{"id":26371,"date":"2022-02-18T23:29:05","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T07:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/?p=26371"},"modified":"2022-02-18T23:30:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-19T07:30:28","slug":"2022-season-begins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/2022\/02\/18\/2022-season-begins\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 Season Begins"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bellevue College baseball opens the 2022 campaign tomorrow at three-time defending NWAC Champion Lower Columbia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

2022 marks a special year on many fronts for Bellevue College baseball. It will embark on its 53rd<\/sup> season with 50 winning seasons and only two losing (in the early 1980\u2019s) in that time span. The tradition finally continues as the first full season with a championship begins tomorrow at three-time defending NWAC Champion Lower Columbia.<\/p>\n

The club is also getting a fresh start with a predominantly freshman roster, a group of recruits from the covid-shutdown summer of 2020, and an administrative transition in which there will be co-Head Coaches in Mark Yoshino and David Olson. \u201dFor the returners, it\u2019s nothing new\u2026it\u2019s been the common practice for several years now. It\u2019s been advantageous for our guys since they have two head coaches there full-time on campus for anything. Within our program on a daily operations basis, we\u2019re co-Head Coaches. On game days, since David will be there every day and I will not, he\u2019ll be Head Coach. Missing a few BC games will be tough, but will be rewarding so I can experience being a \u2018volleyball dad\u2019 for my daughter. It\u2019s a big year for David; he\u2019ll get invaluable experience making lineups and substitutions. He also recently got engaged to an athletics-savvy fianc\u00e9 who can sit through a long doubleheader; little does he know he is already halfway home to a successful marriage because of that. The hardest part of this transition won\u2019t even be on the field; he\u2019ll have to get rid of that title \u201crecruiting coordinator\u201d as that\u2019s a feel-good title for aspiring assistants, not head coaches,\u201d Yoshino noted.<\/p>\n

Here is how Coach Olson sees the 2002 team in this season preview\u2026<\/p>\n

Q: Give a brief rundown by position group of what to expect: (players are listed with high school and summer club ball team name)
\n
\nA: Outfielders:\u00a0 <\/u><\/p>\n

Our outfield this season is one of the most athletic groups we have had.\u00a0 With all six players touting some respectable speed, we have some good combos out there.\u00a0 Parker Cumberland (Meadowdale HS \/ Rush), Nate Cain (Monroe HS \/ Legends), Marcel Jones Jr. (Chief Sealth HS \/ City Baseball) and Josiah Santiago (Archbishop Murphy HS \/ Baden) all have a plus speed tool along with good bat control at the plate.\u00a0 Bryce Lindberg (Shorewood \/ Shoreline) and Cam Hoiland (Kentridge \/ Diamond Sports) also have some wheels but have a more powerful swing.\u00a0 This group is exciting, as almost all were high school center fielders.\u00a0 We are hoping not many balls touch the ground out there this season.<\/p>\n

\"Troy
Co-captain Troy Baunsgard leads Bellevue College baseball into the 2022 season. Photo by Rick May Photography.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Infielders:<\/u><\/p>\n

Our infield is another dynamic group of players.\u00a0 Eunsang Yu (Inglemoor HS \/ NW Bandits), Harrison Clark (Mount Si HS \/ Washington A\u2019s), and Rylen Bayne South Kitsap HS \/ Narrows) will be playing on the corners, and all have the potential to put the ball out of the yard.\u00a0 Troy Baunsgard (Mount Si HS \/ Washington A\u2019s) and Abe Affholter (Everett HS \/ Tides) tout the speed and power combo with the ability to play any position.\u00a0 Remy Heckman (Edmonds-Woodway HS \/ Rush) is a solid bat and steady defender.\u00a0 Daniel Goon (Decatur HS \/ Diamond Sports) is another speed and contact guy with the ability to showcase a dynamic game. We unfortunately lost one of our top players, Kenji Suzuki (Eastside Catholic HS \/ U of Hawaii \/ Chaffey) to a ligament knee injury which will likely put him out for the entire season. This group is athletic and gives the coaching staff the ability to play a solid defensive infield while maintaining steady offensive production.<\/p>\n

Pitchers:<\/u><\/p>\n

Our pitching staff is comprised of a lot of potential.\u00a0 Our lone third year veteran Jacob \u00a0Dahlstrom (Eastside Catholic HS \/ Washington A\u2019s) and Dylan O\u2019Connor (Stadium HS \/ Baden) return with the most prior experience and have continued to develop into quality arms for the next level.\u00a0 The other sophomores, Lindberg, Avery McGinnis (Ballard HS \/ City) and Ian McIntosh (Kentridge \/ Rock Creek), have also worked hard and should contribute to the staff\u2019s ability to get outs and provide quality innings.\u00a0 Of the freshman, Bayne, Jacob Kaepernick (Sehome HS \/ Sweets), Hoiland, Liam Brennan (St. Thomas (MN) HS \/ Mudville), Masen McDonnell (Capistrano Valley (CA) HS \/ Southern California Renegades), Nate Rasmussen (West Seattle HS \/ Go Time), Ryan Lynch (Monroe HS \/ Sweets) and Kole Bennett (Tahoma HS \/ Rock Creek) have already shown the ability to adjust and show wipeout stuff on the mound.\u00a0 As a group, this staff is working toward being strong from top to bottom.\u00a0 Efficiency while keeping the opposing hitters guessing and off balance will be a recipe for success.<\/p>\n

Catchers:<\/u><\/p>\n

Our catching crew is strong.\u00a0 It showcases the returning sophomore Tyler Miller (Nathan Hale HS \/ Baden) and the two freshmen Jack Rhea (Eastside Catholic HS \/ Washington A\u2019s) and Damon Ingram (Notre Dame Prep HS (AZ) \/ Firebirds).\u00a0 Miller and Ingram both tout left-handed powerful swings with good arms behind the dish.\u00a0 Rhea is the righty swinger with great receiving and blocking ability.\u00a0 All three catchers have shown good ability to work with the pitching staff and show leadership on the field behind the plate.<\/p>\n

Q: Give a brief assessment of how this team has developed from day one in the fall to now, a day before the long-awaited season opener?<\/p>\n

A: This team has worked hard since day one in September.\u00a0 From offense to defense to the pitching staff, we have stressed development of the fundamentals in all aspects of the game.\u00a0 Through this we have seen improved swings, throwing mechanics, and fielding consistency.\u00a0 Additionally, we have spent a lot of time in the weight room which has led to increased throwing velocity for the pitching staff and power in the sticks of the hitters.\u00a0 While practicing these skills, we have also stressed the importance of game speed reps.\u00a0 This has helped us to increase experience in stressful situations and we feel this team is now ready to compete for an NWAC Championship.<\/p>\n

Q: You had a lot of veterans last year with covid returners and a roster 34 deep. This year with a relatively new and small roster of 26, what stands out as differences between the two?<\/p>\n

A: Last year\u2019s team of 34 earned the honor of a top 50 national ranking.\u00a0 This was high praise of a well deserving group. That set the bar high for this relatively new group of players.\u00a0 Time will tell how this team measures up, but there are some significant differences that may give this year\u2019s team the edge.\u00a0 Offensively, last year we were full of experience and power.\u00a0 Batter 1 through 9 in the lineup was able to leave the yard which made us a threat at the plate.\u00a0 This year, we still have some quality power bats, but as a group we are one of the fastest and most athletic teams we have had.\u00a0 Batters 1 through 9 of this team can swipe a bag and we think the athleticism will showcase a superior defense.\u00a0 Our pitching staff last season was full of power arms with 6+ players who were 90mph and up at times.\u00a0 This year\u2019s pitching staff might not be the same \u201cpower\u201d group of arms but are showing the ability to have wipe out stuff.\u00a0 Their ability to throw multiple pitches for strikes on command could give this staff the edge.\u00a0 Needless to say, we are excited about how this season will end up.<\/p>\n

Q: Looking back from the 2019-20 shutdown year to last year\u2019s shortened no championship season to this year, has anything changed for this year mindset-wise with you and also the team?<\/p>\n

A: As a coach, spring baseball season is always the best time of year.\u00a0 We get to see our athletes hard work pay off.\u00a0 That said, nothing has been harder than having to tell our team in 19-20 that the season was canceled.\u00a0 This gave literal meaning to \u201cplay each game like it could be your last.\u201d\u00a0 Our athletes work so hard throughout the fall and winter to get their cherry on top of the cake during baseball season.\u00a0 Last season, our team set out with a goal to play every game like it was their last.\u00a0 They were rewarded with a national ranking but couldn\u2019t experience the thrill of a championship run.\u00a0 Now with this team, we get the best of both worlds.\u00a0 I believe our squad has that mindset.\u00a0 While these guys, other than our one third year holdover Dahlstrom, weren\u2019t part of the canceled season here at BC, many had their high school seasons affected.\u00a0 They felt that hurt of not getting their dessert and are hungry for it now.\u00a0 This has fueled our training all year and has been a big contributing factor to why this team has grown and developed so much.\u00a0 I think because of that, this group is focused to attack this season with full intent and give it their all for an NWAC Championship run.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bellevue College baseball opens the 2022 campaign tomorrow at three-time defending NWAC Champion Lower Columbia.   2022 marks a special year on many fronts for Bellevue College baseball. It will embark on its 53rd season with 50 winning seasons and only two losing (in the early 1980\u2019s) in that time span. The tradition finally continues ...more about 2022 Season Begins<\/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":[5,32,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-baseball","category-featured","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26371","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=26371"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26372,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26371\/revisions\/26372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/athletics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}