Mid-Columbia baseball moves into final stretch of regular season. Who’s on top?

We’re in the final stretch of the Mid-Columbia Conference baseball regular season, and it looks like the same suspects are at or near the top of the standings.

Last year’s Class 4A state champion, the Richland Bombers, may not be undefeated like they were last year. But Bombers head coach Grant Richardson still has his team primed and ready to go. The team is sitting in second place.

Only Steve Woods’ Kamiakin squad is ahead of Richland in the standings.

The Braves, according to Tait Meyers’ statistics, have the best hitting and pitching team in the MCC.

Kamiakin has three players hitting over .400 — Caylor Hayward (.467), Tommy Lamb (.447) and Trent Woodhouse (.429). The Braves’ trio of pitchers — Taron Carlson, Zachary Vega and Zach Swanson — are among the MCC leaders in a number of categories.

Carlson, a junior who has verbally committed to pitching for Washington State University, had 4 wins — as does Vega. Swanson has three. Swanson has yet to surrender an earned run, while Carlson has given up just three and Vega five.

Kamiakin beat Richland 9-2 this past Tuesday, and the two powerhouses will meet next Tuesday at Richland High School. First pitch is at 5 p.m.

Here is a look at the latest MCC standings:

Kamiakin (4A) 10-1 MCC, 13-1 overall

Richland (4A) 9-2, 10-4

Kennewick (3A) 8-3, 10-4

Hanford (4A) 8-5, 11-5

Chiawana (4A) 5-6, 9-7

Southridge (3A) 5-7, 9-7

Walla Walla (3A) 4-7, 6-9

Pasco (4A) 2-9, 4-11

Hermiston (3A) 1-12, 3-12

April 19 — Mt. Spokane 9, Walla Walla 1

April 22 — Kamiakin 9, Richland 2

Kennewick 15, Chiawana 2

Pasco 7, Hermiston 6

Walla Walla 5, Hanford 3

April 25 — Chiawana at Richland (2), 4 p.m.

Hermiston at Southridge (2), 4 p.m.

Kamiakin at Pasco (2), 4 p.m.

Walla Walla at Kennewick (2), 4 p.m.

April 29 — Chiawana at Kennewick, 5 p.m.

Hermiston at Pasco, 5 p.m.

Kamiakin at Richland, 5 p.m.

Walla Walla at Hanford, 5 p.m.

▪ Here are the latest Ratings Percentage Index rankings for the top MCC baseball teams, through games of April 22: In Class 4A, Kamiakin is ranked No. 2; Richland is No. 5; and Hanford is No. 14. Puyallup is the top 4A team.

In Class 3A, Kennewick is ranked No. 8. Decatur is the top-ranked 3A team.

Prep softball

Richland and Hanford are once again the top two teams so far in the Mid-Columbia Conference standings.

With long-time standout coach Casey Emery stepping down after the 2024 season, new Bombers coach Joel Evans has continued Richland’s storied run, going 11-0 in MCC play and 15-1 overall.

Hanford and Chiawana are a few games back.

The tough part is the top four teams in the MCC are Class 4A teams, and they’ll have to battle with the Greater Spokane League’s top 4A schools for just two state tournament berths. Somebody good is going to stay home.

Here are the latest MCC softball standings:

Richland (4A) 11-0 MCC, 15-1 overall

Hanford (4A) 9-3, 11-4

Chiawana (4A) 9-4, 12-4

Kamiakin (4A) 7-4, 10-5

Southridge (3A) 7-4, 10-6

Kennewick (3A) 4-7, 5-10

Hermiston (3A) 3-8, 6-9

Walla Walla (3A) 2-9, 4-11

Pasco (4A) 0-13, 2-13

April 19 — North Creek 6, Richland 5; Richland 15, Jackson (Everett) 1

April 22 — Chiawana 10, Kennewick 1; Kamiakin 14, Pasco 3; Richland 7, Hermiston 1; Southridge 12, Walla Walla 1

April 25 — Hermiston at Walla Walla (2), 4 p.m.; Kennewick at Richland (2), 4 p.m.; Pasco at Hanford (2), 4 p.m.; Southridge at Kamiakin (2), 4 p.m.

April 29 — Hanford at Moses Lake, 5 p.m.; Hermiston at Richland, 5 p.m.; Kennewick at Chiawana, 5 p.m.; Pasco at Kamiakin, 5 p.m.; Southridge at Walla Walla, 5 p.m.

▪ Richland is ranked No. 2 in the latest WIAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings through April 23. Hanford sits at No. 14, while Kamiakin is 15th. Skyview of Vancouver is ranked No. 1. In 3A, Mt. Spokane is the top ranked team.

▪ Here are the latest softball standings for the 2A Central Washington Athletic Conference:

Ephrata 10-2 CWAC, 12-5 overall

East Valley-Yakima 10-2, 11-5

Selah 8-2, 11-2

Ellensburg 8-2, 9-5

Othello 6-4, 7-7

Grandview 2-8, 5-10

Toppenish 2-8, 4-10

Quincy 0-8, 0-12

Prosser 0-10, 2-13

April 21 — East Valley 10, Selah 0; Selah 12, East Valley 10

April 22 — Ellensburg 19, Grandview 7; Ellensburg 21, Grandview 7; Ephrata 8, Othello 5; Ephrata 4, Othello 3; Prosser 14, Zillah 4; Prosser 13, Zillah 7

April 24 — Quincy at Ephrata (2), 3 p.m.

April 25 — Ellensburg at East Valley (2), 3 p.m.; Selah at Othello (2), 3 p.m.; Toppenish at Grandview (2), 3 p.m.