Lefties Top AppleSox in Series Finale

Joichiro Oyama and Michael Davinni both extended their hitting streaks to six games but the Wenatchee AppleSox dropped Wednesday night’s game at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium to the Port Angeles Lefties, 7-1.

Oyama singled in the first and doubled in the seventh to record his team-best fifth multi-hit game of the summer. Davinni delivered a two-out single up the middle off the pitcher for his 10th hit of the year and he leads the AppleSox with a .417 batting average through the first six games.

After holding the Lefties for 18 innings spanning three games, the AppleSox finally allowed Port Angeles to score again on Wednesday night. A two-out opposite field home run in the bottom of the second by Evan Jilbert gave Port Angeles a 2-0 lead and they never looked back from there. The Lefties scored another run in the third, two more in the fifth and another two in the seventh.

The AppleSox scored their only run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Xander Orejudos and Jett Nelson drew back-to-back walks and a wild pitch during Nelson’s at-bat put Orejudos at third base. He scored a batter later when Nick Giesinger reached on a fielder’s choice.

Wenatchee has Thursday off after opening the season with six games in six straight days. They continue their seven-game homestand this weekend beginning on Friday night when they face the Springfield Drifters for the first-of-three games. It’s Diamonds at the Diamond Night and two lucky fans will walk away with a diamond necklace and a watch thanks to Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers. Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. game is Rally Towel Giveaway Day sponsored by IBEW-191. All three games are part of Wenatchee Youth Baseball Weekend and all members of Wenatchee and Eastmont Youth Baseball receive free admission to all three games if they wear their jersey to the game.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox podcast for a recap of tonight’s game as well as Joel Norman’s pregame interview with AppleSox pitcher Will Jacobson.

AppleSox Aim To Continue Perfect Homestand

The Wenatchee AppleSox are 2-0 to begin their seven-game homestand and look for their third straight win against the Port Angeles Lefties tonight at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee blew out Port Angeles, 16-2, on Monday night in the 2022 home opener and then blanked the Lefties 5-0 on Tuesday night. AppleSox pitchers have been dominant over the last two days. They have not allowed a run over the last 17 innings and have struck out 26 hitters in the last two games.

The AppleSox’ bats collected a season-low seven hits last night but have still out-hit their opponent in all five games this summer. Joichiro Oyama, Michael Davinni and CJ Horn all collected hits last night and now have at least one hit in every game this season.

The AppleSox will send Reese Ligtenberg to the mound to make his team debut tonight. Ligtenberg arrived yesterday just before batting practice and will suit up for the Sox before his redshirt sophomore year at North Dakota State. He appeared in two games in relief this spring and tossed four innings for the Bison.

Port Angeles counters with Hunter Kirkpatrick, an incoming sophomore at San Diego Community College. He is making his second start of the summer after debuting a week ago today. He allowed one unearned run over 4.2 innings on four hits and walked one while striking out three. Kirkpatrick earned a no-decision in an eventual 4-2 Lefties win over the Victoria HarbourCats.

Prior to this evening’s game former Wenatchee Valley College athletic director Sandy Cooprider will be honored as the athletic complex on the college campus will bear his name. Cooprider was pivotal in securing the funds and materials needed to construct Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium as well as the women’s fast-pitch field, North Rotary Field, and the men’s and women’s soccer field, Mike Hollis Field. The Knights played their first game at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in 1995 and the AppleSox have played all 22 of their seasons there. Cooprider will also throw out the first pitch prior to tonight’s game.

Wednesday is the first WINatchee Wednesday of the season. All fans coming to the game are eligible to win prizes from local businesses just by showing up. The AppleSox will announce winners in the third through sixth innings. Tickets can be purchased at saferseating.com.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Brewster Grads Lead AppleSox Past Lefties

Brewster natives Quincy Vassar and Conner Ashworth combined to strike out 16 Port Angeles Lefties to earn a 5-0 shutout victory on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Vassar punched out eight Lefties in six innings before Ashworth (1-0) took over in the seventh and retired all nine hitters that he faced, including striking out each of the final eight hitters. They kept the crowd of 965 fans entertained all night long and helped the AppleSox pick up their first series victory of the season.

Wenatchee entered Tuesday night having scored 41 runs through its first four games while allowing 39 in that span but it was their pitching staff’s time to shine. Tuesday’s win marked the second straight night that the AppleSox only needed to use two pitchers to earn a victory.

The AppleSox bats were kept at bay while Vassar and Ashworth stymied the Lefties until the bottom of the seventh inning. After Ashworth’s first inning of work kept the game scoreless Wenatchee sent nine men to the plate and scored five runs to take the lead for good. Joichiro Oyama drew a bases loaded walk to score the game-winning run and Michael Davinni provided insurance with a two-run double. A wild pitch allowed Oyama to score and then Davinni scored as Brandham Ponce reached on an error.

The five-run seventh inning marked the sixth time in the season’s first five games that the AppleSox scored four-or-more runs in the same inning. Nick Giesinger, signed to a 10-day contract on Monday several weeks after completing his sophomore year at Wenatchee Valley College, doubled and drew two walks to reach in all three plate appearances in his second game with the AppleSox.

The AppleSox go for the sweep of the Lefties on Wednesday when they face them again at 6:35 p.m. It’s the first WINatchee Wednesday of the summer and all fans are eligible to win prizes from local businesses during the third-through-sixth innings just by attending the game. Tickets can be purchased now at saferseating.com

Listen to the latest edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox podcast to hear postgame interviews with Vassar, Ashwworth and head coach Mitch Darlington.

AppleSox Look To Keep Bats Rolling Tonight vs. Port Angeles

The Wenatchee AppleSox look to take the series with a victory tonight against the Port Angeles Lefties at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox have scored seven-or-more runs in three-of-their-first-four games games and picked up their first win of the 2022 season last night thanks to an eight-run second inning. Wenatchee’s 16-2 victory came in the home opener and also marked the fourth consecutive game that they collected four-or-more hits.

All eight runs in the second innings came with two outs as Brandham Ponce hit a grand slam to deliver the big blow. He finished a triple short of the cycle and collected 5 RBI in the home opener. Aiva Arquette went 4-for-5 with 3 RBI in his first game with the AppleSox and turned a slick double play to end the top of the seventh inning. Joichiro Oyama reached base four times to record his fourth consecutive multi-hit game to open the season.

Wenatchee’s bullpen is fresh today after only having to use one pitcher after starter Kota Sato tossed five solid innings. Ryan Arredondo followed up with a scoreless four-inning save to save the ‘pen.

Quincy Vassar gets the start on the mound in his second appearance of the season. The Brewster native came on in relief in the seventh inning and tossed a scoreless 1.2 before the game was suspended due to darkness after a light pole went out. Vassar remained on the bump when the game resumed the next day and completed the eighth inning to toss scoreless frames. However, he would allow two singles to lead off the ninth before being pulled and both inherited runners scored as Bend rallied to score four runs to pick up a walkoff victory. Vassar struck out five, including two on dropped third strikes.

Port Angeles will send John Pfeffer to the hill for his second appearance on the bump this season. The right-hander from San Bernardino Valley College started the Lefties’ season opener on the road against Victoria on June 1 and allowed two runs on two hits, four walks and four strikeouts in four innings in an eventual 9-6 Port Angeles win.

Tonight’s game is being sponsored by Wenatchee College and they are hosting a canned food drive before the game. It’s also a $2 Off Tuesday as AppleSox fans can save $2 on tickets, hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft beers. AppleSox merchandise is also 20-percent off. Purchase tickets now at saferseating.com or at the gate.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Huge Second Inning Gives Darlington His First Win

Brandham Ponce hit a grand slam in an eight-run second inning and the AppleSox defeated the Port Angeles Lefties, 16-2, in front of 1,010 fans on Monday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The win marked the first for Mitch Darlington as head coach of the AppleSox. The AppleSox helped give Darlington the big victory by topping their previous season-high for runs scored of 14 set on Opening Night on Friday.

Ponce’s two-out blast cleared the bases and marked his first home run of the season to give Wenatchee a 5-2 lead at the time. Five consecutive hitters would draw walks afterwards and four of them scored thanks to four wild pitches and a passed ball to give Wenatchee a commanding 8-2 lead after two innings.

Ponce wasn’t finished offensively and he wasn’t alone with a big night. He doubled in a run in the seventh and added a single in the eighth to finish a triple short of the cycle. Aiva Arquette led all AppleSox hitters with four hits and drove in three runs in his AppleSox debut. Joichiro Oyama recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game to open the season and led the AppleSox with three runs scored.

Kota Sato (1-0) bounced back from giving up two runs in the first inning to fire four scoreless innings afterwards. He retired each of the final nine hitters that he faced in order and struck out six hitters over five innings. Ryan Arredondo followed up with four scoreless innings to bookend the night and earned his first save of the summer.

Wenatchee scored in all but two innings and outhit their opponent for the fourth consecutive game. Every AppleSox starter reached base at least once and five of them scored multiple runs.

The AppleSox look to get the series win on Tuesday night when they face the Lefties again at 6:35 p.m. It’s a $2 Off Tuesday meaning that all tickets are $2 off as are hot dogs, burgers and Coors draft beer. It’s also Wenatchee Valley College Night and the gates open at 5:30 p.m.

Listen to the latest edition of the AppleSox podcast below to hear interviews with Ponce, Arquette, Darlington and Oyama.

AppleSox Face Port Angeles in First Home Game of 2022

The Wenatchee AppleSox return home after beginning the 2022 season on the road and face the Port Angeles Lefties tonight in their first home game of the year.

Wenatchee is hoping that a return home will lead to a return to the win column. The AppleSox were swept in the season’s first series despite scoring first in all three games against the Bend Elks. Wenatchee was walked off in the first and last games and fell by eight runs in the second game.

The AppleSox took five-of-six games against Port Angeles last year, including sweeping the Lefties at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium Aug. 3-5 thanks in part to a pair of come-from-behind victories. The AppleSox are 20-4 against the Lefties since Port Angeles joined the league in 2017.

Wenatchee may be winless through its first three games but it is by no fault of their offense. The AppleSox have recorded at least 10 hits in all three games and have scored a combined 25 runs for an average of almost eight-and-a-half runs per game. Joichiro Oyama and Michael Davinni have both recorded multi-hit efforts in each of the first three games. Davinni drove in himself and Oyama with a game-tying two-out home run in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday to force extra innings.

The AppleSox pitching staff bounced back from allowing 32 runs over the first two games to keep Bend off the scoreboard on Sunday until the seventh inning. Walks proved to a bigger issue for the Sox pitchers as they issued 13 free passes while allowing eight hits.

Port Angeles is coming off a doubleheader split against the Kamloops NorthPaws on Saturday. They were trailing Kamloops 5-2 in the third on Sunday when the game was suspended due to inclement weather. The Lefties are 3-2 thanks to winning two-of-three games to open the season against the Victoria HarbourCats.

The AppleSox will send Kota Sato to the mound in his first appearance in an AppleSox uniform. The right-hander from Edmonds recorded a 2.72 ERA and struck out 67 in 13 games (12 starts) as a redshirt freshman this spring.

Port Angeles has not announced a probable pitcher yet.

Opening Night is being sponsored by AG Supply and Ace Hardware. All fans entering tonight’s game will receive an AppleSox magnet schedule courtesy of Clean Connection. Everyone in attendance is also eligible to win a Traeger Grill given away by AG Supply and Ace Hardware.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Davinni's Late-Game Heroics Not Enough For Wenatchee

BOX SCORE

Michael Davinni hit a clutch, ninth-inning game-tying home run and then later gave the AppleSox the lead but Wenatchee fell to the Bend Elks, 5-4, in 11 innings Sunday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

With the Sox down to their final out and trailing by two with a runner at second base Davinni hammered a 2-2 pitch over the left-center field fence to tie the game up, 3-3. It was enough to send the game to extra innings after Bend failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. After a scoreless 10th Davinni again played the role of hero by hitting a sacrifice fly to score Corey Jarrell and make it 4-3, AppleSox.

Davinni finished the game with two hits and 3 RBI but Bend rallied to score twice in the bottom of the 11th to pick up their second walkoff win in three games against the AppleSox and pick up the series sweep. 

The AppleSox scored first for the third straight game and outhit the Elks for the second time in as many days but left Bend still searching for their first win of the season. Wenatchee calmed down offensively but still finished with 10 hits to mark their third straight game collecting double-digit hits. 

The AppleSox scored the game’s first run in the sixth when Xander Orejudos drew a bases-loaded walk. That came two innings after Jake Moffitt fired four scoreless innings in his first appearance of the summer. Moffitt walked six but only allowed three hits and struck out five.

Will Jacobson tossed two scoreless innings before Bend broke through in the seventh. With two outs and runners at second and third Jacobson struck out Cooper Whitton but a passed ball and a throwing error allowed both runners to score. Whitton would come around to score three batters later on a wild pitch to put Bend ahead, 3-1.

Joichiro Oyama helped make Davinni’s heroic slam possible by reaching on a two-out infield single to extend the ninth inning. Like Davinni, Oyama recorded a multi-hit effort in each of the AppleSox’ first three games of the season.

Anthony Sendejas made his season debut in the seventh and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings. He struck out one and did not allow any hits.

Wenatchee returns home on Monday to face the Port Angeles Lefties at 6:35 p.m. at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium in the first home game of the 2022 season. Opening Night is sponsored by AG Supply and Ace Hardware. They are giving a Traeger grill to one lucky fan who attends the home opener. Monday’s game is also the first of a seven-game homestand for the AppleSox. Tickets can be purchased now at saferseating.com.

Listen to the latest episode of the AppleSox podcast below for a recap of the game, radio highlights, the postgame interview with associate head coach Aaron Vaughn and the pregame interview with Davinni.

AppleSox Look To Salvage Series vs Elks

The Wenatchee AppleSox conclude their first series of the 2022 season tonight at 5:05 p.m. against the Bend Elks at Vince Genna Stadium. Wenatchee is looking for its first win of the season after dropping the first two games of the season series against the Elks. The AppleSox dropped Friday's game, 15-14, though they led 13-11 when it was suspended with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. The game was resumed on Saturday afternoon and the AppleSox scored once in the ninth but surrendered four runs in the bottom half to get walked off. The Elks used a six-run bottom of the second and struck in six-of-their-eight innings at the plate to take the series from the AppleSox.

Wenatchee's offense has not been an issue early on this season. The AppleSox have scored 23 runs through the first two games, a total that is fourth out of 16 teams in the WCL. Two-of-the-three higher teams have played five games already. Michael Davinni leads Wenatchee with a .555 batting average through his first two games. He collected two hits and drew two walks on Friday before adding a 3-for-6 day on Saturday.

Despite the AppleSox' impressive offensive numbers the Elks now carry an seven-game win streak against the AppleSox into Sunday's game. Wenatchee dropped the final six meetings against the Elks in 2021 in addition to starting 2022 0-2. This is the longest losing streak for the AppleSox against the Elks in the 22-year matchup history.

The AppleSox will send Jack Moffit, a redshirt sophomore at Gonzaga, to the mound for the series finale. Moffitt did not pitch this past spring for the Zags. He has been with Gonzaga for three years but his only appearance was a third of an inning last year. He pitched for the Wheat City Whisky Jacks in the Expedition League last summer and recorded a 4.75 ERA in 13 games, 11 starts. Moffitt. recorded a 2.08 ERA in 39 innings over his final eight games in 2021 and struck out 34 of his 48 hitters in that time.

Bend has not announced a probable pitcher.

Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 4:40 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

Bats Stay Hot But Sox Fall to Elks

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored first for the second straight day but fell to the Bend Elks, 17-9, on Saturday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

Xander Orejudos drove in three runs and collected three hits to lead the AppleSox offense. Michael Davinni picked up three singles and scored twice and Carson Lydon reached base safely four times.

Orejudos jump-started the AppleSox with an RBI single in the second and Wenatchee took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the second but Bend scored six times on just three hits thanks to a couple of hit by pitches. The Elks never trailed from that point on and also tacked on big innings with a four-run fifth and a three-run eighth.

The AppleSox got the game back within one run with four runs in the top of the third right after the six-run Elks’ second, but they also stranded the bases loaded in the fifth and sixth innings. The first occasion particularly hurt because Wenatchee filled the bases up with just one out but did not drive anyone in.

The series wraps up on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. and redshirt sophomore Jack Moffitt from Gonzaga gets the start as the AppleSox look to salvage the series.

Listen to today’s AppleSox podcast for a recap of today’s game and AppleSox broadcaster Joel Norman’s pregame interview with Lydon.

Elks Walk Off AppleSox In Season Opener

In a game suspended until the next day due to darkness the Bend Elks defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox, 15-14, in the first game of the season for both teams on June 4 at Vince Genna Stadium.

The game began on June 3 but was suspended at 10:20 p.m. with the AppleSox leading 13-11 as the light pole closest to the right side of the press box down the first base line suddenly went out. Soon all of the stadium lights went off and the game was suspended almost an hour later until the umpires and coaches decided to head home and resume action at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

Bend trailed, 14-11, entering the bottom of the ninth inning but rallied to score four runs and the game-winning hit came with two outs. Each of the first five Elks hitters reached base before the AppleSox recorded an out and all nine men came to the plate for Bend.

The AppleSox’ bats came out hot to open up the game. Wenatchee scored four runs in the first inning thanks to each of their first five hitters reaching base safely. Oyama and Michael Davinni opened up the season with back-to-back singles before Fahsel drove both of them in two batters later with a 2-RBI single. Lydon and Xander Orejudos hit a couple of hard ground outs that plated two more runs and the AppleSox sent all but one of their hitters to the plate.

Bend tied it up in the bottom of the first off a grand slam but the AppleSox retook the lead in the top of the second briefly on an RBI-double by Davinni before the Elks scored three times in the bottom of the second.

The two teams went back-and-forth a bit as the Elks struck three times in the bottom of the third to take a five-run lead but the Sox clawed back with a three-run frame of their own in the fourth.

Davinni had a memorable debut, going 2-for-3 with three walks and three runs scored. Fahsel, signed to a 10-day contract less than a week ago, drove in five runs, scored three times and drew two walks. Eight-of-nine AppleSox hitters recorded at least one base hit and the third-highest scoring team in the West Coast League from a year prior got off to a memorable start offensively.

Garrett Gores put forth a gutsy effort in relief for the AppleSox by tossing four innings out of the bullpen He allowed four runs on seven hits but struck out six and only walked one. He held the Elks off the scored board in the fourth and fifth innings after they combined to score 10 runs through the first three innings.

Quincy Vassar followed Gores up with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and four strikeouts until the stoppage of play. Vassar started the suspended game on the mound on Saturday and closed out the eighth to complete two scoreless innings. He came out again for the ninth after Carson Lydon led off the top of the inning with a double and scored on a Corey Jarrell sacrifice fly. Vassar allowed back-to-back base hits before exiting as the Elks rallied to walk off Wenatchee.

The first game of the season concluded at about 3:30 and the two teams will meet again three hours later at 6:35 p.m. Coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. on the AppleSox Radio Network with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show and fans can listen live to the game at 6:35 p.m. on 93.9 FM in Wenatchee or on kcsyfm.com worldwide.

Listen to today’s AppleSox podcast for a recap of Game 1 and head coach Mitch Darlington’s postgame comments.

Opening Day Put On Pause

The Wenatchee AppleSox’ first game of the 2022 season got off to an exciting start with a combined 24 runs between them and the Bend Elks through the first seven-and-a-half innings on Friday night at Vince Genna Stadium.

However, seven-and-a-half complete innings is as far as the season opener would get before lighting issues caused the game to be suspended due to darkness.

At 10:20 p.m. with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning the light pole closest to the right side of the press box (pictured above) abruptly turned off. As both head coaches convened to discuss what to do next the other two light structures in the picture above also went out before all of the light poles turned off and left the ballpark pitch black except for the lights of the press box, the scoreboard in right field and the third base concession stand.

Bend Elks players began putting a tarp out on the mound and another on home plate as both sides waited for an official decision amidst the rain. No official announcement was made but nearly ever fan had left the ballpark when all of the lights went out.

Opening Day had drama even before the lights went out. Trailing 11-8 entering the seventh inning, Wenatchee rallied to score four runs to take the lead and added insurance in an inning later. Joichiro Oyama hit a one-out triple to center and scored two batters later on a sacrifice fly. CJ Horn doubled in a pair with a long fly ball to the gap in left-center field to tie the game before Carson Lydon gave Wenatchee it’s first lead since the top of the second with a hot-shot single off first baseman Caden Delozier’s glove.

The AppleSox’ bats came out hot to open up the game. Wenatchee scored four runs in the first inning thanks to each of their first five hitters reaching base safely. Oyama and Michael Davinni opened up the season with back-to-back singles before Fahsel drove both of them in two batters later with a 2-RBI single. Lydon and Xander Orejudos hit a couple of hard ground outs that plated two more runs and the AppleSox sent all but one of their hitters to the plate.

Bend tied it up in the bottom of the first off a grand slam but the AppleSox retook the lead in the top of the second briefly on an RBI-double by Davinni before the Elks scored three times in the bottom of the second.

The two teams went back-and-forth a bit as the Elks struck three times in the bottom of the third to take a five-run lead but the Sox clawed back with a three-run frame of their own in the fourth.

Davinni had a memorable debut, going 2-for-3 with three walks and three runs scored. Fahsel, signed to a 10-day contract less than a week ago, drove in five runs, scored three times and drew two walks. Eight-of-nine AppleSox hitters recorded at least one base hit and the third-highest scoring team in the West Coast League from a year prior got off to a memorable start offensively.

Garrett Gores put forth a gutsy effort in relief for the AppleSox by tossing four innings out of the bullpen He allowed four runs on seven hits but struck out six and only walked one. He held the Elks off the scored board in the fourth and fifth innings after they combined to score 10 runs through the first three innings. Quincy Vassar followed him up with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief and four strikeouts until the stoppage of play.

No official decision has been made by the West Coast League on the resumption of Friday night’s game. The AppleSox are in Bend again on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. Stay tuned to applesox.com as well as AppleSox social media accounts for the latest updates on the resumption of Friday night’s game.

2022 Season Begins Friday

GAME NOTES

The Wenatchee AppleSox open up the 2022 season this Friday through Sunday against the Bend Elks on the road at Vince Genna Stadium.

Wenatchee’s 22nd season in team history begins with a road trip to a team that just missed out on a playoff spot last season. The Elks finished with the same overall record (26-22) as the Portland Pickles and Ridgefield Raptors, but it was the Raptors who held the tiebreaker and earned the second-half playoff spot.

The AppleSox finished third in the North Division and four games back of the Bellingham Bells for the second-half playoff spot. Wenatchee went 20-28 and is looking to return to the postseason in 2022 for the second time in the last three seasons.

Bend took last year’s season series against Wenatchee, 5-1, and took each of the final six meetings between the two teams. The Elks had arguably the best offense in the West Coast League in 2021 as they led the league with a .271 team batting average and 304 runs scored. Chase Matheny finished third on the Elks with a .304 batting average in 2021 and is on the AppleSox this summer, but will pitch exclusively.

Friday’s game marks the first for AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington. He takes over for Ian Sanderson and is the sixth head coach in team history. 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 previously coached summer in ball in 2019 with the Burlington Barn Owls of the Cascade Collegiate League.

The AppleSox will send Mason Philley to the mound as their Opening Day starter. He went 4-3 with a 5.18 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) this past spring at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He tossed a seven-inning perfect game on March 26 against East Central University.

Bend has not announced a probable pitcher.

Check out AppleSox broadcaster Joel Norman’s interview with Philley ahead of the season opener.

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Tonight’s game can be listened to live on kcsyfm.com on your computer or smart phone. If you live in Washington you can listen on your radio on any of the following stations…

• Wenatchee: 93.9 FM

• East Wenatchee/Rock Island: 98.1 FM

• Lake Chelan Valley: 95.3 FM

• Brewster/Pateros: 101.3 FM

• Okanogan Valley: 101.9 FM

• Omak/Tonasket/Oroville: 97.7 FM

• Methow Valley: 106.3 FM

Coverage of tonight’s game begins at 6:10 p.m. with the Horan Estates Winery Pregame Show. Stick around after the game to hear the postgame show with player and coach interviews.

Live stats can be found on pointstreak.

AppleSox Announce 2022 Promotions

A summer in Wenatchee isn’t complete without a Fireworks Night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

That longstanding tradition will continue in 2022 with a fireworks show following the AppleSox 7:05 p.m. game against the Bend Elks on July 2 sponsored by Numerica Credit Union. However, it won’t be the only noteworthy promotional night this summer.

Another familiar promotion that AppleSox fans will remember from the last few seasons returns with five “$2 Off Tuesdays” planned. All tickets are $2 off meaning that general admission seats are just $5 and reserved premium seats are $10. Fans can purchase tickets at the gate or online at applesox.com/tickets.

Tickets aren’t the only thing that fans will save on each “$2 Off Tuesday.” Coors Light draft beers are $2 off as are hot dogs and burgers. All AppleSox merchandise at the third-base souvenir stand is 20-percent off.

The AppleSox are adding three new weekly promotions that fans can look forward to each time the AppleSox play at home on that day of the week. “Winatchee Wednesdays,” “Throwback Thursdays” and “Family Sundays” are all set to be memorable games all summer long.

Every Wednesday home game fans have a chance to win prizes from their favorite local businesses just by attending the game. Once an inning from the third through the sixth inning a random fan will win a prize. As you enter the ballpark you will receive a ticket that you need to keep and refer to when numbers are called out in between innings.

2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the first season that the Wenatchee Chiefs played minor league baseball games in “The Apple Capital of the World.” The AppleSox are turning back the clock by offering throwback-priced $2 general admission seats for all three Thursday night games and will also honor the history of the Wenatchee Valley by wearing special uniforms with the design a collaboration between the team and Colville Casinos. Fans can purchase a ticket to get a jersey beginning on June 30 and players will give them to fans off their backs following the AppleSox’ July 28 game. Tickets will be drawn at random and the holder of each ticket will get to pick which remaining jersey they want. 

AppleSox fans may have noticed something different when the team’s schedule and game times were released. All Sunday home games will be played at 1:05 p.m. this season and all of them are Family Days. Kids can sign up at the guest services stand behind home plate to high-five AppleSox players as they take the field before the game and can also run the bases on the field after the game. 

Kids aren’t the only ones who will enjoy Sunday home games. Stop by the AppleSox concession stand on the third-base side and enjoy special brunch items on the menu only available for Sunday afternoon games. Arrive to the park early and you will receive special AppleSox baseball cards that those players will sign for you after the game. 

In addition to weekly promotions fans can also look forward to some other great giveaways. It all begins on June 6 when the AppleSox host the Port Angeles Lefties in their home opener. AG Supply in Wenatchee and Ace Hardware in East Wenatchee are giving away a free Traeger grill to one lucky fan. 

June 10-12th is the first weekend of AppleSox home games of the summer and has two exciting giveaway nights. Two lucky fans will win either a diamond necklace or watch on Diamonds at the Diamond Night on June 10 thanks to Harry Ritchie’s Jewelers. Two nights later fans who arrive early will take home an AppleSox rally towel sponsored by IBEW-191. 

Aside from giveaways the AppleSox will host several other special nights including Mental Health Awareness Night on July 21. The organizations Only 7 Seconds and A World Free of Suicide will be on hand with messages for fans and the AppleSox will present the 2022 Tommy Watanabe Award to a worthy AppleSox player prior to the game.

Fans will see the AppleSox wear another new uniform in 2022 in addition to the aforementioned specialty jerseys for all Thursday home games. Midway through the season the AppleSox will swap out their navy blue jerseys for new powder blue uniforms. The navy blue jerseys will go on sale at the souvenir stand so that you can support your favorite player! 

The 22nd season in AppleSox history is poised to be another memorable one with lots of new and exciting promotions for fans to anticipate. Check out the full list of promotions below or by visiting applesox.com/promotions. Get your tickets now and celebrate summer with us… one inning at a time!

2022 Specialty Nights

Opening Night Sponsored by Ag Supply and Ace Hardware featuring Apple Blossom Royalty: Monday, June 6th, 2022

Wenatchee Valley College Sponsored Night; Canned Food Drive: Tuesday, June 7th, 2022

Sandy Cooprider Sports Complex Dedication Night: June 8th, 2022

Diamonds at the Diamond Night sponsored by Harry Ritchie’s; Special Giveaway: June 10th, 2022

Youth Baseball Weekend: June 10-12, 2022

Rally Towel Giveaway Night sponsored by IBEW/NECA: Sunday, June 12th, 2022

North Central Washington Community Night: Monday, June 13th, 2022

Mascot Night presented by Pepsi & Weinstein Beverage: Saturday, June 18th, 2022

Father’s Day at the Ballpark: Sunday, June 19th, 2022

First Responder’s Night: Tuesday, June 28th, 2022

Educator’s Night: Wednesday, June 29th, 2022

Armed Forces Night: Show Military ID for active or retired: Thursday, June 30th, 2022

Firework Night | 4th of July Celebration presented by Numerica: Saturday, July 2nd, 2022

All Things Coyote: Tuesday, July 12th, 2022

Return of the Evil Empire: Friday, July 15th, 2022

Family Fun Day: Sunday, July 17th, 2022

Mental Health Awareness Night: Thursday, July 21st, 2022

Cherry Creek Radio Media Night: Tuesday, July 26th, 2022

Jersey Off-The-Back presented by Colville Casinos: Thursday, July 28th, 2022

College Night, free entry for current student IDs: Monday, June 13th, 2022

Confluence Health Game Night: Friday, August 5th, 2022

Hawaiian Night Presented by Sunny FM and Journey Travel: Saturday, August 6th, 2022

AppleSox Sign Three Players For 2022 Roster

There are less than three weeks to go until the start of the AppleSox’ 2022 season and the team is rounding out its roster additions.

Head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Wednesday the addition of three new players to the 2022 AppleSox roster. Reese Ligtenberg, Cole Miller and Hyatt Utzman will all suit up in the red, white and blue this summer.

Reese Ligtenberg comes to the AppleSox from North Dakota State and in his redshirt freshman season with the Bison. He has pitched in three games this year and has only allowed two runs over four innings.

Ligtenberg graduated from Eagan High School in Minnesota in 2020 and did not get to compete in his senior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He tossed 34.1 innings and started seven-of-the-eight games that he pitched in his junior season in 2019 and struck out 24 hitters. His father, Kerry, spent eight seasons in MLB with four different teams.

“Reese Ligtenberg throws a heavy fastball that pairs nicely with a fading change up,” Darlington said.

Cole Miller will compete in the West Cost League for the second straight summer but with the AppleSox this time. The University of Washington outfielder picked up a pair of doubles and two steals in seven games with the Bellingham Bells.

Miller started 25-of-29 games last year with the Huskies and has started 10 so far in 2022. The Mercer Island, Wash. native batted .355 with 29 extra-base hits in three years of varsity baseball in high school. He was a part of Mercer Island’s third-place finishing team at state in 2017.

“Cole Miller is a phenomenal athlete that will roam our outfield and provide a spark in our lineup,” Darlington said.

Hyatt Utzman is looking to make his season debut for Xavier this spring. The freshman right-hander and Pullman, Wash. native graduated from Pullman High School in 2021 and recorded a 1.33 ERA in six games as a senior.

Utzman also posted an impressive senior season at the plate, batting .500 with 21 hits in 42 at-bats in 2021. He also played football at Pullman.

“Hyatt is a big-time competitor that has a good four-pitch arsenal at his disposal,” Darlington said. “Hyatt could step right in and solidify our rotation.”

The AppleSox play their first game of the 2022 season on June 3 at the Bend Elks. The free team Fan Fest is the day before on June 2. Fans can come watch the team practice and then meet them afterwards while enjoying free food.

The 2022 home opener is June 6 against the Port Angeles Lefties. Single-game tickets go on sale Friday, May 20 at saferseating.com.

Listen to this week’s AppleSox Podcast to hear more from Darlington about the newest members of the team.

AppleSox Fan Fest Set For June 2

The Wenatchee AppleSox’ first home game of the 2022 season is on June 6 but fans will get their first chance to meet the team four days prior.

The 2022 AppleSox Fan Fest will be on June 2 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium from 5-7 p.m. All fans are welcome to come to the free event to watch the AppleSox practice, meet the team and enjoy the first of many special nights at the ballpark this summer.

Food and drink will be provided and select merchandise will be available on clearance pricing. Season tickets will also be available for pickup. Season tickets are on sale for all 31 home games for as affordable as $130. Purchase season tickets today by visiting applesox.com/tickets or calling 509-665-6900.

AppleSox Add Five New Players To 2022 Roster

AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Wednesday the addition of five new players to the 2022 roster. Devin Fry, CJ Horn, Xander Orejudos, Lee Souza and Davis Spencer have all joined the AppleSox to put the team at 40 players on this summer’s roster.

Wenatchee Valley College right-hander Devin Fry will stay in the Apple Capital of the World this summer. Fry is in his third season with the Knights after beginning his career in the brief 2020 season. He only appeared in one game that season but tossed six games last year and has appeared in eight games so far this spring.

Fry has started all but one game that he has appeared in this year and his best start was his most recent. The Asotin, Wash. native allowed two runs over seven innings on April 9 in an 8-2 win over Columbia Basin. Fry struck out five and did not allow any runs until the sixth. He is committed to pitch for Western Oregon next year.

“Devin Fry will give us quality innings on the mound this summer,” Darlington said. “He has continued to grow over the past couple years and we are excited to see his development this summer.”

CJ Horn is the first of two players in this week’s announcement who is not a pitcher. Horn is a catcher at Ball State and is batting .303 in 18 games this season. The Sun City, Ariz. native played at Sierra College in 2021 and hit .404 in 16 games. Horn began his collegiate career at the New Mexico Military Institute in 2019 and batted .348 with five home runs and 22 RBI in 27 games. He transferred to the University of the Incarnate Word in 2020 but only appeared in one game before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season.

This will be Horn’s second straight year playing summer ball. He played in 27 games in the Texas Collegiate League with the Amarillo Sod Squad in 2021 and hit .292, the second-best batting average on his team among players to appear in at least 20 games.

“CJ Horn will stabilize the catching position for us,” Darlington said. “He is an excellent blocker and receiver with an above-average arm.”

Xander Orejudos from Ellensburg has signed a 10-day contract with the AppleSox for the 2022 season. Orejudos is currently a junior at the University of Jamestown and has a .264 batting average through his first 37 games. The middle infielder began his collegiate career Columbia Basin College in 2018. Orejudos hit .356 in 46 games his freshman year and then followed up with a .358 average in 28 games as a sophomore. He transferred to Georgia Gwinnett afterwards but did not play in 2020-21 before transferring again.

Orejudos signed to play in the West Coast League in 2019 and 2020 but did not play either season. He signed on with the AppleSox in 2019 and the Yakima Valley Pippins in 2020. He did play for the Klamath Falls Gems in the Great West League in 2018 and hit .265 in 29 games while earning a spot in the mid-summer’s All-Star Game.

“Xander Orejudos is a dirtbag ball player,” Darlington said. “He does all of the little things well that help you win ball games.“

Lee Souza joins Fry as another NWAC arm to join the AppleSox this summer. The freshman right-hander has pitched in 11 games (two starts) for Yakima Valley College and has a 5.65 ERA but has only allowed three runs in his last six appearances, spanning 11.1 innings.

Souza becomes the second player signed to the AppleSox to hail from Hawaii, joining Aiva Arquette. The Wailuku, Hawaii, native played high school baseball at Henry Perrine Baldwin High School.

“Lee Souza brings a bulldog mentality on the bump,” Darlington said.

Another Ellensburg native, Davis Spencer, will suit up for the Sox this summer before joining Utah Valley in the fall. He is currently enrolled at Central Arizona, where he has a 4.40 ERA with 18 strikeouts over 14.1 innings in nine games. Spencer began his collegiate career at the University of Washington in 2020. He did not pitch in the shortened season and only appeared in one game in 2021.

Spencer was a part of back-to-back 2A State Champion teams at Ellensburg in 2017 and 2018. He was the no. 14 ranked player in Washington according to Baseball Northwest and no. 16 by Prep Baseball Report.

“Davis Spencer is a big time arm talent,” Darlington said. “He has a low to mid 90’s fastball that he pairs well with a plus change up.”

Listen to today’s edition of the Wenatchee AppleSox Podcast below to hear more of what Darlington had to say about the newest members of the 2022 team. Stay tuned for more roster additions by liking the AppleSox on Facebook and following @AppleSox on Instagram and Twitter.

In-State Division-I Players Highlight Latest AppleSox Signings

AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Wednesday the addition of four new players from three different Division-I schools in Washington state. Aiva Arquette, Isaiah Cohens, Jack Moffit, Brandham Ponce and Gianluca Shinn will suit up for the AppleSox this summer.

All five players are already at or will be attending in-state Pac-12 or West Coast Conference schools this fall. Including two other previously-signed players, the AppleSox will have seven total players from Gonzaga, Washington and Washington State. 

“I’m really excited that we can represent three fantastic Division-I programs in our state,” Darlington said. 

Aiva Arquette is signed to play at Washington after graduating from St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii, this spring. The Kailua, Hawaii, native is a nationally-ranked recruit by Perfect Game and will join the Huskies as a middle infielder after playing for the AppleSox.

Arquette has played basketball at St. Louis in addition to baseball and earned the 2022 Gatorade State Player of the Year Award while also winning a state championship last month. He averaged 17.1 points per game this past season and 18 points per game in 13 exhibition games in 2020-21 as a junior after league games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Aiva is a showtime shortstop,” Darlington said. “He is an unbelievably talented athlete that will energize our entire team.” 

Isaiah Cohens has had a unique college journey that leads him to Wenatchee this summer. He originally committed to Wichita State out of high school but switched his commitment to Johnson Community College, where he spent his first two years of college before transferring to Gonzaga this season.

Cohen has not appeared in any games with the Zags this year but hit .244 and scored 35 runs in 2021. The Wichita, Kan. native only appeared in 11 games in 2020 because of the pandemic but retained his freshman eligibility for 2021 and is a sophomore this spring. 

“Isaiah is a slick defensive shortstop,” Darlington said. “He can make every play and has a strong arm from the left side of the diamond.” 

Jack Moffitt spent last summer in the Expedition League with the Wheat City Whisky Jacks and will join the AppleSox this year. The Gonzaga right-hander remains in-state following the spring season after posting a 4.75 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 53 innings over 13 games (11 starts) last summer. 

The Seattle native came to the Zags in 2020 but did not appear in any games before the shutdown. He only pitched in one game last year and has not pitched yet in 2022.

“Jack Moffitt is a 6’7” power righty that brings an intimidating presence to our rotation,” Darlington said. 

Brandham Ponce has signed a 10-day contract with the AppleSox for the summer. He will join Washington State this fall after wrapping up his second season with Big Bend Community College. He brings versatility to the AppleSox with experience at third base, outfield and on the mound.

Ponce began his collegiate career at Central Arizona in 2020 when he hit .206 in 20 games for the Vaqueros. He transferred to Big Bend and hit .354 in 28 games last year and is hitting .313 through his first 27 games this season. Ponce did not pitch in 2020 but has pitched in seven games in the last two years and has 3.09 ERA over 11.2 innings.

“Ponce is a switch hitting utility player that brings some thump to our lineup,” Darlington said. “He will see innings all over the field for us including some time on the bump.” 

Washington southpaw Gianluca Shinn is in his freshman year with the Huskies this spring. He has pitched in one game, when he tossed two shutout innings Feb. 25 against UC San Diego. 

The Menlo Park, Calif. native pitched in the Appalachian League prior to his freshman year at Washington. He pitched in a team-high 18 games for the Johnson City Doughboys last year and posted a 2.05 ERA with 31 strikeouts over 26.1 innings.  

“Shinn will be a late inning bullet to add to our pen,” Darlington said. “He has swing-and-miss stuff and is a bulldog on the mound.”

Stay tuned to AppleSox social media for next week’s player announcements. Listen to this week’s AppleSox Podcast to hear more of what head coach Mitch Darlington has to say about the newest AppleSox players. Subscribe to the AppleSox podcast on Apple or Spotify to hear other breakdowns of new players as well as interviews with current and future players.

AppleSox Add Seven Players From In-State JUCOs

The Wenatchee AppleSox on Wednesday signed seven players currently playing at junior colleges in Washington state.

The AppleSox pulled from Spokane Falls, Edmonds, Columbia Basin, and Lower Columbia with this week’s additions. They have added Conner Ashworth, Garrett Gores, Evan Canfield, Anthony Sendejas, Conner Bourbon, Ian Hughes, and Drake Bird to this summer’s roster.

Right-hander Conner Ashworth joins an AppleSox team that will field three Brewster alumni this summer after he completes his sophomore season at Spokane Falls. He will join his former teammates Corey Jarrell and Quincy Vassar in Wenatchee. 

Ashworth has not allowed a run in his first 11 innings over his first five games on the mound this spring. His strong start includes tossing five scoreless innings in a 10-4 win over Yakima Valley on March 30. The Bears’ alum had his finest prep season as a junior in 2019, posting a 1.12 ERA with 42 strikeouts over 25 innings in seven games (five starts) en route to Brewster finishing third at State. 

“Ashworth is a talented local arm,” Darlington said, “that we are thrilled to have on our pitching staff.”

Garrett Gores will join his Sasquatch teammate on this summer’s AppleSox team. The Spokane Falls righty has a 4.50 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 16 innings over six games. Gores has tossed multiple innings of relief in five appearances and four times has tossed three-or-more innings. 

The Spokane native graduated from Gonzaga Prep last year and has made a difference in his freshman year on the mound and at the plate. He is hitting .269 and has a .406 on-base percentage in 14 games. 

“Gores can locate three pitches for strikes,” Darlington said, “and is the type of player that will always want the ball in his hand.

Evan Canfield suited up in the West Coast League last summer and will do so again this year. The Bothell, Wash. native graduated from Jackson High School last year and is in his freshman season at Edmonds Community College. He has not appeared in any games yet due to injury.

Canfield made his WCL debut last year on Aug. 4 with the Port Angeles Lefties against the AppleSox. The right-hander struck out seven hitters over 5.2 innings and only allowed two runs. Canfield went on to appear in two more games and posted a 3.00 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 12 innings.

“We have big expectations for Evan Canfield,” Darlington said. “We are hoping he gets healthy in time to be a major contributor in our pitching staff. He had some very solid outings with the Lefties last summer. We are hoping that experience helps carry him into this summer.”

Anthony Sendejas is another member of the Tritons in his freshman year. He has appeared in four games and has a 4.63 ERA through 11.2 innings. His finest outing came on March 5 when he only allowed two runs over 6.2 innings in relief against Lane.

Sendejas is also a Bothell, Wash. native and he graduated from Bothell High School last year. The southpaw appeared in five games as a senior and posted a 2.52 ERA over 16.2 innings. Opponents only hit .217 against Sendejas in his final high-school season.

“Anthony has an upper 80’s fastball with a swing and miss slider that will play nicely out of the bullpen,” Darlington said.

Utilityman Conner Bourbon is the final member of Edmonds signed to play for the AppleSox this summer. Bourbon has been used solely as a position player this spring with the Tritons and is batting .315 through the first 22 games of his freshman year.

The Tumwater, Wash. native graduated from Tumwater High School last year and helped lead them to a 14-1 record in the shortened 2021 season.

“Conner Bourbon was originally going to be brought in as an arm,” Darlington said, “but after seeing the numbers he’s putting up at the plate he could end up being a true two-way guy for us.”

Ian Hughes is AppleSox’ lone addition from Columbia Basin College this summer. The right-hander has a 4.24 ERA over 40.1 innings in eight games (all starts) as a freshman. Fans in the Apple Capital have already had an opportunity to watch Hughes as he only allowed one run over five innings and struck out five Wenatchee Valley College Knights on April 6.

The Twin Falls, Idaho, native graduated from Canyon Ridge High School last year. Hughes recorded a 1.39 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 40.1 innings in 11 games as a senior.

“Ian is an electric arm to add to our pitching staff,” Darlington said. “His fastball sits low 90’s with a hammer breaking ball.” 

Chelan native Drake Bird will add depth to the AppleSox behind the plate this summer. He is in his freshman year at Lower Columbia College and is hitting .313 through his first eight games. Bird has also collected a hit in six-of-the-seven games that he has recorded an at-bat in.

The catcher and 2021 Chelan High School graduate played in two games with the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars last summer, though neither game was against the AppleSox. He hit .286 in a pair of games, including going 2-for-4 against the Walla Walla Sweets on June 22. 

“Drake Bird is another very talented local,” Darlington said. “Drake is one of the hardest working individuals you will come across. He will step in and push all of our catchers to raise their game.” 

Stay tuned to AppleSox social media for next week’s player announcements. Search “Wenatchee AppleSox” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to hear more of what head coach Mitch Darlington has to say about the newest AppleSox players as well as interviews with other players, past and present.

Coach's Connections Pivotal In Latest AppleSox Roster Additions

Wenatchee AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Wednesday the addition of five new players to the 2022 team. Carson Lydon, Dylan Gardner, Hunter Gibson, Riley Sinclair and Andrew Haight have all signed to play in the Apple Capital of the World this summer.

Four-of-the-five players come from places of familiar connections for the AppleSox coaching staff. Lydon is the younger brother of AppleSox assistant coach Marcus Lydon. Gardner and Lydon both are at Big Bend Community College, where Darlington and associate head coach Aaron Vaughn previously coached at. Sinclair had a chance to play for Darlington at a high school showcase event.

Two members of the Lydon family will be with the AppleSox with the younger one serving as a utilityman. Carson Lydon originally committed to Oregon but de-committed earlier this spring and is training with Driveline Baseball in the midst of searching for a new school. 

The Eugene, Ore. native graduated from Churchill High School in 2021 and spent last summer with the Medford Rogues of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League. Lydon recorded a 2.57 ERA over seven innings in five games and hit .333 in 10 games.

“Carson Lydon is a very talented two-way player to add to our roster,” Darlington said. “He will primarily be playing first base but could see significant innings for us on the mound as well.”

Coaches Darlington and Vaughn spent a combined six seasons as assistants at Big Bend and each of the next two players come from this familiar school. Dylan Gardner has a 3.67 ERA with 42 strikeouts to just 10 walks over 27 innings in five games (all starts) in his sophomore season with the Vikings. 

The right-hander from Boise, Idaho, has committed to Arizona State and will join the Sun Devils after this summer with the AppleSox. Gardner pitched in the Expedition League with the Canyon County Spuds and recorded a 5.53 ERA over 40.2 innings in eight games (seven starts). 

“Dylan Gardner probably has the highest ceiling of any arm that we have coming in,” Darlington said. “He’s getting a ton of pro attention right now and we would not be surprised to lose him to the draft this July.” 

Fellow Viking Hunter Gibson will also suit up in the red, white and blue this summer. He has not appeared on the mound this season but posted a 2.96 ERA with 37 strikeouts and only four walks over 27.1 innings in 10 games (three starts) in 2021 as a freshman. 

The right-hander from Ellensburg, Wash. native graduated from Ellensburg High School in 2020 and played basketball there in addition to baseball.

“Hunter is a fantastic arm,” Darlington said. “He throws a heavy fastball and locates his off speed whenever he wants.” 

Riley Sinclair has not suited up yet this season for Seattle U but the right-hander appeared in 13 games last spring, posting a 4.06 ERA over 51 innings in 13 games (seven starts) as a freshman. He led the Redhawks in ERA and tossed six-or-more-innings three times.

The Camas, Wash. native graduated from Camas High School in 2020 but did not get to compete as a senior because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his junior season he recorded a 1.54 ERA in 13 games en route to Camas qualifying for the 4A State Tournament.  

“Riley Sinclair has the opportunity to step right in and be in a starting role for us every week,” Darlington said. “I had the privilege of coaching Riley at a Baseball Northwest event when he was in high school, so getting the chance to coach him again will be fun.” 

Andrew Haight becomes the third and final member of the 2022 AppleSox to come from Seattle U, along with Sinclair and Tyler Chipman. Haight has only recorded 14 at-bats in 10 games as a sophomore. He hit .231 in 13 at-bats in 13 games as a freshman in 2021. 

The Monroe, Wash. native played for the Casper Horseheads in the Expedition League last summer and hit .267 in 11 games. Haight recorded at least one hit in seven-of-11 games.

“Andrew Haight is a rock solid defensive catcher,” Darlington said. “He has the ability to shut down your opponents’ running game.” 

Stay tuned to AppleSox social media for next week’s player announcements. Search “Wenatchee AppleSox” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to hear more of what head coach Mitch Darlington has to say about the newest AppleSox players as well as interviews with other players, past and present.

AppleSox Sign Six Players From The East

The Wenatchee AppleSox have added six players from schools to the far east to their 2022 roster. Mason Hull, Cam Cratic, Mason Philley, Derek Potts, Grant Sherrod and Kyle Richardson were all added by head coach Mitch Darlington.

The addition of these six players gives the AppleSox players at schools in Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Kentucky Western.

“Having the ability to extend our recruiting efforts across the country is huge for us,” Darlington said. “It allows us to handpick some of the best baseball talents from coast-to-coast.”

Mason Hull joins the AppleSox from Missouri State, where he is in the midst of his senior season with the Bears. The middle infielder is hitting .306 through his first 21 games for the fifth-best batting average on the team. Hull has recorded eight multi-hit games, including four three-hit efforts, and has smacked nine home runs.

Hull has another year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the 2020 season. The Effingham, Ill. native only appeared in 15 games that season but followed it up with a .313 average in 32 games as a junior in 2021.

This will be Hull’s third straight year playing in a summer league. He played for the Mankato MoonDogs in the Northwoods League in 2020 before joining the North Adams SteepleCats in the New England Collegiate League last year.

Cam Cratic will join his Missouri State teammate on this summer’s AppleSox roster. The outfielder has the fourth-best batting average on the Bears with a .323 mark through his first 19 games. Cratic has collected a hit in all but six games to open the season.

Cratic is a redshirt senior this spring but will also have another year of college eligibility thanks to the pandemic. The Madison, Wis. native began his collegiate career at Madison College, where he hit .349 in 2018 as a freshman before redshirting after nine games in 2019 and only playing in three games in 2020 before the shutdown. He bounced back in 2021 in his first year at Missouri State by hitting .309 in 37 games.

Similar to Hull, Cratic has also spent the last few years with summer ball teams. He has played three-of-the-last-four summers in the Northwoods League with the Madison Mallards and K-Town Bobbers and combined to hit .261 in 76 games.

“Mason Hull and Cam Cratic are two bats that will provide an immediate impact,” Darlington said. “Mason Hull Is the type of hitter you build your lineup around. Cam is a highly talented hitter that provides a spark anywhere in your lineup.” 

Mason Philley is coming off a historic performance earlier this week as he tossed a perfect game. He is the reigning Great American Conference Pitcher of the Week after striking out 10 and retiring all 21 hitters that he faced in a seven-inning 12-0 University of Arkansas at Monticello victory over East Central University this past Saturday. He has a 5.53 ERA in nine games, seven starts, over 42.1 innings. Philley has allowed three runs or less in six of his nine appearances.

The southpaw from Monticello is in his junior season with his hometown Boll Weevils but this is his fourth year there because of the pandemic. He also played in the Northwoods League in 2020, pitching in seven games for the Mandan Flickertails. 

“Philley is a big-time competitor that will step right in and compete to be in our starting rotation,” Darlington said. 

The AppleSox will bring another pitcher from Arkansas Monticello aboard this summer but from the other side of the rubber. Derek Potts is a redshirt junior this year after missing last season. The Decatur, Texas, native has appeared in eight games this season and has a 6.40 ERA but has tossed back-to-back quality starts and has tossed at least six innings five times. 

Potts previously pitched in summer baseball with the Ventura County Pirates of the Sunset Baseball League in 2021. He posted a 4.50 ERA with 37 strikeouts over 30 innings in 12 games.

“Potts has a solid arsenal of pitches,” Darlington said, “which will allow us to use him in a variety of roles.” 

Grant Sherrod is the player on this summer’s team to join the AppleSox from South Carolina Upstate, joining Chase Matheny. Sherrod is a redshirt sophomore with the Spartans and began his collegiate career at Lower Columbia College. The Sumner, Wash. native hit .333 over 27 games with the Red Devils from 2020-21. 

Sherrod played summer ball on the West Coast last year with the Medford Rogues of the Golden State Collegiate Baseball League. He hit .293 in 14 games and drove in 11 runs while posting five multi-hit games.  

“Grant is a big physical athlete,” Darlington said, “who can play first or corner outfield.” 

Kyle Richardson has signed a 10-day contract with the AppleSox this summer. He is a junior at Kentucky Wesleyan and is batting .233 through the first 26 games, all of which he has started for the Panthers. Richardson has hit five home runs, including two against Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 12. 

The Fernandina Beach, Fla. native began his collegiate career at Jacksonville and played in 53 games from 2019-21. He hit three home runs in his final year with the Dolphins. 

“Richardson can play anywhere on the dirt and has a ton of raw power at the dish,” Darlington said. 

Stay tuned to AppleSox social media for next week’s player announcements. Search “Wenatchee AppleSox” on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to hear more of what head coach Mitch Darlington has to say about the newest AppleSox players as well as interviews with other players, past and present.