Thomas Jefferson baseball honors Joe Townsend before 2026 season

Published 3:30 pm Monday, March 9, 2026

A new chapter in the Thomas Jefferson High School baseball begins in 2026 as the Raiders play their first season without a familiar voice leading the program.

A new coach leads the squad into the current season, following the passing of former head coach Joe Townsend during the 2025 season. His assistant, now head coach Harold Adams, is stepping in and stepping up for his players and his staff as the season inches closer.

“It’s been an emotional start. Coming to the field makes you think of him, getting ready for the season makes you think of him. The World Baseball Classic is on, that was his favorite tournament. It’s been difficult, but it has also been inspiring and motivating,” Adams said. “I can’t fill his shoes, but being able to help build his legacy and continue what is going on here at the field has been challenging. But it has been a lot of fun, it’s been good. But we do miss him a lot.”

Adams, a Thomas Jefferson graduate himself, is doing his best to honor the legacy of the late Townsend. Before the Red vs. Gold intersquad scrimmage, Adams held a celebration of life for the Raider community to remember Townsend.

“It’s all about community and getting out here for the start of the season. … We have never had a scrimmage with this many people here. I am excited for these guys to get out here and play some ball,” Adams said.

Townsend’s daughter Mohagani joined others like Adams and Rainier Beach legend and longtime friend Gerald Smiley to share words and memories of the late Thomas Jefferson baseball and bowling coach.

“Joe was an amazing human being, friend, father, brother, coach and mentor. Everything about that man stood for integrity and character. He did everything the right way, when no one else was watching,” Smiley said.

Friends and family, Thomas Jefferson staff and community members took to the Thomas Jefferson auditorium on March 7 to share their moments with others. There were no FWPS administrators in attendance at the ceremony.

“On behalf of the district, we are saddened to begin a baseball season without Coach Joe Townsend in the dugout. His presence, leadership, and impact will be deeply missed throughout our community. As we begin a new season, we extend our full support to Coach Adams and remain committed to carrying forward the legacy Coach Townsend built,” Federal Way Public Schools Director of Equity and Athletics John Yellam said in an email to the Mirror.

Smiley and Mohagani Townsend talked about the impact that Townsend’s legacy will leave and used their platform as a way to inspire and motivate this year’s Raiders team.

“I challenge you guys to show up every single day for yourselves, to make sure you are putting the best version of you every single day,” Smiley said. “Every last one of you has a role to play on this team.”

“Every time you step on that field, you are carrying forward a tradition built by the people who came before you. My dad was proud to be a part of that,” Mohagani said.

Last season, players weren’t allowed to attend the memorial service of Townsend. Locked in a playoff chase, Townsend would have no doubt wanted them to play their hearts out. But the mental strength it takes to play through that type of adversity is incredibly hard. The toll that took on the players was not a light one, and Adams wanted to give his players a chance to say goodbye.

“There was not a lot of time to appropriately handle that grief. We had to get right back to playing games a couple of days later to get into playoffs. For us, we kind of put our head down and got back to work. But this was a time for us to stop, reflect and celebrate him,” Adams said. “It was really important for them to hear from not just myself and people around this program, but people in his personal life.”

You don’t have to look much further than Adams’ current coaching staff to see the impact that Townsend left. Every single coach on the staff from Adams to assistant Ben Moore have all played for the Raiders before returning to coach.

“It comes back full circle and people enjoying the program and wanting to give back into it,” Adams said. “They (assistant coaches) have been everything to me.”

This year isn’t so much about the wins or losses on the field, but the effort and intensity the players put in is much more significant. “It wasn’t about wins or losses. It was the community, the relationships and seeing former players coming back years later and feel like they were a part of something,” Mohagani Townsend said. “If he could see you all here today, I know he would be incredibly proud. Proud that the program is still here and that tradition is still strong.”

With that being said, this year’s Raiders find themselves in a competitive window. In terms of teams in the city, Thomas Jefferson will compete with Decatur for the best team in the city with Federal Way and Todd Beamer behind them. Pierce College commit Kingston Edwards, Myles Myers and Ikaika Frank are part of the more solid cores that the Raiders have had in recent years.

Thomas Jefferson opens up their season on March 11 against Silas High School, and the, first pitch is scheduled at 4 p.m.