The Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, and Run competition is coming to Wenatchee this spring. The free event will be held at Paul Thomas Sr. Field on May 19 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. and is sponsored locally by the Wenatchee AppleSox, Kimmel Athletic Supply, ESPN Radio 900 KKRT, and Biosports. Kids who sign up and participate in the event will get a free t-shirt.

Pitch, Hit & Run™ is the official skills competition of Major League Baseball®. This grassroots program is designed to provide youngsters with an opportunity to compete, free of charge, in a competition that recognizes individual excellence in core baseball/softball skills.

The core roster for the 2013 AppleSox is now set with the addition of six players, including one of the top two-way performers in college baseball. Washington State University outfielder/left-handed pitcher Jason Monda, Gonzaga infielder Brock Slavin, Pomona-Pitzer College infielder/right-handed pitcher Jake Bruml, Cisco College right-handed pitcher Stuart Patke, Edmonds College right-handed pitcher Kevin Sheets, and Palomar College left-handed pitcher Vaughn Berberet will join the AppleSox this summer.

“I’m looking forward to having all of these guys in Wenatchee and getting the season started,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “We are fortunate to have great relationships with top programs that provide us with high-quality players every season.”

A group of top recruits from UCLA, University of San Diego, and the University of Hawaii will gain experience in Wenatchee this summer before beginning their college careers. Infielder Gosuke Katoh and outfielder Brett Stephens of UCLA, outfielder Hunter Mercado-Hood, infielder Trae Arbet, and right-handed pitcher C.J. Burdick of USD, along with first baseman Jake Bauers of the University of Hawaii will join the AppleSox.

“All of these guys are supremely talented. We have had a lot of success over the years with players straight out of high school. We run the risk that we might lose them to the MLB Draft, but it’s a risk worth taking,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs.

Both sides of the Apple Cup rivalry will be represented on the AppleSox this summer. The team will receive right-handed pitcher Chris McDowell from Washington State University and right-handed pitcher Trevor Dunlap of the University of Washington.

McDowell, from Mount Vernon, has seen action out of the bullpen during his freshman season in Pullman. This spring he is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA. The 6-foot-7 hurler had an outstanding prep career at Mount Vernon High School, throwing two no-hitters including a perfect game as a senior.

Another piece of the last year’s AppleSox roster will be back to help in the team’s search for a second straight West Coast League title. Returning left-handed pitcher Trevor Lubking of Pacific Lutheran University will be joined by Central Washington University outfielder Ethan Sterkel and Whitworth Universtiy right-handed pitcher Dan Scheibe on the AppleSox this summer.

Lubking was a consistent fixture in the Wenatchee’s rotation in 2012, going 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA. The sophomore from Buckley is the top arm for PLU this spring. The southpaw is 8-3 with a 2.36 ERA and has earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division III Pitcher of the Week honors.

A total of four players from three different Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges schools will be a part of the AppleSox in 2013. Wenatchee is receiving right-handed pitcher Beau Kerns and left-handed pitcher Mitch Yada from Wenatchee Valley Community College, infielder Stockton Taylor from Everett Community College, and right-handed pitcher Colton Loomis from Community Colleges of Spokane.

Kerns returns to the AppleSox after being a member of the team’s starting rotation in 2012. He went 4-2 with 2.55 ERA and logged a team-high 63 innings last summer. The sophomore out of Lewiston, ID, is 3-1 for the Knights with a 2.31 ERA.

A duo of position players from West Coast Conference programs will wear an AppleSox uniform this summer. Gonzaga University is sending catcher Joey Harris and the University of Portland is providing outfielder Ryan Barr to be a part of the of the defending West Coast League champions.

“We have a long relationship with both schools,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “These are programs that have provided us with high-caliber talent for a long time.”

A pair of freshman along with a highly ranked recruit from the University of Hawaii will join the Wenatchee AppleSox this season. Left-handed pitcher/outfielder Quintin Torres-Costa, infielder Andre Real, and infielder Kean Wong are set to spend their summer in Wenatchee.  

A product of Hilo, Hi, Torres-Costa was named the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2012. The southpaw was a member of the team that won the 2011 Senior Little League World Series. He is 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA in his freshman campaign with the Warriors.

A storied college baseball program is providing players to the AppleSox for the first time as a catcher and pitcher from Long Beach State will be a part of the team in 2013. Catcher Eric Hutting along with left-handed pitcher J.C. Cloney are set to play in Wenatchee this summer.

The school’s official nickname is the 49ers, but the baseball program has been called the Dirtbags since the late 1980s for their style of play. They have made four College World Series appearances and have produced future major leaguers such as Troy Tulowitzki, Evan Longoria, and Jered Weaver.

An expanded menu highlights the AppleSox new partnership with the Alley Café as the team’s new concession provider at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

“We are excited to be involved with the AppleSox. We are huge baseball fans and we look forward to being part of the ballpark experience in Wenatchee,” said Alley Café owner Steve Scott.