A TRIO OF COYOTES SPENDING THE SUMMER IN WENATCHEE

Smith Slye - smith.slye@wsu.edu

A trio of Coyotes spending the summer in Wenatchee

They may be 1,500 miles away, but that is not stopping three members of Weatherford College in Fort Worth, Texas, from spending their summer season in Wenatchee. Brittain Urbaniak, Jonathan Christner, and Clint Beck will be joining the AppleSox for 2026 after they finish this coming season with the Coyotes.

With two sophomore right-handed pitchers and a redshirt-freshman first baseman, the Sox are adding depth to both the pen and the corner infield.

So, let’s take a closer look at each of these Texas natives…

Brittain Urbaniak - Redshirt Freshman - 1B

The 6-foot-3 first baseman does not have to travel far for his classes at Weatherford, since he is a hometown kid from Fort Worth.

After being the No. 27 ranked third baseman in Texas, Urbaniak found himself moved across the diamond in his first year as a Coyote. He played only five games with Weatherford last year, all either as a pinch hitter or at first base.

In those five games and 12 at-bats of work, Urbaniak popped four hits, one home run, one triple, two RBIs and batted an impressive 0.333. In a small sample, he posted a 1.107 OPS, showcasing his power and production in a short time.

After those initial five appearances, Urbaniak rode the pine for the remaining 42 games on the schedule. This gave him his redshirt standing for this coming season with the Coyotes.

Given that the body of work is rather small from Urbaniak, it is safe to say there is a question mark on how productive he will be in Wenatchee. But, with a full season on the horizon, Sox fans could expect him to blossom into a slugging corner infielder who can bring the boom in the summer.

Jonathan Christner - Sophomore - RHP

Like Urbaniak, Christner did not see much action in his freshman year. The Haslet, Texas native made three appearances in the first nine games of the year. Then, he proceeded to sit out for the remaining 44 matchups.

But, in those three relief appearances, Christner racked up 5 ⅓ innings pitched, giving up nine hits, four earned runs, two walks, and striking out five batters. This brought his ERA to a slightly inflated 6.75.

Out of high school, Christner was the No. 82 ranked right-handed pitcher in Texas. He was also the No. 500 overall prospect in the nation. Then, you consider his limited reps at the JUCO level thus far, and you see that his name has not exactly jumped off the page early on in his career.​

However, entering his sophomore campaign in Weatherford and with the Sox on the horizon, Christner has the potential to develop into a competent relief arm that can add depth to any bullpen.

Clint Beck - Sophomore - RHP

To complement Christner on the mound, the Sox picked up Beck to add another weapon to the right side. Much like the other two Coyotes, Beck only played four games last season in Weatherford, all within the first nine games.

In that short window, the Belton, Texas native struck out four batters, walked four, allowed five hits, and gave up two earned runs, which set his ERA at an effective 2.70. The longest outing of his freshman year came against Salt Lake Community College on Feb. 8 where he went three innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs.

In that showing, Beck gave up the most hits and all of his earned runs of the year. What does that mean for him as a pitcher? It is hard to tell.

Four games do not reveal much about a player, let alone a pitcher. But the dip in effectiveness when asked to pitch three innings shows Beck's lack of experience.

Lucky for the Coyotes and the Sox, he has a full spring and summer ahead of him to grow, mature, and develop. What his role on the Sox will be is unknown, but he helps make this Sox staff even deeper.

The 2026 season begins on May 29 as the AppleSox jet off to Edmonton to play the Edmonton RiverHawks at RE/MAX Field at 6:05 p.m. The AppleSox open their home season on June 5th at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium as they host the Kamloops NorthPaws. The AppleSox have 29 home games and play until mid-August. The franchise’s five West Coast League championships are the second-most in league history. Season ticket packages are available for purchase now at applesox.com/season-tickets.