Summer Knights IV, hosted by the Federal Way Knights Baseball organization, crowned champions in its recently held 64-team baseball tournament played at Illahee Middle School, Saghalie Middle School, Todd Beamer High School, Federal Way High School, Decatur High School, the Federal Way National complex and Steel Lake Annex.

All age groups participated in pool play to determine eight teams with the best won-loss in each category. In the case of the 12-and-under group, two divisions were staged.

Bandits Baseball, with four Federal Way players on its roster, captured the 10-and-under title by defeating the Issaquah Redhawks in the championship game. On the way to the title, the Bandits defeated the Sidewinders and the Federal Way Knights to reach the championship game.

The Bandits also claimed the Puyallup Select League title and have qualified for five straight tournament championship games while also winning the Everett Rage and the Moses Lake Classic. The team finished the year with a 36-11 record.

Bandit players from Federal Way include Christian Meister, Mark Parrott, Nick Mulloy and Pat Mulloy.

Centralia Pride beat the Puyallup Black Sox for the 8-and-under title. The Puyallup Raptors defeated the Gig Harbor White Caps for the 9-and-under championship. In the 12-and-under group, Bothell Pride outlasted the Federal Way Titans to earn Division 1 honors. In Division 2, the Federal Way Knights topped the Longhorns.

Continuing on to the 13-and-under group, the Puyallup Timber Rattlers stopped the Stampede in the championship game. The Bonney Lake Bandits and the Northwest Timberjacks finished first and second, respectively, in the 14-and under group.

Steel Lake

It was a trip to California that reaped no fruit in baseball game victories, but the Steel Lake Senior Little League baseball All Stars showed solid success in their efforts on the way to and at their final destination of Upland, California.

After absorbing an opening round 10-0 loss to Summerlin (Nevada) Little League in the opening round of the 2008 Western Regional tournament on Tuesday, July 29, Steel Lake bowed out of the tournament in a 9-5 loss to Montana state champion Mount Jumbo East/West on Thursday, July 31.

Steel Lake and Summerlin participated in the regional tournament with state champions from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Northern California and Southern California.

Beginning with the District 10 championship at Brannan Park in Auburn, Steel Lake then defeated a tough PacWest Little League of Burien team at Moshier Field to win the state championship of Washington and an automatic berth in the Western Regional tournament.