LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL VERSUS PACIFIC LUTHERAN • FEBRUARY 3-4, 2023

WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY

game operations | event staff

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

Dr. Garry Killgore

EVENT MANAGER

Doug Hire

COMMUNICATIONS

Kaho Akau, Joe Stuart, Kelly Bird

STATISTICS

Joe Miglioretto

PUBLIC ADDRESS AND SCOREBOARD

Jeremy Nettrouer

VIDEO WEBCASTS

Joe Stuart, Isaac Milner, Jack Stallard, Johnny Miller

GAME PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Felip Unker, Kaho Akau

picking up where they left off

After a springboard season in 2022, Linfield returns a mature club that has its sights set on reaching the next level

by kaho akau ’19

Anytime you put on a Linfield baseball jersey, people expect you to contend.

The Wildcats had a significant turnaround in 2022. They went from an eighth-place Northwest Conference finish in 2021 to claiming a share of the regular season championship a year later under Dan Spencer in his third year as head coach. It was the program’s first league title since 2017, and Spencer became the first Linfield skipper to be named the NWC Coach of the Year since that same season.

Linfield rolled into the NWC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and made it to Championship Sunday, where the Wildcats fell to their co-champion Pacific Boxers in Forest Grove. They finished the season at 20-20 overall and 14-10 in NWC play while landing six players on the All-Conference Team.

“I wouldn’t say we overachieved last year,” Spencer said as he enters his fourth season at the helm. “I told the team to win the games we were supposed to win. For the most part, we did that. We just needed to win one more in the tournament.”

BET ON THE WILDCATS

Linfield has two goals heading into Opening Day. The first goal is to get to the conference tournament. The second goal is to win it. In a league that has sent just one representative to the NCAA Tournament in recent years, securing an automatic berth to the playoffs is almost necessary.

“You’ve got to get there and then you’ve got to win it,” said Spencer about the NWC Tournament. “What we do up until that point is to try to accomplish those two things.”

The ‘Cats were picked second and received one firstplace vote in the NWC Preseason Coaches Poll. Spencer believes the returning players will make the necessary contributions, and the newcomers will fill key roles to help the team get back to the top of the standings.

One of the positions that needs to be filled is second base as junior Mike LaVigne will sit out the entire 2023 season due to injury following a second straight all-conference selection. Danny Kahn is expected to take over at second base, but he’ll miss some time too and will return to the lineup when healthy.

The loss of those two veterans means other players will step up and gain some experience. The good thing is the depth is there, but it’s starting to reach its limit.

“We like our club,” Spencer said. “Overall, our talent is better. That helps us on paper, and that’s where it starts.”

STARTING PITCHING

The starting rotation is falling into place, but there will likely still be changes from series to series. Junior John Over and senior Andrew Del Biaggio are set to take the mound in Games 1 and 2. Over posted a 4.66 ERA in 11 starts last season while Del Biaggio led the team with 54 strikeouts.

“Both of them are better than they were a year ago,” Spencer said. “Jackson Koons has also been great, but we’re not sure what to do with him yet.”

Koons went 3-5 with a 4.50 ERA as a freshman a year ago, appearing in 13 games and starting in eight. If he’s needed at any point in the first two games of a series, he’ll enter in relief. If he’s not needed, Spencer plans to throw him on the mound to start Game 3.

“We’re not sure if he’s more valuable to help us out of the bullpen. We don’t want to hold on to a guy to be our No. 3 starter when he could help us win one of those first two games. That will sort itself out in the first couple weeks, and we’ll go from there.”

COMING OUT OF THE PEN

Relief pitching was a strength for Linfield in 2022 thanks in large part to Fourth Team All-American closer Colton Meyer, NWC Pitcher of the Year.

Senior submarine pitcher Skyler Manelski will serve as the primary closer but could get help at the back end of games from Koons and sophomore Nick Alder. Junior Gavin Ludlow is another experienced arm that has shown promise in the early spring.

The addition of freshmen righties Casey Struckmeier and Brian Mannion adds depth to the bullpen. Both also have starting potential and could be used as Game 3 arms if Koons is needed in relief.

“We like all those guys. We have to get them into games. The goal is to try to win every game. We have to learn things along the way to find out what we’re going to look like at the end of the season.”

FOR PITCHING AND DEFENSE

Linfield learned a lot about itself when it opened the season with an exhibition doubleheader against Corban University of the NAIA, giving the ‘Cats a chance to play against a team in different colors.

Last year, a strong bullpen helped win games for a fairly young starting rotation. Now that those starters are a year

2 danny kahn

older, the coaching staff expects more innings out of them to put the team in the best position to win games.

Clean defense is not just a goal but an expectation. The ‘Cats have a high standard for how they want to defend, and it starts with the fundamentals.

“We expect to defend, play catch and throw the ball to the correct base. We’re going to defend at a high level.”

THE BACKSTOPS

Great catching is at a premium, but not at Linfield. Four players will compete for time behind the plate in Nate Kassler, Brett Joner, Cage Hardy and Tyler Marr.

Kassler played in 20 games and started in 12 as a freshman last year, but his season was hindered by injury. He recorded 76 putouts and eight assists. Joner batted .288 and caught 10 runners stealing. Hardy appeared in 17 games and registered a 1.000 fielding percentage.

“They all want to be the guy, but they push each other, help each other and help the pitchers. They’re selfless and want to win. It’s a pleasure to work with them every day.”

THE LINEUP

At the Division III level, the teams that win games are the teams that have upperclassmen with experience. And this year’s senior class is expected to carry the load and lead the way for the newcomers.

Garrett Moen and Bodey Smith will man center and right field, respectively, while Branden Pasion and Jackson Horner will return to the corner infield positions. There are also high expectations for Cameron Skinner to lock down the desig-

nated hitter spot in the lineup.

One of the top defensive outfielders in the NWC, Moen also recorded a .378 on-base percentage last season. Pasion was named an honorable mention in his first season in McMinnville, playing in all 40 games and starting in 38. He led the team with a .326 batting average, 12 doubles, 20 walks and 11 hit by pitches.

“If those guys have good years, then the younger guys will fit in accordingly.”

First team all-NWC shortstop Tanner Jacques graduated last spring, but the ‘Cats have found his replacement in junior Jake Hoskins, a transfer from Linn-Benton Community College.

A group of freshmen outfielders will rotate in left field to complement Moen and Smith. But as talented as those underclassmen are, the team will still rely on the consistency of the returners.

A GAME OF STRATEGY

Spencer tells his players that baseball is like a game of chess. There’s an opening, a middle game and an end game. If the ‘Cats set themselves up well in the first two stages, they’re going to find themselves in better spots in the end game.

With the first series unfolding this weekend, they’re going to keep things simple by going out there, throwing strikes, playing good defense and seeing where they stand near the end of those games.

“We just want to play good baseball and see how it all shakes out.”

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

john over| 18

6-2 | Sophomore | LHP Eugene, Oregon

austin hansen |20

6-0 | Sophomore | OF Plumas Lake, California

jake hoskins | 5

5-1 | Junior | INF Hillsboro, Oregon

jackson horner| 8

5-11 | Senior | UT Kimberly, Idaho

SKYLER MANELSKI | 29

6-2 | Senior | RHP Shoreline, Washington

jarrett allen | 30

5-8 | Junior | RHP Eugene, Oregon

joel french | 33

6-10 | Junior | LHP Fallbrook, California

chase stephenson| 34

5-10 | Freshman | INF Ripon, California

emerson dennis |22

6-3 | Freshman | RHP Happy Valley, Oregon

spencer burgess | 44

6-2 | Sophomore | RHP West Seattle, Washington

mason masterson|

GAME TIME

FEBRUARY 3-4, 2023

casey stuckmeier | 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

45 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

PACIFIC LUTHERAN LUTES

HEAD COACH: Nolan Soete (eighth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Sean Taunt, Scott Richards, Landon Packard, Nate Packard, John Graham

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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health means everything. Now is the time to make the most of it. It’s time to address those concerns, large or small, that you’ve been putting off. We’re here to help, with a range of quality healthcare services - from routine screenings, to surgeries, to emergency care. Don’t make your health wait. Get the care you need now.

NWC co-champions Pacific and Linfield are slotted 1-2 in the recently released preseason coaches poll

Following their 2022 NWC Championship Tournament win, the Pacific Boxers are predicted to return to the top of the baseball standings for the 2023 season, following a recent vote of Northwest Conference head coaches. Linfield and Pacific shared the regular-season title, each with 14-10 records.

The Boxers earned 63 points in the poll with seven first-place votes. Linfield ranks second with 52 points and one first-place vote. Pacific Lutheran takes the third spot with 49

points followed closely by fourth place George Fox, which received one first-place vote. Willamette received 37 points to rank fifth and Lewis & Clark and Whitman tied for sixth with 24 points. The poll was rounded out by Puget Sound in eighth with 20 points and Whitworth in ninth with 10 points.

Most regular-season play begins this weekend and conference play is set to start February 18. The NWC championships are scheduled for April 21-23 at the No. 1 seed.

Please make it home safe today.

24 bodey smith

2022 BASEBALL STANDINGS

LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

stallard, milner to call baseball play-by-play

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.

Kate Walkup receives NWC Women’s Swimmer of the Week after clutch performances against Whitman and Whitworth

Kate Walkup recently became the third member of the Linfield women’s swimming team to secure NWC StudentAthlete of the Week honors, joining junior Whitney Averill and freshman Sarah Arpag. She won four individual events on the weekend and was a member of two winning relay teams against the Blues and Pirates.

The senior was responsible for 18 individual points in each meet. In a 136-69 win over Whitman on Friday, Walkup was a part of a 200-yard medley relay squad that finished first in a time of 1:51.09. She returned to the pool later in the day to claim a win in the 100 butterfly at 59.97 seconds before clocking 1:01.19 to edge teammate Avery Campbell for a win in the 100 backstroke.

A native of Eugene, Walkup continued to shine in the Wildcats’ 143-55 rout of Whitworth on Senior Day. She earned top honors in the 200 freestyle at 2:00.81 and provided the ‘Cats with a winning effort in the 200 backstroke at 2:11.50. She capped off a successful dual for Linfield by helping the 400 freestyle relay team win by more than 10 seconds at 3:45.61.

The ‘Cats completed a perfect 8-0 in dual meets and now prepare for the NWC Championships on Feb. 9-12 in Federal Way, Wash.

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.