WHITE SALMON — The Columbia High School softball team returns several key players to its 2026 squad, coming off a run to the WIAA Class 1A District 4 playoffs last year.
The Bruins, led by head Coach Jesse Bryan, finished second in the Trico League last season and are looking to build on their success by making the state tournament in 2026.
“Last season was fairly successful until we got into the district playoffs,” Bryan said. “The goal this year is to show up to districts and dominate. We would like to go into the state tournament with some good momentum and a lot of confidence.”
“This year, we have two seniors who have been a part of this team since their eighth-grade year. Halle Kock and Madison Russum are both fifth-year varsity players who will definitely be leaders on this year’s team. Both of them are positive role models and will push the rest of the team to be the best that they can be.”
The Bruins, who started practice on March 2, have 13 girls on the roster. Despite nine of those players being upperclassmen, CHS will need to turn to some younger players to step up in the starting rotation.
Gabby Hogue joined the team last year as an eighth grader and saw her mound time increase as the year went on, said Bryan. “She plays with a lot of heart, and the defense really feeds off of her competitiveness.”
“I’m excited to see what our pitching staff can do this year. Danica Herman, Lola Marti, Gabby Hogue, Taryn Wallace, and hopefully our youngest player, Kate Blankenship (eighth grade), will all be contributors to what is hopefully our most successful season to date.”
The Bruins kick off the 2026 season with a nonleague home game against Mountain View High School (WA.) at 4 p.m. on March 13 at the Columbia High School softball diamond.
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