YAKIMA, Wash.- Entering Tuesday’s series opening matchup against the Apple Sox, the Pippins had won 6-straight league series on the quest to earn a playoff spot.

In game 1 of the final home series of the year, head coach Kyle Krustangel stressed the playoff significance of every game against his former club, and every one of the last 6 games.

“Every game from here on out is must win,” said Krustangel. “If we keep doing our job, with some of the other matchups around the league, I think we’ll like were we end up at the end of the season.”

The Pippins played like their backs were against the wall in a dramatic, 4 and a half hour, 12-inning contest against Wenatchee.

The Apple Sox, also in a tight playoff race in the North Division, started the scoring early with a leadoff triple from West Coast League MVP candidate Joichiro Oyama.

Wenatchee followed with an RBI hit and ground out and for the 3rd time in the last 4 Pippins games, Yakima Valley would start from behind.

The bottom of the first would see the Pippins answer by loading the bases with nobody out, but a Shayne Simpson RBI was the only run to crossand the 2nd inning started 2-1.

A quiet 2nd inning set up the Pippins to tie it in the 3rd, when back-to-back 2-out doubles and another Shayne Simpson RBI returned things to level.

Wenatchee punched back the next frame with a 4-spot, once again putting the Pippins behind the 8-ball.

Again the squad showed no quit, retaliating with 3 in the bottom of the 5th inning courtesy of 3 walks, a Spencer Shipman double, and a Jake Borst RBI single.

The top of the 6th started with a 6-5 Apple Sox lead, and they would extend it on another 2-out RBI hit for Grant Sherrod to make it 7-5.

Matters would only get worse when 4-straight hits in the 7th scored 3 more and Wenatchee took a 5-run, 10-5 advantage to the 7th-inning stretch.

Trailing by 5 and down to the final 9-outs, the Pippins put together a rally.

The first 6 batters of the frame reached and RBI hits from Jaxon Sorenson and Luke Rohleder highlighted a 4-run inning which cut the lead to 10-9.

Spencer Shipman tossed a 1-2-3 8th inning and the Pippins had the chance to tie it, but Oyama came up huge defensively by throwing out the tying run at the plate in the bottom half.

Having lost momentum and heading into the final frame the Pippins needed another spark.

A one-out error allowed an important insurance run to reach, but a huge 4-6-3 double play ended the top of the 9th.

Trailing by 1 and 3-outs away from a crushing defeat, a 1-out walk put the fastest player on the Pippins on-base in Luke Rohleder.

He picked up a massive steal to move himself into scoring position as the tying run. It was the 5th steal of the game for Rohleder who now leads the team with 20 stolen bags on the year.

A groundout moved him to 3rd and it was up to Jaxon Sorenson with the Pippins down to their last out.

After a long at-bat which saw 3 foul balls and a 2-2 count, Sorenson hit a slow roller to one of the best defensive shortstops in the league in DJ Massey.

The 6’4″ lefty burned down the line and legged out an infield single by less than a step to tie the game at 10.

The 9th inning concluded and the Pippins would play in their 2nd extra-inning matchup this season.

Defensive shined again for the Pippins as they had all game.

Connor Coballes made one of the best plays of the year in the 3rd, Luke Rohleder had an acrobatic diving catch in the 4th, a double-play ended the top of the 9th, and this time it was new Pippin Kyle Williamson to make a big play.

The right fielder perfectly read a scorching line drive off the bat and made the catch on the run. He then fired to second to double off the go-ahead run and end the top of the 10th.

Neither side found any success in the 11th and on short rest, Tyler Frieders pitched in the 12th.

A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for Wenatchee with 1-out, and Frieders worked behind in the count 3-1 with nowhere to put the 3-hole hitter Grant Sherrod.

He battled back and on the 8th pitch of the at-bat, struck out the first baseman on a high fastball, and left the bases loaded and the game tied when a flyout ended the top of the 12th.

Jaxon Sorenson led off the bottom of the 12th with an 11 pitch walk. With the winning run aboard, Shayne Simpson fouled back two bunt attempts, but managed to get one down on a full count to advance the runner.

In the DH spot, the 3rd change was made, this time bringing Gabe Villaflor to the plate as the pinch-hitter.

The University of Portland catcher was a recent addition to the Pippins squad, replacing Josh Davis who returned home last week.

He shot an 0-1 pitch up the middle and Oyama saw it skip off of his glove on a diving effort.

The deflection allowed Sorenson to round third and head home, and the big first baseman dove home head-first to beat the tag and win the biggest game of the year.

“It was awesome, seeing everyone pitch in together, we were never out of it,” said the hero Gabe Villaflor. “It’s a real blessing to be on a summer-ball team and I love the guys on the team.”

With the big win and a Bend loss, the Pippins are 1 game out of a playoff spot if Corvallis wins the 2nd half. If the Knights lose some of their next 5 remaining games, the Pippins are 2.5 games out of the second half division lead.

Yakima Valley has the chance to move into a postseason spot and clinch their 7th straight WCL series victory in game 2 on Wednesday at 6:35.

Broadcast starts at 6:20 at youtube.com/c/pippinsbaseball.

YAKIMA, Wash. — One lucky fan who attends Saturday’s Yakima Valley Pippins game against the Kelowna Falcons will go home with one of the most sought-after baseball event tickets in the game.

A pair of tickets to the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will be held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle next July, will be given to one fan through random selection of all scanned admission tickets for that night.

“With the excitement around the Mariners right now and coming off of the All-Star Game this past week, we’re happy we’re able to do this for one of our fans here in Yakima,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said.

The Pippins’ sibling team, the Walla Walla Sweets, also will give away a pair of All-Star Game tickets on Friday, July 29.

All fans who purchase a single-game ticket for the game online at PippinsTickets.com, in advance by calling 509-575-4487, or at the box office on game day have a chance to win. Season-ticket holders, mini-plan buyers and group tickets for that night also are eligible to win.

The winner will be announced after the seventh inning, Garretson said.

Saturday night also is Pippins Trading Card Night, presented by Ron’s Coin and Collectibles. The first 500 fans receive a free, 30-card pack of Pippins player cards.

“With a great giveaway already scheduled for Saturday, adding in All-Star Game tickets will make the night even more special,” Garretson said. “And we’re playing exciting baseball here in the second half, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

First pitch Saturday is slated for 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6:30 that day because of this week’s heat wave, Garretson said. He added that the game time could be pushed back into the evening if temperatures climb higher than forecasted.

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- An early home run, an illegal substitution, and superb relief pitching helped the Pippins take game 2 over Port Angeles 4-3.

A wild game was highlighted by 3.2 scoreless innings by Daniel Charron in his first game back since July 12th.

The Spokane Falls righty left 5 runners on base in the 6th through the 9th and came up huge by keeping the 1 run lead his entire outing.

The Pippins started the scoring for the 3rd straight game, going off with a big 4th inning.

A walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases and a balk brought home the game’s first run. That brought up Owen McWilliam with 2 on and 2-out.

After his first home run of the season last night, the University of the Pacific outfielder sent a 3-run shot over the left field wall for his second home run in as many games.

The Pippins 4-0 lead would hold, but the Lefties began to chip away.

Michael Splaine was perfect through the first 3 innings, but the first baserunner would reach and score in the 4th on an RBI sac fly.

In the 5th, 3 straight walks loaded the bases but Splaine picked up back-to-back strikeouts and was one batter away from working out of the jam.

Then, University of Iowa’s Will Mulflur picked up a 2-out 2-RBI single to pull the Lefties to within 1.

The Pippins bats had been cold since their 4-run 2nd, but Daniel Charron came on and picked them up.

A scoreless 6th set up the 7th inning, where a walk and an error put the tying and go-ahead runs on base with one away, but this is where the controversy began.

The batter who reached on the error was not on the lineup card, and after 20 minutes of delay, several meetings with both coaches, and a call to the league commissioner, the umpires ruled the batter out and returned the other runner to first.

In the chaos, the runner on first forgot how many outs there were, and attempted to tag from first on a 2-out double into the gap which would have likely scored the tying run.

Instead, the Pippins escaped the inning with the lead when Owen McWilliam threw out a runner at the dish on a single into left.

Over the last 3 games, McWilliam has 3 outfield assists, 2 home runs, and is 5 for 7 at the plate.

Charron continued with a scoreless 8th but again found trouble on a 2-out single in the bottom of the 9th to put the tying and winning runs on base.

Peysen Sweeney came in needing one more out, and a groundball back to him on the mound cemented the save and the Pippins series victory.

With the Pippins win and a Portland loss, the Pippins are now in a 3-way tie for first place in the South Division second half standings.

They need to win the 2nd half or gain 4 games on the Bend Elks to clinch a playoff spot with 10 league games remaining.

The series finale with Port Angeles is Sunday afternoon at 1:35 as they try to win their 4th straight game.

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- Over his last 4 starts Blake Leaverton has 3 wins and a 2.21 ERA after his 6 shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Port Angeles on Friday.

The soon-to-be sophomore at Seattle University was phenomenal, leaving 6 runners stranded and allowing only 1 hit in his start.

The victory became the 3rd shutout of the year for the Pippins, all 3 of which have come in the last 10 WCL games.

The Pippins didn’t have the only solid start in the low scoring affair. Lefties starter Liam Paddack got through 7 innings of work and nearly matched Leaverton stride for stride.

Despite the strong effort, Paddack blinked first when some well executed situational baseball would score the game’s first run. The Pippins used an intentional rundown to plate Hank Dunn in the 3rd and held that lead the rest of the way.

Both sides would stay scoreless for a while after that, but the first real trouble for Leaverton came in the bottom of the 5th.

A leadoff 2-base error put the tying run in scoring position with no one out for the Lefties. A groundout moved the runner 90 feet closer, but a popup and another groundout got the Pippins out of the jam with the lead 1-0.

Yakima Valley capitalized on the momentum on the first pitch of the top of the 6th when Owen McWilliam launched his first home run of the year over the left field wall.

With the lead now 2 runs, Liam McCallum returned from injury for his first appearance since June 23rd.

The left-handed Australian tallied 2 scoreless innings with 2 K’s and a big double play and earned a hold in the matchup.

Owen McWilliam added to the lead again when he scored on an error in the 8th. The University of the Pacific outfielder finished with 3 of the Pippins 7 hits and 2 of the 3 runs.

Reilly McAdams came on in the 9th and looked as good as ever, retiring all 3 batters he faced and earning his first save of the season.

With the shutout win and the Pickles loss, the Pippins move to 1 game out of the South Division second half lead.

Yakima Valley looks to win their 5th straight series in game two Saturday at 6:35.

NANAIMO, BC.- The Pippins picked up their 9^th win of the second half in a dominant 8-0 win over Nanaimo.

The lefty tallied his 3^rd win of the year in grand fashion, as the Pippins picked up their 2^nd shutout of the season.

Grothues was coming off a tough outing against Kamloops, in which he didn’t record an out allowing 2 runs on 3 walks. The incoming freshman at UCLA bounced back with his best start of the campaign.

The first 3 innings Grothues only faced 9 batters, allowing 1 to reach on a walk but Jake Borst caught him stealing.

This allowed the Pippins to strike first in the 3^rd, when a 2-out blast from Seth Ryberg sailed over the right field fence to make it 1-0.

Grothues and Nanaimo starter Garrett Goodall would match each other stride-for-stride after that. A scoreless 5^th inning on both sides and a 1-2-3 top of the 6^th set up an action-packed bottom half.

Grothues got into his first trouble all game when a 1-out single became the first hit against the lefty 5.1 innings in.

He struck out the next batter but a wild pitch escaped Jake Borst and allowed him to reach. A 2-out hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and the Night Owls were primed to strike.

He would face cleanup hitter Landon Frei out of the University of Utah with the bases loaded and leading 1-0. After a great at-bat, another nasty curveball from Grothues became his 4^th strikeout of the inning, 8^th of the game, and left the bases juiced.

The lefty was fired up coming off the mound, which prompted Frei to yell from the batters box, and after a few seconds of chirps, Frei was ejected from the game.

Grothues’ day would end with 6 scoreless innings allowing 1-hit and striking out 8. The Pippins would use that momentum of the 6^th to tally 6 runs in the 7^th inning.

With 2-outs Seth Ryberg would strike again with a 2-RBI single, his 3^rd hit of the game. 2 more singles would follow including an RBI from Jackson Reed, setting up Jaxon Sorenson with a runner on.

On the first pitch following a long mound visit, Sorenson hit an absolute bomb 102 mph off the bat and a no-doubter for his 3^rd WCL and his 4^th overall home run of the campaign.

Peysen Sweeney replaced the Pippins starter in the 7^th and finished with 3 scoreless and hitless innings to put game one on ice against the Night Owls.

Another Jackson Reed RBI single in the 9^th made in 8-0 and that would be the last of the scoring as Yakima Valley took the victory, the 8^th of their last 9.

With Portland ending a 10-game win streak, the Pippins move to 2 games back of the South Division second half leaders.

They look to win their 4^th straight series in the second game in Nanaimo Tuesday at 6:35. Audio stream can be found at mixlr.com/pippinsbaseball.

VICTORIA, BC- After a 3 homer night last night, the Pippins saw 2 more homers leave the yard in a 10-4 win over the HarbourCats.

This pushes the Pippins win streak up to 7 games, and moves the second half record to 8-3.

It started with a great start from Michael Splaine. The crafty lefty tossed 5 scoreless innings for the Pippins while picking up 5 K’s and not walking a batter.

Offensively, Yakima Valley jumped on the board early, with 2 walks, an error, and a Connor Coballes single, which extended his hit streak to 14 games.

After one inning, the Pippins led 2-0. With Splaine holding serve, the Pippins would add to their lead in the 4th with the first home run of the year by Jake Borst.

4 more crossed in the 5th when Tyler Griggs tallied his 2nd home run of the season and Jackson Reed roped a 2-RBI double into the gap. The bottom of the 6th would start with a 8-0 Pippins lead.

Victoria got one back in the 6th with an RBI single from the league leader in batting average Roberto Gonzalez and added a few more with an RBI triple and groundout in the 7th.

Henry Gargus and Jackson Reed would answer in the 8th as each had an RBI single. Reed is now 7-9 with 6 RBI’s, 3 runs, and 3 stolen bases in 2 games this series.

Julian Taudin-Chabot tossed a 1-2-3 8th, and Spencer Shipman finished out the 9th sealing a victory in the 10-4 win.

The Pippins have now won 5 of their last 6 series and 7 in a row to sit in 2nd place in the South Division second half standings.

Their chance at a sweep starts with an early 1:05pm start on Sunday in Victoria.

YAKIMA, Wash.- A wild game 2 of the series between Kamloops and the Pippins saw a fiery ejection, 19 stranded North Paws baserunners, and a walkoff win for Yakima Valley.

The North Paws had every opportunity to even up the series in Game 2, but Yakima Valley hung around and pulled it out with a 7-6 victory.

Kamloops left the bases loaded 5 total times and Pippins pitching worked out of countless jams.

It started with Daniel Charron on the mound, making his first appearance with the Pippins in 21 days.

The righty out of Spokane Falls CC got off to a rocky start when a solo home run, a walk, and an error made it 2-0 in the top of the first.

He bounced back in spectacular fashion. When 3 errors by Pippins infielders loaded the bases with no one out in the 2nd, Charron used a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to tightrope out unscathed.

Charron retired the side in order in the 3rd and the Pippins fought back.

4 walks chased the starter and the 7-8-9 in the order would each pick up an RBI, resulting in the Pippins taking a 4-2 lead.

Charron would again get out of a bases loaded jam with a line-out double play in the 4th and the 5th would start with a 4-2 Pippin lead.

A pair of walks opened the next frame and Charron’s day would finish with the North Paws tying it up.

Peysen Sweeney recorded the final 2-outs of the 5th and Yakima Valley retook the lead 5-4 with an RBI single from Spencer Marenco.

That lead would last for 1 batter when Felix Chenier-Rondeau launched his 2nd home run of the game to lead off the 6th. Peysen Sweeney gave up a pair of hits and a walk to follow and it looked like the North Paws were going to blow it open.

Again Kamloops would come up empty when Sweeney used 2 strike outs and a fielder’s choice to keep the game tied.

A quiet 7th would then be followed with a highly controversial 8th. A 2-out RBI single from Ty Sifferman made it 6-5 North Paws, but the Pippins had a runner reach third in the bottom half with 1 out.

An infield popup was out number 2 and it was up to Luke Rohleder to tie the game. A routine ground-ball looked to end the inning, but it was dropped by the first baseman.

After it was initially called an out, the umpires conversed and changed the call which allowed the tying run to score. Kamloops head coach Cole Armstrong was furious and had to be restrained by his coaching staff after his long argument got him ejected.

In the 9th, Michael Rice escaped another bases loaded jam with a big groundout, and the score was tied at 6 heading to the bottom of the ninth.

Yakima native Henry Gargus led off the inning with a 107 mph double into the gap and pinch runner Owen McWilliam became the winning run.

A fly-out moved him to third and Sam Olsson would get the chance to be the hero.

Of the 2 walkoff wins for the Pippins this year, both have been off of the bat of Olsson, and he would capitalize once again.

A scorched single through the left side scored McWilliam, won the series, and extended the win streak to 4.

Yakima Valley moves to 5-3 in the second half and look to sweep the series in the finale on Wednesday. First pitch is at 6:35 on youtube.com/c/pippinsbaseball.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The Pippins picked up their 3rd straight win Monday night in shutout fashion.

Tyler Frieders added his 4th win of the year with 8 scoreless innings against the Kamloops NorthPaws, which extends his scoreless streak to 17 innings.

It’s the second straight time that Frieders has gone 8 scoreless against Kamloops after shutting them down in the 12-4 win a week ago.

The bats got it done as well, tallying 14 total hits and doing just enough to take the first game of the series 3-0.

After Frieders left the bases loaded in the 2nd, Shayne Simpson broke the scoreless tie in the 3rd on an RBI single into left.

The 10th RBI of the year for Simpson was followed by another opportunity in the 5th, where he would drive in the game’s second run on an RBI double play.

The offense had a number of scoring chances throughout the game but failed to capitalize several times. Yakima Valley finished with 2 hits in 13 at-bats with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.

Frieders backed up the bats however, retiring the side in order 4 times throughout the game.

Spencer Shipman added to the Pippins lead in the 7th with an RBI triple which picked up his team-leading 19th RBI and 10th extra-base hit.

It looked as-if the scoreless streak would end for Frieders in the 8th with runners on first and second, only 1 out, and the heart of the order due up.

A lineout to right helped Frieders dodge the first bullet, but it brought up the league leader in home runs Zack Beatty.

On the first pitch of the at-bat to the DH, he blasted one to left which Owen McWilliam ran down just shy of the wall to end the top of the 8th.

Michael Rice came out for the 9th and earned his 1st save of the year with a 1-2-3 inning to win it.

“I think I’ve started to get more comfortable getting a few more innings under my belt,” said Frieders. “We’re just playing as hard as we can right now and trying to get the second half out to as good a start as we can.”

The Pippins are now 4-3 in the second half, and have a chance to win their 4th series in their last 5 in Tuesday’s 6:35 matchup with the NorthPaws.

The stream is available on youtube.com/c/pippinsbaseball and will start at 6:20.

YAKIMA, Wash.- In the first leg of a 6-game homestand the Pippins walked 10 batters, hit 4 batters, committed 6 errors, and saw 2 players get ejected after a benches-clearing brawl.

Kyle Krustangel talked to his team for a half hour after the game concluded, emphasizing the need to clean up the mistakes and play as a team.

That speech certainly changed the mentality for Yakima Valley in game 2 as the Pippins were firing on all cylinders in a 7-1 win over Ridgefield.

It started as a pitchers duel, and UCSB freshman Michael Splaine twirled another gem.

He didn’t allow a run throughout the first 5 innings but Raptors starter Sawyer Parkin matched him stride for stride and the 6th inning started the same as the first, 0-0.

Ridgefield struck first tallying 4 hits off of Splaine in the 6th, but a stellar back-pick from Jake Borst limited the damage to just 1 run.

Yakima started from behind for the second straight, but instantly answered with a crooked number in the bottom half.

A pair of hits chased the first reliever for the Raptors and the next arm into the game walked 3 Pippins in a row.

He would be replaced with Jacob Kokeny with the bases loaded and nobody out and Jake Borst would score 2 with a double off of the wall in right.

A perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Seth Ryberg and an RBI fielder’s choice from Luke Rohleder would wrap up the 6th inning with a 6-1 Pippins lead.

Rowan Trosky came into the game and pitched 2.1 scoreless innings including a lineout which was inches away from a 4-6-3 triple play.

The Pippins added one more in the 7th on another RBI knock from Borst and Isaac Yeager retired the side in order in the 9th to secure the win.

“This was a big win for our team,” said starter Michael Splaine. “We let outside distractions get the best of us yesterday, so today we were trying to focus pitch-by-pitch and be together as a team.”

The Pippins will attempt to take their first series of the second half tomorrow in the rubber match against the Ridgefield Raptors. First pitch is at 6:05 on youtube.com/c/pippinsbaseball.

KAMLOOPS, BC- After a full nights rest and a mental reset, the Pippins controlled game 2 of the series against the NorthPaws from start to finish and secured the win 12-4

Tyler Frieders was the star of the game as the big righty from Montana finished 8 innings of work without allowing a run, and over the last 15 innings Frieders has only allowed 1.

The bats were just as good tallying 14 hits and 12 runs. That is now 2 of the last 3 games for the Pippins with 12 runs and 14 or more hits at the dish.

It was a quick start for the Pipps, as Spencer Shipman scored the first run on his 2-out double in the first.

Frieders retired the first 7 batters and didn’t allow a hit through the first 15 setting up the offense to make a big run.

Seth Ryberg picked up his 2nd extra base hit of the year on his 2-out triple to score another run, and the Pippins exploded for 5 more in the 4th.

The mid-game outburst was highlighted by a bases clearing double from Jake Borst that was a scorching 105 mph off the bat.

By the time the 4th had concluded it was 7-0, and Hank Dunn made it 8 with his second RBI single of the game in the 5th.

Another 1-2-3 inning from Frieders set up a 4-run 7th inning which featured 2 more RBI’s for Spencer Shipman.

Frieders worked around 2 singles in the 8th, leaving them both stranded, and exited the frame having thrown 105 pitches and allowing 4 total baserunners.

Owen McWilliam came on to pitch in the 9th and a few defensive mistakes resulted in the first few Kamloops runs, but the deficit was far too great and the final out was recorded in the 12-4 win.

It was the first win of the second half for the Pippins and 10th win of the season. Yakima Valley has the chance to win their third straight series in the rubber match against the NorthPaws at 6:35 on Wednesday.

KAMLOOPS, BC- The Pippins were riding a high of back-to-back series wins and a 15 hit performance last time out, but a big 3rd inning was the difference for Kamloops in the 6-2 win.

After around 10-hours on the bus to get up north, the Pippins got out to a fairly strong start. An inning ending double play by Henry Gargus sent it to the 2nd in a scoreless tie.

The bottom of the order found a string of success, loading the bases with 1 out for Owen McWilliam. The British Columbia wind was blowing from left to right field and certainly hurt the chances for the right-handed left fielder.

McWilliam launched one 99 mph (or 159.33 kph) off of the bat that looked like a grand slam, until it was caught against the wall and the Pippins would have to settle with only 1 run on the sac fly.

The 1-0 lead was held until the 3rd where the Pippins lost control. A pair of hit-by-pitches started the inning and was followed by a hot shot off of third baseman Jaxon Sorenson’s glove to score a run.

The NorthPaws poured it on with an RBI double after that, and then a dropped fly ball in left field extended the inning.

When the 3rd inning was all said and done it was a 5-1 lead for Kamloops. Both offenses would have chances after this but go scoreless for a good chunk of the game.

The Pippins followed a stretch of 7 straight batters retired at the plate by leaving 2 stranded in the 6th with 3 straight strikeouts and a back pick by catcher Trey Newman to pick off a runner and end the 7th.

Meanwhile, Julian Taudin-Chabot did a fantastic job of working out of trouble in relief.

The righty from Everett CC had a pair of 1-2-3 innings in the 6th and 8th and left 5 combined on-base in the 5th and 7th while only allowing 1 run.

Yakima Valley had their chance in the 8th by loading the bases with no one out. A 6-4-3 double play brought home the 2nd Pippins run but killed the momentum, and Kamloops would close it out by retiring the side in order in the 9th.

The Pippins dip to 9-19 while the NorthPaws advance to 14-10 and 2nd in the North Division. The rematch is Tuesday at 6:35 and can be listened to on mixlr.com/pippinsbaseball.

YAKIMA, Wash.- 4 runs in the 8th and 2 more in the 9th brought the tying run to the plate, but a lineout ended the Pippins hopes in the 10-8 loss.

Yakima Valley got a solid start from Michael Splaine and took the lead in the 2nd on a pair of RBI hits from Spencer Shipman and Spencer Marenco.

They would take a 2-0 lead into the third but defensive miscues allowed the Drifters to jump back in front.

A leadoff walk and hit-by pitch had runners on the corners and 1 out. Splaine got a groundball up the middle hoping to turn two but an error by the shortstop meant everyone was safe.

Splaine would get the second out only having allowed the 1 run, but a passed ball by the catcher on a second strikeout kept the inning alive and 2 more would score.

The Pippins had a chance in the bottom of the 3rd to tie things up, but a double play left the bases loaded with the tying run on for the second straight game.

Yakima Valley finished with 11 runners left on-base total.

Springfield exploded in the 5th when Michael Splaine was pulled, and the Drifters tallied a 5-spot to make it a 8-2 lead.

They tacked on 2 more in the 6th on a 2-RBI double from Dane Fraser and it was a 10-2 advantage.

The Pippins caught their break in the 8th when a 2-out pop up dropped in front of the centerfielder and Connor Coballes scored 2.

Spencer Marenco added to his fine afternoon with an RBI double and the final frame would start 10-6.

Gaven Mattson tossed 3 scoreless innings including a 1-2-3 9th and the Pippins came to the plate for their last chance.

Sam Olsson’s single got it started and Owen McWilliam followed it up with an RBI double. Marenco scored another run with his RBI single and with 2-outs the tying run came to the plate.

Hank Dunn smoked the first pitch up the middle but a diving catch by Trevor Antonson sealed the ballgame and the Drifters evened the series.

Marenco finished 4-5 with 3 RBI’s and a run, but the Pippins mistakes in the 3rd turned out to be the difference.

The tiebreaking series finale is Sunday night at 6:05 at the Orchard. Tickets still available at pippinsbaseball.com/tickets.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The Pippins have now won 3 of their last 4 games after a 14 hit performance was matched with great pitching in an 11-7 win over the Springfield Drifters.

Blake Leaverton made his 8th appearance and 3rd start of the year for the Pippins and put out his best effort so far.

The freshman at Seattle University finished 7-innings of work which ties the longest a Pippins starter has gone into a game this year. He did not allow a walk and only allowed 1 run while striking out 3.

The first inning started rocky for the Yakima native, when the Drifters picked up 3 hits including an RBI double to take the lead.

A good relay from Owen McWilliam and Connor Coballes gunned down a runner at the plate but the top of the first would end with the Drifters in front 1-0.

After that Leaverton hit his stride, retiring 9 straight batters into the 4th inning and leaving Springfield with their 1 run.

The Pippins answered back in the bottom of the 4th on a 2-out 2-RBI single from Aiden Van Rensum. His 2nd and 3rd RBI’s of the year gave the Pippins a 2-1 advantage.

Another scoreless 5th from Leaverton set up a monster inning at the plate for Yakima Valley. 4 hits, 3 errors, and a hit-by-pitch pushed across 6 runs.

This stretch was highlighted by a 2-RBI single from Shayne Simpson and the Pippins exited the 5th inning in front 8-1.

A Tyler Griggs sacrifice fly and an intentional rundown scored 2 more in the 6th to put the Pippins in double digits.

Leaverton exited in the 7th and Reilly McAdams came in and retired the side in order.

Jake Borst added an RBI single in the 8th and the final frame would start with an 11-1 Yakima Valley lead.

The Pippins struggled to find the zone in the 9th and 4 walks, 2 hit-by-pitches, and a pair of hits allowed 6 runs to cross for the Drifters, but Isaac Yeager came on to secure the final out and the Pippins took the opening game of the series.

“Run support is so big as a pitcher, it keeps your momentum going,” says Blake Leaverton. “It was just great to see.”

The Pippins look to win their second straight series with a 7:05 matchup on Saturday, with the broadcast starting at 6:45 on Pippins Baseball Youtube.

WALLA WALLA, Wash.- The Pippins took their 2nd series victory of the year against the Sweets last nights with their 9-3 win.

Tyler Frieders had his best start of the year throwing 7 innings while allowing only 1 run on 4 hits.

After both sides were scoreless and hitless through the first 3 innings, the Pippins took the first lead in the 4th on a bases loaded fielder’s choice RBI from Owen McWilliam and an intentional rundown to make it 2-0.

Connor Coballes would add on 2 more runs in the 5th on his bases loaded single, and Jackson Reed and Shayne Simpson tallied RBI’s on productive outs to make it 6-0.

Frieders took a no-hitter into the 5th, but allowed the first Sweets single with 2-outs. The starter left that runner stranded and sent it to the 6th where the Pippins scored 3 more.

The Pippins tallied 6 stolen bases in the 6th and 10 in the ballgame and Hank Dunn would steal his way around the bases after his RBI single and Yakima Valley led 9-0.

Frieders allowed the only run that crossed against him in the bottom of the 6th, but the Pippins 8-run lead seemed to be enough.

The Sweets had a chance in the 8th with the bases loaded and no-one out, but a drawn up pickoff to first flipped the momentum and Walla Walla could only plate 2.

In the 9th, Gaven Mattson got a 4-6-3 double play to close out the game, the third double play turned by the middle infield, and the Pippins won 9-3.

This clinched the series, moved the Pippins to 7-16, and gives them the opportunity for their first sweep of the year when they take on Walla Walla Thursday at 6:35.

WALLA WALLA, Wash.- After a tough series loss against Portland and the first off day in 2 weeks, the Pippins went into Walla Walla desperate for a win and they found one.

A game that saw good defense, good pitching, and timely offense ended in a 4-3 Pippins victory.

It started with a bang as the Pippins came out of the gate with a 1st inning 2-out rally. A wild pitch on a strikeout kept things alive and 2 more would reach loading the bases.

Jackson Reed would then open the scoring with his 2-RBI knock and the Pippins jumped to an early 2-0 lead.

Caden Duke did a solid job in his first start with the Pippins this summer. After a 1-2-3 first, he ran into his only trouble in the 2nd when a 2-out bad hop over the first baseman’s head scored 2 and a wild pitch scored another.

Through 2 innings it would be a 3-2 Walla Walla lead.

The scoreboard wouldn’t change much after that. Chris Grothues came on in the 4th and tossed 4 scoreless innings striking out 5 Sweets batters and keeping it a one run game.

In the meantime, the Pippins offense had several chances to tie things up.

Reed continued his solid performance with a leadoff triple in the 4th but would be thrown out at the plate on a wild pitch.

Another would-be tying run was thrown out on a baserunning mistake in the 6th and the 8th would start with Walla Walla still in front.

Connor Coballes opened up the 8th with a single after a diving snag from Leo Rivera saw the throw just off-line and Jaxon Sorenson followed it up with his 6th double of the year yanked down the line in right.

With the tying and go-ahead runners on base, Sam Olsson had a bloop RBI single into center and a wild pitch put the Pippins in front 4-3.

6-outs from victory after taking the lead, the Pippins turned to Rowan Trosky in his first appearance with the Pippins. A pair of groundouts and a flyout ended the 8th and Trosky would retire the side in order again in the 9th to earn the save and the Pippins win.

Yakima Valley advances to 6-16 on the year while Walla Walla falls to 9-10. The rematch is tomorrow at 6:35 on mixlr.com/pippinsbaseball.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The series tie-breaking 3rd game of the series saw the Pickles bats outmatch the Pippins in an 11-8 win.

15 total hits for Portland paced the way, as the Pickles would hold their early lead from wire to wire.

5 hits would get things started in the top of the first, highlighted by a 3-run home run by Dalton Mashore. The Pickles would send 8 batters to the plate and led 4-0 by the time it was done.

Yakima Valley answered quickly in the bottom half when Liam McCallum continued his fantastic start to the season with a 2-RBI single to cut the lead in half.

Portland added another in the second on another RBI hit from Mashore and would explode for 4 more in the 4th to take a 9-2 lead.

Once again the Pippins battled from behind, answering with 4 in the bottom half on 2-RBI singles from Jackson Reed and Connor Coballes.

The 3-run deficit would be expanded 2 innings later when a 2-out, 2-RBI single from Keith Jones made it 11-6. 2-out success was a huge part of the win for Portland, who had 14 runners reach with 2-outs through the first 5 innings.

The Pippins left 4 stranded runners from the 5th to the 8th and their last chance came in the 9th. A double and a pair of walks had the bases loaded with nobody out.

David Morgan would kill the Pippins momentum with a huge 6-4-3 double play and only a pair of runs would cross in the 9th to cement an 11-8 Pippins loss.

After 14 games in 13 days, the Pippins enjoy an off day on Monday before hitting the road to take on Walla Walla this week.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The Pippins were on a frustrating 3 game losing streak and needed a good break and a win. They got both in a wild 8-7 walkoff victory on Saturday night.

The bats got off to a hot start, taking the first lead of the series for the Pippins on a pair of extra-base hits and a pair of errors.

Jackson Reed got things going with a leadoff triple and in his first at-bat of the season Henry Gargus scored a run on an RBI triple.

By the time the 1st inning was complete, the Pippins had a 3-0 lead. Tyler Griggs would score another in the 3rd on his 5th hit of the year and the lead jumped to 4-0.

The 4 runs were backed up by a stellar start from Michael Splaine. The UCSB Gaucho went 5 innings allowing only one run on a fluke ground-ball that skipped off of the first base bag. He finished with 3 strikeouts while allowing just 2 hits.

After he exited, the Pickles rallied immediately off of the new reliever.  3 walks and a pair of hits plated 3 runs and tied up the game at 4. Julian Taudin-Chabot worked out of further damage by striking out back-to-back batters to end the inning.

The Pippins offense stayed stagnant for a while and the Pickles would make them pay. In the 8th inning Portland would break the 4-4 tie with 4 hits to total 3 more runs and take a 7-4 lead.

Frustrated after allowing 7 unearned runs, the Pippins had their back to the wall entering the final frame.

Michael Rice and Gaven Mattson combined to toss a scoreless top of the 9th and the Pippins came to the plate trailing by 3.

Owen McWilliam and Luke Rohleder would each string together opposite field hits and put 2 in scoring position with no one out.

Jackson Reed who already had 3 hits on the night, smoked a single to the outfield to score both runners and advance to second as the tying run.

A bunt would move him to third and the Pippins would have 2 chances to score the tying run.

The first would be shut down by a strikeout and down to the final out, the Pickles walked Jaxon Sorenson to work around the DH and bring up Sam Olsson.

Hank Dunn would pinch run at first as a would-be winning run and with Reed on 3rd, Olsson had his chance. Swinging at the first pitch he popped a routine fly ball to left field which looked like it would end the game.

The Pickles left fielder dropped back, worked underneath it, and watched it tip off of his glove and drop to the grass.

Dunn was moving full speed on contact and rounded third to score. Within a matter of seconds, the Pickles went from a sure win to a heartbreaking loss.

The Pippins dugout erupted with celebration as the drop ended their losing streak and evened up the series.

“It’s just a huge relief,” said Cascade Natural Gas High Efficiency Player of the Game Jackson Reed. “I think this is exactly what the team needed, just something to go our way.”

The Pippins look to win the series in the finale Sunday at 6:05.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The first matchup between the Pippins and the Pickles ever played at the Orchard went Portland’s way in a 9-7 final.

The difference between the two sides was the ability to hit with runners in scoring position. The Pickles used 3 sacrifice bunts and 4 sacrifice flies en route to the victory.

It started with some tough defense out of the gate for Yakima Valley. The first two batters of the game reached via error, and an RBI single would score the first run.

Blake Leaverton worked out of the bases loaded jam with a 1-2-3 double play to limit the damage.

Another RBI single made it 2-0 out of the start but the Pippins answered in the 2nd. 2 singles allowed Jake Borst to hit and he scorched a 2-RBI double into the right-center gap to tie things up.

It wouldn’t stay that way for long and Portland saw a big burst in the 4th. The first 5 batters of the inning reached on 3 singles and 2 walks and a 2-RBI single and a pair of sacrifice flies made it 6-2.

The Pippins wouldn’t strike again until the 6th when back-to-back bases loaded walks made it 6-4. Portland responded with 2 in the 7th on another bunt, sac fly, and RBI single.

The turning point in the game came in the bottom of the 7th. 3 straight singles and a hit-by-pitch added a run for the Pippins, leaving the bases loaded with nobody out and the tying run on first.

Portland went to the bullpen with Evan Tomlinson and he delivered in a big way. He struck out the next 3 batters without allowing contact and left the bases loaded while stealing the Pippins momentum.

The Pickles made it 9-5 with a sac fly in the 8th. Shayne Simpson would plate 2 for the Pippins in the bottom half when a line drive to right was dropped, but Yakima Valley couldn’t add anything more and Evan Tomlinson retired the side in order in the 9th.

The Pippins drop to 4-15 and will try to even the series against the Pickles tomorrow at 7:05.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The Pippins fell just short in the first leg of the 2 games played this afternoon, and a stellar pitching effort left them shutout in the second.

Game 1 saw the Pippins jump in front 2-0 after Spencer Shipman hit a missile down the first base line in an 0-2 count to drive in a pair.

The Elks would play well from behind again with a solo home run in the 4th and an RBI Double in the 5th to make it 3-2.

Yakima Valley would load the bases with 1-out and had the chance to regain the lead, but a fielder’s choice threw out the tying run at the plate, and the Pippins could only muster a 2-out walk to tie things up.

In the 6th, a pair of pinch hitters would reach and an RBI single from Elijah Jackson combined with a wild pitch would give the Elks a 5-3 lead.

A Jaxon Sorenson single would be left stranded in the 7th and the Pippins would drop game 1.

The follow-up effort saw a completely new lineup for the Pippins which struggled at the plate.

Connor Schlect would throw the first 5.2 innings without allowing a hit and would finish with 6.1 innings of work allowing 1 hit, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the Bend bats used timely hitting to take the lead. RBI singles in the 1st, 3rd, and 4th innings put the Elks in front 3-0, and a poorly executed rundown and a non-interference call resulted in a Kyle Krustangel ejection.

Things wouldn’t get better for the Pippins as Gaven Mattson saw 4 runs scored off of him in the 6th and 7th and Bend would go on to win it 7-0.

This was the third time that the Pippins have been shut out this year.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with baseball,” said middle infielder Spencer Shipman. “It’s mentally, it’s in the dugout, it’s just us as a team. I think that is gonna be the big decider of what we are, not just next series but this year.”

The Pippins will look to bounce back against the Portland Pickles at home tomorrow night, as this series wraps up a span of 14 games in 13 days.

YAKIMA, Wash.- A defensive collapse from the Bend Elks combined with late timely hitting from the Pippins secured a 10-6 win and evened the series at home.

It was the opposite to start the game, as two errors from the Pippins set up the Elks. Wilson Webber picked up his 4th hit of the year to drive home two and Riley Kasper’s RBI single made it 3-0 through 1.

The Elks would steadily add more, with Beau Sylvester’s 17th RBI of the year in the 2nd, a bases loaded walk in the 4th, and an Elijah Jackson RBI Double in the 5th.

Meanwhile, Bend starter Kaden Miller was dealing. He ended his night with 6 innings allowing 1 run on a Liam McCallum sacrifice fly in the 6th and only 4 hits.

When Miller would exit, the Pippins would finally find their stride. A hit-by-pitch, a single, and an error would set up a Connor Coballes RBI single. A strikeout was followed by a walk and a single and then the Bend defense would fall apart.

A routine ground ball would eat up the Elks shortstop, and instead of getting out of the jam with the lead, everyone was safe with still only 1 out. Wally Averett would enter and get a big strikeout, but once again his defense would fail him as another grounder wasn’t fielded cleanly.

This would give a chance to Spencer Marenco, and he would capitalize. Marenco launched a ball deep into the alley and cleared the bases with a 3-RBI triple.

By the time that the 7th inning carnage was done, the Pippins had scored 7 and led 8-6.

Julian Taudin-Chabot shut down Bend in the 8th with 2 K’s and Yakima Valley would add insurance in the bottom half.

After a leadoff walk and 2 straight outs, a wild sequence produced the 5th and 6th Bend errors.

Liam McCallum lined a single into left and the throw to the plate was off-line, allowing McCallum to scoot up to 3rd. Pitcher Wally Averett attempted to gun him down but the throw to 3rd ended up in left setting up a little league home run.

The 2 runs made it 10-6, and Taudin-Chabot came out to close things out. He would strike out 2 more and the dugout would erupt as the Pippins came away with the 4 run win.

A double header tomorrow will determine the fate of the series, with the first pitch of game 1 at 5:05pm.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The Pippins were in desperate need of a win in their first game back home, and a walk-off double did the job.

Game 1 of the 8-game home stand saw the Pippins take on the Cascade League Showcase team in a non-league matchup, and the league’s best started out strong.

An RBI triple from Jackson Lind would open up the scoring in the first and an error would set up 2 more to score in the 2nd.

Once again, the Pippins would have to play from behind and would rely on sloppy play to slowly chip away. Gaven Mattson scored on an error in the 3rd and another error saw Liam McCallum cross the plate.

The 3-2 score wouldn’t last long, as the Cascade League players would extend their lead in the 5th. After 2 quick outs from starter Quinten O’Connor, Jackson Lind’s solo blast would set off a spree of 6 straight batters to reach, and 3 would cross the plate.

They would push it to a 7-2 lead when a sacrifice fly brought home a run in the 6th.

Down by 5 entering the bottom of the 7th, the Pippins needed a spark. With 2 outs it would come in the form of an error. The throw to first on a routine ground ball would get away, allowing a run to score, and an RBI single and RBI double would follow to trim the lead.

The Showcase team would get one back in the 8th but the Pippins would answer immediately with some small ball. A bunt allowed a run to score on a wild pitch and then an RBI hit-by-pitch would add another.

With the bases loaded and one out, a strikeout and caught stealing at the plate would end the 8th with the Pippins trailing 8-7.

Jack O’Connor, a new addition to the Pippins roster, left the Showcase scoreless in the 9th, sending it to the bottom half.

Jaxon Sorenson would start it off with a bang, when he blasted the first home run at the Orchard this season over the right field fence to tie up the game.

All the momentum swung back to the Pippins, but they couldn’t capitalize as another strikeout and caught stealing at the plate would send us to extras.

O’Connor struck out the side in order in the 10th but again the bats couldn’t score in the bottom half and we would go to the 11th.

Again, O’Connor would retire the side in order. He finished his first Pippins appearance with 4 innings out of relief, allowing 1 run on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts.

Hank Dunn pinch hit to start things off as he shot a leadoff base hit through the right side. A failed bunt put Tyler Griggs on first with one away and up came Sam Olsson.

Olsson’s last outing was game 2 against Corvallis, and he was robbed of 2 hits at the plate. He came off of the bench seeing the ball well and would face YVC’s Tyler Drisch.

After the count was worked full, a payoff was sent over the head of the right fielder and off of the wall, scoring Griggs from first and winning the game.

It was the first Pippins walkoff of the season and ended a 4 game losing streak.

Yakima Valley looks to carry the momentum back into league play, when they take on the Bend Elks with 4 games in 3 days.

Tickets are still available at pippinsbaseball.com/tickets.

CORVALLIS, Or.- There were 4 or 5 distinct plays that could have drastically impacted the outcome of the 3-1 Pippins loss that went the Knights way in game 3 of the series.

After finding minimal success at the plate in the first two games at Goss Stadium, the Pippins starting barreling pitches and saw a superb first start from Michael Splaine.

Splaine had one relief appearance against Springfield before this game, but his 3/4 arm slot and nasty movement from the left side tormented the 5-time defending WCL champs.

Splaine didn’t allow his first hit until 2 outs in the 4th, and finished the first 5 innings without allowing a run.

This gave ample time for the Pippins offense to try and find their first lead of the series against the Knights. It looked like they would in the 3rd inning, when 2 singles had runners at first and second, one out, and the top of the order at the plate.

Hank Dunn hit what was likely his hardest hit ball of the season off the bat, but a full extension dive from shortstop Spencer Scott robbed a hit and a run as he doubled off the baserunner.

This would foreshadow the remainder of the Pippins’ chances in the game. The offense would slow down and eventually the Knights would break the scoreless tie in the 6th.

Splaine returned to the mound in the 6th inning and allowed a leadoff single. The next batter was the dangerous Kiko Romero, who popped a routine fly ball to left on a hit-and-run. The Pippins outfield dropped the fly ball resulting in a two-base error and a potential 2-out swing.

This left 2 in scoring position with no one out, and a 2 RBI single followed by an RBI double would give the Knights a 3-0 lead.

Splaine would finish with 6 innings of work allowing only 2 earned runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts.

Yakima Valley wouldn’t go away however, and in the 7th a leadoff double and a walk created a promising opportunity with runners on the corners and one away.

New outfielder Seth Ryberg out of Point Loma looked to drop in a single in left, but a diving catch from Titus Dumitru stole another hit. This took away tons of  momentum even though the sacrifice fly plated the first Pippins run.

There were even more chances in the 8th when the Pippins loaded the bases with 1 out. A groundball with the infield in saw a close play at the plate just nab the runner and prevent the run from scoring.

Tyler Griggs would hit with 2 away and the bases still loaded after having a hit stolen in the 1st and two missile line drive outs on the day.

He would barrel another one that sent Dumitru back to the track, but a leaping catch against the wall stole extra bases and what would’ve been at least 2 game-tying runs.

Ethan Ross would strike out the side for the Knights in the 9th and secure the 3-game sweep over the Pippins.

It was a tough pill to swallow for Yakima Valley who fought until the end, but the stellar, all-around defensive play from Corvallis earned them the win.

The Pippins are back home for a long home stand, with a non-league game on Monday against the Cascade League Showcase team, followed by back-to-back home series against Bend and Portland.

First pitch for Monday’s contest is 7:05, it’s a fireworks night, and tickets are available on pippins.com/tickets.

CORVALLIS, Or.- Entering the 5th game between the Knights and Yakima Valley this year, Corvallis was 4-0 while outscoring the Pippins 28-4 in that span.

This game followed the same mold as once again Knights starting pitching led the way for a victory.

Tonight it was Kaden Segel who went 5 scoreless innings, and while yesterday’s starter saw 1 baserunner against, Segel allowed 2 baserunners in his 5 frames.

With the Pippins bats stifled, Corvallis would take an early lead. 3 walks in the first resulted in 2 runs for the Knights, and they would add 2 more on a solo home run and an RBI double in the 3rd.

The 4-0 lead would stick, and the Pippins would go a stretch of 12 straight batters retired from the 4th to the 8th.

Gaven Mattson replaced Blake Leaverton in the 6th and allowed a run for Corvallis to expand the lead to 5. Daniel Charron came in after that and had 2 solid innings striking out 3.

After tallying 1 hit through the first 7 innings, the Pippins had 2 hits in the 8th but a nice backpick from catcher Tyler Quinn stole an out, and a hit and a Sam Olsson RBI in the 9th was enough to score the first Yakima Valley run.

A positive for the Pippins was Oregon’s Aiden Van Rensum, who had his breakout game finishing 2-3 with a double and an outfield assist.

The loss makes it 3 in a row for the Pippins, who end the road trip with the series finale against Corvallis tomorrow at 5:05. They’ll have the opportunity to steal a game from the Knights and carry some momentum back home.

CORVALLIS, 0r.- A near perfect start for right-hander Jesse Barron led the way en route to 6-3 Knights win.

Barron went 5 innings in the season opener in Yakima and shut down the Pippins, and he did it again in his effort today.

After Hank Dunn lined a leadoff double on the first pitch of the game, Barron would retire 15 straight batters until he was replaced in the 6th. He finished allowing that one baserunner and racking up 6 K’s.

On the Pippins side, incoming freshman at UCLA Chris Grothues found a nice groove. He struck out 3 in the first and retired the side in order in the second before running into trouble.

In the 3rd, an RBI single from Spencer Scott and an RBI from Kiko Romero put Corvallis in front.

The next inning, a close play at second would extend the 4th, and 3 runs would cross. By the end of the 6th it was a 5-0 Knights lead.

Great relief pitching provided opportunities for the Pippins as incoming freshman at Washington Isaac Yeager was superb. He pitched 4 innings of relief allowing only 1 run and helped keep it close.

The Pippins would fight and chip away. Connor Coballes had an RBI single in the 6th, Spencer Shipman had an RBI groundout in the 7th, and Coballes had another RBI sac-fly in the 8th.

The deficit was cut to 2, but an insurance run in the 8th pushed it to a 6-3 lead, and the Pippins couldn’t find success in the 9th inning in the loss.

The late push was promising to see from the squad early in the season, but the team couldn’t get over the hump in the first game in Corvallis.

The Pippins will look to even the series in tomorrow’s effort, with first pitch at 6:35.

SPRINGFIELD, Or.- A pitching duel between both sides was broken in the 7th by the Drifters in a 5-2 Pippins loss in the finale.

Liam McCallum and KJ Ruffo put on a show out of the gate, as each starter tossed 6 innings allowing only 2 runs.

The Drifters would strike first with 2 in the first on an RBI single and double and hold on to that lead until the 3rd, when the Pippins would answer back.

Caden Duke had the first success against Ruffo with a leadoff double, and an RBI fielder’s choice and a Jackson Reed RBI double would tie things up 2-2.

The score would stay the same through the 6th, and McCallum got out of several tough jams and Ruffo found a groove.

After reliever Julian Hernandez held the Pippins scoreless in the 7th, McCallum trotted back out to the mound and instantly found trouble. 3 singles opened up the frame and Springfield would take their second lead.

Julian Taudin-Chabot would leave the bases loaded but another would cross to make it 4-2.

Hernandez shut it down again in the 8th and the Drifters would add an insurance run, and the Pippins couldn’t do anything with a leadoff single in the 9th to drop game 3.

Yakima Valley takes a series win in to Corvallis tomorrow, as they take on the Knights in their home opener. First pitch is at 6:35 on mixlr.com/pippinsbaseball.

SPRINGFIELD, Or.- While the pitching got it done in game one of the series against the Springfield Drifters, the bats performed in game 2 en route to an 8-2 Pippins victory.

Tyler Frieders earned his first win of the season as 8 of 9 Pippins players reached base at least once.

It was a methodical start to the game as the first 3 batters all reached after each worked the count full. By the time the first out was recorded, Drifters starter Isaac Evaniew had thrown well over 20 pitches and 2 runs had scored.

A pair of walks, an error, a wild pitch, and a few stolen bags put Yakima Valley up 2-0 out of the gate.

Frieders would take the lead and run with it, as he went 5 scoreless innings allowing only 4 hits and leaving 7 Drifters on-base.

The Pippins would break it open in the 4th. They chased the starter after the first 3 batters of the inning would reach, and in the first at-bat against the reliever DH Spencer Marenco blasted one off of the wall in left for a 2-run double.

Jaxon Sorenson would add to the lead with his 2-RBI single later in the inning, and by the time the 4th had concluded it was 7-0 Pippins.

Following that outburst, the Pippins would add another in the 6th and the relievers would do the rest. Gaven Mattson threw a scoreless 6th, Caden Duke tossed the 7th and Spencer Shipman pitched the final 2 innings to lock up the victory.

This win puts the Pippins at 3-7 and out of the cellar in the South Division, as the Drifters drop to that role at 4-10. Yakima Valley has clinched their first series win of the season and will go for the sweep at 6:35 tomorrow before heading to Corvallis.

BEND, Or.- The Bend Elks defended their home field and moved to 4-0 at home this year after a 15-5 game one win over the Pippins.

For the 4th straight game the Pippins allowed first inning runs. A total of 7 batters came to the plate before the first out was recorded, and Bend exited with a 4-0 lead thanks to a 2-run bomb.

The Elks didn’t take their foot off of the gas either. 3 more crossed in the bottom of the 2nd and another in the 3rd, and before Yakima Valley could know it, it was 8-0.

The first two runs for the Pippins would cross in the 4th, after 3 straight singles opened up the frame. Back-to-back solid catches in the outfield would turn in to sacrifice fly’s, but steal potential extra base hits away from Shayne Simpson and Jaxon Sorenson.

That momentum came as quickly as it went, as the bottom of the 4th was a disaster for the Pippins. Bend would bat around and tally 4 hits, 3 free passes, and an error on a would-be double play to plate 6 more runs.

Beck Maguire would come off of the bench to hit the first Pippins home run of the season and Owen McWilliam and Tyler Griggs would drive in a run in the 7th, but that was all the Pippins offense could muster.

When it was all said and done, the damage came out to 17 Bend hits and a 15-5 loss.

Offensively, Owen McWilliam had a 3-hit performance and Tyler Griggs had a pair in his season debut. Spencer Shipman would pitch a scoreless 8th and 9th to add some optimism going into game 2 tomorrow.

First pitch is at 6:35 at Genna Stadium in Bend, with the Elks video stream on Facebook Live and the Pippins audio stream on Mixlr.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The tie-breaking finale between the Pippins and the Sweets went to Walla Walla in a back in forth 7-6 game.

For the 3rd consecutive game, Walla Walla would lead after the top of the 1st, as this time the Sweets bats produced 2 runs off of starter Liam McCallum.

The Pippins would battle from behind, plating 4 in the 2nd with 2-outs on a clutch single from Hank Dunn and double from Spencer Shipman. This gave Yakima Valley their first lead which they would hold onto for a while.

After that, the Pippins were left frustrated at the plate for a good chunk of the game. There were several promising run-scoring opportunities that couldn’t be capitalized on, including one in the 3rd where catcher Josh Davis was hit by the pitch and would exit the game, but the home plate umpire said the bat went around and it was ruled a strike.

This led to the first ejection of the year for head coach Kyle Krustangel, who voiced his displeasure, as the pinch hitter would ground out on the first pitch he saw and end the inning.

The Sweets would muster another run across in the 3rd to cut it to 1, but after that it became a pitchers duel. Both teams would be held scoreless through the next 3 innings thanks to efforts from Pippins Liam McCallum and Gaven Mattson, and Sweets Quinten O’Connor. 

The Sweets would break that streak in the 7th as 3 straight batters reached with 2-outs, the last of which was a 2-RBI single by Cooper Cross to make it 5-4 Walla Walla.

Another big opportunity arose in the 8th for the Pippins, when an error, a single, and a wild pitch put the tying and go-ahead run in scoring position with only 1 out. Reliever Albert Roblez would strike out the next 2 batters but a wild-pitch evened the score at 5.

The final frame was a disaster for the Pippins, as it started with a first pitch double that was a few feet away from leaving the yard. That run was bunted up and driven home on a sac-fly. Another would reach on a hit-by-pitch and a bloop single to left produced one of the worst errors of the season.

No one covered the 3rd base bag allowing Will Fuenning to take an extra base, and a panic throw into the infield couldn’t find anyone in a green jersey and Fuenning would score.

The Pippins were left with a fighter’s chance down by 2 in the bottom of the ninth. With runners on the corners, an attempted double play ball looked like it carried the second baseman off of the bag but the runner was called an out.

Yakima Valley could only score the one run and left the tying run stranded at 2nd. The Pippins move forward to the first road trip of the season as they travel to take on the Bend Elks tomorrow at 6:35.

YAKIMA, Wash.- The first win of the season came in explosive fashion as the Pippins tallied 16 runs and 13 hits in the 2nd game of the series against Walla Walla.

It all started with a 5-run bottom of the first highlighted by a Shayne Simpson RBI Single. A few productive outs added the rest of the runs and gave the Pippins their first lead of 2022.

The Sweets wouldn’t go down easily, and the bats came alive in the 3rd, erupting for 7 runs on 7 hits. Walla Walla would retake the lead by a score of 8-5.

Once again the Pippins saw themselves trailing early in a game. Spencer Shipman would score 2 with his single up the middle in the 4th, but the Sweets would get those runs right back on wild pitches in the 5th.

Trailing by 3, the Pippins found the spark they were looking for as they went to town in the bottom of the 5th. Hank Dunn picked up his first RBI of the season and Yakima Valley would score 5 to jump in front 12-10.

After the Pippins regained the lead, it was a defensive show. Owen McWilliam picked up an outfield assist when he gunned down a runner trying to stretch a single in the 6th, then McWilliam and Hank Dunn each made superb diving grabs in the final two innings.

2 more runs crossed in the 6th and 7th, and Caden Duke shut the door in the 8th and 9th so seal up the first win of the season.

Hank Dunn finished with 4 runs, 3 hits, and an RBI at the plate; an unbelievable diving catch in the field; and 3 stolen bases on the base paths.

“Coach Krustangel gave us a good talk about facing adversity before the game,” said Dunn. “We’ve faced adversity in every game this season, but this time we finally bounced back and did what we were supposed to do. The guys in the locker room are happy.”

9 Pippins scored at least 1 run in the victory, and the bats were certainly alive for the first time this season.

Yakima Valley will look to take their first series win of the year tomorrow in the finale against Walla Walla at 6:35pm.

YAKIMA, Wash.- Game one of the second series of the season went to the Sweets by a score of 12-4. Although 8-run victories seem pretty straightforward, this one was a lot closer than the score indicates.

It started with a bang, as the Sweets tallied 5 runs in the opening inning on 2 walks and 6 hits.  The top of the first saw 10 batters come to the plate before it concluded, and the Pippins were behind out of the gate.

After that offensive explosion, Pippins pitching got locked in. The Sweets would be held scoreless for the next 5 innings, while leaving 11 on base over that span.

Riley Whelan highlighted that stretch, coming in and getting a huge strikeout with the bases loaded in the 3rd. He finished his outing with 2.1 scoreless innings and 3 strikeouts.

“It felt good. I just took my time with each pitch and really emphasized what I wanted to do with the ball,” said Whelan. “It all worked out pretty well.”

That scoreless stretch allowed for the bats to start heating up, and finally in the 5th, the Pippins broke through. A walk and a wild pitch set up Eric Mast’s RBI single, and some good baserunning allowed him to score and cut the lead to 5-2.

Yakima Valley would add another on Jake Borst’s triple and Liam McCallum’s sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.

Walla Walla would find success in the 7th however, as when it looked like Blake Leaverton was going to tightrope out of a tough jam, a 2-out single off of the wall scored 2. Heading to the 8th, the Sweets had a 7-3 lead.

Gaven Mattson retired the side in the top half of the 8th and swung the momentum back for the Pippins, and in the bottom of the 8th Yakima Valley had their chance. An RBI single made it 7-4, and Eric Mast came up with the bases loaded and 2-outs.

After taking a couple pitches, Mast drove one deep to right field which looked like it would surely clear the bases and tie the game. Right fielder Will Fuenning II made an unbelievable falling catch at the warning track and ended the inning and the Pippins hopes.

Walla Walla ran away with it in the top of the 9th, plating 5 more runs and securing the game 1 victory 12-4.

The Pippins will look to bounce back tomorrow when game 2 starts at 6:35 on Pippins Baseball YouTube.

YAKIMA, Wash.- Déjà vu all over again for the Pippins who were shutout after Corvallis pitching held them to just 4 hits on the night and 16 hits on the weekend.

Yakima Valley’s bats were stifled, but defensive mistakes hurt them as well. The Pippins tallied 4 errors to account for several unearned runs.

The trouble started in the top of the 3rd inning when umpires decided starter Daniel Charron had to change his delivery on the mound which resulted in a delay. After the situation settled, an error to load the bases opened the floodgates and the Knights saw 6 runs cross the plate.

Corvallis pitching held the Pippins to just 1 hit until the 7th inning, and extended the lead by 2 on a James Anderson RBI double and a wild pitch.

On the bright side, once again Pippins relievers did not allow a run after the 5th inning. Isaac Yeager and Gaven Mattson combined for 3 scoreless and 4 strikeouts to finish things out.

“Our bats are gonna get hot,” said Daniel Charron. “Once we get rolling, this is a gonna be a very dangerous team.”

The Pippins will put this series in the rearview mirror and move forward, with an off-day on Monday and the next home series against the Walla Walla Sweets starting on Tuesday.

YAKIMA, Wash.- Game 2 of the 2022 season didn’t go as planned as the Corvallis Knights pulled away to a 7-run victory.

For the second straight night, Corvallis jumped out to an early lead and got a solid start to hold on to it.

Tonight it was Linn-Benton’s Kaden Segel who pitched 5 scoreless frames, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 7. After a leadoff single by Liam McCallum in the 2nd, Segel went on a spree of 10 straight batters retired into the 5th.

The Knights took the lead on a Mason Le RBI single in the first, and added 5 in the 3rd on a pair of Pippins errors and an RBI double from James Anderson.

Once again Pippins relief pitching performed well, as they followed up 4 scoreless innings last night with 6 innings allowing only 2 runs tonight. Carson Judd pitched 3 good innings to the 6th and McCallum pitched the final 3 allowing one hit and striking out 2.

Spencer Shipman would be the first Yakima Valley run of the year after his leadoff double was pushed across on Shayne Simpson’s RBI groundout in the 6th. Shipman accounted for 2 of the 4 hits with his 2 doubles on the night.

“It’s definitely a flush it and move-on vibe,” said Shipman. “It’s a tough start, but it’s a long summer. We’re gonna be good.”

The Pippins will have a chance to salvage a game in the series finale Sunday evening at 6:05 PT. The stream can be found at YouTube.com/PippinsBaseball

YAKIMA, Wash.- Opening Day jitters got the best of the Pippins in game one of the 2022 campaign.

The defending WCL champion Corvallis Knights shutout the Pippins 7-0 thanks to a superb start on the mound from Jesse Barron.

The University of San Francisco right-hander tossed 5 innings of scoreless baseball without allowing a walk and striking out 9.

Corvallis took the lead on a 2-out error in the 2nd which plated 2 and they never looked back. The Knights would add 2 more with a pair of 2-out hits in the 4th and 3 more in the 5th to make it 7-0.

“We were only out hit by 1 but we just couldn’t put hits consistently together,” said Australian first baseman Liam McCallum. “We were just one hit away from scoring some runs, it was a tough first night but on to bigger and better things.”

There were some bright spots for the Pippins including University of the Pacific reliever Caden Duke, who struck out 8 batters in 3 innings of work without allowing a hit.

“Caden was really good, he shoved. That’s something we can really build upon the next coming days,” said McCallum.

Owen McWilliam and Shayne Simpson also solid outings as each had a multi-hit game and Simpson had the Pippins only extra-base hit.

Yakima Valley has the chance to bounce back tomorrow against the Knights with first pitch at 7:05 PT on YouTube.com/c/PippinsBaseball

YAKIMA, Wash.- Willamette sophomore Layton Wagner and Seattle University’s Jackson Reed mark two more additions to the Pippins roster this summer.

Wagner is a two-way player that has seen significant time on the mound to compliment his .303 batting average and five home runs this season.

The Bearcats standout earned D3 All-West Region last year after a 7-1 record, a 2.79 ERA, and 66 strikeouts to just 19 walks on the mound.

He followed up that performance by working his way to an All-NWC accolade this season, as the Bearcats wrap up the regular season this weekend.

A graduate of Timberline High School in Boise, Wagner was ranked the No. 1 third basemen in all of Idaho in 2019 with a career .322 batting average.

Fellow Boise native Reed will join him in Yakima this summer, after a solid first year at Seattle University.

“Jackson’s a freak athlete, very toolsy, a big bat that can also run well,” says Pippins head coach Kyle Krustangel. “Definitely an offensive threat in the lineup.”

Reed has 12 hits in 42 at-bats this year for the Redhawks, with half of those going for extra bases and 3 going for home runs.

The four-time letterwinner at Capital High School was All-State in both football and baseball, and helped his team to the state finals as a sophomore.

“He’s a guy that can change the game with his at-bats,” says Krustangel.

Reed and Wagner open up their summer ball season on June 3, when the Pippins play in a rematch of the 2021 WCL Championship Series against the Corvallis Knights. Tickets are available now on PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash.- College teammates Shayne Simpson and Ryan Delgado will join right-handed pitcher Daniel Charron with the Pippins this summer.

Simpson and Delgado play together at California Baptist University, as a part of the Western Athletic Conference. Both of the Lancers have playing time this season, as their team sits second in the West Division.

Right-handed pitcher Delgado has had the second-most appearances this season for CBU, sporting a 6.75 ERA in 22.2 innings of work.

The Santa Maria, California, native was the team captain at Righetti High School where he helped lead his team win the Mountain League Championship his junior year.

His Lancer teammate Simpson is a left-handed hitting first baseman, who has 31 games played through his 2 years at California Baptist.

Simpson comes from Lake Forest, California, where he performed at a high level for El Toro High School. There he earned All-South Coast League honors and got to play in the All-State North v. South California Game.

“I’m really excited to have two more California Baptist kids who are very talented,” said skipper Kyle Krustangel.

Another pitcher for the Pippins this summer is Charron, a Pasco, Washington, native who is in his second year at Spokane Falls Community College.

Charron showcases a 87-89 mph fastball with a slider, a changeup, and a curveball as his offspeed arsenal.

“He’s a right-handed pitcher who will add great depth to our staff this summer,” said Krustangel.

The Pippins begin their eighth West Coast League season on June 3 as Yakima Valley hosts the Corvallis Knights. Tickets are for sale now on PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash.- Two pitchers and an outfielder are headed this summer to the Pippins, with the addition of CSU-Bakersfield’s Ryan Verdugo and University of the Pacific teammates Caden Duke and Owen McWilliam.

All three are currently in their true freshman season at their respective schools, and bring more depth to the Pippins roster.

Verdugo is a right-handed pitcher from South El Monte, California. After a high school career which saw him win First-Team All-League and four straight conference championships, he took his pitching talents to the Roadrunners of Bakersfield.

Verdugo already has nine appearances this season, which is tied for 3rd most on the squad. The righty also sports a 1-1 record with 2 saves out of the bullpen.

About 3 1/2 hours up the California coast is where Verdugo’s summer teammates play at the University of the Pacific. Duke is also a freshman pitcher from California who has provided a big impact in relief this season for the Tigers.

After Duke graduated from Millennium Charter School with a career 1.59 ERA and 202 strikeouts, he has started his college career with 9 appearances for UOP with scoreless outings in 6 of them.

His teammate McWilliam is a Bainbridge Island, Washington, native, who was ranked the ninth-best outfielder in Washington out of Bainbridge High School.

The freshman has had plate appearances in six games this season for the Tigers, and will look to show his abilities in Yakima this summer.

The first game for the Pippins is June 3 against the Corvallis Knights. Tickets are available at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Pippins’ roster continues to expand with talent as Saint Mary’s Gavin Napier joins the ballclub alongside impressive pitchers Diego Moran and Trent Sellers.

Napier is in his second season with the Gaels but has already started making an impact, batting .368 in 19 starts this season.

“Gavin plays with a tenacity of a football running back and the savvy of a West Coast winner,” says Saint Mary’s skipper Greg Moore.

The shortstop from Livermore, California, was two-time All-League out of Granada High School, and is one of several Saint Mary’s players in the West Coast League.

“Gavin comes highly regarded not just as a player but as a person,” says Pippins skipper Kyle Krustangel. “Not just a Division I player but a Division I guy that should be a rock-solid contributor.”

Moran, Napier’s former teammate, will be on the mound for the Pippins this summer. The sophomore who transferred from Saint Mary’s last season has been phenomenal with Diablo Valley College this year.

Moran was recently named Northern California and Big 8 Conference Pitcher of the Week after allowing just two hits over a nine-inning stretch in March. The California native has a 3.60 ERA for the Vikings and 47 strikeouts in nine appearances.

“What I like about Diego is that he has a chip on his shoulder and something to play for,” says Krustangel. “Guys in the summer that are hungry and trying to find their next home are gonna give you all they got.”

Out of Arcadia High School, Moran was second-team All-State with a 2.32 ERA, a .512 batting average, and 39 RBI. He also has 22 at-bats with the Vikings this season.

Also joining the Pippins is former West Coast League player Trent Sellers. After a season in the Expedition League last year, Sellers returns to his home state of Washington.

The junior at Lewis-Clark State College has had an outstanding career with the Warriors after transferring from Washington State his freshman year. Last year, Sellers led the team in strikeouts and wins, and his performance in the NAIA World Series landed him on the All-Tournament team.

Sellers followed up that performance over the summer with a 13 strikeout no-hitter in the Expedition League, and is out to a 8-0 start this season with a 1.24 ERA and 77 strikeouts to 13 walks.

“Trent’s an absolute bulldog, he’s nasty. Not just with his stuff but with his mentality,” says Krustangel, who coached Sellers with the Wenatchee AppleSox in 2019. “A great young man and a guy that will be fun for fans to watch because he’s electric when he’s out there.”

The trio will start their summer ball season on June 3, when the Pippins take on the Corvallis Knights at home. Tickets are available online at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Highlighted by six always-popular fireworks nights, the Yakima Valley Pippins have a full schedule of promotional events and ticket deals for fans this summer at The Orchard.

The festivities begin Friday, June 3, when the Pippins host five-time defending West Coast League champion Corvallis on Opening Night, presented by Legends Casino Hotel. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free souvenir blanket courtesy of Legends, and fireworks cap the evening. The popular Legends Casino dice roll contest, where a fan can win up to $500, also returns for all Pippins home games.

Single-game tickets for all 32 home contests are available at PippinsTickets.com or by calling 509-575-HITS (4487) from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In addition to tickets, game-day parking passes also can be purchased online. For telephone purchases, tickets and parking passes can be emailed to buyers.

“We’re thrilled to be able to get back to some of our more popular nights after going the past two years without them,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said.

Opening night is one of six fireworks nights. Others are:

• Military Appreciation Night, sponsored by Chris Corry, Gina Mosbrucker and Curtis King, on Monday, June 20;

• Celebrate Equality Night, presented by Saol, Haven, Indigo, and Noir et Blanc salons, on Friday, June 24;

• Celebrate America Night, presented by Banner Bank, on Friday, July 1. The first 1,000 fans will receive a souvenir adjustable camouflage cap.

• Essential Workers Night, presented by Perry Technical Institute, on Thursday, July 21. Perry Tech will provide a giveaway item for the first 500 fans.

• Fan Appreciation Night, presented by Valley Mall, on Thursday, Aug. 4. The first 1,000 fans will receive a free Scott T. Pippin bobblehead based on Maverick from “Top Gun 2.”

For the first time, the Pippins will host Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act on Chamber of Commerce Night on Monday, July 11. Presented by the Yakima Chamber of Commerce and the Central Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, this family-friendly entertainment act is a crowd-pleaser for fans of all ages.

Team Poster Night, presented by Stephens Media Group, is slated for Friday, July 29, and Pippins Trading Card Night, presented by Ron’s Coin and Collectibles, is Saturday, July 30.

“We’ve also got a special surprise in store for July 30 that fans won’t want to miss,” Garretson said.

CWU Alumni Night is Friday, July 8. It’s also $5/$500 Friday, with $5 general admission tickets. Five random fans also will win $100 each.

Recurring promotions throughout the summer include:

• Toyota Tuesday Family Nights, with ticket discounts for families, $2 hot dogs, $2 small sodas, $2 small popcorns, $2 single-scoop Baskin Robbins ice cream! Free baseballs for the first 50 youth, and free hot dog coupons for the first 100 youth! Buy the first ticket at regular price, and other tickets in your group are just $2 each. Call 509-575-4487 to purchase Toyota Tuesday tickets in advance.

• Baseball Bingo Winning Wednesdays, presented by St. Joe’s Bingo, where fans can win prize packages courtesy of St. Joe’s Bingo and the Pippins.

• Ever-popular Thirsty Thursdays, courtesy of Northwest Peanut Co. and Stephens Media Group, with discounts on beer and wine from gate opening through last call. The Pippins also will feature a “private label” discount offering at all games.

• Cider Saturdays, courtesy of Tieton Cider Works, will feature discount draft prices for the Cider of the Night. On Saturday, June 4, Tieton Cider Works will have a giveaway for the first 500 fans.

• Sunday Fundays, where kids get in for just $1 when accompanied by a paying adult, courtesy of Allstate. Youth can run around the bases after the game, mimosas will be available for purchase for fans 21 and older, and cheese zombies will also be available for purchase.

The Orchard is currently undergoing renovations that include new seating and repair and maintenance work. Garretson said the projects are on schedule and should be completed by the end of April.

YAKIMA, Wash. — More in-state talent will be joining Yakima Valley this summer as the Pippins add a pair of outfielders, Aidan Dougherty from Snoqualmie and Seth Ryberg from Seattle, and right-handed pitcher Riley Whelan from Spokane.

Dougherty is the only player on the roster that will attend Oregon State University in the fall, as the soon-to-be high school graduate looks to provide an instant impact for the Beavers and the Pippins.

“When you see him on the field, he is a big-bodied young man who carries explosive movements. Running, bat speed, routes to the ball, and selflessness to help the team win are all very noticeable,” said OSU head coach Mitch Canham about Dougherty, who was on the Perfect Game Preseason All-Region team.

Ryberg looks to bring a spark to the Pippins as well. The former Walla Walla Sweets infielder/outfielder played 44 games in the WCL last year and has helped his Point Loma Sea Lions to the No. 3 spot in the NCWBA DII rankings.

“Super excited for Seth,” said Pippins skipper Kyle Krustangel. “A versatile player, very toolsy offensively and defensively. I try to build a club that is primarily old, so for us to have another guy that’s played a full season in the West Coast League is good experience for our nucleus.”

Ryberg was ranked the 16th-best second baseman in Washington for his 2019 class, and is hitting .313 in his sophomore year with Point Loma.

On the mound for the Pippins, Whelan carries over experience from his two years at Spokane Falls CC and this season at Whitworth University. The junior righty has eight appearances and 11.1 innings pitched entering the final month of the regular season.

“Riley’s a guy with a 3/4 arm slot, he’s got a rubber arm and can throw multiple games in a series, but a guy that will frustrate hitters and bridge the gaps between starters and closers,” said Krustangel.

Opening day for the Pippins is June 3 at Yakima County Stadium against the Corvallis Knights. Tickets for that WCL Championship rematch, all six fireworks nights, including Opening Night, Fan Appreciation Night, Celebrate America Night and Military Appreciation Night, are available at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Amidst player signings, the Yakima Valley Pippins have officially brought on a new Play-by-Play Broadcaster and Media Relations Manager.

Zach McKinstry, a 2021 graduate of the University of South Carolina,  comes to Yakima Valley with experience broadcasting in the Coastal Plains League, the Expedition League, NCAA Division II, as well as SEC Network.

“I’m extremely excited to travel out west and be a part of a championship caliber team and a supportive, baseball-loving community,” said McKinstry, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native.

While attending the University of South Carolina, McKinstry started his broadcasting career calling Gamecocks softball and soccer for the SEC Network. He has spent the previous two summers with the Lexington County Blowfish and the Western Nebraska Pioneers, both collegiate summer baseball teams.

“Bringing Zach to Yakima and the Pippins is a great addition for us,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said. “His knowledge and skills he’s honed over the past few years will help enhance our audio and video livestreams.”

McKinstry currently works as the Director of the Sports Network at the NCAA DII University of North Carolina at Pembroke, broadcasting and producing streams for nine different sports.

“I can’t wait to bring my passion for baseball to the Pippins and become a part of this organization,” McKinstry said.

Chris Rosato Jr., who held the position in 2021 and planned to return this year, was promoted to the full-time positions of Events and Marketing Manager for the Erie, Pennsylvania, Sports Commission in February.

The Pippins begin their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis. Tickets for all six fireworks nights, including Opening Night, Fan Appreciation Night, Celebrate America Night and Military Appreciation Night, are available for purchase at PippinsTickets.com. Single-game tickets for all 32 home games go on sale April 5.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Two former Pippins pitching for the Gonzaga Bulldogs are garnering a lot of attention lately.

Trystan Vrieling (Pippins ’19) capped a big weekend for the Zags (14-4 overall, 3-0 WCC), striking out 10 and walking one in 6 2/3 innings Sunday in a 5-3 win against the University of Pacific. Vrieling, who improved to 2-1, allowed just one (earned) run and scattered six hits.  In five appearances, the former Kamiakin High School standout has a 2.84 ERA with 48 strikeouts against 1 walks in 31 2/3 innings.

On Saturday, Owen Wild (Pippins ’21) improved to 2-1 with a five-inning start against the Tigers. Wild struck out nine and walked four, while giving up three hits and one unearned run. The Gig Harbor right-hander has a 2.79 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings in six outings this year.

In the three-game sweep, Gonzaga’s Connor Coballes went 6-for-13 with two RBIs. The Spokane junior is now hitting .311 (19 for 61) in 18 games (17 starts) this season.

Yakima Valley College swept a pair of doubleheaders from Southwestern Oregon this past weekend, including a 16-10 victory in Game 1 on Saturday that featured home runs from three current Pippins.

Catcher Josh Davis (2-for-5), infielder Spencer Marenco (2-for-4) and center fielder Hank Dunn (4-for-5) all homered in the game. Davis started the parade with a two-run homer in the third inning, Marenco added a solo homer in the fourth, and Dunn cracked a two-run homer in the sixth. Davis and Dunn each finished that game with four RBIs.

Tyler Griggs (Pippins ’22) is hitting .292 for Central Arizona in 26 games so far this spring. Griggs, who will head to Gonzaga this fall, has 21 RBIs and a home run, has stolen five bases and has scored 29 times. The Vaqueros are 29-4 overall this spring.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Hank Dunn, Yakima Valley’s sophomore centerfielder, capped a big weekend for the Yaks with a grand slam Sunday at Parker-Faller Field.

Dunn, who will play for the Pippins this summer, hit his grand slam — also his first homer of the year — in the eighth inning of the Yaks’ 11-6 loss to Linn-Benton. YVC went 2-2 this weekend, splitting doubleheaders with Linn-Benton and Everett.

A day earlier, Dunn went 5-for-5 with two doubles and a triple against Everett. In three games this weekend, Dunn finished 8-for-12 with three runs scored, six RBI and three walks.

Former Pippin Trystan Vrieling (Pippins ’19) had another stellar outing Sunday, striking out nine, walking one and scattering three hits in eight shutout innings against Long Beach State. However, the Dirtbags came away with a 1-0 win with a walkoff single in the ninth. Connor Coballes (Pippins ’21, ’22) was 2-for-3 in the game.

Chaz Myers (Pippins ’21) went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI on Sunday for the Pacific Tigers in their 1907 win against CSU Bakersfield. The 5-10 sophomore, who bats leadoff for the Tigers, is hitting .327 in 15 games this spring, with six doubles, eight walks, seven hit-by-pitches and a team-leading 14 runs scored.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Removal of the old seats at Yakima County Stadium not only started last week, but also was completed about a week ahead of original time estimates.

The demolition and removal of the 30-year-old original seating at “The Orchard” was expected to take two weeks before the layout and installation phase of new seating could begin. The layout process started Monday and is expected to continue through the week.

Nor-Pac Seating Company Inc. is handling the project. Yakima County awarded Nor-Pac the contract last fall in the amount of $363,204.63.

This morning, the Yakima County commissioners awarded a contract to M. Sevigny Construction of Yakima for maintenance and repairs at the stadium. The contract amount is $348,401.10.

That project, which includes facade repairs, painting, water mitigation roofing underneath the stadium seating bowl and other repairs, is expected to begin in coming days.

Both projects are expected to be completed by the end of April.

“The Orchard” will host area high school Class 1A and Class 2A district baseball tournaments in May, and the WIAA state 1A and 2A tournaments will be held May 27-28. The Pippins open their eighth West Coast League season on Friday, June 3.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Redshirt sophomore Julian Taudin-Chabot, a right-hander from Cheney who’s slated to return to the Pippins this summer, struck out 11 and walked just two in eight innings on Saturday as Everett Community College beat Pierce 3-2.

Taudin-Chabot didn’t get a decision — Everett walked off the win in the ninth — but limited Pierce to two unearned runs and three hits. Taudin-Chabot, who has started three games this spring, is 1-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 21 innings.

• Michael Rice, a sophomore right-hander for University of California, Santa Barbara, improved to 2-0 with 1 2/3 innings of relief against Oregon on Sunday. Rice has a 3.12 ERA with seven strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings over five appearances this spring.

• Michael Carpentier, who caught for the Pippins last summer, is hitting .571 (8-for-14) with two doubles, a home run and 4 RBI in nine games for Cal Baptist this spring. He also has walked seven times, and has a 1.643 OPS and a .929 slugging percentage.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Yakima County Stadium will play host to a pair of underclassmen pitchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, for the first time this summer, as well as two players from the University of Oregon.

The Gauchos will be represented by left-handed freshman Michael Splaine and right-handed sophomore Michael Rice. The Ducks will send right-handed pitcher Jake Geis and infielder Aiden Van Rensum.

“I’m excited to bring on a new school, a school that I haven’t had a chance to ever sign guys from,” Pippins head coach Kyle Krustangel said about UCSB. “Especially to bring in a couple pitchers. Pitching is a premium in this league, and these are two guys who come highly regarded from their college coach. I’m excited to build that relationship with a school that hasn’t sent a ton of guys up here but has a ton of talent.”

Splaine features a fastball in the high 80s that has touched 90, and was ranked the sixth-best left-hander out of California in the Class of 2021 by Perfect Game. The 5-10, 180-pounder from Los Gatos was also ranked the No. 75 prospect in the state by PG and was a three-sport athlete in high school.

After sitting out his freshman year, Rice is poised to see action this season with the Gauchos. He entered in the fifth inning of UCSB’s game on Sunday at the University of San Francisco, stranding a pair and striking out four batters over two more innings to earn his first collegiate win.

Rice, a 6-2, 185-pounder from Las Vegas, was ranked the third-best right-hander and fifth overall prospect from Nevada in the class of 2020 by Perfect Game.

“I’m definitely looking to keep building my relationship with Coach Was (Mark Wasikowski),” Krustangel said. “I had a good relationship with him when I was at Wenatchee and he was at Portland, and obviously last year with (current Oregon Duck) Taylor Holder and Sam Olsson, two guys who played a lot for us especially down the stretch and into the postseason.”

Geis was ranked the 15th right-hander in the class of 2021 coming out of California by Perfect Game. A graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, the 6-foot-4 Geis boasts a four-pitch mix with a fastball in the high-80s.

Van Rensum is considered one of the top infielders to graduate from a Washington state high school in 2021. The Archbishop Murphy High School product from Marysville boasts a powerful bat while staying disciplined at the plate, striking out just two times in his last full campaign as a sophomore in 2018-19.

The Pippins begin their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis. Tickets for all six fireworks nights, including Opening Night, Fan Appreciation Night, Celebrate America Night and Military Appreciation Night, are available at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Removal of nearly 30-year-old seating at Yakima County Stadium began Monday, one of two major improvement projects on tap before the Yakima Valley Pippins’ eighth season begins June 3.

The seating project, announced last fall by Yakima County with Nor-Pac Seating Inc., will replace more than 1,000 chair-back seats that originally were installed at the stadium in 1993. The old blue seats will be replaced with just more than 1,500 green Hussey Legends seats, the same seats in T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Parker-Faller Field at Yakima Valley College.

Demolition of the old seats and supports is expected to take about two weeks, Nor-Pac representatives said. Shipping containers with the new seats are either in the Seattle area or in Long Beach, California, on their way to the Northwest.

“We’re excited to get this project off and running,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said. “We were expecting the demolition to start in a few weeks, but Nor-Pac is getting an early start.”

Nor-Pac, based in Enumclaw, has undertaken several seating projects around the Yakima Valley, including in the Yakima Valley SunDome, at Central Washington University and at Prosser High School.

In addition to the new seating, a maintenance and repair project is expected to start this spring that will improve the stadium façade and replace old roofing inside the structure.

The Pippins are set to host two area district baseball tournaments in May. The Class 2A district championship is slated for Friday, May 13, and the Class 1A district tourney will be held Saturday, May 14. The Class 1A and 2A WIAA state tournaments will return to County Stadium on May 27-28 after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pippins will open their eighth season at Yakima County Stadium on Friday, June 3, hosting the reigning WCL champion Corvallis Knights. Opening night tickets are now on sale at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Members of the 2021 Yakima Valley Pippins are showing their stuff in the early goings of the 2022 season.

Chico State junior Willie Lajoie is hitting .372 (16-for-43) in 12 games (all starts) for the Wildcats this spring, including a 5-for-15 performance in four games this weekend against Sonomo State. Lajoie has four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs and 19 runs scored on the young season, and has also reached base 8 times by walks and three times getting hit by pitch against five strikeouts.

Washington pitcher Case Matter made his first start of the season on Sunday against UC San Diego in La Jolla, California, giving up a double in two innings of work in the Huskies’ 7-0 victory. Matter, who suffered a back injury in the offseason, faced 10 batters, getting three fly outs and three ground outs. San Diego’s Blake Dickman, who played with Matter for the Pippins last summer, didn’t play this weekend. Originally scheduled to rejoin this Pippins this year, Dickman has accepted an opportunity to train and play for the Israeli national team this summer from June to September.

Connor Coballes went 3-for-10 with and RBI, two walks and a hit-by-pitch in Gonzaga’s three-game sweep of Cal State Fullteron this weekend.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Division I college baseball debuted over the holiday weekend, and the season was peppered with plenty of fireworks from past and current Yakima Valley Pippins. Here’s a look at just a few of the performances in the 2022 debut edition of Three Stars:

• Mason Marenco (Pippins ’21) went 7-for-21 (.333) with a double and four RBIs as the Gonzaga Bulldogs won three of their five games this weekend. Marenco, who started all five games, also walked twice and scored four runs. His younger brother, Spencer Marenco, who will return to the Pippins this summer, opens his season at Yakima Valley College this weekend. Connor Coballes, Mason Marenco’s Gonzaga teammate who also will return to the Pippins this summer, played in all five games, starting four either at shortstop or third base, went 3-for-15 with an RBI, three walks, two hit-by-pitches and a stolen base in his DI debut weekend. Owen Wild pitched four innings, striking out three and walking one while allowing five hits and one earned run against Oregon State on Sunday.

• Greg Fuchs (Pippins ’19) went 4-for-7 (.571) with a double and four RBIs and an OPS of 1.339 for Oregon State in three games as the Beavers swept their season-opening weekend with two wins against New Mexico and two wins against Gonzaga in Surprise, Arizona.

• Chaz Myers (Pippins ’21) started his 2022 season at Pacific with four hits in 13 at-bats (.308) as the Tigers outscored Northern Colorada 37-8 in four-game sweep.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Three current Zags, a transfer and an incoming freshman will all represent the Gonzaga Bulldogs this summer in Yakima.

“I’m just excited that Coach (Mark) Machtolf and Coach (Brandon) Harmon, those guys do a good job not just getting us good baseball guys, but even better people,” Pippins head coach Kyle Krustangel said. “That’s exactly what the Pippins are about: having a quality clubhouse but also great baseball players. These guys all fit the mold. I’m excited to keep this relationship going so we’ll always have a plethora of Zags on our squad.”

Jaxon Sorenson, an infielder for Gonzaga who has played in the Expedition League, and Liam McCallum, a left-handed pitcher, will join returning player Connor Coballes on the Pippins roster this summer.

Sorenson will spend his freshman season at Gonzaga this spring as a utility player before heading to Yakima. With the Expedition League’s Wheat City Whiskey Jacks last summer, he slashed .267/.387/.420 with nine doubles, a triple and four home runs.

McCallum, a freshman, has represented Australia internationally at the U15 and U18 levels, and is an accomplished cricket and Australian football player. He was slated to join the Pippins in 2020 before the season was canceled.

That trio of Zags will be joined by Tyler Griggs, who last fall announced he will be transferring to Gonzaga from Central Arizona in the fall of 2022, and Payton Graham, an incoming Gonzaga freshman who hails from Richland.

“Sorensen and Griggs are two infielders that the Gonzaga coaches speak extremely highly of,” Krustangel said. “And it’s nice to have Liam play for us like he was supposed to a couple years ago. I’m excited to have these guys come in and be a part of our nucleus.”

Griggs, from Rochester, New York, was named an NJCAA All-American after leading Central Arizona with a .379 batting average and .487 on-base percentage. The infielder also notched 10 doubles, a triple and five home runs.

Graham, a right-hander out of Kamiakin High School, features a low-90s fastball he can mix with a curveball and pull the string on a changeup in the low 80s. A two-sport athlete, he was named the 2021 MCC Player of the Year as well as the MCC’s All-Purpose Player of the Year in football.

“Payton is a very talented young arm that the Zags are super excited to have,” Krustangel said. “He’s a guy I’ll look forward to throwing a lot of innings for us this summer.”

Pippins are scheduled to open their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis. Opening night tickets are available now at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Valley Pippins featured players from the University of Washington for the first time in 2021, and they will repeat that this year when four Huskies make the trip to Yakima.

Peysen Sweeney returns to the Pippins for his second season and will be joined by outfielder Luke Rohleder, who played in the West Coast League for the Bellingham Bells last season, as well as pitchers Reilly McAdams and Isaac Yeager.

“I’m happy to continue to build the relationship with the Huskies that we started last year,” Pippins head coach Kyle Krustangel said. “(Huskies pitching) Coach (Elliott) Cribby and I go way back, and we share the same goal of strong player development to build success.”

Sweeney provided depth to Yakima Valley’s pitching staff last summer before heading to Washington for his freshman year. He had nine relief appearances in the regular season for the Pippins, going 0-2 with a save and a 5.82 ERA in 17 innings. Sweeney also appeared in two playoff games, striking out a pair over 1.2 innings without allowing a run.

Rohleder played with Bells on a 10-day contract last summer after breaking Everett Community College’s single-season stolen base record last spring. He will play his sophomore season at UW this spring.

He went 2-for-8 at the plate with one strikeout and one walk over seven games in Bellingham.

McAdams did not get to play his senior season of high school in 2020 due to COVID-19 and didn’t make an appearance in 2021 with the Huskies in his freshman season, but the towering 6-foot-6 right-hander was a top high-school prospect after posting a sub-1.00 ERA in his junior year.

Yeager will play for the Pippins before heading to UW for his freshman season in the fall. Standing 6-foot-6 as well, the Bishop Blanchet High School senior’s fastball sits in the high 80s and has been clocked as high as 91 mph.

The Pippins open their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis. Tickets are available at PippinsTickets.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. – After coaching a pair of incoming UCLA infielders last summer, Yakima Valley head coach Kyle Krustangel is excited to continue to build the relationship with UCLA head coach John Savage as the Pippins skipper welcomes two pitchers and an infielder to Yakima this summer.

“I’m super excited to bring in three UCLA guys and continue, not just the Pippins’, but my coaching staff’s relationship with coach John Savage,” Krustangel said. “He’s arguably one of the top three college baseball coaches in the country given his workload and resume.”

Left-handed pitcher Chris Grothues, right-handed pitcher Jack O’Connor and infielder Andrew Walters, all incoming freshmen from Southern California, will join the Pippins this summer after wrapping up their high school senior seasons.

Grothues has been a mainstay on powerhouse Servite High School’s pitching rotation since stepping on campus. The southpaw sports a fastball in the 80s that he complements with a late-breaking curveball.

O’Connor will head to Yakima after finishing up at Palos Verdes High School. He was named a Preseason Underclass All-American by Perfect Game and participated in Perfect Game’s 17U World Series last summer in Surprise, Arizona.

“I know (Savage) trusts our coaching staff and knows the great fans and environment up here in Yakima,” Krustangel added. “That’s definitely a reason why he would send not just one, but two pitchers.”

Walters, from Corona High School, also participated in the 17U World Series last summer as well as the WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Florida, in October. He was also listed as the 9th-best class of 2022 recruit out of California by Prep Baseball Report.

“I’m super thrilled to bring in some of the top-tier talent in the country into Yakima from a pretty storied program that is known for more than just success — success on the field and in the classroom,” Krustangel said. “You know you’re getting three good characters and three projectable guys that expect to be draft guys after their tenure at UCLA.”

Pippins are scheduled to open their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis.

YAKIMA, Wash. – After announcing a suite of players that will return from last year’s campaign earlier in the offseason, Yakima Valley Pippins head coach Kyle Krustangel announced two new players that will join the squad for 2022.

Yakima Valley College’s Hank Dunn will join Yak teammates Dann Blanchard, Josh Davis and Spencer Marenco on the Pippins, and Yakima native Blake Leaverton will play in front of his hometown crowd this summer.

Dunn played in 30 games during his freshman season at YVC in 2021, hitting .281 with seven doubles, four triples and a home run. He also stole 10 bases and walked (24) more times than he struck out (20).

“Dunn is a freak athlete; he could be one of the best true center fielders potentially this summer in the West Coast League,” Krustangel said. “Looking to build off last year’s success, one area I felt like we could’ve done a better job was pure defense in the outfield, and I think Hank gives us a strong core.”

Leaverton will play for Seattle University this spring before returning home to Yakima for the summer. He was selected to participate in the All-State Baseball Series last summer after winning a district championship with West Valley High School.

“It’s nice to have a few hometown kids to get the crowd around those kinds of guys,” Krustangel said. “He’s a big righty and comes with high regards. He’s got a firm fastball that lives in the upper 80s.”

He finished his senior campaign 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA, and was ranked the 11th-best right-handed pitcher in the class of 2021 by Perfect Game.

The Pippins are scheduled to open their eighth WCL season at Yakima County Stadium on June 3 with a rematch of the 2021 West Coast League Championship Series against Corvallis. Select single-game tickets and packages are available via PippinsLinks.com.

YAKIMA, Wash. — After nearly three decades with original equipment, Yakima County Stadium is in line for seating upgrades before the Yakima Valley Pippins take the field in 2022.

Earlier this fall, Yakima County entered into an agreement with Nor-Pac Seating Company Inc. to replace more than 1,000 worn-out, blue chair-back seats that were installed when the facility opened in 1993 with new, green Hussey Legend seats.

An additional 504 Legend seats will replace the bleacher-back Stadium View sections, bringing the total chair-back seating total to just over 1,500. Hussey Legend seats are also installed at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Parker-Faller Field at Yakima Valley College.

“It’s a welcome and much-needed upgrade not just for fan comfort, but for fan safety as well,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said. “There are no replacements for the current seats, and we’ve had to pilfer seats from other sections to replace broken chairs in more-popular areas. Almost 30 years of summer heat and sub-freezing temperatures in the winter have taken their toll on those sections.”

Nor-Pac will remove the existing seats and install the Legend seats by May 1, in time for high school tournaments before the Pippins’ 2022 season starts in early June. New cupholders also will be installed for each reserved seat.

“Nor-Pac is confident of its timeline to get everything installed by May, and we’ll have our first high school tournament games May 14,” Garretson said.

SCAC District baseball is scheduled that day, he said, and the Class 1A and 2A WIAA state tournaments will return to County Stadium on May 27-28 after a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new seating is the most noticeable improvement coming, Garretson added. Structural and roofing repairs under the seats also will begin likely after the Pippins season ends next summer.

The Pippins will open their eighth season at Yakima County Stadium on Friday, June 3, hosting the reigning WCL champion Corvallis Knights. Discounted Opening Night tickets are now on sale at PippinsTickets.com, and discounted season tickets also are available.

YAKIMA, Wash. — Selah standout pitcher Dylan Bishop, a slew of Yakima Valley College players and other key members of the Yakima Valley Pippins this past summer will return to the team for 2022.

The Pippins, who won the West Coast League’s North Division title and finished in second place overall in the league, will return at least eight players from that team.

Bishop, the Whitworth University starter who pitched briefly for Yakima Valley in 2019 and was a full-time member of the team last summer, was 6-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 44 innings during the 2021 regular season.

Also returning from the 2021 pitching staff is right-hander Kirby Robertson (2-1, 4.11 ERA in 35 innings), who pitched at Columbia Basin College last spring and is now at the College of Idaho, Everett CC pitcher Julian Taudin Chabot (1-1, 6.94 ERA in 11.2 innings) and YVC’s Dann Blanchard (1-0, 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings due to injury).

Former YVC shortstop Connor Coballes (.296, 13 RBIs, 40 hits), who is now at Gonzaga, and middle infielder teammate Spencer Marenco (.221, 8 RBIs, 2 HR, 25 hits) and catcher Josh Davis, who rehabbed a back injury with the Pippins last summer, also will return.

Blake Dickman, an outfielder from UC San Diego who also caught for the Pippins in 2021, will return as well. Dickman hit. 261 with 2 HR, 24 RBIs and 35 hits this summer.

“These guys played important roles in our success on the field and helping to establish a positive culture in the clubhouse,” head coach Kyle Krustangel said. “We’ll build on that strong foundation with that core. The incoming players we have on the roster will help create another exciting summer.”

Krustangel added that additional players from the 2021 could also return next summer.

The Pippins will open their eighth season at Yakima County Stadium on Friday, June 3, hosting the reigning WCL champion Corvallis Knights.

YAKIMA, Wash. — For the second straight summer, the Yakima Valley Pippins will open their next season at home against the West Coast League’s reigning champion, the Corvallis Knights.

The Pippins, who finished in second place in the WCL in 2021 behind the Knights, host Corvallis in both teams’ league opener on Friday, June 3, at Yakima County Stadium. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. That three-game series will be followed with a home series against the Pippins’ sibling team, the Walla Walla Sweets, before Yakima Valley plays a nine-game road series against Bend, Ore., Springfield, Ore., and Corvallis.

“We’re very excited about our schedule for next summer, especially after coming off the season we had in 2021,” Pippins general manager Jeff Garretson said. “We’re definitely looking to build on the momentum and culture that was born this past summer.”

The Pippins will host 32 home games, including 27 WCL games and five nonleague games. Yakima Valley will also play Bend, Portland, Springfield, Ridgefield, Kamloops, Kelowna and Wenatchee at home during league play.

2022 also will see all five Canadian teams return to play after the COVID-19 pandemic kept those teams sidelined this past summer. In addition to hosting Kamloops and Kelowna at home, the Pippins will travel to both teams this summer and will visit Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The Springfield Drifters, the league’s newest team, also will debut in 2022.

“As exciting as it was for the 10 U.S.-based teams to get to play this past summer, the absence of the Canadian teams was felt every day,” Garretson said. “Going from 10 teams this summer to 16 next year is going to create a whole new level of excitement for everyone.”

With 16 teams and a 54-game league schedule for each team, the Pippins won’t play Bellingham, Cowlitz or Edmonton this year. The team also won’t face Ridgefield or Portland at those teams’ home parks.

The Pippins’ promotional schedule, and the WCL’s division alignments and playoff format will be announced later, Garretson said.

Season tickets and vouchers are currently on sale at PippinsTickets.com or by calling 509-575-4487, with holiday discounts available through the end of the year. Single-game tickets will go on sale in a few weeks.

The Pippins 2022 schedule (home games in bold):

JUNE: 3-5 — vs. Corvallis; 7-9 — vs. Walla Walla; 10-12 — at Bend; 14-16 — at Springfield; 17-19 — at Corvallis; 20 — vs. CCL Showcase; 21-23 — vs. Bend; 24-26 — vs. Portland; 28-30 — at Walla Walla.

JULY: 1-3 — vs. Springfield; 4-6 — at Kamloops; 8-10 — vs. Ridgefield; 11-13 — vs. Kamloops; 15-17 — at Victoria; 18-20 — at Nanaimo; 21 — CCL Showcase; 22-24 — at Port Angeles; 26-28 — vs. NW Star; 29-31 — vs. Kelowna.

AUGUST: 2-4 — vs. Wenatchee; 5-7 — at Kelowna.

YAKIMA, Wash. – Noah Williamson, the upstart outfielder who came out of relative obscurity earlier this year to be drafted and sign professionally midway through the summer, has been named to the All-West Coast League first team for the 2021 season.

Williamson, who signed in late July with the Miami Marlins organization after being drafted in the 19th round, was one of seven Yakima Valley Pippins to earn all-league honors this year, but the only first-team selection.

First baseman Willie Lajoie (Chico State, senior) and starting pitcher Seth Kuykendall (Western Oregon, senior) were named to the second team. Pitchers Dylan Bishop (Whitworth), Kenny Johnson (Cal State Bakersfield) and Owen Wild (Gonzaga), and catcher Michael Carpentier Jr. (Cal Baptist) all earned honorable mention recognition.

Williamson hit .279 (34 for 122) with 10 doubles, five triples, six home runs and 28 RBI for the Pippins in 31 WCL games, capping his amateur career with a 2-for-5 effort against Cowlitz on July 27 before turning pro.

Lajoie hit .253 (44-for-39) with 26 RBI and four home runs in 45 games, highlighted by a 3-for-5, four-RBI effort against Portland on Aug. 6 that included a home run.

The right-handed Kuykendall compiled a 4-4 record during the regular season and the Pippins’ historic playoff run, finishing with a 3.75 ERA in 61.3 innings that included 43 strikeouts and just 13 walks in his 11 starts. His longest effort was an eight-inning gem in Wenatchee on July 25, in which he struck out five and walked non while facing 27 batters.

Bishop was 6-1 for the Pippins during the regular season and playoffs, starting eight games over his 12 appearances. In 48 innings, he struck out 38 and walked 17 while compiling a 4.88 ERA.

In 11 starts, Johnson finished with a 5-5 record, striking out 62 and walking 29 in 55.3 innings for a 4.88 ERA.

Wild was 3-0 with five saves for the Pippins, striking out 64 and walking 27 in 42.6 innings for a 3.38 ERA.

Carpentier Jr. batted .257 (26 for 101) in 27 games, with four doubles, two triples and three home runs, including a home run against Corvallis in the WCL championship series opening game that helped propel the Pippins to their first-even championship series victory, 4-1, at Yakima County Stadium on Aug. 17.

Since the team’s inception in 2014, 14 Pippins players have earned All-WCL first-team honors.

The Pippins’ eighth West Coast League season will begin in June 2022.

The complete All-WCL teams:

All-WCL First Team

C – Colin Wetterau (St. John’s, junior), Walla Walla Sweets
1B – Coby Morales (Cypress College, frosh), Ridgefield Raptors
2B – Travis Bazzana (Oregon State, frosh), Corvallis Knights
3B – Leo Mosby (UC Santa Barbara, soph), Portland Pickles
SS – John Peck (Pepperdine, frosh), Ridgefield Raptors
OF – Nick Vogt (UC Santa Barbara, soph), Corvallis Knights
OF – Noah Williamson (Everett CC, soph), Yakima Valley Pippins
OF – Sam Linscott (Lewis-Clark State, senior), Bend Elks
UTL – Adam Grob (South Carolina Upstate, junior), Wenatchee AppleSox
DH – Will Chambers (College of the Canyons, freshman), Ridgefield Raptors
SP – Eric Chavarria (Lewis-Clark State, senior), Bellingham Bells
SP – Kelly Austin (UCLA, frosh), Cowlitz Black Bears
SP – Alex Giroux (Clark College, soph), Portland Pickles
SP – Jaren Hunter (Oregon State, frosh), Ridgefield Raptors
SP – Ty Uber (Stanford, frosh), Corvallis Knights
RP – Josh Mollerus (San Francisco, junior), Portland Pickles
RP – Caden Kaelber (Washington State, junior), Walla Walla Sweets

All-WCL Second Team

C – Gavin Logan (Oregon State, junior), Bend Elks
1B – Willie Lajoie (Chico State, senior), Yakima Valley Pippins
2B – Rikuu Nishida (Mt. Hood CC, soph), Cowlitz Black Bears
3B – Julian Kodama (Seattle U, senior), Bend Elks
SS – Nick Oakley (UC Santa Barbara, soph), Port Angeles Lefties
OF – Caden Connor (Cal State Fullerton, soph), Ridgefield Raptors
OF – Robert Guardino (Wofford, junior), Portland Pickles
OF – Daniel Gernon (Lower Columbia College, senior), Bellingham Bells
UTL – Bennett Thompson (Oregon, freshman), Bend Elks
SP – Brad McVay (Portland, junior), Portland Pickles
SP – Travis Craven (Whitman, senior), Walla Walla Sweets
SP – Seth Kuykendall (Western Oregon, senior), Yakima Valley Pippins
SP – Ryan Harvey (UC Santa Barbara, soph), Ridgefield Raptors
SP – Ethan Ross (San Jose State, soph), Corvallis Knights
RP – Keegan Wright (San Diego Christian, frosh), Cowlitz Black Bears
RP – Nathaniel Mendoza (Cal State San Bernadino, soph), Corvallis Knights

All-WCL Honorable Mention

Bellingham: Hunter Alberini (Umpqua CC), Ryan Beitel (British Columbia), Emilio Corona (Washington), Malakhi Knight (UCLA), Bennett Lee (Tulane), Ty Saunders (Portland)

Bend: Greg Fuchs (Oregon State), Daniel Garcia (Grand Canyon), Dillon Holliday (Dixie State), Chase Matheny (South Carolina Upstate), Collin Montez (Washington State), Gavin Rork (Seattle U), Aidan Welch (Seattle U),

Corvallis: Kiko Romero (Central Arizona College), Tanner Smith (Oregon State) 

Cowlitz: Carson Angeroth (Umpqua CC), Brock Bozett (Spokane Falls CC), Broc Mortensen (UC Santa Barbara)

Port Angeles: Zach Thomas (Dixie State)

Portland: Jacob Jablonski (Chico State), Matt Jew (Santa Clara), Jared Villalobos (Cuesta College)

Ridgefield: Kody Darcy (Nicholls State), Reece Hernandez (San Jose State), Nick Nygard (Portland) 

Walla Walla: Paul Myro (Oregon State), Parker Price (Northwest Nazarene)

Wenatchee: Enzo Apodaca (Gonzaga), Skylar Hales (Santa Clara)

Yakima Valley: Dylan Bishop (Whitworth), Michael Carpentier Jr. (Cal Baptist), Kenny Johnson (Cal State Bakersfield), Owen Wild (Gonzaga)

In a season of firsts for the Yakima Valley Pippins, the team grinded out a season in which they won their division in both halves of the regular season, as well as the West Coast League North Divisional Series.

They came one win away from securing the franchise’s first league title.

It was a long season, so let’s look back at how the summer unfolded as West Coast League baseball returned to The Orchard for the first time since 2019.

A Historic First Half

The Pippins had a dominant start to their season, winning eight out of their first 10 West Coast League games. That included defeating the four-time defending champion Corvallis Knights on opening day on June 4, 10-1, and splitting the next two games to win the series. 

A great story from Chase Graves about a young fan at last night’s season opener. That’s what summer baseball is all about!

Read more about the rest of the game here: https://t.co/BO5nmjTFsa#yvpippins #morefunin21 pic.twitter.com/yemD2xhNpg

— Yakima Valley Pippins (@PippinsBaseball) June 5, 2021

The Pippins then traveled to Bellingham, dropping game one before winning the next two games to kick off a franchise-record 12-game win streak.

The Pippins returned home June 11-13 to host the Ridgefield Raptors, walking things off in a 12-inning thriller on a base hit by Taylor Holder that scored Noah Williamson in the series opener. Williamson had also hit two triples in that game, becoming the first Pippins player to accomplish the feat.

Wanting to avoid another drawn-out win, the Pippins exploded for 17 runs to take down the Raptors in the middle game. The weather was not very cooperative in the finale, forcing a rain delay, but the Pippins outlasted the Raptors for an 8-4 win and their first sweep of the season.

Williamson was named the West Coast League’s Player of the Week, having raised his batting average to .400 with an 11-for-26 week. 

The team then took a six-game break from WCL play to welcome in the NW Star Nighthawks for two games, Redmond Dudes on June 17 and the CCL’s Showcase Team June 19-21.

Ah, summer nights … #yvpippins #morefunin21 pic.twitter.com/yIz33Hnwuu

— Yakima Valley Pippins (@PippinsBaseball) June 20, 2021

The Pippins won all six games handily, scoring 10 or more runs in four out of the six games. That included a 22-3 win over the CCL Showcase Team on June 20.

The Pippins returned to WCL play with another series against the Raptors, this time in Ridgefield June 22-24. After a 10-1 Pippins victory in the opener, the Raptors pounced early in the next two games to win the series.

The Pippins returned home to host the Walla Walla Sweets June 25-27. In the opener, Kirby Robertson turned in a great start and gave way to the bullpen in the eighth inning with a 7-3 lead, but they coughed up the lead and the Sweets took game one.

The Sweets scored another four runs in the final two innings of game two, but the Pippins held on for a 9-5 victory to even the series. The rubber match wound up taking 16 innings to decide, with Michael Carpentier Jr. erasing a two-run Sweets lead in the 15th inning with a two-run bomb to right field, and tying the game again with an RBI single in the 16th inning. Sweets reliever Nick Irwin was called for a balk with runners on the corners to bring in the winning run and give the Pippins the series.

Chaz Myers was named the WCL Player of the Week for the week of June 21-27 after posting an 11-for-21 week at the plate. He also hit three doubles in the finale against Walla Walla, tying the Pippins franchise record.

Chaz Myers hit three doubles in a game last night, tying a franchise record. He now has nine on the season, and six of them came in the last week. For that, he was named the @WCLBaseball Moss Adams Player of the Week.

More: https://t.co/9LW6wLKCRP pic.twitter.com/QcCV2dlpLL

— Yakima Valley Pippins (@PippinsBaseball) June 28, 2021

The Port Angeles Lefties came to town June 29-July 1, taking advantage of four errors in the first inning to get out to a lead they would not return. The Pippins played a cleaner game defensively in game two, but still fell 6-3 as the Lefties won the series.