Respect, communication, and grit are what allowed the Bainbridge Spartans to win their first state baseball championship in school history.

The No. 2-seeded Bainbridge Spartans beat the No. 1-seeded Anacortes Seahawks 3-0 in the 2A state championship game May 31 in Bellingham. The Spartans also threw a combined no-hitter in the game, adding icing on the cake.

“The coaching staff throughout the program did a tremendous job keeping players focused and relaxed all season,” Spartan coach Thomas Henshaw said. “This group of players understood their role and embraced it. That kind of unity is rare and showed throughout the season.”

But perhaps the biggest turning point for the Spartans during the season was a 14-1 loss to Seattle Prep.

“We didn’t show up for that game at all,” Henshaw said. “We took what we had for granted and realized how it felt to get beat top to bottom.”

Henshaw also noted that the loss may have been the best thing that happened to the team all season. After the Seattle Prep loss, the Spartans went 19-1 the rest of the way.

Toward the beginning of the season, coaches, players, and parents cemented three core values into the program. Respect, communication, and grit. That mindset allowed the Spartans to “achieve something that’s never been done before,” Henshaw said.

“For me personally, this validates how connected our baseball community can be on the island. Players, coaches, and parents have reached out with supporting videos, offered encouragement, and added a special energy for our season. We didn’t set a new standard for Spartans baseball, we just blew the doors wide open on what we are about.”

The coach noted that the goal for next season is to repeat as state champions while also continuing to develop their depth.

The Spartans had three players graduate in Duncan Bos, Parker Kruglik, and Christian Benze. The Spartans have a larger number of seniors graduating next year, so Bainbridge will be looking to ensure their younger players get valuable experience and be able to step into larger roles in the next few years.

Henshaw said Bainbridge has a “target on their back” after winning the state championship, so every team that they face will be looking to bring their absolute best to the table. Nonetheless, the Spartans are looking to “stay humble and work harder than everyone else.”