Family Ties Fuel Issaquah Softball’s Historic Return to State
27 years their coach played for a state title, Issaquah softball returns to the state tournament – this time with mothers coaching daughters and a team rewriting history.
ISSAQUAH, Wash. – Brie Baumann will never forget the final game of her senior year. After losing to Capital, 1-0, in the Class 3A state championship, Baumann crouched in her catcher’s gear, burying her face in her hands.
In that moment, pitcher and good friend Cherstin Johnson walked over, knelt beside her, and together they found smiles despite the heartache.
Now, 27 years later, Baumann is heading back to the state tournament, this time as the Eagles’ head coach.
“That memory has stuck with me,” Baumann said. “Now, all these years later, I get to come back to that same stage, not as a player, but as the coach. It’s surreal. Watching this group of girls, who have worked their tails off all season, earn their shot at state brings back every emotion I felt back then: the excitement, the nerves, the pride.”
Not only is Baumann returning to state as a coach, she’s also going as a mother. Her daughter, Riley, is a junior standout for the Eagles.
“I love spending every day with my mom,” said Riley, the team’s first baseman. “We've become best friends during the season, and she's just such an important person in my life, so I love playing the game that I love with the person I love.”
Riley is currently second on the team in batting average (.436) and on-base percentage (.596). She has eight doubles, five home runs, and 22 RBI.
“Being the coach’s kid is never easy,” Baumann said. “There’s always that extra pressure, people watching closely, wondering if she’s earning her spot or benefiting from her last name. But she’s silenced any of that talk just by being who she is. She shows up every day, outworks most, and lets her play speak for itself.”
The mother-daughter connections run even deeper at Issaquah, with assistant coach Sara Garvey and her daughter, Campbell, also on the team.
“I just love being out here and getting to spend so much time with her on the field,” said Campbell, a sophomore who is batting .347. “She's always coached my team growing up, so this is kind of just like continuing that.”
Issaquah (21-3) will play for the district title at 6 p.m. tonight against KingCo rival Skyline at Phil Johnson Field. The Eagles enter the game on a five-game winning streak, while the Spartans have won 10 straight.
Like Baumann said, it’s not always easy for players coached by their parents, but for Issaquah, the dynamic works, largely because of the strong family culture the team has built this season.
“We're just having such an amazing season. The growth from last year is incredible, and the team just works so well together,” said Riley, who is the fourth generation to attend Issaquah.
No matter how the season ends, the journey has already left its mark – on the coach, the players, and the families who’ve helped shape it.
“It means a lot to me personally, but even more to see this team write their own chapter in Issaquah softball history,” Baumann said. “They’ve earned it, and I couldn’t be prouder to be the one standing beside them.”
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