Three More California Players Added to Pippins

Pair from UC Irvine, infielder from Cal Poly heading to Yakima

YAKIMA, Wash. – Two freshmen infielders and a freshman right-handed pitcher are the newest additions to the Yakima Valley Pippins roster for 2018.

Nick DiCarlo, a 6-foot-2, 190-pounder at Cal Poly SLO, is currently batting .300 (6 for 20) for the Mustangs in the 11 games he’s played as a true freshman. DiCarlo attended Arcadia High School in Phoenix, where he hit .372 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 19 during his senior season in 2017.

“Nick is a very talented freshman who will be an infielder who stands out immediately when he puts on the Pippin green,” Yakima Valley manager Marcus McKimmy said. “He’s very dynamic in his offensive skill set and will probably play a lot of third base for us, but can play the other two infield spots as well.

“Since he’s already seeing early action this spring for the Mustangs, he will hit the ground running when he gets to Yakima,” McKimmy continued. “Nick’s a winner, and we expect that to infect his teammates and Yakima County Stadium. He played for the Utah Marshalls out of high school, which is on the short list of best summer programs in the western United States.”

McKimmy is also looking forward to the versatility of Brendan Brooks, a 6-foot-1, 165-pound freshman infielder at Cal Irvine.

“We really like the versatility that Brendan will give us offensively and defensively,” he said. “He is just a really good, skilled baseball player. I’m confident that he can play all three infield spots in the summer, but his first college start was in the outfield.”

Brooks, from Corona, Calif., attended Norco High School in Norco, Calif., where he hit .370 with nine doubles and 12 RBI in 28 games his senior year. At Irvine, he’s hitting .297 in nine starts with the Anteaters.

Brendan Brooks

Jake Lachemann

Teammate Jake Lachemann, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound right-hander, also is expected to have an impact with the Pippins.

“Jake will be an important piece of our bullpen,” McKimmy said. “He is an 88- to 90-mph arm from an incredibly valuable angle, given his height.”

Lachemann was 3-1 with three saves in 20 innings pitched for San Juan Hills High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., in 2017. He’s also the grandson of former Major League Baseball player and manager Marcel Lachemann.

“One thing I’ve learned is to trust the value of baseball families,” McKimmy said.

The Pippins open their fifth anniversary season on June 1, hosting the Walla Walla Sweets at Yakima County Stadium. Season tickets for the team’s 32-game home schedule are currently available for purchase at Hunky Shaw’s Team Shop, 12 S. Second St. in the historic Larson Building in downtown Yakima, by calling 509-575-4487 or at pippinsbaseball.com.

By Yakima Valley Pippins

March 10, 2018