Fresh off a third straight district title, La Center earned the No. 2 seed in the Class 1A state baseball playoffs.
The Wildcats learned their path when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released brackets for the state baseball and boys soccer playoffs on Sunday.
Though a site had not yet been announced Sunday evening, the Wildcats (19-2) will likely stay local for a regional pod on Saturday. La Center faces No. 15 Lynden Christian at 1 p.m. with the winner facing either No. 7 Cedar Park Christian or No. 10 Cashmere in the quarterfinals later that day.
Other local state baseball qualifiers will have to travel on Saturday.
No. 9 seed Camas will face No. 8 Kamiakin at Eastlake High in Sammamish. The winner could then face top-seeded Eastlake.
Fresh off earning its first state berth since 2006, Hudson’s Bay is the No. 11 seed in the 2A tournament. The Eagles travel to Chehalis to face No. 6 White River. The winner could face District 4 champ and No. 3 seed W.F. West in the quarterfinals later that day.
Mark Morris, which beat Columbia River in a winner-to-state district game Friday, is a No. 7 seed. The Monarchs travel to Centralia to face No. 10 Archbishop Murphy with the winner possibly facing No. 2 seed Tumwater in the quarterfinals.
King’s Way Christian is the No. 16 seed in the 1A tournament. The Knights face top-seeded Naches Valley in Yakima.
Kelso, the lone 3A GSHL team to reach state, is a No. 17 seed. The Hilanders face No. 16 Eastside Catholic in an opening-round game Tuesday with the winner facing No. 1 seed Kennewick on Saturday.
Columbia River top seed in boys soccer
For a second consecutive year, Columbia River is the team to beat heading into the Class 2A boys soccer state playoffs.
Columbia River (22-0) earned its second straight No. 1 seed and will host No. 16 seed Foster in a first-round match Tuesday or Wednesday. A start time has not been announced.
The Rapids earned their No. 1 seed by rolling through the season, outscoring opponents 102-6. Columbia River won its second consecutive District 4 title, and fifth overall since 2017, Friday with a 3-0 win over Aberdeen, the No. 5 seed in the state tournament.
Columbia River is seeking its fourth consecutive trip to the final four. The Rapids placed third last year, second in 2019 and won their first state championship in 2018. There were no state tournaments in 2020 or 2021 due to the COVID pandemic.
Other local soccer teams in the state playoffs also learned their first-round opponents.
Union, the lone Class 4A Greater St. Helens League team to survive the bi-district playoffs, is a No. 12 seed. The Titans will travel to Spokane to face No. 5 seed Gonzaga Prep on Wednesday.
Class 2A GSHL runner-up Hockinson is a No. 15 seed and will face No. 2 seed North Kitsap on the road Tuesday.
Three Trico League teams qualified for the Class 1A state playoffs. League champ and district runner-up Seton Catholic is a No. 7 seed and will face No. 10 Royal on Friday at a site to be determined.
Also playing Friday are No. 12 King’s Way Christian, which will travel to face No. 5 Cascade-Leavenworth, and No. 11 Columbia-White Salmon, which drew No. 6 Wahluke.
