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)