Just weeks after four Tumwater football players signed National Letters of Intent to play at the next level, four Tumwater baseball players did the same.
Derek Thompson, Will Bond, Luke Houk, and Landon Roy signed their NLIs in a signing ceremony at the high school on Tuesday in front of family, friends, and coaches.
“It’s a good group,” Tumwater coach Lyle Overbay said. “You see these guys progress and you see them on a daily basis. It’s rewarding to see them work hard.”
Thompson will be taking a trip south down I-5 to play at Lower Columbia College, while both Houk and Roy will head to Pendleton, Oregon to play at Blue Mountain Community College.
Bond’s trip will be a little longer, as he’s heading to Eastern Connecticut State University, a Division III school in Windham, Connecticut.
“I think these are steps in the right direction,” Overbay said. “I do think they’re going to be a big part of their success next year even going into their freshman year.”
Before they go their separate ways, they’ll make another run at a state title.
Both Thompson and Roy were on the varsity team that won the school’s first state title in 2022, and the T-Birds ran it back by repeating as state champs in 2023.
Both state title rings were on the table with their gloves and a couple of Tumwater batting helmets, and Overbay pointed them out during a short speech at the beginning of the ceremony.
Spring practices, including baseball, are set to start on Monday.
“We know that these guys are gonna stick together and can push each other,” Overbay said. “They know how to win and they know what it takes to win … I’m excited to see what they can do on the baseball field this year.”
