2026 Puget Sound 60+ Rainier Emeralds: A Perfect Season for the Record Books
Puget Sound Senior Baseball League, 60+ Rainier ADV
Rainier Emeralds 20, Rainier Mariners 17
Submitted by Carl Gleason
The 2026 Rainier Emeralds have officially completed one of the most remarkable seasons in Puget Sound Senior Baseball League history.
After winning the 2025 Rainier championship, they repeated in 2026, beginning the summer with an 18–0 regular-season record. The Emeralds carried their undefeated streak into the postseason and finished the campaign 21–0, capped by a championship-game win on September 23. Including last season, the Emeralds have extended their winning streak to 27 games.
The Emeralds are 2026 Rainier Division Champions—and they never lost a game.
A Perfect 21–0 Championship Campaign.
Under General Manager Greg Bradford, the Emeralds dominated from the opening game on May 9 through the championship finale. The final PSSBL standings show Emeralds finishing 21–0–0, with a perfect 1.000 winning percentage and a 10–0 record over the final 10 games.
The season began with an emphatic victory over the Sea Dogs and continued through a 21-game schedule featuring the Cubs, Mariners, Steelheads, Pilots, and Sea Dogs. By the time the championship game arrived, the Emeralds had already established themselves as the team to beat. Then they finished the job. 21 Games. 21 Wins. One Championship.
Championship Night Recap: Emeralds 20, Mariners 17
On Wednesday night, September 23, at Bannerwood Sports Park, the Emeralds locked in an offensive shootout against the Rainier Mariners to seal their perfect season. In a high-scoring battle with 37 combined runs and 33 total hits, the Emeralds put together massive scoring rallies in the fifth (6 runs), sixth (3 runs), seventh (5 runs), and eighth (4 runs) to win 20–17.
Winning Pitcher:
Toshi Niwa (1–0) entered in relief, pitched 3.0 innings, and earned the win. Starting Pitcher Greg Werre threw 6.0 innings, providing a steady foundation through the bulk of the contest.
Offensive Attack:
Toshi Niwa: 4-for-6, 3 runs scored, 2 stolen bases.
Alphonso Lee: 3-for-5, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 1 double, 1 walk.
Gary Van Cleave: 2-for-3, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 1 double, 3 walks.
Monty McAlpine: 2-for-5, 1 run scored, 1 double.
Jon Thornton, Gary Horcher, and Greg Bradford each delivered multi-hit performances to power the 18-hit offensive deluge.
Larry Davis and Toshi Niwa: Combined for 3 stolen bases.
Dominant From the Mound:
At the center of the Emeralds’ extraordinary season was Greg Werre, who emerged as the team’s pitching ace and one of the most important players in the entire division.
Werre was named division MVP for the second time (2023) and finished with a remarkable 14–0 record, throwing 104.1 innings, a 1.47 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, 81 K’s, and completing 10 of 13 games. His consistency made him a dominant presence every time he took the mound.
The Emeralds finished the season with an offensive attack that produced 317 Hits, 306 Runs, 41 Doubles, 15 Triples, and five Home Runs.
The perfect championship season was built by the entire 17-player roster that included S. McHugh, V. Gee, G. Horcher, L. Davis, A. Lee, J. Thornton, G. Bradford, R. Costello, T. Niwa, M. McAlpine, C. Gleason, G. Van Cleave, B. Bouchard, P. Eastey, E. Barrett, G. Were, and J. Sanders.