THREE ISLANDERS WASHING UP IN WENATCHEE IN 2026

Smith Slye - smith.slye@wsu.edu

Three Islanders washing up in Wenatchee in 2026

All the way from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the Wenatchee AppleSox are bringing three Islanders onto the roster for the 2026 season. Damien Pantoya, Nicho Crowley, and Isaiah Afework will all be donning a Sox jersey this coming summer.​

With these three offseason pickups, the Sox have added some serious firepower both at the plate and in the pen. Whether it is a Texas native who fanned 18 batters last summer in the West Coast League, or two Washington sluggers who are returning to the Pacific Northwest, the Islanders are lending three top-end talents to the Sox this summer.

So, let’s see what these new additions are bringing to the table in 2026…

Damian Pantoya - Redshirt Freshman - RHP

Despite entering his third year in Corpus Christi, Pantoya has yet to touch the diamond once for the Islanders. In 2024, he did not play a single game. Then, in 2025, an injury kept him on the bench for the entire season​.

However, Pantoya does have summer league experience to make up for his absence from the field. In 2024, he spent a summer with the Ridgefield Raptors in the WCL. Ridgefield plays in the WCL South division, the opposite of the Sox, who play in the North division.

During his 10 games with the Raptors, Pantoya struck out 18 batters, allowed 17 hits, 17 walks, 10 earned runs, and posted an ERA of 5.00. During that 2024 season, Ridgefield finished second in the WCL South with a 21-7 record. But, they got chased out of the playoffs after losing both their postseason matchups.  

Given that Pantoya only started three of his 10 games with the Raptors and averaged just shy of two innings per appearance, he could serve as a decent bridge arm for the Sox in 2026. With an opportunity to touch the turf for the first time this spring, Sox fans should keep their eyes peeled to see what progress Pantoya makes.

Nicho Crowley - Junior - RHP & C

As a Bremerton native, Crowley stayed close to home straight out of high school. His first two years were at Olympic College right next door, where he shone as a two-way player.

At the plate, Crowley’s freshman year had the ball popping off his bat. In 42 games, he clapped 38 hits, 19 RBI’s, batted 0.349, and posted a 0.869 OPS. He did this as a catcher while recording only two total errors in his two years.  

Then, you look at his time on the rubber. While it is not as impressive as his time behind the dish, it still shows his versatility. In 10 appearances and five starts, Crowley struck out 28, walked 14, gave up 17 runs, and had an ERA of 4.83.

In his sophomore year, his role on the roster shifted. While he only got 15 at-bats in his second year, he made up for it by making 12 appearances on the mound as a starting pitcher.

As one of the Rangers’ starting arms, Crowley struck out 103 batters, gave up 44 hits, 33 walks, 18 earned runs, and posted a 2.16 ERA. On an average of six innings per start, Crowley averaged eight strikeouts per game while only giving up around four hits per game.

Entering his first season in Corpus Christi, Crowley has already proven himself to be a dominant starting arm. On top of that, he showed in his freshman year that he has power at the plate to complement his pitching.

No matter where the Sox play him this summer, Crowley has the potential to dominate on both sides of the battery.

Isaiah Afework - Junior - Outfield

Much like Crowley, Afework is a Washington native heading down south for 2026. After two years at Tacoma Community College, the Federal Way native will be spending his time in Corpus Christi before heading to Wenatchee this summer.

Although Afework is joining the Sox for 2026, this is not his first rodeo in the WCL. Last year, he spent his summer with the Victoria HarbourCats, one of the AppleSox’s north division opponents.

While in Victoria, Afework got most of his starts in center field. In his 40 games played, he collected 32 hits, 20 RBI’s, six doubles, and three home runs. This gave him a 0.248 average and a 0.733 OPS.

In 2025, he was on a HarbourCats squad that was tied for first place in the WCL North, going 20-8 in the regular season. While they may have dominated in the regular season, the Cats fell flat on their face in the postseason.

After going 1-2 in the playoffs, they matched the AppleSox’s postseason showing and were beaten out by the Edmonton Riverhawks and Bellingham Bells.

If his production with the Cats is any indicator, then the Sox may have snagged themselves a solid outfield bat. He already has himself a starting spot with the Islanders, and with an entire spring season to progress, his bat may be fully baked by the time he winds up in Wenatchee.  

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.