances. 

The Fishermen have 19 players on the roster this season, including two seniors, Robert Sanders and Brayden Bundy-Beckham, while returning two starters among nine positions.

“We have a couple returning starters in Dylan Pelas and Haddox Hazen,” said Ilwaco assistant coach Chris Patana.

Pelas, a junior, was an all-league honorable mention for Ilwaco last season, and will play infield and pitch for the Fishermen this spring.

“We will have a large stable of pitchers, but we expect that Pelas, Hazen and Corbin Johnson to get a lot of innings in,” Patana said.

Thirteen of the 19 players are either freshmen or sophomores.

“We are young, but our team has a lot of innings in recent years between Babe Ruth and summer league programs. Speed and baseball IQ are key strengths this season, to go along with very coachable kids with good attitudes,” Patana said.

The Fishermen captured the league championship last season, a goal the team hopes to achieve this season in the eight-team Pacific League.

“Pe Ell/Willapa Valley and Forks will be our best competition for fighting for another league title this season,” Patana said.

Ilwaco will be led by head coach Bret Hopkins, along with assistants Patana, Matt McKinstry and Landin Frank.

The 2025 Ilwaco baseball roster includes:

12 Brayden Bundy-Beckham OF/IF; 10 Chase Cunningham SS/P/OF; 10 Brent Curry OF/IF; 10 Tyler Cutting OF/P; 10 Mason Grisham OF; 9 Haddox Hazen CF/P; 9 Alexander Hernandez Morales OF/IF; 9 Mason Humphreys 2B; 11 Lucas Jackson OF/IF; 11 Corbin Johnson 3B/P; 9 Cody Kaino 3B/C/P; 10 Sawyer Linquist OF; 9 Odin Murray OF; 11 Dylan Pelas SS/P/3B; 9 Mark Ragan C; 12 Robert Sanders OF; 9 Braden Vandermeulen OF/IF/P; 9 Colten Vandermeulen OF

Ilwaco baseball 2025 schedule 

March 25 PeEll-Willapa Valley (a) d/h

April 1 Raymond-South Bend (h) d/h

April 3 Naselle (a)

May 15 Chief Leschi (h) d/h

April 19 Ocosta (a)

April 21 Adna (a)

April 22 North Beach (a) d/h

April 23 Warrenton (a)

April 29 Forks (h) d/h

May 1 Naselle (h)

May 2 Wahkiakum (h) d/h

May 8 Hoquiam (a)

Post season TBA

Home games at Tinker Field, Long Beach

Games start at 4 p.m.; doubleheaders 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

d/h denotes doubleheader

All dates and times subject to change