Schleusner Excited To Join Pippins

Andrew Schleusner is one of many new faces featured on the 2018 Pippins roster and after a strong season behind the plate at Montana State University, he is excited to join the Pippins and help the team to another postseason berth.

As he continues to work on his craft, Schleusner said that the coaching staff was a big reason why he decided to come play for the Pippins.

“Coach McKimmy seems like a really good guy and I’ve heard a lot of great things about the program and the WCL,” Schleusner said. “I think it sounds like a great fit for me.”

After hitting .208 in 26 games as a freshman last season, Schleusner came into his own playing in his second season with MSU this spring. In 48 games, hit .325 with 4 home runs, 38 RBI and showed great plate discipline as he walked nearly as many times as he struck out.

“I got together with my coaches and we worked on a lot of things and talked over things that I needed to work on,” he said. “I became a lot more comfortable with the team and my position.”

His strong season helped MSU take the top seed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships this season.

“It’s been great. I was blessed with a great team, lots of tremendous teammates and a lot of competitive baseball. It was a good experience,” he said.

Despite his strong showing last season, Schleusner still sees many ways he can improve throughout the summer.

“Getting better defensively overall and continuing to stay strong with my offensive approach,” he said.

Schleusner is also excited to play for a large home crowd in Yakima throughout the summer.

“It’ll be great to have a bunch of fans standing behind you and supporting you. I’ve never played in front of that many people before so it will be a new experience and I’m excited,” he said.

By Kevin Vallene

May 27, 2018