LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL VERSUS LEWIS & CLARK • MARCH 24-25, 2023

EVENT MANAGER

Doug Hire

COMMUNICATIONS

Kaho

STATISTICS

Joe Miglioretto

PUBLIC ADDRESS AND SCOREBOARD

Jeremy Nettrouer

VIDEO WEBCASTS

Joe Stuart, Isaac Milner, Jack Stallard, Johnny Miller, Ben Baxter

GAME PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Felip Unker, Kaho Akau

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

pasion’s passion

Discovering career opportunities in the sports industry has sparked intense interest for first-generation college student Branden Pasion

by marissa dolson ’24

Attending Modesto Junior College has helped mature and humble Branden Pasion.

Hailing from Salida, California, the Linfield University first baseman says that with support from his family, he has learned a lot throughout his five years of college.

“My experience at Modesto Junior College helped me mature quickly. As a freshman at MJC, I was young and did not know how college worked. Modesto helped me develop good study habits and it showed me that if I want to be a college athlete, I have to work harder than I did in high school.

“That little extra step of going to a junior college helped me understand how a college athlete should act on and off the field.”

Pasion’s family in Salida was sad depart his home state but has continued support and motivate him throughout his Oregon. Cheering Branden on are his mother, Terri, father, Larry, and two sisters, Daniele Cortney, all of whom recently moved to “My family has shaped me to always because I am the only one in my immediate pursue a college degree,” he says.

Growing up in a close-knit family, his have impacted him and his success in throughout his journey. Pasion is grateful family’s dynamic support and the freedom pursue his dreams.

“My role models growing up were always my parents. My dad and I always connected easily with sports. He was my coach growing up and helped me become a successful athlete today. My mom was the one who pushed me academically and she shaped me to always work hard in the classroom and strive to do my best on all my assignments,” Pasion says.

When it came time to say goodbye family in Salida, he was packing his bags closer to a second family in McMinnville, “Transferring to Linfield was an easy familiar with McMinnville because I have At first, I was uncomfortable because I on campus. But as the fall semester and season came around, I became more with the campus and the guys on the team, smoothed my transition.”

As he emerged as a prominent player on the baseball team, Pasion began to create lasting friendships and memories in his new home at Linfield. The chemistry on the baseball team enabled Pasion to flourish.

Looking back to last season’s run to a share of the Northwest Conference championship and a berth in the league tournament, Pasion recalls how “my teammates accepted me with open arms and made me feel comfortable in a situation where I wasn’t entirely comfortable. One of my most memorable moments was our tournament run last year. While it ended in defeat, we had so much chemistry, which led to so much fun and success. It made the whole year memorable.”

Soon after arriving at Linfield, Pasion decided to explore sport management as a new major and it has since brought pure contentment.

“My academic career at Linfield helped me grow as a person because it allowed me to find what I like,” he says. “Before coming to Linfield, I was a mathematics major. I didn’t enjoy doing math for fun and wanted to explore other options.”

Growing up playing baseball his whole life and the it was clear where his The opportunity to earn a sport calling his name. declaring at Linfield, I immediately management was a major instantly. It helped me find that I truly like, it allowed me to passion for my work and find could do forever.”

Pasion pursues his love sports in various ways, he discovering more and more interests. Though he hasn’t narrowed down his specific career plans, he knows his calling is within the sport management field.

“My future goals are unknown because I am not familiar with working with sports. However the more courses I’ve taken, the more sports marketing interests me. At the moment, I am trying to get an internship during the summer and then hopefully I can a job.” decision to attend Linfield is one will never regret. He has overwhelmed by the joy, memories, friendships he has creMcMinnville. He is optimistic about the progresses. Right now, he has his another NWC Tournament run.

ETHAN RHOADS | 0

5-11 | Sophomore | INF Seattle, Washington

MEET THE WILDCATS

jhett jacquot | 1

6-1 | Senior | INF/RHP Lincoln, Nebraska

GARRETT MOEN| 16

5-7 | Senior | OF Vancouver, Washington

braden woods | 17

5-9 | Freshman | OF McMinnville, Oregon

SKYLER MANELSKI | 29

6-2 | Senior | RHP Shoreline, Washington

john over| 18

6-2 | Sophomore | LHP Eugene, Oregon

jake hoskins | 5

5-1 | Junior | INF Hillsboro, Oregon

jackson horner| 8

5-11 | Senior | UT Kimberly, Idaho

spencer burgess | 44

6-2 | Sophomore | RHP West Seattle, Washington

jarrett allen | 30

5-8 | Junior | RHP Eugene, Oregon

austin hansen |20

6-0 | Sophomore | OF Plumas Lake, California

emerson dennis |22

6-3 | Freshman | RHP Happy Valley, Oregon

joel french | 33

6-10 | Junior | LHP Fallbrook, California

chase stephenson| 34

5-10 | Freshman | INF Ripon, California

mason masterson| 45

GAME TIME

MARCH 25-26, 2023

casey struckmeier | 48

6-1 | Freshman | RHP Vancouver, Washington

aidan mccann| 35

6-3 | Junior | RHP Seattle, Washington

eric albios |51

5-9 | Freshman | C Vancouver, Washington

6-0 | Sophomore | UT Ridgefield, Washington

danny kahn | 2 6-0 | Junior | INF Seattle, Washington

jesse lopez | 4 5-5 | Freshman | INF La Habra, California

casen reed|31 6-0 | Freshman | LHP Vancouver, Washington

tyler marr| 46 6-2 | Sophomore | C Great Falls, Montana

nick alder| 47 5-9 | Sophomore | INF/RHP

cameron skinner | 21

6-0 | Senior | UT Murrieta, California

trent wainfeld| 59 5-10 | Freshman | OF Los Angeles, California

brian mannion | 54

6-3 | Freshman | RHP Beaverton, Oregon

brett joner | 55 5-6 | Junior | C Amboy, Washington

charles gargus| 99 6-7 | Sophomore | RHP Yakima, Washington

jackson bui| 60 5-9 | Freshman | OF Tigard, Oregon

MEET THE WILDCATS

LINFIELD WILDCATS

HEAD COACH: Dan Spencer (fourth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Jordan Harlow, Justin Salge, Carl Johnson, Joe Paterson, Larry Carlson

STUDENT MANAGERS: Raylynn Bucher, Brian Kice, Parker Wright, Colton Willbrandt

LEWIS & CLARK PIONEERS

HEAD COACH: Matt Kosderka (fifth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Rob Vance, Bill Allen, Daniel Turpen

LINFIELD SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM

Design & Innovation, Sport Leadership and Wine Business Leadership Unique one-year program open to all majors

Learn to lead and manage high-performing teams

HEAD COACH DAN SPENCER

Dan Spencer is in his fourth year of leading the Linfield baseball program. During his third season at the helm, he guided the Wildcats to a share of the Northwest Conference championship and a berth in the NWC Tournament.

Spencer became the first non-Linfield graduate to lead the program since 1949. He has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest and brings with him 28 years of coaching experience, including 22 at the Division I level with stops at Washington State, New Mexico, Oregon State and Texas Tech.

He coached at Washington State for three seasons, serving as the Cougars associate head coach, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Before WSU, Spencer was an assistant for three years at New Mexico (2013-15), where he helped the Lobos

reach the title game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

He spent a total of 11 years as a member of the Oregon State coaching staff, first as an assistant (1997-2003) and then as associate head coach under Pat Casey (2004-07). While in Corvallis, the Beavers won back-to-back national titles and appeared in three straight College World Series (2005-07). His pitching staffs led the Pac-10 in ERA during both 2005 and 2006 and in saves in 2006 and 2007. Spencer spent five seasons at Texas Tech, one as associate head coach and four more as head coach.

As a player, Spencer played three seasons as a catcher and third baseman at Texas Tech after beginning his collegiate career at Mira Costa College in Oceanside, California.

Joe Paterson Assistant Coach

Larry Carlson Assistant Coach kaho akau Sports Communications

jordan harlow

Associate Head Coach justin salge Assistant Coach

Carl Johnson Assistant Coach

raylynn bucher Student Operations Manager

brian kice Student Manager

colton willbrandt Student Manager

ROY HELSER FIELD

Roy Helser Field, together with Jim Wright Stadium, has developed from a belowaverage facility to a jewel among Northwest small colleges.

The facility has served as host of the 2009, 2010 and 2012 NCAA Division III regional playoffs and is again one of eight designated regional host sites in 2014.

One important addition was construction of a partially enclosed and fully covered batting practice structure, called “Carney’s Cages” in honor of longtime baseball coach Scott Carnahan. This spring, a project is underway to expand the batting cage space

to include an enclosed weight room.

A major change took place in 2008 when the grass infield was replaced with a FieldTurf artificial playing surface. Drainage was improved and construction of covered, enclosed batting cages on the venue site was undertaken. Prior to the 2013 season, the dirt pitching mound was also replaced with artificial turf to match the infield surface.

In 2000, outdoor lighting was added to the field. Musco lighting systems were installed in the fall of 2000 to give more flexibility in scheduling while enhancing the facilities and allowing for NCAA post-season

competition. Outdoor lighting provides additional opportunities for McMinnville-area youth teams during the summer.

Wright Stadium was added to Helser Field in 1990, replacing portable aluminum bleachers and a chainlink backstop.

On May 25, 1991, Linfield dedicated its newly completed baseball stadium at Roy Helser Field in honor of Jim Wright, his wife, Sondra, and parents Edith (Hall) Wright of McMinnville and the late Neale Wright, class of 1929. Jim Wright, a retired Portland businessman, provided a large portion of the funding for the new stadium.

Your

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THE RECORDS

Linfield entered the week at 9-11 overall and 6-7 in Northwest Conference play. The Wildcats played at Willamette on Wednesday in a nonconference game. Lewis & Clark occupies the No. 4 spot in the NWC standings at 16-7 overall with a 6-5 conference mark.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

The Wildcats are batting .280 as a team. Branden Pasion leads all qualified Linfield batters with a .347 batting average and a .468 on-base percentage. Jake Hoskins has 29 hits, including three home runs, to go with 13 RBI. Bodey Smith owns a .414 on-base percentage as the Wildcats’ new leadoff man. John Over is coming off his best two starts of the season, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out 10 batters.

LEWIS & CLARK AT A GLANCE

The Pioneers split a doubleheader with Puget Sound before taking a break from NWC play to claim two of three games against NAIA Bushnell. Jack Thomson leads Division III with 12 home runs and 31 walks. He’s batting .384 with a .603 on-base percentage and a .932 slugging percentage. Will Heron ranks fifth in the nation with 32 RBI. Luke Ritter is 3-0 on the mound with 39 strikeouts and a 3.38 ERA in seven starts.

THE SERIES

Linfield is 137-60 in the all-time series with Lewis & Clark, averaging 6.9 runs per game. That record includes an 81-28 mark at home. The Wildcats won 19 straight games between the 2009 and 2015 seasons. Last season, the ‘Cats and Pios split their season series 2-2.

36 grant knox

LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

can’t attend the game? catch the action on the lsn

The Linfield Sports Network continues to bring fans live action of all home Linfield baseball games in 2023. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts and play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or Smart TV.

Live coverage begins 10 minutes prior to the start of each match. Broadcasts include a complete postgame wrap-up with analysis and statistical breakdown.

Linfield senior Jack Stallard begins his second season as the play-by-play voice of Wildcats baseball. Stallard, a current member of the Linfield men’s basketball team, will also mix-in as an occasional color commentator. Stallard started out in broadcasting for the LSN in 2021, calling play-by-play for baseball and softball.

Also contributing play-by-play is Isaac Milner, who began his broadcasting experience with the LSN by

calling soccer matches, providing color commentary on basketball broadcasts, handling occasional play-by-play duties for volleyball, basketball and softball as well as providing crucial production support on football, softball, tennis and swimming webcasts.

LSN live broadcasts are under the direction of the athletic department’s Broadcast Operations Coordinator, Joe Stuart. In his second year in the position, Stuart oversees all technical production and management of LSN broadcasts as well as providing play-by-play commentary on football, basketball, baseball and softball webcasting in addition to assisting with other athletics communications needs. All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed at golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or in the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.

We are proud to serve as the team physicians for Linfield College, McMinnville High School and the See Ya Later Foundation.

jack stallard

From the weekend warrior to the elite athlete, we are ready to get you back in the game. We will work closely with you to help create a treatment plan geared to and focused on you.

2013 BASEBALL TEAM REUNION

Members of Linfield’s most recent national team championship will gather on the 10-year anniversary of their milestone season

Linfield is ready to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the 2013 NCAA Division III national championship baseball team on Saturday, April 1, at Roy Helser Field.

All players and coaches from the 2013 championship squad are invited to campus to attend the game and be recognized on the field prior to the first pitch. Players and coaches are asked to gather in the home bullpen no later than 1:30 p.m. on April 1. The Wildcats play a single game that afternoon versus the College of Idaho starting at 2.

Sue’s Steak Tacos food truck to be on site from noon until 4 p.m. and a beer garden will be set up nearby for alumni and their guests to enjoy.

Everyone is invited to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of this milestone season.

THE TOPCAT CLUB

The Linfield University TopCat Club serves as a support organization to the 21 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and the more than 500 students who participate in athletics each year. Each year, support from the TopCat Club is essential to maintaining and expanding each of these programs.

The mission of the TopCat Club is to provide students with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the overall Linfield athletics program.

At Linfield, we continually strive to improve programs and facilities so that our teams may compete at the highest level. Roughly 75 percent of the athletic department’s annual operating budget comes from the university’s general fund. The remainder is generated through a wide variety of external sources, including annual gifts to the Linfield TopCat Club.

To learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the TopCat Club website at www.linfieldtopcat.com.

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The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by Pacific Office Automation, was established in 1998 as an avenue to honor former outstanding athletes, coaches, staff and contributors and to preserve the memory of their past achievements.

A new class of inductees is honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet each fall. Inductees are chosen from a list of submitted nominations and voted upon by the Hall of Fame Executive and Selection Committees. The 20-member panel is made up of current and former staff members, past inductees, a member of the media, and a former athlete representing each of the preceding six decades.

Nominations may be submitted by any interested person but must be submitted using the online nomination form. Hall of Fame nominations are considered in any one of six categories: Athlete, Coach, Team, Athletics Staff, and Meritorious Service. The deadline to submit nominations each year is March 1.