From dusty fields to packed arenas, the Tri-Cities have quietly produced athletes who punch far above their weight on the national stage. Long before the spotlight found them, they were putting in the work right here at home; now their journeys are inspiring the next generation of local talent!
Travis Buck Brings Richland Baseball to the Big Leagues and Back Home
Richland’s own Travis Buck turned local diamond dreams into a major league reality. A standout at Richland High School, Buck took his potent bat to Arizona State University, where he racked up 272 career hits (eighth all-time for the Sun Devils) and earned back-to-back Pac-10 All-Star nods. He also helped Team USA snag gold at the 2004 World University Baseball Championship, hitting a blistering .412. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics, Buck went on to log Major League Baseball (MLB) time with the A’s, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros.
But his love for the Tri-Cities never faded: after his playing days, he opened TBuck Training in Richland to mentor local talent. From Boise State to Arizona State to Loyola Marymount, Buck has crisscrossed the country as a coach, and in 2025 he was named director of baseball operations at the University of Oregon. His story proves that a kid from Richland can not only reach the show but also come back to help the next generation step up to the plate.
Hope Solo Guards the Net for Richland and the World
Before she became a two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion, Hope Solo was a goal-scoring forward at Richland High School, racking up 109 goals, three consecutive league titles, and a state championship. But her true calling would be guarding the net. After shifting to goalkeeper at the University of Washington, Solo rose to become arguably the greatest female goalkeeper of all time.
She holds the U.S. record for most career shutouts (102) and wins (153), and she was the backbone of the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship team; that year’s final against Japan remains the most-watched soccer game in U.S. television history. Along the way, she survived a controversial benching at the 2007 World Cup, bounced back to win gold in 2008 and 2012, and earned the Golden Glove as the tournament’s best keeper in 2011. Whether diving across the goal line or speaking her mind, Solo has carried the fighting spirit of the Tri-Cities onto the global stage.
Jeremy Bonderman Makes Pasco Proud as Baseball’s First Round Pick
When Jeremy Bonderman was a junior at Pasco High School, he did something no high school player had ever done: he became the only high school junior ever to be drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft in baseball history. After passing his GED and petitioning the league for early eligibility, the Oakland A’s grabbed him with the 26th pick in 2001, a choice that, according to Moneyball, made general manager Billy Beane throw a chair through a wall after his scouting director ignored Beane’s preference for a college player and drafted the high-school junior instead.
Bonderman debuted in the major leagues at just 20 years old with the Detroit Tigers. He endured a brutal rookie season (6–19) but emerged as an underdog who went on to earn the spot of Opening Day starter in 2005, as well as 14 games that same season. In 2006, he went 14–8 with a 4.08 ERA, pitching five perfect innings against the Yankees in the American League Division Series and helping the Tigers storm to the World Series. Though shoulder injuries cut his career short, Bonderman’s legacy as a Pasco-born power arm who never backed down from a challenge remains an inspiration for every local kid who throws heat on a dusty summer field.
Leilani Mitchell Dribbles from Kennewick to the WNBA and the Opals
Leilani Mitchell’s basketball journey started on the hardwood of Kennewick High School, where she was a four-year starter, a first-team all-state selection, and the Big Nine Conference Player of the Year as a senior. She would lead the Lions to four straight state championship games, including a title in 2000. Drafted 25th overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2008, Mitchell carved out a remarkable professional career in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and overseas.
In 2019, she made history as the first WNBA player ever to win the Most Improved Player Award twice. A dual U.S.-Australian citizen, Mitchell also became a key member of the Australian Opals, representing her mother’s homeland at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. From the courts of Kennewick to the world stage, she’s proven that consistency and hard work can carry a career across continents.
Shawn O’Malley Turns Southridge Stardom into a Mariners Miracle
Shawn O’Malley helped lead Southridge High School to the Washington State 4A baseball title in 2003-2004, earning all-state honors in both baseball and football. Drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the fifth round out of high school, O’Malley spent eight years climbing the minor-league ladder before finally getting his call-up with the Los Angeles Angels in 2014. He made his debut with a pinch-hit infield single that drove in a run, a storybook moment.
But it was with the Seattle Mariners that O’Malley truly shone. In 2016, he played a vital role in the franchise’s biggest comeback ever, delivering the game-winning RBI single. After retiring, O’Malley immediately went into coaching, eventually becoming the hitting coach for Triple-A Tacoma and then, in 2026, an assistant hitting coach for the Washington Nationals. His transformation from a Southridge High standout to a major-league coach is a powerful testament to where pure grit and a love for the game can take you.
Summer Yates Springs from Pasco to the NWSL and U.S. Youth National Team
Born in Pasco, Summer Yates grew up kicking a ball for Pacific Northwest SC, where she won a state championship before taking Chiawana High School by storm. As a senior, she was named Mid-Columbia Conference Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year for Washington, all while also starring in basketball and cross country. At the University of Washington, Yates became a program legend: 93 appearances, 27 goals (third all-time), 23 assists (fourth all-time), and three straight All-Pac-12 First Team honors. She earned All-America status in 2021, the first Husky to do so since 2004.
Now, she’s taking her midfield mastery to the professional ranks with the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League, and she’s already represented the United States at multiple youth international levels. Summer Yates is living proof that the next rising star from the Tri-Cities might already be on the pitch, and her best chapters are still being written.
The Tri-Cities is a forge for athletes who refuse to be overlooked. Across fields, courts, and diamonds, this region has shaped competitors who learned early that grit matters as much as talent, and that big dreams can grow in small places. The same local spaces that built them are still molding the next wave of standouts, each one pushing a little further than the last. And as new athletes rise to chase their own ambitions, one thing remains certain: the Tri-Cities isn’t done producing greatness.
