There was a time in his young life that Jake Warwick thought about nothing but baseball.
He played it. Loved it.
But when the pandemic struck in 2020, team sports went by the wayside.
Baseball’s loss has been golf’s gain.
“I used to play with those plastic golf clubs when I was 2,” said Warwick, who as a sophomore at DeSales Catholic School will be defending his state golf title next week at Liberty Lake. “But then I played baseball for a long time. (When COVID hit), there really weren’t any team sports at the time.”
Since that time, Warwick has thrived on the golf course.
“Golf is such a fun sport. It gets you outside, too,” Warnick said. “I love playing competitively with my friends. It also sucks having to give some of them 20 strokes when we play.”
Last year, as a freshman, Warwick won the Boys 1B state golf championship by firing two rounds of 70 for a 140 total at MeadowWood Golf Course at Liberty Lake.
That score ranked him third overall among all male prep golfers in the state of Washington, regardless of classification.
And last year wasn’t his first time at the state tournament.
As an eighth grader in 2024, Warwick finished tied for seventh in the 1B/2B boys state tournament with a 77-82—159.
But it was 2025 when Warwick really came into his own. Through 12 major types of tournaments — WIAA, Washington Junior Golf, or top US Kids regional events — Warwick averaged a 71.9 score.
This year could even be better.
He’s currently 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and still growing. And fresh off a one-stroke district championship win over Pomeroy’s Vinny Vecchio.
“This year, my putting game has been extremely good,” Warwick admits. “I’ve also had some good iron play. My wedges have definitely gotten better, as well as my driver.”
But his coach, Devon Caruso, says none of that is Warwick’s biggest strength right now.
“Mentally, golf is super tough,” said Caruso, a Pomeroy High graduate who played collegiately at Lewis-Clark State College. “Jake’s mental game is up there pretty high. To be where he is mentally as a sophomore is impressive. Really, what separates you in golf is your mentality.
Jake Warwick, DeSales sophomore varsity golfer, practices at the Walla Walla Country Club on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Kezia Setyawan,
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
“He stays very level. He doesn’t feed into his emotions. He practices a lot, and he’s a hard worker. His work ethic is incredible.”
That work ethic is usually on display on a daily basis.
“I practice golf nearly every day,” Warwick said. “Every now and then, I do get burned out, and I step away from golf for a few days.”
Warwick admits he doesn’t watch much professional golf on television.
“I’ll watch the majors. But I’d rather be out playing most of the time,” he said. “Watching players can definitely sometimes be helpful. Like what those players do with shots during certain situations.”
He admits that when he’s playing competitively, his ability to let things go is a major asset to his game.
“I don’t let a bad hole, or even a bad day, ruin things for me,” Warwick admits. “Everyone has a bad hole or a bad day. Even the best players in the world struggle.”
So he goes about his business like a Young Man with a Plan.
Every practice is never wasted. He comes into it with a game plan.
“Every practice depends on what’s going well for me,” said Warwick. “Lately, my short games hasn’t been good. But it all depends on how I’m playing. For me, if I’m not playing great it can sometimes be the smallest things. Then I go back to the basics. All scoring opportunities come from 150 yards and in.”
Caruso helps with that.
While at LCSC, he had an assistant coach who put together a book on various putting drills.
Caruso said he never thought he’d use it. But he didn’t toss it in the garbage either.
Jake Warwick, DeSales sophomore varsity golfer, poses at the Walla Walla Country Club.
Kezia Setyawan,
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
He brought the book out to his team, and Warwick and senior Matt Beck — who also qualified for the state tournament — have constantly asked Caruso for it to find another putting drill to work on.
Caruso loves that.
“Not a lot of people focus on 150 yards in,” he said. “Our guys, they harp on the short game. You can cut down 3, 4 or 5 shots on a hole if you focus on that. That’s where you can make up ground (on the leaderboard).”
The Liberty Lake Golf Course is the site of the WIAA 1B boys state golf tournament, which runs Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s also the course hosting the 2B boys and the 1B/2B girls state tournaments — which is good for Warwick’s family, as freshman sister Stella qualified for state also.
Last year, Jake Warwick won the title across the street at MeadowWood.
“Liberty Lake and MeadowWood are pretty similar courses. Liberty Lake is shorter,” said Caruso. “I’m sure he’s excited to defend his state title. This course should set him up for a good game plan.”
Warwick agrees.
“I really like Liberty Lake,” he said. “I’ve played it a number of times. I really like the layout. As defending champion, I try to think it’s like any other tournament.”
It’s going to be a long but fun summer for him.
“I plan to play in two tournaments a week at times,” he said.
Warwick will be all over the Pacific Northwest, playing in junior tournaments, as well as trying to qualify for some of the more prestigious adult amateurs around the state.
He also qualified last year to play in this summer’s PGA High School Championship, and later, the US Kids World Championship. Both are played in Pinehurst, N.C.
And lest anyone think Jake Warwick has given up on team sports, think again.
He was a big part of the DeSales boys basketball team that went 24-6 and placed third at the 1B state tournament in Spokane in March.
“Basketball is really fun, too,” said Warwick. “I got a lot of playing time.”
But golf is where it’s at for this young man, who hopes to play the sport in college in a few years.
Caruso sees that as a no-brainer.
“In golf, you’re not going to win every time,” he said. “But the short game and the mental game, those two things can take you a long way.”
Expect a long journey of success for Jake Warwick.