EPHRATA — Last season was a rough one for Ephrata's baseball program.

The Tigers finished at 4-18 overall with a 3-13 league record, placing eighth in the final Central Washington Athletic Conference standings. They were blanked 9-0 by Toppenish in a district play-in round, a game that seemed to sum up a season-long scoring disparity against opponents.

Third-year EHS head coach David Tempel isn't hiding from it. So the message to his players this spring?

“Our goal is to get the next batter to the plate," he said. "By being selfless and taking what the pitcher and defense gives us, we can extend innings and create scoring opportunities."

Good baseball gets played in the CWAC and the Tigers will have their challenges, Tempel acknowledged.

"East Valley returns a strong pitching staff and excellent hitters, as does Othello, who is coming off a third-place finish at 2A State," Tempel said. "Selah is a perennial contender for the league title, and Ellensburg continues to be stubborn and tough. Grandview and Quincy have new coaches, and Toppenish and Prosser are building winning programs."

Tempel is assisted by David McKeehan and Dylan Stakelin, both in their third year on the coaching staff, and Shon Schaffran, in his second.

The Tigers' roster for 2026 is a young one: just four seniors and seven juniors along with 15 sophomores and 20 freshmen. Nonetheless, expectations are high.

Sophomore Cooper Vasquez leads the pitching staff after earning a rotation spot as a freshman and pacing the team in hitting. Senior Elijah Davis anchors the outfield and brings the most power in the lineup. Versatile junior Clayton Wolther is expected to see defensive duty on the left side of the infield at either shortstop or third plus provide some pitching, he gets on base, and his bat has pop. 

The Tigers' prospective pitching staff also includes senior Landen Stephens, healthy after an injury sidelined him last season. He is expected to both start and work in relief on the mound. Junior Caleb Froewiss steps in at first base, but adds pitching depth after a strong summer baseball season.

Newcomers Kai Kaleohano, Mayson Stredwick, Braiden Baltz, Dayne Holland and Cale Fronsman will compete for infield spots. Andrew Rowlands, Charles Poirrier and Grayson Webb add outfield depth. Poirrier also pitches.

Sophomore Mitchell Johnson will handle fulltime catching duties after showing a sharp eye at the plate in limited varsity action last year.

Johnson's presence on the field carries deep history. His grandfather, Hall of Fame Tiger coach Dave Johnson, was a collegiate catcher in Spokane before coming to Ephrata in the early 1970s. Mitchell's dad, Bryan Johnson, the current EHS athletic director and a 1999 Tiger alum, was part of Dave Johnson's state championship team that went 25-2. After graduation, Bryan played at the University of Washington, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 16th round in 2002, and coached Oregon's Stanfield Secondary School to two state titles before returning to Ephrata with his family in 2018.

The 2026 Tigers open their baseball season with a home tournament at Johnson-O'Brien Stadium, welcoming St. Bernard's Academy on Friday, March 13 at 12:25 p.m. and Orting on Saturday, March 14 at 5:25 p.m. A full tournament schedule can be found here.