WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY
MATCHUP: WHITWORTH AT LINFIELD
game operations | event staff
EVENT MANAGER
Casey Powell
COMMUNICATIONS
Conner Jensen, Joe Stuart,
Kelly Bird
STATISTICS
Joe Miglioretto
PUBLIC ADDRESS
Ericson Teller
VIDEO WEBCASTS
Joe Stuart, Brian Kice, Ethan Kline, Levi Jones, Joel Nelson
GAME PROGRAM
Kelly Bird, Conner Jensen, Felipe Unker
WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT
journey of a lifetime
Few have persevered more to earn a college degree than Elijah Maris, whose baseball career has included four stops
by kellen wiggins ’28
Elijah Maris’ baseball journey has been an astonishing ride.
Over the span of seven years and four different schools, he has faced challenges ranging from a COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season, to balancing a full-time job, to school and with it all, the demands of being a college athlete.
Now 25 years of age, the Linfield University shortstop embraces his role as both a leader and mentor to younger teammates while soaking in every moment of his final season. With years of perseverance behind him and an open road ahead, Maris is focused on finishing strong, both on the field and in the classroom, before taking his next steps beyond baseball.
Maris has enjoyed a truly extraordinary baseball career The Atlanta, Georgia, native has played all across the country, beginning at Ventura College before moving over to Hawaii Pacific and then Corban University, and ultimately winding up at Linfield. Playing for four different schools has taught him to adapt to different situations. Maris calls his collegiate baseball experience “intense,” and despite the pandemic and playing on four dif ferent clubs, he has considered the overall the experience enjoyable.
“It’s been fun getting to live and experience different parts of the country through playing baseball. It’s been intense at times with COVID happening my second year in junior college and then bounc ing to two schools before ending up here at Linfield,” he says. “I’ve definitely learned how to handle adversity throughout my time playing ball and go ing to school.”
Maris is no stranger to learning to adapt to new situations, whether it’s moving to a new location or integrating himself into a new baseball program. A new adaptation for Maris this season was the addition of him having to work. Thank fully Maris’s work supervisor has been flexible with his baseball and school schedule, allowing him the opportunity to earn money so he can pay for necessities such as rent and food.
“This year has been unique in the fact that I’ve had to start working,” he says. “While my job understands my school and baseball schedule, I still have to prioritize making money to be able to eat and pay my bills. I have had to miss some practices here and there because of it.”
Needing to work consistently while being a student-athlete is a tricky situation. Obviously, balancing practice and game times can be difficult. Additionally, not consistently being able to be with his teammates has made it hard to develop camaraderie with his teammates.
“It’s been harder not being able to be with my teammates year-round like I normally would be, but everyone is super understanding of my situation.”
Being 4-5 years older than many of his teammates gives Maris different perspectives than the typical senior athlete. He is living a different reality than most collegiate athletes.
“On the field, being a senior and an older guy helps me to be a good resource for the younger guys to ask questions and to point them in a direction to continue to get better,” he says.
“Off the field, I’m a 25-year-old with a job and not a lot of free time. So I’m really not living the ‘college life’ anymore, so to
Despite his circumstances, Maris has developed deep bonds with a number of fellow athletes he has met along the way, but one that stands out to him is Wildcats teammate Hunter Klingelhoffer. The two have played together for five years.
“Hunter and I are really close. We played three years together in California, and now two here at Linfield. So in our seven years of college we’ve played five years together. Over that time, we’ve gotten to grow both on and off the field together, which has been super cool.”
With his final baseball season about to close a major chapter in his life, Maris remains grateful for all baseball has given him. The 2025 season has come to symbolize not only the hard work he has put in over seven years, but also the desire to never give up even during challenging times.
“This final season means a lot to me. It means I’ve persevered and kept going through all the ups and downs and challenges. I’ve never quit, not on myself or my teammates.”
Once his final season is over and he receives his bachelor’s degree in management, Elijah Maris isn’t sure what he is going to do next. Despite the uncertainty, Maris plans to use his connections and experiences to position himself for a successful career. Using extraordinary resilience, there’s no question he’ll accomplish remarkable things.
OUTLAST OUTLIVE
We’re tough where it counts. From dominating wild trails to maneuvering rushing streams, roaming vast canyons and tackling remote peaks, our trucks prove their rugged capability over and over.
ROY HELSER FIELD
Roy Helser Field, together with Jim Wright Stadium, has developed from a belowaverage facility to a jewel among Northwest small colleges.
First put into use in 1970, the facility has served as designated host of the 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 NCAA Division III regional playoffs.
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. In 2024, a project was completed that added a dedicated baseball
weight room adjoining the batting cages.
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.
BASEBALL WEIGHT ROOM
After years of competing for workout space with other athletic teams and the general student population inside the HHPA Complex, the Linfield baseball program now enjoys its own weight training space at Roy Helser Field. Contributions directed to the baseball program through the TopCat Club provided the needed funding for an extension onto the batting cages structure.
The location of the baseball-only weight facility allows for greater efficiency during practices and hitting times, as players can rotate
times in the batting cages, weight room, clubhouse and on the field surface. The indoor space can also be used for team meetings.
The structure includes rubberized flooring, ample lighting and a large garage-style door opening to right field to allow fresh air inside. The weight training equipment, including squat racks, barbells and dumbbells, was also donated.
One bonus benefit of the new addition is a concrete patio facing the field, providing a potential space for alumni gatherings during home games.
HEAD COACH DAN SPENCER
Dan Spencer is in his sixth 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.
Hired in 2019, Spencer is just the sixth coach to lead the baseball program over the last 71 seasons. Since recording its first Northwest Conference baseball championship in 1923, Linfield has won three national championships (two as part of the NAIA and one in the NCAA), along with 41 additional conference titles.
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 Washington State, 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).
Spencer spent five seasons at Texas Tech, one as associate head coach and four more as head coach. He was the first Red Raiders head coach to win at least 25 games in each of his first four seasons and his teams defeated 32 nationally ranked opponents.
Spencer began his head coaching career at Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., where he was the head coach from 1992-96. He also spent one season as an assistant at Tacoma Community College.
A native of Vancouver, Wash., Spencer completed his bachelor’s degree in history from Portland State University in 1990. He and his wife, Susie, have three children: Wade, 26, Logan, 23, and Elizabeth, 16.
ZACH JOHNSON| 0
| Junior | RHP West Linn, Oregon
jackson Bui | 1 5-10 | Junior | OF Tigard, Oregon
tyler eisenhut | 5 5-11 | Sophomore | INF West Seattle, Washington
nate Kassler| 17
| Senior | UT Olympia, Washington
matthew tacheny |20 6-3 | Sophomore | RHP Happy Valley, Oregon nick alder | 29
luke porter | 33 6-2 | Sophomore | INF Paradise Valley, Arizona
casen reed | 44
6-0 | Junior | LHP Vancouver, Washington
steve kovac | 16
6-0 | Junior | RHP Portland, Oregon
ryan gullard | 18
| Freshman | OF Renton, Washington
matthew lewis| 8 5-10 | Senior | OF Black Diamond, Washington
josh mansur |22
6-2 | Junior | INF Camas, Washington
robley corsi iii | 35 6-0 | Graduate Student | RHP Edmonds, Washington
zach jaeger | 34
5-9 | Freshman | INF Tigard, Oregon
garrett hames | 49 6-4 | Sophomore | RHP Virginia City, Nevada
carter studer | 48 6-2 | Freshman | RHP Elma, Washington Hunter klingelhoffer| 45
| Senior | OF Olympia, Washington
emerson dennis | 2
| Junior | RHP Seattle, Washington
marco santulli | 4
| Freshman | INF Bellevue, Washington
caiden gould | 31
Tyler Marr | 46
| Senior | 1B Great Falls, Montana
Brode LYman | 47 5-9 | Freshman | C Portland, Oregon
garret ringer | 21 6-0 | Junior | OF Puyallup, Washington
Swenson | 11
| Sophomore | RHP Camas, Washington
Andrew Miller | 24 5-11 | Freshman | RHP Camas, Washington
GAVIN LUDLOW | 9 6-2 | Graduate Student | RHP Lake Tapps, Washington
elijah maris | 23 5-10 | Senior | INF Atlanta, Georgia
trent wainfeld | 10
| Junior | OF Los Angeles, California
nick holm | 25
Junior
INF Happy Valley, Oregon
jackson koons | 15 5-11 | Senior | LHP Hillsboro, Oregon
Camden Oram | 12 6-3 | Senior | RHP/INF Tumwater, Washington
keegan weston | 14 5-7 | Junior | C Walla Walla, Washington
wyatt mcclory | 28 5-0 | Freshman | INF Carlsbad, California
j.r. starr | 26 6-0 | Freshman | OF Hermiston, Oregon
Eric albios | 27 5-9 | Junior | C Vancouver, Washington
wyatt hurley | 37
| Junior | UTL Yamhill, Oregon
riggs towle | 36 6-0 | Sophomore | RHP Greeley, Colorado
colton ouellette | 39 6-0 | Freshman | RHP Reno, Nevada
cooper justice | 43 6-7 | Junior | LHP Tigard, Oregon
zach hampson | 40 6-2 | Sophomore | RHP Seattle, Washington
aiden jackson | 41 5-11 | Junior | INF Lakewood, Washington
brian mannion | 54
| Junior | RHP Beaverton, Oregon
cosmo lange | 51 6-4 | Sophomore | RHP/DH Boise, Idaho
daniel Turpen Assistant Coach Second Year
spencer burgess Team Manager Second Year
Jake Hoskins
charles gargus | 99 6-7 | Senior | RHP Yakima, Washington
jordan harlow Associate Head Coach Ninth Year dan spencer Head Coach Sixth Year
brian
LINFIELD WILDCATS
/
WHITWORTH PIRATES
26 Isaac Lee INF R/R 5-10 172 Fr. Renton, Wash. / Hazen
27 Aidan Morrison OF R/R 6-0 181 Gr Kennewick, Wash. / Southridge
28 Junior Garcia C R/R 6-1 211 Jr Boise, Idaho / College of Southern Idaho
29 Luke Bents OF R/R 6-1 182 So. Bend, Ore. / Summit 30 Dane McClure C R/R 5-10 162 Fr Kennewick, Wash. / Kennewick 31 Zach Engh RHP R/R 6-0 158 Jr Spokane Valley, Wash. / Big Bend CC
32 Nathaniel Kurano RHP R/R 6-3 211 Fr Honolulu, Hawaii / Roosevelt
33 Caleb Sherfey RHP R/R 6-2 193 Fr. Tri-Cities, Wash. / Tri-Cities Prep
34 Tyler Disch RHP R/R 6-0 174 Jr Redmond, Wash. / Yakima Valley College 35 Jett Lewallen
R/R 6-1 192 Fr Wenatchee, Wash. / Eastmont 36 Evan Williamson RHP R/R 5-11 174 Sr. Kent, Wash. / Pierce College
38 Sean Arnold RHP/1B R/R 6-2 206 Fr. Richland, Wash. / Hanford
Mason Greene
Kyle Memarian
Ty Quiggle
Quentin O’Connor
Ryker Stevens
R/R 6-6 278
R/R 6-5 219
R/R 5-10 185
Brewster, Wash. / MSU-Billings
Beaux Arts, Wash. / Bellevue Christian
Vancouver, Wash. / Gonzaga University
R/R 6-2 207 So. Woodinville, Wash. / Woodinville
R/R 6-3 224 Sr Bothell, Wash. / Yakima Valley College
R/R 6-4 203
R/R 6-6
Spokane, Wash. / Yakima Valley College
Kennewick, Wash. / Columbia Basin College 50 Tyler VanCise
R/R 6-6 232 Gr Kosciusko, Miss. / Crown College 51 Reed Gunnett INF R/R 6-0 194 So. Ramona, Calif. / Ramona
HEAD COACH: Mike Coduto (second year) ASSISTANT COACHES: Elijah “Bear” Smith, Pruitt Spritzer, DJ Harryman
LINFIELD VERSUS WHITWORTH
SERIES BREAKDOWN
48 CARTER STUDER
THE RECORDS
Linfield looks to separate itself from the pack as the Wildcats find themselves in sixth place in the Northwest Conference sit only three games out of first place with plenty of games left to play. Linfield looks to climb up the rankings this weekend with a home series against Whitworth (17-10, 8-7 NWC). The Pirates sit one spot above the Wildcats in the conference standings in fifth place.
LINFIELD AT A GLANCE
The Wildcats (14-11, 6-6 NWC) are led by pitcher Jake Swenson on the mound who recently broke the program record for strikeouts in a game when he tossed 17 in a win over Pacific Lutheran and boasts a 4-2 record as the starter. Colton Oulette has been a revelation for Linfield as the primary closer, already racking up four saves to place second in the NWC. At the plate, Luke Porter and Hunter Klingelhoffer remain the heavy hitters, each registering six home runs on the season. Trent Wainfeld comes in as the most consistent batter with a .316 batting average and 12 RBI. The Wildcats have cleaned up their defense as of late, logging just one error over the past five games.
WHITWORTH AT A GLANCE
The Pirates have shown to be one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the conference, holding the top spot in batting average with .332. They also top the NWC charts in runs (259), hits (302) and home runs (34). Caleb Gray leads the way with 43 hits and an impressive 11 home runs. Whitworth has two high-level starters on the mound with AJ Woodward logging a 3.74 ERA and a 4-1 record while Quentin O’Connor holds a 5-2 record with 36 strikeouts.
SERIES HISTORY
Linfield dominates the all-time series against Whitworth with a 9860 record. The Wildcats look to end a four-game losing streak to the Pirates and build on their 54-26 home record.
THE NORTHWEST CONFERENCE
HITTING AVG. AB RUNS HITS RBI
Caleb Gray (Whitworth) .430 100 30 43 35
Kyle Memarian (Whitworth) .424 85 19 36 18
Preston Lau (Willamette) .413 63 8 26 12
Nate Hamburger (Willamette) 413 75 18 31 12
Michael Aikawa (L&C) .398 88 22 35 20
Kevin Corder (Whitworth) .397 68 22 27 6
Luke Piazza (Willamette) .395 86 15 34 19
Evan Balingit (George Fox) .390 100 21 39 22
Garrett Strube (George Fox) .366 82 19 30 13
Justin Cavagnaro (L&C) .366 82 14 30 27
Ryan Spero (UPS) .364 66 10 24 8 Nate Korahais (Whitman) .360
PITCHING
baseball STANDINGS
As of April 8
LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK
can’t make the game? catch the lsn video stream
The Linfield Sports Network continues to bring fans live action of all home Linfield baseball games in 2025. 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.
LSN broadcasts are under the direction of the athletic department’s Broadcast Operations Coordinator, Joe Stuart. In his fifth 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.
A trio of Linfield students will all contribute to the on-air production. Junior Brian Kice returns for his third year behind the microphone. He began as a baseball color commentator in 2023 and expanded his outreach to include volleyball playby-play duties later that fall. Sophomore Levi Jones, a one-time competitor with the Linfield cross country team, is in his first season as part of the baseball announcing crew. He also provided play-by-play during soccer and lacrosse games. Junior Ethan Kline joins the broadcast crew for
A Heritage of Confident Service
Macy & Son is in the business of helping people and meeting the individual needs of McMinnville area families for five generations.
Joe Stuart
Brian Kice
levi jones
ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by Pacific Office Automation, was established in 1998 as an avenue to honor former 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 must be submitted in writing using an official nomination form. Hall of Fame nominations are considered in any one of six categories: Athlete, Coach, Team, Athletics Staff, and Meritorious Service.
PROUD PARTNER OF LINFIELD ATHLETICS
RECENT HONORS
Pitching sensation Jake Swenson earns second NWC Student-Athlete Pitcher of the Week honor
For the second time this spring, Linfield’s Jake Swenson has been named the Northwest Conference Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week.
Swenson’s sophomore season has been all that the Wildcats could have hoped for with the right-handed pitcher breaking records and tossing shutouts.
In Linfield’s 6-0 win over Pacific Lutheran, Swenson set a new program record for strikeouts in a game with 17 over nine innings pitched. He allowed just two hits and walked one batter in 110 pitches thrown.
The Camas High School product has been stout on the mound all season for the Wildcats, registering a 3.20 ERA, 4-2 record and 59 total strikeouts.
LINFIELD THROUGH THE YEARS
Ad Rutschman 21-14 1st 1977 Ad Rutschman 15-11 3rd 1978 Ad Rutschman 16-13 4th 1979 Ad Rutschman 17-18 1st (tie) 1980 Ad Rutschman 18-18 2nd 1981 Ad Rutschman 12-18 4th 1982 Ad Rutschman 16-17 1st
1983 Ad Rutschman 18-15 2nd 1984 Scott Carnahan 16-15 2nd 12-6 1985 Scott Carnahan 16-22 1st 11-4 1986 Scott Carnahan 13-22 2nd 12-4 1987 Scott Carnahan 17-23 2nd 10-4
1988 Scott Carnahan 26-16 1st 12-4
1989 Scott Carnahan 30-14 1st 15-3
1990 Scott Carnahan 26-17 3rd 12-6
1991 Scott Carnahan 19-19 2nd 13-5
1992 Scott Carnahan 24-14 1st 13-2
1993
17-7-1 1st
15-7 1st
17-10 1st
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
13-8-1 2nd
15-14-1 1st
1st 1st
Ad Rutschman 20-18 1st
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
