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.