When Justin Gurnsey took over as head coach of the Rainier High School baseball team last spring, he set out to change the culture of the program.
It amounted to small progress in the wins column, with the Mountaineers improving from six wins in 2023 to seven in 2024. But the shifts in attitude, effort and roster size are signs that his vision of making the program a desirable place is becoming a reality.
The Mountaineers welcome 34 players to the 2025 squad, a number that Gurney believes is an all-time record. Rainier boasts experience and depth at every position, something it did not come close to having this time last year.
“Last year was good because I think we were starting to change the culture. We wanted to start making the Rainier baseball team a place that kids wanted to be, and it was a good start,” Gurnsey said. “We’re building off of last year, but I want us to focus on practicing with intent so we can play with purpose.”
Rainier will have a mix of veteran leaders and an influx of young talent, with its pitching rotation bringing the most experience. Gurnsey believes seniors Hunter Howell and Dayton Gardner will be two of the top pitchers in the Central 2B League, while Peyton Sheaffer, Yazama Gurnsey and Blake Fennel will bring additional depth to the rotation.
“I think Hunter might be the top pitcher in the league when it’s all said and done, and Dayton might be right behind him,” Justin Gurnsey said. “Last year, the league graduated a lot of top-notch pitchers from other teams, and I think we have those top-notch pitchers this year. I feel like our talent level, even though we might be younger, is higher.”
Fennel takes over for graduated senior Jared Sprouffske at catcher, and Wyatt McIntyre will back him up. The Mountaineers will have lots of flexibility in the infield with five interchangeable players expected to see time in at least one position. Howell, Gardner, Sheaffer, Kaymen Larman and Bryce Keller will bounce between the infield spots. Howell will spend most of his time at shortstop when he’s not on the mound, Sheaffer will man third and short, Larman and Keller will control first and Gardner will see time at all four spots.
“We have a lot of flexibility on the infield of people that I’m comfortable playing in various positions, so that will allow us to put whoever we need on the mound and then we’ll have a solid defense behind them,” Gurnsey said.
Rainier may have had the youngest outfield in its district last season as three eighth graders and a first-year junior lining up deep. But Gurnsey is confident that his outfield group will take a significant leap after showing its youth at times in 2024.
“I don’t think many balls are going to hit the grass,” he said. “Last year was kind of a learning experience and taking our lumps. This year, they’re going to take those experiences and just apply the knowledge and really excel.”
Yazama Gurnsey will man center field for the second year in a row while senior Skylar Weschler will return to left field. Eighth grader Wyatt Cughan will likely start at right field, with junior speedster Kaden Goodman rotating in.
Rainier will need some offensive consistency in 2025, and fast. The Mountaineers could score runs with the best teams in the league at times last season, but they ended the season with a five-game losing streak in which they were outscored 65-4 against two elite teams.
Justin Gurnsey believes the 2025 schedule will allow his team to finish strong, as the Mountaineers will face Mossyrock, Toutle Lake, Adna and Napavine before the calendar flips to April. He said his team’s speed and mental toughness will give them a chance to pull off some upsets.
“We’ve got a lot of speed. If we can put the ball in play, I think we’re going to be able to move around the bases,” he said. “Last year, we faced the toughest opponents at the end of the year, but we have those guys early. I think we can take some games from these teams. I think we’re going to be making some leaps this year, and that’s going to lead to some more victories.”
The Mountaineers kicked off their season with a home non-conference contest against Rochester on Wednesday, March 14, but results were unavailable before press time. C2BL action begins with a home bout with Mossyrock on Friday, March 14 at 4 p.m. at Rainier Elementary School.
