With would-be top-of-the-rotation pitchers opting for other summer programs, Yakima Valley has tapped into its deep roster to take the mound this season.

The Pak (27-10) has found strength in numbers.

Nine players have pitched – seven in starting roles – this summer for Yakima Valley, which opens defense of its state championship Saturday in Spokane. The Pak meets Whatcom Baseball Club Post 7 at 11:30 a.m. in the day’s second game.

Gonzaga Prep will host the first two days of the tournament before the action shifts to Gonzaga University’s Coach Steve Hertz Field at the Patterson Baseball Complex for the final three days, including Wednesday’s championship.

The Washington champion advances to the Northwest Regional in Medford, Ore., Aug. 5-9. The region includes Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Shelby, N.C., hosts the World Series Aug. 13-18, and the semifinals and championship will be televised on ESPNU.

Four pitchers have logged more than 30 innings this summer for the Pak, and three more have 20 or more. Tapping into what each brings to the mound has been key for the coaches.

“Most likely they’ve all thrown at some time in their life, so it’s kind of getting them back on the horse,” Pak pitching coach Rob Archer said. “Most importantly, throw to their strengths, whatever they do best.”

Ellensburg graduate Jake Snow leads Yakima Valley in innings, and along with Alex Morales (West Valley), Ashton Barnes-Keller (Quincy) and Bodie Yale (Eastmont) have tossed a complete seven innings.

Morales, an all-CBBN center fielder who’s bound for Central Washington, is one of three left-handed hurlers – “The three lefties are really hard to handle,” Archer said – along with Rams teammate Brody Roinestad and East Valley senior Grady Jansen on the staff.

For the 6-foot-3 Morales, simplicity is essential.

“What’s been key is just throwing strikes,” he said. “The little things, really, is what we need to work on – our walks, and keeping our pitch count down.”

CBBN MVP Colby Graham and fellow WV grad Gavin Rose, along with Red Devils senior Jake Jansen, Grady’s twin and son of Pak coach Mick Jansen, also have taken the ball this year.

The seven other teams in the field are quite familiar to the Pak, which has an 11-4 record against the five teams in Spokane it’s faced.

The Tri-City Titans and Hanford Flames are league opponents, and Yakima Valley was 3-1 against each in Central Washington League (Area 4) play, although the Titans topped the Pak for the Brandy Pugh Memorial Tournament championship a couple weeks ago.

Bellevue’s Lakeside won state championships in 2022 and 2023, derailing Yakima Valley’s attempt at a three-peat in the first one, and defeated the Pak in their only meeting this season.

Yakima Valley swept a pair of doubleheaders against the West Plains Cannons of Medical Lake, and beat WBC Post 7 in a single contest.

Absent from the field is Wilder, which is in the same league as Lakeside. At last year’s state tournament at Archer Field, Wilder advanced to the final, only to bail on the event because of a scheduling snafu.

The Pak was left to act out a celebration in their street clothes.

“It’s probably the weirdest thing we’ve ever had not playing on the last day,” Archer said. “The kids, especially the returners, are eager to see this thing all the way through.”

And those kids remember.

“We were like, ‘oh, man this sucks,’” Morales said. “It’s not the way you want to win a championship.”