Coaching Staff

Mitch Darlington - Head Coach

Mitch Darlington looks to deliver the AppleSox’ sixth WCL Championship in 2025 as he enters his fourth season as head coach.

The AppleSox skipper guided the club to the WCL Championship Game in 2024 for the first time since 2013 and the club’s ninth division championship. Wenatchee went 35-19 before defeating Victoria in three games in the North Division Series and then Bellingham in the North Division Championship Game. Darlington earned a share of the WCL Coach of the Year as a result of his efforts.

The Leavenworth native is the only AppleSox skipper to reach the postseason in each of his first three campaigns. Darlington became the only head coach of Wenatchee's six in franchise history to qualify for the postseason in his first year at the helm when he accomplished the feat in 2022. Darlington's 99 regular-season victories are second-most in AppleSox history and he guided the team to back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, a feat achieved for the first time by the club since 2011-12.

In each of his three campaigns the AppleSox have broken their club record for walks drawn. Last summer's club became the first to win the first half and lock up the first seed in the North Division since the two-half playoff format was adopted in 2016. Wenatchee shattered single-season offensive records for on-base percentage (.404), RBI (332), walks (312) and hit by pitches (82) in 2024. The AppleSox have scored the most runs in the WCL since the start of 2022 (1,118) and led the WCL in runs (380) and batting average (.283) in 2024. The AppleSox broke single-season team records for walks, runs, stolen bases and RBI in 2022 and then proceeded to break team records for home victories (21), home game winning streak in league play (12), three-game series sweeps (eight), most home runs hit in a league game (four on July 13) and walks drawn (299) in 2023.

Darlington’s first AppleSox team won the North Division Second Half title and swept the Kamloops NorthPaws in the 2022 North Division Semifinals to deliver the team’s first postseason series victory since 2013. The 2023 AppleSox won 10 more games than the 2022 version and tied the franchise’s second-best regular-season record with 37 league victories.

Eight different AppleSox players have won West Coast League Player Of The Week and 16 players have earned All-WCL honors in Darlington’s three seasons. Second baseman Joichiro Oyama won a share of the 2022 WCL MVP after breaking four different AppleSox single-season records. Aidan Dougherty won the 2024 WCL batting crown with a .380 average.

Darlington coached elite high school players and helped prepare them for collegiate careers at the Baseball Northwest Championships from 2018-21. He also served as an assistant coach at Big Bend Community College from 2017-19. Darlington’s first summer collegiate coaching experience came in 2019 as the head coach of the Burlington Barn Owls of the Cascade Collegiate League.

Darlington graduated from Cashmere High School in 2012 and went on to play baseball at Big Bend Community College before transferring to Central Washington. He works as the athletic director and physical education teacher at Mansfield High School and resides in Chelan with his wife, Marina, and their sons, Dash and Drue.

QUINCY VASSAR - PITCHING COACH

The AppleSox’ all-time leader in strikeouts and innings pitched returns to the team in a new role this summer. After three historic seasons as a player, Quincy Vassar joins Mitch Darlington’s staff as a pitching coach in 2025.

Vassar was part of each of the last three seasons’ playoff teams and helped the AppleSox win the North Division second half title in 2022 before capturing the first half and second half crowns along with a division playoff championship in 2024. The southpaw posted a 3.90 ERA with a franchise-best 125 strikeouts over an AppleSox-record 131.2 innings in 28 games. He tossed at least five innings in 17-of-25 starts.

The Brewster native also made three postseason appearances with the AppleSox, including two of the more impressive starts in recent AppleSox playoff history. He helped Wenatchee finish off a series sweep of Kamloops in 2022 with eight strikeouts and one unearned in seven innings in Game 2 of the North Division Series. Two years and one day later he shoved again in Game 2 of the North Division Series, this time tossing a complete game with eight strikeouts and one run vs. Victoria to keep the AppleSox’ season alive. 

“I’m very excited to be joining the coaching staff in Wenatchee,” Vassar said. “The AppleSox have been a big part of my baseball career and I am looking forward to helping athletes make it a part of their own story as the new pitching coach. I couldn’t be more proud to have played for Mitch and now have the chance to work with him and Xander to bring the next championship back to Wenatchee. AppleSox arm farm incoming Summer 2025.”

Vassar saved his best work for his final summer of eligibility with the AppleSox, earning All-WCL Second Team honors in 2024. His 2.92 ERA was the fourth-best among qualified WCL pitchers and his 49.1 innings were sixth-most. The graduate senior at Vanguard tossed two complete games, first with an eight-inning and four-strikeout effort June 29 at Bellingham followed by a nine-inning effort in the playoffs. Postseason included, Vassar tossed at least five innings in seven-of-10 starts. One of those three that he didn’t came when the 2024 WCL All-Star started on three days' rest for a beleaguered AppleSox pitching staff June 9. The Brewster native only allowed two runs over his final 18 innings of the regular season, spanning four games.

IAN SAGDAL - ASSISTANT COACH

The Wenatchee AppleSox are thrilled to announce that Ian Sagdal has officially joined the coaching staff as an assistant coach for the upcoming 2026 season. A native of Wenatchee, Sagdal brings a wealth of playing experience from his collegiate and professional years to the ‘Sox.

“Ian is an A+ hire for us,” said AppleSox Head Coach Mitch Darlington. “His prior playing experience, not only at the Division 1 level but also professionally, will be a huge asset to our players. Ian being a Wenatchee local and former standout at Washington State was a huge factor in this hire. He knows the rich history of success with the AppleSox organization and will be the perfect fit for this coaching staff.”

Born and raised in East Wenatchee, he excelled in youth leagues before going on to distinguish himself at the high school level. In his sophomore season, Sagdal batted an impressive .476 and was named All-Columbia Basin Big Nine First Team second baseman. As a senior, he kept the hot bat alive, hitting .435 and earning All-South Puget Sound League honorable mention as a shortstop. Sagdal also showed incredible success on the mound, throwing his first ever no-hitter. 

“Ian was very determined that he was going to be a professional baseball player,” stated his high school coach, Brandon Schmitten. “He worked relentlessly all the time and was one of the hardest workers I’ve been around. When he first joined the team, he was small, but in his sophomore and junior seasons, he worked through an eight-inch growth spurt and became a beast. The thing I remember the most about Ian was that he was a great shortstop and hitter, but you could really see his grit and determination on the mound, where he eventually became our #1 starter.”

After graduating in 2011, Sagdal decided to stay in state and play for the Washington State Cougars for four years. At WSU, he established himself as a key infielder and a consistent presence in the lineup. Sagdal was thrown right into the lineup once joining, as he had 50 starts his freshman year. As a sophomore, he batted .253 with 23 hits, three of which were triples, which tied for the most on the team. In his junior season, Sagdal established himself not only in the field and at the plate but also on the basepaths, where he was a perfect five-for-five in stolen bases.

However, his senior year, in particular, was marked by standout performance. Sagdal led the Cougars in batting average (.298), home runs (6), RBIs (34), doubles (13), runs scored (35), and stolen bases (13), becoming the first player in over two decades to lead the team in all of those categories. He also tied for second in the PAC-12 conference for triples (5) and was ninth in slugging percentage (.498). Sagdal bounced around the infield in his time with WSU, playing every position, but settled in at second base as a senior, where he earned All-PAC-12 Conference honorable mention.

Following the conclusion of his senior season, Sagdal got the call to the Big Leagues in the 16th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, as the Washington Nationals selected him as the 494th overall pick. He spent six years in the minors, advancing as high as the Double-A level with the Harrisburg Senators. During his time with the Senators, Sagdal played alongside notable Major League players like Trea Turner and Anthony Rendon. Through his six years in the minors, Sagdal batted .277 with 556 hits, earning three MiLB Organization All-Star Awards.

After his rookie contract expired, Sagdal decided to continue playing ball and joined the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the American Association. After having a successful season there, batting .317, he moved onto a winter league team called the Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, where he would play his last season of baseball.

When he retired, Sagdal took a three-year break from the game, but it didn’t last long, as he got the itch to come back to baseball after coaching an 11u team in Woodinville. After that, he was hooked and quickly became a part of the Edmonds Community College coaching staff, where he currently serves as an assistant coach. When he’s not coaching, Sagdal is spending time with his wife, Hailey, and their corgi, Rally.

Reflecting on his new role, Sagdal expressed his excitement: “I can’t wait to be around that home park. I have so many fond memories of watching the games and collecting foul balls so that I can use them for my own batting practice. Every time I’m back there, I find there’s something about that field and that crowd that just gives you goosebumps. And I’m just so happy that Mitch Darlington is trusting me and bringing me in to continue to put championship product on that field.”

Sagdal will join pitching coach, Quincy Vassar, on head coach Mitch Darlington’s staff. Darlington is now entering his fifth year as head coach with Wenatchee and looks to bring another playoff run back to the ‘Sox. He looks forward to another year at Paul Thomas, the ballpark atmosphere, and the fans.