Sox Hold On For 3-2 Win and Take Series

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YAKIMA, Wash. – For the Wenatchee AppleSox (4-1,2-1), a run one lead, salvaged in the seventh inning of Sunday’s rubber match with the Yakima Valley Pippins (1-2, 1-2) ended up being enough.

The Sox earned their first one-run victory of the Season Sunday and moved to 2-1 in WCL play. The two runs scored by the Pippins were allowed in the first inning. One run came off an error and a batter was also hit by a pitch in the inning, however, a double play ball ended up being the saving grace for Wenatchee.

The AppleSox chipped away at the 2-1 deficit in the fifth inning and later went ahead in the seventh when they added two to the box score and Nick Brooks came up with a double.

In the eighth, Calvin LeBrun held the score for the Sox (in his second inning out of the ‘pen). Zack Haggett came on in the ninth and shut the door for the Sox, picking up his first save of the season.

The AppleSox starter, Ian Buckles, went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits. He picked up his first win of the season after finishing second on the Klamath Falls Gems in wins just a year ago.

The Pippins were led at the plate by their catcher Jake Roberts. He was 3-5 with two doubles

The Sox return home, Monday, to face the Kitsap BlueJackets. First pitch is set for 7:05pm.

                                        

WEN   0 0 2   0 1 0   2 0 0      3   8   1

YAK    2 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0      2   8   6

 

WP – Ian Buckles

LP – Brandon Williams

S – Zack Haggett

Loomis And Wells Hold Pippins While Offense Explodes

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YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wenatchee AppleSox (3-1, 1-1) and the Yakima Valley Pippins (1-1, 1-1) found themselves locked in a tight 2-1 ballgame headed to the ninth, but the score wouldn’t hold as the AppleSox ran away late while rattling off 5 earned runs with two outs in the top half of the inning.

The once one run game ended 7-1 at Yakima County Stadium. While the scoreboard tends to point towards the offense, pitching ended up being pivotal for the Sox on Saturday night.

AppleSox starter Colton Loomis pitched six innings of one run baseball out of the gates for the guys from Wenatchee. He gave up just three hits through the first six frames.

Hunter Wells was just as impressive, coming out of the bullpen to start the seventh for the Sox. He would carry the torch all the way to the end, picking up the save over three innings of work. He allowed no hits over his three innings, walked two and struck out four.

Altogether the one-two punch that was Loomis and Wells combined for nine strikeouts and left the Pippins frustrated for most of the night. The lone run for Yakima Valley came thanks to a sixth inning triple for Taylor Snyder. He was brought home on an infield groundout later in the inning.

After the first two batters were retired in the top of the ninth for the AppleSox, Sam Brown worked a tremendous at bat off of Pippins reliever Hugo Lemus. The Pippins elected to walk the AppleSox number three hitter, Trenton Brooks and face an under-the-weather Tanner Nishioka who took over as a pinch runner for Nick Brooks in the eighth.

Nishioka sent a clutch single over the head of the Pippins first baseman and Brown came around to score, giving the Sox a 3-1 cushion. However, they weren’t done in the ninth.

Ty Jackson sent a long double off the glove of Jake Roberts in center field. That scored T. Brooks and Nishioka. Cooper Elliott followed the extra base hit with the AppleSox first home run of the season, when he lifted one over a 20 foot wall in right field. Suddenly, the Sox had a 7-1 lead.

Wells stayed on and finished things in the ninth as the AppleSox won their first WCL game of the season.

Andrew Woods was a tough luck loser Saturday, after only surrendering one run and four hits over six innings of work.

The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday  night at 5:05p. Brandon Williams will take to the mound for the Pippins, while the AppleSox counter with Ian Buckles.                             

 

WEN   0 0 2   0 0 0   0 0 5      7  11  1

YAK    0 0 0   0 0 1   0 0 0      1   3   5

 

WP – Colton Loomis

LP – Andrew Woods

S – Hunter Wells

Baseball Blurbs by Bruce

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Today's Baseball Blurbs PDF Version

Yakima Valley Pippins 4, Wenatchee 3 last night.
 
Wenatchee at Yakima Valley Pippins 7:05 tonight.
 
One Run Games
AppleSox games decided by a single run (like last night) are fairly common.  In fact it has happened three of every 10 games the club has played in 14-plus seasons.  Wenatchee has won 134 of them and lost 94 (58.2%).
 
MLB Draft
Three former AppleSox were selected in the first 10 rounds of Major League Baseball’s draft.
Taylor Sparks, 2nd round, 58th pick to the Cincinnati Reds.  Univ. of California-Irvine.  AppleSox in 2012.
Connor Spencer, 8th round, 242nd pick to the New York Yankees.  Univ. of California-Irvine.  AppleSox in 2013.
Andrew Rohrbach, 9th round, 263rd pick to Colorado Rockies,  Cal State-Long Beach. AppleSox in 2013.
Both Sparks and Spencer were named this year to the Wenatchee’s all-time team covering the team’s first 14 years.
 
 
 June 7 Games
 A new experience for Wenatchee.  In 14 seasons this is their first “away” contest on the seventh of June.  On their home turf they have done well...5-1 overall, 3-1 in the league and have a three-game win streak.
 
Standings
East: Yakima Valley 1-0, Kelowna 0-0, Wenatchee 0-1, Walla Walla 0-1
West: Cowlitz 1-0, Bellingham 1-0, Victoria 0-0, Kitsap 0-0
South: Bend 1-0, Klamath Falls 0-0, Medford 0-1, Corvallis 0-1

Pippins Spoil Sox Road Opener

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Courtesy of AppleSox Communications

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins (1-0, 1-0) brought baseball back to the city of Yakima on Friday night, and they did so by posting a 4-3 victory over the Wenatchee AppleSox (2-1, 0-1).

Wenatchee jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning of Friday’s game and would later reclaim a 2-1 advantage after the Pippins tied things in the second. Ultimately, a three run fourth inning for the Pippins ended up being the difference in the final tally of the two teams’ WCL-opener.

The AppleSox had a chance to mount a comeback on the Pippins, when Mitch Yada walked the bases loaded with nobody out in the eighth. Pippins manager Marcus McKimmy went to the bullpen and called on sophomore right-hander Connor Lau, who rose to the occasion, limiting the AppleSox to one run on a Trenton Brooks sacrifice fly.

Lau retired the AppleSox in the ninth after striking out the first two hitters he faced. Caleb Wood singled through the right side and Tanner Nishioka walked, however, the Sox couldn’t quite complete the comeback bid.

Saturday, Wenatchee will look to even the series as they place Hunter Wells up on the hill to face Andrew Woods at 7:05pm at Yakima County Stadium.

                                            

WEN   1 0 1   0 0 0   0 1 0    3   4   1 

YAK    0 1 0   3 0 0   0 0 X   4   6   1

 

WP – Reed Garrett

LP – Tom Zarosinski

S – Connor Lau

AppleSox Ready to Hit Road and Battle Pippins

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AppleSox at Pippins - Series Notes

The Wenatchee AppleSox (2-0, 0-0) will take to the road this weekend to face the Yakima Valley Pippins (0-0, 0-0).

The Pippins are making their WCL debut tonight and a large crowd is expected at Yakima County Stadium.

The three-game series with Yakima will have live stats for all games provided by pointstreak.com. All games will have live radio coverage on KCSY Sunny 93.9 FM in Wenatchee and on various translators throughout North Central Washington (Lake Chelan Valley 95.3 FM, Okanogan Valley 101.9 FM, Methow Valley [Twisp-Winthrop] 106.3 FM) Audio is also available at applesox.com/listen-live. AppleSox play by play broadcaster Trevor Williams will call the action.

Pregame shows for Friday and Saturday’s games will start at 6:52 and 6:45 p.m. Sunday’s pregame will start at 4:45 p.m. KWCC-TV (LocalTel cable channel 12 or Charter cable channel 19) will televise games, allowing fans to hear the Sunny FM radio broadcast and simultaneously watch the animated playbook provided by pointstreak. AppleSox Baseball provides updates on Twitter on @AppleSox and via Instagram by searching: AppleSox.

Following this three game road series, Wenatchee returns home Monday to face the Kitsap Bluejackets.

Sox Sweep Seals

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WENATCHEE, Wash. – Entering Thursday’s series finale, the Wenatchee AppleSox (2-0, 0-0) wanted to put some quality swings on the baseball.

What ensued was an incredible offensive performance by the AppleSox, ending in a 16-4 defeat of the San Francisco Seals (2-5) before 1,271 fans at Paul Thomas Sr. Field.

While it wasn’t the prettiest game the Sox will play in 2014, they certainly were able to create a lot of quality at bats, leading to runs, runs and more runs.

Nick Brooks, the Sox designated hitter from Gonzaga led the way offensively going for 5-6 with a double, a triple and three singles; Just one home run short of the cycle.

Brooks became the latest AppleSox hitter to tally five hits in one game. The last to do so was Connor Spencer. He had five hits on July 13, 2013 against Medford.

On Knight night at the ballpark, Wenatchee Valley College pitcher Kyle Blankenship knew the best way to celebrate Wenatchee Valley College. He threw 5 innings of three hit baseball to get the Sox off on the right foot.

He was relieved by Wenatchee Valley teammate Adam Grubb. Washington State University product Jacob Schroeder finished the game on the mound for the Sox.

The AppleSox tallied 21 hits, their highest total since notching 24 against Kelowna on July 16, 2013.

Tomorrow, the Sox travel to face the Yakima Valley Pippins in the first ever game for the franchise. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on the AppleSox radio home, Sunny FM.

                                       

SF        1 0 0   0 0 0   3 0 0    4    6    6 

WEN   6 2 0   2 2 2   2 0 X   16  21  4

 

WP – Kyle Blankenship

LP – Jacob Pavlosky

S - none

AppleSox Reign Supreme In Opener

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Courtesy: AppleSox Communications

The fate of the AppleSox season-opener rested on the shoulders of freshman right-hander Reign Letkeman and the Red Deer, Alberta native was ready to rise to the occasion.

Letkeman threw seven shutout innings on Wednesday and spurred the Wenatchee AppleSox (1-0, 0-0) to their first victory of 2014 against the San Francisco Seals (2-4).

When all was said and done, the AppleSox walked away from Paul Thomas Sr. Field with a 5-0 win.

The AppleSox offense was aided by some defensive mishaps amongst the Seals’ fielders. In the second inning, Nick Brooks reached base after being hit by a pitch. Later in the inning, Mike Livingston smoked a double into left field to bring home Brooks. Taylor Johnson, the catcher singled to right in the next at bat to bring home Livingston.

Letkeman held the Seals hitless through the first two innings and Eli Alcantar singled to lead off the third. He was later erased when Cooper Elliott doubled him up at first after tracking down a slicing pop fly in right field.

The score held until the sixth, when Trenton Brooks reached base via the walk with one out. He was advanced on a fielder’s choice groundout and scored on an error at first in the next at bat. Cooper Elliott followed up by doubling off the right field fence, placing runners at second and third. Both runners came around to score on a fielding error in left field during the next at bat.

Kaleb Price took over in relief for the AppleSox in the eighth inning and dealt two scoreless innings of his own to end the game.

San Francisco’s starter, Mikey Ramirez threw 5.2 innings of three hit baseball, but was still tabbed with the loss.

The AppleSox and Seals will wrap up their short two-game series tomorrow night at 7:05 pm. It is Knight Night at the ballpark and fans are encouraged to come represent Wenatchee Valley College.

 

                                                    R  H  E  LOB

SF           0 0 0   0 0 0   0 0 0   0  8  3  6

WEN       0 2 0   0 0 3   0 0 X   5  5  0  6

WP – Reign Letkeman

LP – Mikey Ramirez

S - none

Prep Standouts Complete AppleSox Roster

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A trio of schools will be sending four highly touted high school recruits to round out the AppleSox 2014 roster. Right-handed pitcher Tyler Frost (Gonzaga), left-handed pitcher Calvin LeBrun (Gonzaga), right-handed pitcher Jonathan Teaney (University of San Diego), and infielder Joe Gillette (Oregon State) will join the AppleSox right out of high school this summer

Frost will come to Wenatchee straight from Greenway High School in Peoria, AZ. Last year the righty broke his high school’s record for lowest ERA in a season (0.93) and was named First Team All-State. His outstanding year garnered him national recognition as well, earning Third Team High School All-American honors by the National High School Baseball Coaches Association.

The southpaw LeBrun is also from Arizona. The Phoenix product who attends Sunnyslope High School is the younger brother of current Gonzaga player Cory LeBrun. He was a member of the USA 17U National Development Program and was named the Phoenix Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-State in 2012.

“Both guys are good enough that they can step in next year and get substantial innings for Gonzaga. They are very talented and we are looking forward to having them on the mound for us this summer,” said AppleSox  head coach Ed Knaggs.

Teaney, from Palmdale, CA, will join the University of San Diego next fall. Last season he compiled an 11-3 record at Quartz Hill High School and struck out 80 batters in 55.2 innings. Perfect Game USA has him listed as the No. 187 overall national prospect in the class of 2014.

“The coaches at the University of San Diego are very high on him,” said Knaggs. “He has had an outstanding high school career and has been especially good this spring.” 

Gillette will be the second Oregon State signee playing for the AppleSox this summer, joining future college teammate Drew Rasmussen in Wenatchee. Last season the California native from Scotts Valley was named the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Player of the Year after hitting .400 with 25 RBIs.  

“He has a very athletic build and good speed to go with it,” said Knaggs. “He plays the left side of the infield and more than likely will be a third baseman for us this summer.” 

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

AppleSox Tap Northwest Schools for Talent

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A combination of new and old partner schools from the region will provide the Wenatchee AppleSox with eight players this summer. The AppleSox will include catcher Michael McCann from Seattle University, right-handed pitcher/infielder Ty Jackson from Lewis-Clark State College, right-handed pitchers Tom Zarosinski and Ian Buckles from George Fox University, left-handed pitcher Clark McKitrick from Western Oregon University, right-handed pitcher Hunter Wells and left-handed pitcher Jacob Cogar from Lower Columbia College, and right-handed pitcher Colton Loomis from Community Colleges of Spokane.

McCann is in his first season at Seattle U after a successful prep career at Columbia River High School in Vancouver. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 40th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but opted to go to college. He has played in all but four games for the Redhawks as a freshman, hitting .196 with 14 RBIs.

“He has had a lot of playing time as only a freshman. He is coming in as a catcher, but he is a very versatile guy that gives us options beyond having him behind the plate,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “

Jackson is the current NAIA West Pitcher of the Week after a phenomenal weekend. The Kennewick native threw six scoreless innings and got the win Saturday against Northwest Nazarene and followed up that performance Sunday by hitting the game-winning home in Lewis-Clark State’s 2-1 win over the College of Idaho. The Kennewick native started his college career at Washington State with his twin brother Bryce, who played for the AppleSox in 2012. The sophomore is 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA on the mound and is batting .278 at the plate this spring.  

“He almost played for us two seasons ago when his brother was on the team,” said Knaggs. “We are excited to have him now. He is a two-way player who can be a corner infielder in addition to pitching.” 

Zarosinski, a veteran righty, is from Lake Oswego, OR. He began his college career at Oregon State before transferring to George Fox, where he is in his third season with the Bruins. The junior briefly pitched for the Corvallis Knights in 2011 and also again in 2013. This season he is 6-3 with a 2.12 ERA for George Fox.

Buckles also comes to Wenatchee after having pitched in the West Coast League last summer. The junior earned the second most wins for the Klamath Falls Gems last year, notching a 5-2 record with a 3.25 ERA. This season the Kent product who attended Kentridge High School is 6-1 with a 2.65 ERA at George Fox.   

“Both of them have experience in our league which I really like,” said Knaggs. “They have been putting together really good years and right now they project to be guys that we will probably use in our starting rotation.” 

McKitrick is the only Idaho native on Wenatchee’s roster this year, hailing from Idaho Falls. The junior southpaw began his college career at Linn-Benton Community College before transferring to Western Oregon. This season he is 4-1 with a 3.96 ERA for the Wolves.

“Western Oregon is a great Division II program and it will be our first time getting a player from them,” said Knaggs. “He will be a valuable lefty out of the bullpen.”

Wells leads Lower Columbia College in wins this season, compiling a 5-1 record with a 2.23 ERA in 8 starts. The freshman out of Spokane had an impressive prep career at West Valley High School. He is signed to transfer to Gonzaga next season.

Cogar, a teammate of Wells at LCC, is also a freshman for the Red Devils. The lefty was a standout at Monroe High School, where he earned All-Wesco first team honors last season. He is 4-1 for LCC with a 1.82 ERA this season. Former AppleSox player D.J. Lidyard tutors both as the pitching coach for the Red Devils.

“These two will follow in a long line over very good arms that we have had over the years from Lower Columbia,” said Knaggs. “They are talented freshman and both have a high ceiling for the future.”

Out of Cashmere, Loomis will get to play in front of familiar faces this summer. As a senior at Cashmere High School he was named the 1A/B State Player of the Year by the Washington Baseball Coaches Association after going 10-0 with a 0.67 ERA and helping the Bulldogs to a state championship. The sophomore plays for AppleSox pitching coach A.J. Proszek at the Community Colleges of Spokane, where he is 2-3 with a 6.07 ERA this spring.

“He was scheduled to play for last year but got injured right before the summer, so we are happy to have him this season,” said Knaggs. “He throws from a lower arm slot that creates a lot of movement on his pitches. He has excellent control and will primarily be used in relief for us.” 

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Four More Added from SoCal Schools

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The AppleSox will again feature plenty of talent from California this summer with two players from California State University, Northridge and Pomona Pitzer joining the team. Wenatchee will feature right-handed pitcher Brandon Warner and infielder Michael Livingston from Cal State Northridge, along with infielders Simon Rosenbaum and Tanner Nishioka from Pomona Pitzer.

“Pomona Pitzer has been a great partner program for many years and this will be our first season getting guys from Northridge,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “We are very familiar with the new coaching staff at Northridge and are excited to start a relationship with the school.”

Warner, from Laguna Hills, CA, has pitched in over 50 games in his college career. This year for the Matadors the junior has compiled a 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA. He has appeared in relief this spring, pitching in 17 games out of the bullpen.

Livingston, out of Palmdale, CA, is a left-handed hitter at the plate. The junior can play all over the infield, but primarily at second and third base. This season he is hitting .202 in 32 games for Northridge.

“Having a pair of juniors who have experience at the Division I level like these two players is a nice luxury,” said Knaggs. “We tend to have pretty young teams overall, so adding a pair of guys with lots seasoning only helps.” 

Rosenbaum is hitting an eye-popping .488 for the Sagehens this year. He has compiled 44 RBIs in 123 at bats this season. The sophomore from Los Altos, CA, was named a Division III National Player of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association earlier this season. Last year he was the D3baseball.com West Region Rookie of the Year.

“His numbers are off the charts this season,” said Knaggs. “He is a first baseman and might even pitch a bit for us this summer.”

Nishioka leads Pomona Pitzer in games played and is third on the team with a .401 batting average, as only a freshman. The Hawaii native from Honolulu is also the punter for the football team at Pomona Pitzer.

“He is a dynamic player and has some pop in his bat,” said Knaggs. “He has impressive speed and has the versatility to play almost anywhere in the field. Both of these guys from Pomona Pitzer are very exciting players.”

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Pictures:

Attached photographs of Michael Livingston, Brandon Warner, Simon Rosenbaum, and Tanner Nishioka are courtesy of the Cal State Northridge and Pomona Pitzer Sports Information Departments.

UCLA Providing Three Recruits

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The defending NCAA Champions will be sending three of their highly touted high school recruits to Wenatchee this summer. Joining the AppleSox from UCLA will be infielder Nick Valaika, right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning, and right-handed pitcher Nathan Hadley.

“Watching their run in the College World Series last year was really neat, especially to see a number of former AppleSox players contribute in a big way to their championship,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “We have received many very talented players from them over the years and this season is no different.”

Valaika is the younger brother of former AppleSox player and UCLA standout Pat Valaika. The Valencia, CA, native is the last of four brothers who have played shortstop at Hart High School. Each of his older brothers has gone on to play professional baseball. He is ranked No. 234 on Perfect Game USA’s list of Top 500 High School prospects for 2014

“It is always fun to have players with family ties with guys who have previously been here,” said Knaggs. “Much like the rest of his family he is a good all around player, but is incredibly impressive defensively with his glove.” 

Canning, a Coto de Caza, CA, product was one of 40 players selected to attend the USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials last summer. The righty out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School was named a 2013 third-team Perfect Game Underclass All-American and is ranked No. 202 on Perfect Game USA’s list of Top 500 High School prospects for 2014.

A fellow California native, Hadley is from Encino and attends Loyola High School. Last season as a junior he compiled a 5-3 record with three saves and a 2.62 ERA. He is ranked No. 312 on Perfect Game USA’s list of Top 500 High School prospects for 2014

“Both of these guys are pretty similar, which is a good thing because they are talented guys with very bright futures ahead of them,” said Knaggs. “UCLA is known for their pitching and they recruit and develop some high quality arms. We will do everything we can to get these guys prepared so they can make an immediate impact as freshmen next year for the Bruins.”

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Krohn Added to AppleSox Coaching Staff

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Northwest Nazarene University assistant baseball coach Jason Krohn is joining the Wenatchee AppleSox this summer to complete Ed Knaggs’ coaching staff. Krohn will serve as an assistant coach, joining Knaggs, who is entering his fourteenth season as the team’s head coach. Pitching coach A.J. Proszek will also return for his second season with the team.

“He comes highly recommend and was suggested by multiple people when we started to look at filling the position,” said Knaggs. “He will work with the position players, hitters, and coach first base. I’m sure our fans, especially the ones in Section A, will like him.”

Krohn is in his first season coaching at NNU. Prior to coaching at NNU, he previously served as an assistant at Lower Columbia College. As a player he began his college career at LCC, before playing at both the University of Portland and Coastal Carolina University. He went on to play professionally for the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League.    

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Pictures:

Attached photograph of Jason Krohn is courtesy of the Northwest Nazarene University Sports Information Department.

MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Returning on May 1st

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The Major League Baseball Pitch, Hit, and Run competition is returning to Wenatchee this spring. The free event will be held at Paul Thomas Sr. Field on May 1st beginning at 5 p.m. The event 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.

Boys and girls are divided into four age divisions: 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, and have the chance to advance through four levels of competition, including Team Championships at Major League ballparks and the National Finals at the 2014 MLB™ All-Star Game®.

The individual Pitching, Hitting and Running Champions, along with the All-Around Champion in each age and gender group at the Local Competition will be awarded and advance to the Sectional Level of Competition.

All participants must bring a copy of their birth certificate and have their parent or guardian fill out a registration/waiver form prior to the start of the competition. The registration form can be found by clicking here. Please turn the completed registration form back into the AppleSox office. For more information on the event call (509) 665-6900.

Event Details

When: May 1st from 5:00-8:00 p.m.

Where: Paul Thomas Sr. Field

Registration: Complete the form here and turn it into the AppleSox office

Cost: Free

Three Beavers Sign with the AppleSox

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Oregon State University will again provide Wenatchee with players in 2014, with three Beavers set to wear an AppleSox uniform this season. Two current players, catcher Nate Esposito and right-handed pitcher John Pomeroy, along with high school recruit Drew Rasmussen will join the AppleSox.

“Oregon State has been an outstanding partner school over the years,” said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs. “Their accomplishments as a program speak for themselves and we always look forward to having the high-quality players that they send our way.”

Esposito will come to Wenatchee with West Coast League experience. The Granite Bay, CA, native played for the Corvallis Knights during the 2012 season. The junior was drafted out of high school by the Oakland A’s in the 46th round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but did not sign.

“Having a junior behind the plate is a big plus,” said Knaggs. “An experienced catcher to work with our pitching staff is something I like to have every year and Nate will fill that role for us.”

Pomeroy is in his first season with the Beavers. The freshman out of Mossyrock once threw a 16-strikeout no-hitter during a high school playoff game. A highly touted recruit, he was ranked as the No. 143 high school player by Perfect Game USA and just outside of the top 100 by Baseball America. He has appeared in one game out of the bullpen for OSU this year.

“He had an awfully good high school career and has a lot of upside. He hasn’t logged a ton of innings this spring, but we look forward to getting him on the mound for us this summer,” said Knaggs.

Rasmussen will join the AppleSox right out of high school. The Colbert product is one of the top pitchers in the Greater Spokane League this year. The hard-throwing righty compiled a 7-0 record in league play last year for Mt. Spokane High School.

“I have only heard great things about him from high school coaches I know in Spokane,” said Knaggs. “He is a promising kid and as with all guys we receive straight from high school we are excited to prepare him to begin his college career.”    

The 2014 season will begin at home on June 4th with a two-game series against the San Francisco Seals. The AppleSox will play a 59-game schedule this summer that includes 32 homes games.

Single game tickets start at just $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Season tickets are available now and can be purchased by contacting the AppleSox office at (509) 665-6900.

Pictures:

Attached photographs of Nate Esposito and John Pomeroy are courtesy of the Oregon State University Sports Information Department.