New coaches were brought in for the Adna High School baseball team. Still, Danner Hoinowski was upfront at the start of the season.
A year after manning the hot corner, the junior conversed with first-year head coach Jake Overbay on returning to his primary position of catcher.
“He heard that I played third base and I let him know I am a catcher primarily,” Hoinowski said. “I wanted to keep it that way. He agreed.”
That was one of the many goals Hoinowski accomplished this spring.
Named the MVP of The Chronicle’s All-Area Baseball Team, the right-handed hitter and pitcher was a catalyst in helping the Pirates return to the Class 2B state semifinals with stout stats both ways.
He finished with a .405 batting average, an ops of 1.011 and a team-high .532 slugging percentage with 27 runs batted in. Hoinowski’s 32 total hits and eight of them going for extra bases was second-most.
“The work I was putting in the offseason was paying off,” Hoinowski said.
The offseason was spent bulking up and routinely seeing 90-plus mile per hour pitches at the Driveline training complex in Kent. It was Hoinowski’s first summer at the facility and it proved to pay off.
His average went up nearly 30 points from his sophomore campaign and he made a habit of hitting the ball the opposite way. On the mound this spring, Hoinowski mainly pitched in relief and recorded 28 strikeouts with a 2.88 earned run average.
“It is proven that hitting the ball harder tends to get you a hit more often,” he stated. “Just seeing that on a regular basis with elite offspeed, you train really hard so the normal stuff seems easy.”
Hoinowski seeks to be around 200 pounds for his final prep baseball season. He mentioned that college baseball does want to be a part of his future.
For now, he’ll return to Driveline and attempt to help Adna reach the pinnacle of 2B baseball. For the last two years, the Pirates have finished second and fourth, but are expected to return a solid nucleus for the 2025 season.
The Chronicle’s 2023-24 All-Area Baseball Team
Jack Burkhardt, Tenino
The right-hander thrived on the mound in crucial games and sported one of the lowest earned run averages in the area at 1.97. Burkhardt pitched in the state semifinal and struck out three in over six innings pitched. He struck out 59 total on the year and hit over .200 at the plate.
Ashton Demarest, Napavine
An unquestioned ace for the Tigers, Demarest pitched an area-high 64 innings this spring and sported a 1.42 earned run average with 89 strikeouts, also the best in the area. The senior was a threat at the plate with a .418 batting average and 27 RBIs pairing with 19 stolen bases.
Will Feltus, Tenino
The Beavers’ leadoff hitter set the tone offensively in helping them place third at the Class 1A state tournament. He hit .391 at the plate and did most of his damage when he reached base, stealing 28 of them and crossing home 36 times. Feltus also had nine extra-base hits.
Gavin Frewing, Toledo
Frewing found himself in the heart of the Riverhawks lineup and mashed four home runs, two in one game in the Class 2B District 4 tournament. The right-hander finished with a .449 batting average and an ops above 1.300. Frewing also had a 3.14 ERA on the bump this spring.
Conner Holmes, Napavine
The senior manned the outfield for the Tigers and ended the year with a 97 fielding percentage in center field with just one error. At the dish, Holmes notched 40 hits and his average sat at .444 with 32 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases.
Braden Jones, W.F. West
Jones did a little of everything for the Evergreen Conference runners-up, finishing the spring with over 15 RBIs, runs scored and stolen bases. Six of his 38 hits went for extra bases and on the mound, he had an ERA of 1.43 and a WHIP at 1.23.
Liam Karlson, Tumwater
Named as the MVP in the Evergreen Conference, Karlson was lights out for the Thunderbirds this spring when he took the mound. In over 53 innings pitched, he struck out 51 and registered an earned run average and WHIP under one. He hit over .300 in 19 at-bats.
Kellan Knox, Tenino
Headed to Oregon to continue his baseball career, Knox was a stalwart for the Beavers in their run to Bellingham. He struck out 67 and sported an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.17. He drove in 18 runs, stole 19 bases and had an ops above 1.000 at the plate.
Easton Kolb, Mossyrock
Undoubtedly the ace of the Vikings pitching staff, Kolb finished with the third-most strikeouts in the area with 85 and kept his ERA in the mid-twos. The senior was also red hot at the plate, hitting .551 and stealing 27 bases. Kolb’s ops ended at 1.496 and he also hit a home run.
Eddie Marson, Tumwater
The heartbeat and emotional leader of the Evergreen Conference champions, Marson was a steady force with a team-high .451 batting average plus driving in 28 RBIs and swiping 22 bases. The shortstop finished with the spring with a fielding percentage of 90.
Deacon Meller, W.F. West
The starting catcher for the Bearcats was one of their better players of getting on base and scoring, crossing home plate 22 times. Meller roped eight doubles, drove in 10 runs and stole 15 bases. Those stats garnered him first team all-EvCo honors.
Tristan Percival, Adna
One of the premier southpaws in the area, Percival was a catalyst in helping the Pirates reach the Class 2B semifinals. He struck out 87 batters in just 45 innings this spring and finished with a 2.80 ERA. He drove in 15 runs, launched a homer and batted .304 on the year.
Brady Sprague, Centralia
The first team all-EvCo selection capped his prep baseball career with 15 stolen bases, the highest on the Tigers’ roster. Sprague also paced Centralia in batting average, runs scored and hits. He drove in eight runs on the season.
Cody Strawn, Tenino
Thirty-three percent of the Beavers senior class, Strawn was a consistent force for the Class 1A District runners-up with 10 of his 25 hits going for extra bases. He drove in 21 runs, scored 33 times and ended with 23 stolen bases. On the bump, he struck out 29 hitters.
Derek Thompson, Tumwater
The second pitcher honored on the Thunderbirds staff, Thompson pitched in plenty of big games and left a mark on the mound. He finished with a 1.57 ERA and a .122 batting average against. At the plate, the right-hander drove in 14 runs with a .367 average.
