With the new NWAC letter of intent date moved up to November 1 this year, the Bellevue College Bulldog baseball staff took full advantage of it by signing 14 incoming players for their class of 2018. The squad will have a few more additions to replace a large group of departing sophomores of the current 2018 squad that is loaded with veterans. Assistant Coach David Olson scoured nearly most, but not all of the 70-plus summer teams in the Puget Sound area in a three month window to come up with the following group of recruits along with Head Coach Mark Yoshino. Aurelio, Parker, Haigh, Hope, Hecker, Kodama, and Hathaway, in particular were recruits that Olson ‘beared down on’ by watching several times this past summer. Here is a rundown of the incoming class by Olson:
Al Aurelio – Outfield/Pitcher – Bellevue High School
Al is a standout outfielder and left-handed pitcher who received First-Team All KingCo honors for his outfield play, along with First-Team All-State honors. His dynamic ability to play in the outfield excites the Bellevue coaching staff. Al plays in the summer for Baden Elite Baseball and is coached by former BC Bulldog, Jordan Seiber. Coach Olson says, “Al’s ability to be a plus defender in the outfield is a skill we needed in this class. Al will be able to fill into the outfield and cover a lot of ground. He also has potential to develop more power at the plate, making him a prospect in the future.”
Ben Anger – Pitcher – Bellevue High School
Ben pitches in the summer for the Boys of Summer for Coach Kevin Ticen. Ben has shown a lot of potential on the mound. In 2017, Ben hoisted a 5-1 record with a 1.48 ERA. In 33 innings of work, he struck out 33 while allowing only 9 walks. Coach Olson says, “Ben has the potential to be a huge asset on the mound for Bellevue. He has proven the ability to pitch at an elevated high school level, and with hard work can develop into an effective college pitcher. He already has command of the strike zone, and it will be fun to see him work with Coach Yoshino and really learn how to pitch at the next level.”
Nicholas Hovland – Infield – Highline High School
Hovland is a middle infielder who plays summer ball for Baseball Beyond Borders. Even though he comes from a smaller division of high school baseball (class 2A), Nicholas showed domination at the plate with a batting average of .521 with four doubles and two home runs. He also only made one error in the field on the season. His stellar play earned him the honor of MVP for SPSL 2A and Seattle Times Star Times honors. Hovland was also selected to the 2017 All-USA Washington Baseball team. Coach Olson says, “Nicholas is an exciting prospect in the middle of the infield. At 6’2″ he has the frame of a big-time middle infield prospect. He is looking to come in and fill the shoes of current BC standouts, gold glover, Jack Kennelly, and, WSU signee, Grant DeLappe.”
Mack Mahovlich – Catcher – Issaquah High School
Mack catches for Coach Rob Reese for both his high school team and in the summer for Lakeside Recovery American Legion. In 2017 Mack received All-KingCo First Team Utility honors because of his work behind the plate defensively, on the mound as a pitcher, and at first base. Mack ended the year with a batting average of .403. He earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Perfect Game Championships, and also made the Perfect Game 300 player All-American Team. Coach Olson says, “Mack has a lot of ability behind the plate defensively and with his bat. He is athletic for a guy with such a big frame, and is starting to develop the ability to really hit with some power. I think Mack’s skill set will fit right in here at BC and help us to continue a winning tradition.”
Trevin Hope – Pitcher – Lynden High School
Trevin is Bellevue’s first recruit from Lynden HS and plays in the summer for the Seattle Stars. In 2017 he finished the high school year with a 0.15 ERA with 75 strikeouts. His dominating performance earned him the honor of Pitcher of the Year in the Northwest Conference. Trevin was also selected to play for the Kansas City Royals Area Code team in the annual Area Code Games this past August. Coach Olson says, “Trevin is an exciting guy on the mound. At 6’6″ he is an intimidating force on the mound with a lot of downhill action on his pitches. With the help of coach Yoshino, Trevin could become the next Adrian Sampson-like draft product from Bellevue College.”
Riley Parker – Infielder – Glacier Peak High School
Parker is Bellevue’s second recruit from Glacier Peak High School following current Bulldog freshman Ethan Smith. Riley pays in the summer for the Seattle Tides. Riley has shown lots of potential in the infield and at the plate with power. He can throw 90 m.p.h. across the diamond and has flashed power at the plate. In 2017 for his high school team Riley hit seven doubles and two home runs. One of those doubles came as a walk-off against Jackson High School to get the team a berth into the playoffs. He also had a multi-home run game to start off his summer season with the Tides. Coach Olson says, “Riley is a very dynamic infielder with a lot of arm strength and some pop in the bat. He caught our attention by showing he can make the long throw in the 6-hole across the diamond with ease. It will be exciting to see what he can do here at Bellevue.”
Ian Haigh – Pitcher – Glacier Peak High School
Ian Haigh is a left-handed pitcher who will come along with Parker from Glacier Peak. In the summers, he plays for FCA Baseball. Ian put together a great year on the mound in 2017. Throughout the high school and summer seasons, Ian hoisted a 2.34 ERA as a starter, allowing opponents to only bat at an average of .113. Additionally, he also struck out more than 80 hitters in the 72 innings he threw. Coach Olson says, “Ian has a lot of potential and is really coming into his own over the past season. As a two-way player leading up to now, Ian has decided to dedicate his time on the mound. His pitch-ability from the left side is very intriguing and he commands a breaking ball that is a next level pitch.”
Warren Utschinski – Pitcher – Meridian High School
Warren is a right-handed pitcher who hails from tiny Meridian High School up north in Bellingham. In the summer he plays for the Bellingham Post 7. Warren’s coach for both teams is Steve Slesk. Coach Olson states, “Warren re-defines ‘projection’ to the second degree. He’s 6’ 7” tall and has long arms, but has limited experience and has yet to reach his strength potential. Coach Yoshino drove five hours to see him throw, not in a game, but on the sideline. His loose arm action, his body type, and his gene pool all led us to recruit Warren.” Utschinski’s father, Thomas, was a similar lanky pitcher who was a standout and pitched against Yoshino in high school, summer ball, and college.
Eric Anderson – Pitcher – Marysville Pilchuck High School
Eric comes from routes connected to BC, as his older brother Cody, is an alumni of the program who broke the NWAC single-season strikeout record at BC and now pitches for Washington State University. In 2017 Eric was a steady starter for his high school team. He finished the year with a 2.18 ERA while striking out 42 and only allowing 17 walks in 42 innings of work. This performance earned him First-Team North All-WesCo honors. Eric has a projectable frame and comes from a long lineage of good BC players from the Seattle Bombers summer program under the direction of Coach Mark Potoshnik. Coach Olson says, “We are excited to have Eric with us in the future. His dedication to the classroom and family makeup are exactly what we want in our culture here at BC.”
Ryan Hecker – Pitcher – North Kitsap High School
Ryan is a left-handed pitcher from North Kitsap High School and Boys of Summer. Ryan had a stellar year for North Kitsap with a 6-2 record. He maintained a 1.86 ERA while striking out 80 batters in 52.2 innings. This performance earned him All-State honors while being selected as the Kitsap Sun’s Player of the Year. Additionally, Ryan was one of Boys of Summer’s top arms putting together good performances against some of the top teams in the state. Coach Olson says, “Ryan has a lot of feel to pitch from the left side. He has an excellent feel to control the strike zone with several good pitches. As he continues to grow and get stronger and develop the sky is the limit.”
Bret Otterson – Catcher – Mariner High School
Bret is another player coming from the Seattle Bombers summer program along with Anderson. He has been a dominant force behind the plate. His stellar defense earned him Mariner Defensive Player of the Year honors along with being selected as First Team All-Wesco. Coach Olson says, “As Bret gets stronger and develops more power in his bat, he can become a dominant force for the BC team. His ability to catch is proven. Bret is the kind of catcher that can shut down another team’s running game. That is an invaluable trait to have in that position. As he continues to work hard, he will only continue to get better.”
Lukas Motta – Infield – Newport High School
Lukas is a speedy middle infielder who is a local product playing for nearby Newport HS and Lakeside Recovery Center in the summer. In 2016 Lukas was second on his high school team in hits and led the squad in extra-base hits. Lukas caught the eyes of the BC coaching staff at the Brandy Pugh and American Legion State tournaments. Coach Olson says, “Lukas’ dynamic ability on the field is very fun to watch. His speed plays at any position on the field, and Lukas has the ability to play both infield and outfield. Lukas has the ability to achieve some great things in this game as he builds strength and continues to build on his extra-base hit mentality.”
Julian Kodama – infield – Edmonds-Woodway High School
Julian Kodama is a middle infielder who is the successor of current BC shortstop Kennelly, as they both are north-end infielders who played in the summer for the Washington Rush baseball program for former BC player and coach, Dan Somoza. Bellevue has had a lot of success with Washington Rush players in the past, and currently has five Rush alumni on the team. Julian will also be joining former high school teammate, Kosta Cooper, here at BC. Coach Olson says, “Because of the tradition of Rush players here at BC, we are excited to see what the future holds for Julian. He already has good hands in the infield and a quick swing that stays in the zone for a long time. All qualities we will try to build on here at BC.”
Brock Hathaway -Pitcher – Ingraham High School
Brock is Bellevue’s first recruit from Ingraham since the mid-1980’s (Rob Gasca, 1985 was the last one) and plays for City Baseball in the summer. In the 2017 high school season, Brock made First Team All-Metro. This was his first complete season for his varsity squad, and he made the most of it. As another large framed pitcher coming into the BC staff, Brock has the ability to locate multiple pitches for strikes and throw at a downhill angle. Coach Olson says, “Brock’s big frame and ability to throw the ball down hill makes him effective on the mound and hard to hit. He also has a great personality and the kind of work ethic we like here at BC. Brock wants to achieve great things and through working hard I believe he will.” The Bellevue staff is excited to see what the future holds for Brock.
Last Updated November 26, 2017
