Thomas Jefferson baseball wins third straight

Published 12:25 pm Monday, April 27, 2026

Thomas Jefferson High School baseball was fighting through some of their more difficult games this season no more than two weeks ago. Losing four out of five games from March 30 to April 13, the Raiders had their backs against the wall.

But since game two against Enumclaw, the Raiders have won three straight, including an 8-2 win over Federal Way High School on April 24.

“This team has a ton of fight,” head coach Harold Adams said. “We went through a little bit of a stretch where we lost a couple of games. But I really like how they responded.”

Thomas Jefferson got a nice bump from pitcher Uzziah Maldonado-Manzo, who worked his way through six innings against the Eagles. The righthander had to fight through adversity, including a bases loaded jam and runners in scoring position in the first inning.

Adams left Maldonado-Manzo in longer than most coaches would have. But with the playoff picture coming into focus, the Raiders are right in the thick of it. Being able to manage runners and problems on the mound will benefit the Raiders come postseason.

“With Uzziah we have had those conversations where he is mentally strong enough to where he can lock back in and reset. It was his game today, those were his innings to finish. To see him work through that was very impressive to me and a good learning moment for him,” Adams said.

Senior shortstop Kingston Edwards was the only player to not record an out at the plate on either side on Friday afternoon. The Pierce College commit went 2-for-2 with a three-RBI triple in the second inning to really break the game open.

“We have a lot of confidence. We have been working on staying aggressive. When we get in the box, we have a first pitch approach. We are really confident right now, feeling good,” Edwards said.

Edwards has been a four year varsity player for Thomas Jefferson. A leader on and off the field, he has never wavered in his determination, perseverance and commitment to the Raider program. Especially following the passing of head coach Joe Townsend, Edwards has been the rock for the Raiders.

“Every year he gets a percentage better. Watching him get bigger, stronger and faster, he’s now hitting the ball with authority. He’s a spark plug,” Adams said. “He’s a big part of our culture and what we do here.”

Edwards talked about the community he had tried to build at Thomas Jefferson.

“It’s been a lot. Especially with us losing our coach, it has been a lot. But I feel like this year we have taken a lot in just building a better community. It’s really bringing us all together again,” Edwards said.

Thomas Jefferson finds itself right in the mix of the postseason this year. The Raiders are two games back (5-6) of the final fifth spot in the NPSL behind Enumclaw (7-6) with five games remaining. Enumclaw has just three games remaining, one against Todd Beamer High School and one against Federal Way.

“We are aware of what is going on, but I think we are taking it one game at a time. We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves,” Adams said. “We just want to keep our head down, stay positive and work hard.”

The Raiders need to win out against Todd Beamer and Auburn Mountainview to force a one-game playoff against Enumclaw if their records are tied.