Bainbridge baseball had only sent one team to state in 1980 prior to Thomas Henshaw taking the mound or swinging the bat in a Spartan uniform.

Two-and-a-half decades after helping lead the Spartans to consecutive state tournament appearances in 1999 and 2000, the Bainbridge alumni and former collegiate player will don the blue and gold again as the program’s new coach.

“I am beyond excited to be joining back with the Spartan baseball family,” Henshaw says in a Sept. 25 statement. “The coming season will be an exciting time to be on the diamond for these athletes.”

Henshaw emerged as a team leader his sophomore year and beyond with the Spartans, earning all-league honors from 1998 to 2000 and earning an all-state team spot as a senior. He threw a no-hitter against Central Kitsap his junior year.

From there, he went on to start at third base in his freshman season at the College of Southern Idaho before transitioning back to pitching as a sophomore. He would play later for Western Washington University as a first and third baseman.

Bainbridge athletic director Luke Ande said it’s this extensive experience as a player that developed the roots of Henshaw’s coaching approach. “He is committed to player development and creating a positive team culture that will benefit our student-athletes both on and off the field,” Ande said.

Henshaw inherits a program coached by Geoff Brown, who vacated the position in May just two months after earning his 100th of 112 career victories as a high school coach. The Spartans topped the Olympic League standings in 2021 and 2023 and reached the 3A state tournament in 2022 and 2023.

Bainbridge will compete in the 2025 baseball season under the 2A classification, an exciting move for the baseball program, Henshaw said. “Our program will work with a relentless pursuit toward winning championships,” he added.

A meeting for parents, players and community members is scheduled for Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. at the school.