{"id":17572,"date":"2017-11-26T22:49:16","date_gmt":"2017-11-27T06:49:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/?p=17572"},"modified":"2017-11-26T22:49:16","modified_gmt":"2017-11-27T06:49:16","slug":"baseball-signs-14-new-recruits-for-next-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/2017\/11\/26\/baseball-signs-14-new-recruits-for-next-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Baseball Signs 14 New Recruits for Next Season"},"content":{"rendered":"

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:<\/p>\n

\"Al<\/a>
Al Aurelio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Al Aurelio \u2013 Outfield\/Pitcher – Bellevue High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 His dynamic ability to play in the outfield excites the Bellevue coaching staff.\u00a0 Al plays in the summer for Baden Elite Baseball and is coached by former BC Bulldog, Jordan Seiber.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Al’s ability to be a plus defender in the outfield is a skill we needed in this class.\u00a0 Al will be able to fill into the outfield and cover a lot of ground.\u00a0 He also has potential to develop more power at the plate, making him a prospect in the future.”<\/p>\n

Ben Anger \u2013 Pitcher – \u00a0Bellevue High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ben pitches in the summer for the Boys of Summer for Coach Kevin Ticen.\u00a0 Ben has shown a lot of potential on the mound.\u00a0 In 2017, Ben hoisted a 5-1 record with a 1.48 ERA.\u00a0 In 33 innings of work, he struck out 33 while allowing only 9 walks.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Ben has the potential to be a huge asset on the mound for Bellevue.\u00a0 He has proven the ability to pitch at an elevated high school level, and with hard work can develop into an effective college pitcher.\u00a0 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.”<\/p>\n

Nicholas Hovland \u2013 Infield – Highline High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Nicholas Hovland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hovland is a middle infielder who plays summer ball for Baseball Beyond Borders.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He also only made one error in the field on the season.\u00a0 His stellar play earned him the honor of MVP for SPSL 2A and Seattle Times Star Times honors.\u00a0 Hovland was also selected to the 2017 All-USA Washington Baseball team.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Nicholas is an exciting prospect in the middle of the infield.\u00a0 At 6’2″ he has the frame of a big-time middle infield prospect.\u00a0 He is looking to come in and fill the shoes of current BC standouts, gold glover, Jack Kennelly, and, WSU signee, Grant DeLappe.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Mack Mahovlich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mack Mahovlich \u2013 Catcher – Issaquah High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Mack catches for Coach Rob Reese for both his high school team and in the summer for Lakeside Recovery American Legion.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Mack ended the year with a batting average of .403.\u00a0 He earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Perfect Game Championships, and also made the Perfect Game 300 player All-American Team.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Mack has a lot of ability behind the plate defensively and with his bat.\u00a0 He is athletic for a guy with such a big frame, and is starting to develop the ability to really hit with some power.\u00a0 I think Mack’s skill set will fit right in here at BC and help us to continue a winning tradition.”<\/p>\n

Trevin Hope \u2013 Pitcher – \u00a0Lynden High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Trevin Hope<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trevin is Bellevue\u2019s first recruit from Lynden HS and plays in the summer for the Seattle Stars.\u00a0 In 2017 he finished the high school year with a \u00a00.15 ERA with 75 strikeouts.\u00a0 His dominating performance earned him the honor of Pitcher of the Year in the Northwest Conference.\u00a0 Trevin was also selected to play for the Kansas City Royals Area Code team in the annual Area Code Games this past August.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Trevin is an exciting guy on the mound.\u00a0 At 6’6″ he is an intimidating force on the mound with a lot of downhill action on his pitches.\u00a0 With the help of coach Yoshino, Trevin could become the next Adrian Sampson-like draft product from Bellevue College.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Riley Parker<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Riley Parker \u2013 Infielder – Glacier Peak High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Parker is Bellevue\u2019s second recruit from Glacier Peak High School following current Bulldog freshman Ethan Smith.\u00a0 Riley pays in the summer for the Seattle Tides.\u00a0 Riley has shown lots of potential in the infield and at the plate with power.\u00a0 He can throw 90 m.p.h. across the diamond and has flashed power at the plate.\u00a0 In 2017 for his high school team Riley hit seven doubles and two home runs.\u00a0 One of those doubles came as a walk-off against Jackson High School to get the team a berth into the playoffs.\u00a0 He also had a multi-home run game to start off his summer season with the Tides.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Riley is a very dynamic infielder with a lot of arm strength and some pop in the bat.\u00a0 He caught our attention by showing he can make the long throw in the 6-hole across the diamond with ease.\u00a0 It will be exciting to see what he can do here at Bellevue.”<\/p>\n

Ian Haigh \u2013 Pitcher – Glacier Peak High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ian Haigh is a left-handed pitcher who will come along with Parker from Glacier Peak.\u00a0 In the summers, he plays for FCA Baseball.\u00a0 Ian put together a great year on the mound in 2017.\u00a0 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. \u00a0Additionally, he also struck out more than 80 hitters in the 72 innings he threw.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Ian has a lot of potential and is really coming into his own over the past season.\u00a0 As a two-way player leading up to now, Ian has decided to dedicate his time on the mound.\u00a0 His pitch-ability from the left side is very intriguing and he commands a breaking ball that is a next level pitch.”<\/p>\n

Warren Utschinski \u2013 Pitcher – Meridian High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Warren is a right-handed pitcher who hails from tiny Meridian High School up north in Bellingham.\u00a0 In the summer he plays for the Bellingham Post 7. Warren\u2019s coach for both teams is Steve Slesk. Coach Olson states, \u201cWarren re-defines \u2018projection\u2019 to the second degree. \u00a0He\u2019s 6\u2019 7\u201d 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.\u201d Utschinski\u2019s father, Thomas, was a similar lanky pitcher who was a standout and pitched against Yoshino in high school, summer ball, and college.<\/p>\n

Eric Anderson \u2013 Pitcher – Marysville Pilchuck High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Eric Anderson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.\u00a0 In 2017 Eric was a steady starter for his high school team.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “We are excited to have Eric with us in the future.\u00a0 His dedication to the classroom and family makeup are exactly what we want in our culture here at BC.”<\/p>\n

Ryan Hecker \u2013 Pitcher – North Kitsap High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ryan is a left-handed pitcher from North Kitsap High School and Boys of Summer.\u00a0 Ryan had a stellar year for North Kitsap with a 6-2 record.\u00a0 He maintained a 1.86 ERA while striking out 80 batters in 52.2 innings.\u00a0 This performance earned him All-State honors while being selected as the Kitsap Sun’s \u00a0Player of the Year.\u00a0 Additionally, Ryan was one of Boys of Summer’s top arms putting together good performances against some of the top teams in the state.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Ryan has a lot of feel to pitch from the left side.\u00a0 He has an excellent feel to control the strike zone with several good pitches.\u00a0 As he continues to grow and get stronger and develop the sky is the limit.”<\/p>\n

Bret Otterson \u2013 Catcher – Mariner High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bret is another player coming from the Seattle Bombers summer program along with Anderson.\u00a0 He has been a dominant force behind the plate.\u00a0 His stellar defense earned him Mariner Defensive Player of the Year honors along with being selected as First Team All-Wesco.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “As Bret gets stronger and develops more power in his bat, he can become a dominant force for the BC team. \u00a0His ability to catch is proven.\u00a0 Bret is the kind of catcher that can shut down another team’s running game.\u00a0 That is an invaluable trait to have in that position. As he continues to work hard, he will only continue to get better.”<\/p>\n

Lukas Motta \u2013 Infield – \u00a0Newport High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lukas is a speedy middle infielder who is a local product playing for nearby Newport HS and Lakeside Recovery Center in the summer.\u00a0 In 2016 Lukas was second on his high school team in hits and led the squad in extra-base hits.\u00a0 Lukas caught the eyes of the BC coaching staff at the Brandy Pugh\u00a0 and American Legion State tournaments.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Lukas’ dynamic ability on the field is very fun to watch.\u00a0 His speed plays at any position on the field, and Lukas has the ability to play both infield and outfield.\u00a0 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.”<\/p>\n

Julian Kodama \u2013 infield – Edmonds-Woodway High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Bellevue has had a lot of success with Washington Rush players in the past, and currently has five Rush alumni on the team.\u00a0 Julian will also be joining former high school teammate, Kosta Cooper, here at BC.\u00a0 Coach Olson says, “Because of the tradition of Rush players here at BC, we are excited to see what the future holds for Julian.\u00a0 He already has good hands in the infield and a quick swing that stays in the zone for a long time.\u00a0 All qualities we will try to build on here at BC.”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\u00a0Brock Hathaway<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brock Hathaway -Pitcher – Ingraham High School<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Brock is Bellevue\u2019s first recruit from Ingraham since the mid-1980\u2019s (Rob Gasca, 1985 was the last one) and plays for City Baseball in the summer.\u00a0 In the 2017 high school season, Brock made First Team All-Metro.\u00a0 This was his first complete season for his varsity squad, and he made the most of it.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 He also has a great personality and the kind of work ethic we like here at BC.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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 ...more about Baseball Signs 14 New Recruits for Next Season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-baseball","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17572"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17596,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17572\/revisions\/17596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}