Issaquah 12U baseball squad captures second place at districts

Three-peat bid falls just short.

The Issaquah Little League 12U all-star baseball team thrived on cohesion over the past three seasons on the baseball diamond.

Issaquah 12U, which won two district championships and two state championships in 2017 and 2018, earned second place at the Majors (12U Division) district baseball tournament on July 15 at Dodd Field in Issaquah. Eastlake defeated Issaquah, 4-1, in the championship game.

Issaquah 12U manager Jared Carvahlo said it was third consecutive year his team faced Eastlake in the district title matchup.

“We had a lot of success the previous two years and this year there was a little bit of pressure on us to do it the third time (district, state title). The kids were ready and prepared for it but unfortunately we ran into a really good Eastlake team. They beat us twice in the tournament. I have to tip my cap to them. We didn’t play horrible, they flat out beat us,” Carvahlo explained.

Carvahlo has thoroughly enjoyed the past three years as the Issaquah all-stars skipper. He coached the 10U all-star team in 2017 and the 11U all-star squad in 2018. The finality definitely was something on Carvahlo’s mind during a phone interview on July 17.

“It has been great. I have coached a lot of the same kids for the past three years and a handful of them when they were younger through Little League and select. They are just a great group of kids that played together,” Carvahlo said. “This was the last year we were together. They are all going onto 13U and will play somewhere else. They not only grew as baseball players but they learned a lot of life lessons.”

The Issaquah 12U all-stars roster consisted of Jack Babuin, Ryan Boehm, Hudson Carvalho, Luke Farmer, Will Hawk, Dylan Leaird, Tommy Rosario, River Shute, Garrett Sourwine, Hudson Sullivan, Mason Uchimura, Max Vermeulen and Ernie Whelan. The coaches were Dave Boehm and Mike Farmer. Carvalho was the manager of the squad.