A TRIO OF SOUTHWESTERN INFIELDERS SUIT UP IN WENATCHEE VALLEY THIS SEASON
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Smith Slye - smith.slye@wsu.edu
A trio of Southwestern infielders suit up in Wenatchee this season
Utah, California, and Arizona. The AppleSox are adding three JUCO infielders to the roster, and each one hails from a different corner of the southwest. Gage Wareham, Matt Torres, and Tarrell Reid are each joining Wenatchee this year and helping build the infield platoon for the ‘Sox.
Whether it’s a contact-hitting sophomore eyeing back-to-back national championships, a second baseman who continues to improve, or a slugging freshman looking to keep his hot start going, the AppleSox snatched up three premium infield bats out of JUCO.
So, let’s get familiar with these new faces joining the ‘Sox…
Gage Wareham - INF - Sophomore
After two years with Salt Lake Community College, Wareham is following in his dad’s footsteps and joining Colorado Mesa University in 2027. But, before that, the Colorado native will be lending his talents to the ‘Sox this summer.
Wareham has been on a wild ride in his two years with the Bruins in Utah, highlighted by a National Championship last year in 2025. Salt Lake went 5-1 in the postseason, inevitably taking down Walters State College in the championship bout.
Wareham, however, only got a single at-bat in the playoffs. In the first game of the tournament, the 6-foot-1 lefty got a late-inning pinch-hit opportunity and cashed in with an RBI.
Outside of that, Wareham’s freshman season was fairly quiet. He started just 16 games that year, batting 0.283, tallying 15 hits, four RBIs, one triple, and a less-than-impressive 0.642 OPS.
But he has been handed the reins this year. In 49 games, he is batting a stunning 0.368 with 56 hits, 11 doubles, three home runs, 47 RBIs, nine stolen bases, and a much-improved 0.937 OPS.
The glove is not too shabby either, with Wareham booting only six plays so far this year at second base. That gives him a 0.962 fielding percentage on the season.
The Bruins are back in the playoffs this year, and chances are, Wareham will be getting a lot more than just one at-bat.
However, as good as Wareham has been individually, he gets outshone by almost everyone on the roster. He does not lead the team in any offensive stats except for one: sacrifice hits.
When you’re on a championship-caliber team, it can be easy to get lost in the fold. But that does not take away from the serious potential that Wareham has.
Now on his way to his father’s alma mater, Wareham has already won a spot on a D1 roster. But, next up on his college journey is his first summer season in Wenatchee.
Matt Torres - 2B - Redshirt sophomore
He may have sat out his first year at Fresno City College, but ever since then, Torres has been on a tear. In his redshirt freshman year, the 5-foot-7 second baseman really tagged the ball.
In 45 games, Torres posted a 0.277 average with 38 hits, eight doubles, and a 0.768 OPS. His fielding was less than ideal, with Torres botching 14 plays. Granted he did that with 177 total chances, giving him a 0.921 fielding percentage.
Flash forward to this year, and Torres has improved in every single stat. He climbed to a 0.345 average, 0.941 OPS, 29 RBIs, 11 doubles, and two home runs. In the field, he made just seven errors in about the same total chances, bumping his fielding percentage up to 0.958.
On top of the glove and bat tool, Torres has built his speed on the base paths. He started with six bags in his first year and grew that to 16 this past season. With Torres getting caught eight times on the year, it makes him 16-for-24 with a 67% stolen base rate.
That efficiency is not the best, but if his overall progress is any indicator, he should continue to get faster in the valley.
Ever since joining the Rams out of Stockdale High School, Torres has been steadily improving. With the Sox being his first stint in summer league baseball, it will be a prime opportunity for the stout infielder to catch some D1 attention.
With Wenatchee as a stepping stone, Torres will be getting better and better as he fully bakes over the summer.
Tarrell Reid - INF - Freshman
In his first year of JUCO, Reid has hit the ground running. He won the starting shortstop position right away and has proved why all year long.
Since arriving at Yavapai College in Arizona, Reid has a 0.380 average, 1.072 OPS, 32 RBIs, 11 doubles, and seven home runs. Simply put, he has been slugging in his freshman year.
That is not surprising considering his high school career. After playing four years of varsity baseball at Canyon del Oro High School in Arizona, Reid built up a career 0.293 average with 84 hits, 59 RBIs, and two home runs.
While his bat has really stood out, his glove has taken a back seat. 15 errors on the year dipped his fielding percentage to 0.903 as the Rough Riders' starting shortstop. Of course, he did have the third most chances out of anyone on the squad, but teetering on a sub-0.900 fielding percentage is worrisome.
However, he makes up for it with some speed on the bases. He has stolen 14 bags this year and has only been caught three times.
His red-hot bat and base thief speed make Reid a talented youngster to add to the ‘Sox’s infield core. How much playing time he gets is up in the air, but if his Rough Rider debut tells us anything, he will make every rep count.
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.
