SPORTS BRIEF: Federal Way Warriors win baseball state championship

The Federal Way Warriors 15-under baseball team won the USSSA State Championship with a 5-3 victory over Washington FCA Baseball on July 8 at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium.

July 16, 2013 1:54 pm
The Federal Way Warriors 15-under baseball team won the USSSA State Championship with a 5-3 victory over Washington FCA Baseball on July 8 at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium.
The Federal Way Warriors 15-under baseball team won the USSSA State Championship with a 5-3 victory over Washington FCA Baseball on July 8 at Tacoma's Cheney Stadium.

The Federal Way Warriors 15-under baseball team won the USSSA State Championship with a 5-3 victory over Washington FCA Baseball on July 8 at Tacoma’s Cheney Stadium.

The Warriors ended the state tournament with a perfect 6-0 record. Federal Way qualified for the state championship game at Cheney Stadium by finishing 5-0 during the preliminary round of tournament in Centralia June 28-30.

During the championship game, the Warriors got great pitching from Ben Koler. Koler threw all seven innings and allowed three runs and struck out 12.

Offensively, Gabe Togia connected on a two-run double in the sixth inning to break open a 2-1 game. Dylan Davis finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and Koler was 3 for 4. The team was awarded state championship rings.

The team includes Ajay Bhat, Jaret Wick, Brandon Paust, Ben Koler, Bridger Armstrong, Mitchell Grant, Ryan Gifford, Jacolby Nokes, Gabe Togia, Dylan Davis, Jeffrey Cochran, Tyson Sonnenfeld and Jalen Prather. The team is coached by John Nokes, Lance Koler and Mike Cochran.

Nine of the 13 players on the team play high school baseball in the Federal Way school district. The Warriors are in their eighth year of existence and play in the 16-under Puyallup Select Baseball League and are currently 8-0.