Proceed if you must, but here’s the warning: do not touch Isaiah Parker’s glove.
If you do … well, let’s just say don’t.
“Definitely not,” Parker said. “Never.”
Whether you want to call it a superstitious act, or overly protective of his four — yes four — infielder gloves he calls his babies, Parker’s new Mountain View baseball teammates got that message, too, welcoming their new state champion shortstop at the start of spring practices.
“He won’t even let me touch his glove,” third baseman and good friend Gavin Torno said.
Parker is a Seton Catholic student and one of five Seton players who helped King’s Way Christian win the Class 1A state title last spring.
That state championship experience bodes well for the playoff-bound Thunder (17-3 overall), winners of the 3A Greater St. Helens League title.
Their playoff road begins at 10 a.m. Saturday versus Yelm (6-10) at Propstra Stadium to open the double-elimination 3A bi-district tournament at Propstra Stadium. Win twice Saturday, and Mountain View qualifies for state.
Before Parker joined a stacked infield with what Mountain View coach Aaron Coiteux describes as a “true college infielder” skillset, the junior earned all-Trico League honors at shortstop in 2017.
And Parker’s go-ahead RBI double put the Knights in front for good in what ultimately was a 5-3 title-game win over Bothell’s Cedar Park Christian.
“That was the greatest feeling,” he said. “I’ll always remember it.”
That was Parker’s last game in a King’s Way uniform.
Because Seton didn’t have enough players to form its own team, Seton players were allowed to join King’s Way Christian’s program since its inception. But when news came down that the arrangement would not continue in 2018, Parker questioned where he’d land for the next two years.
He, along with Brannan Meriwether, were Seton’s returning players. Meriwether, now a senior, transferred to King’s Way.
Parker gave that a brief thought, too, given the relationships and bonds he created with the Knights. But that same bond would be missed with Seton boys basketball, too. That is why the choice to play baseball for his home public high school is a win-win.
“It was definitely a blessing,” Parker said.
The first impression Parker gave at Mountain View was a good one. The transition came easier since ex-Little League teammates Torno, Andrew Gulliford and Trevor Milton already play for the Thunder.
“We used to ride bikes to practice and always were hanging out,” Parker said. “It’s basically the same thing now, but with cars.”
Coiteux said his shortstop understands how to play the infield, including angles, adding “he’s got a good arm, quick feet and really good hands.”
Fielding is the part of Parker’s game that makes him a perfectionist, and Torno, a third baseman for the Thunder, knows it all too well.
This spring is the duo’s first time together on the left side of the infield, in spite knowing each other on opposite teams as far back as Cascade Little League.
“He’s always working on glove work,” Torno said, “and whatever it takes (to get better).”
This week’s home-and-home series with Prairie to close out the regular season were Parker’s first games back in the lineup. A hip injury caused him to miss the previous eight games.
It comes at the perfect time, too, with the postseason starting Saturday. Mountain View has reached state six times in school history, but is 0-6 all-time. Last year, Edmonds-Woodway beat Mountain View, 3-1.
Parker wants his Thunder teammates to have that same experience he felt last May, and believes they’ve got the talent, heart and grit to do so.
“If we keep our heads up and stay on us,” he said, “we can make a good run for sure.”
