LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL VERSUS WHITMAN • MARCH 8-9, 2024

Feb.

Feb.

Feb.

March

March

April

April

April

April

April

April

Fox (2) Noon

May 4 Willamette (2) Noon

May 5 at Willamette (2) 11 a.m.

May 10-12

May 17-19

May 24-25

May 30-June 5

Feb. 10 Pacific Lutheran 1 p.m.

Feb. 23 Eastern Oregon 6 p.m.

March 8 Whitman 6 p.m.

March 10 Whitworth 1 p.m.

March 12 Illinois Wesleyan TBA

March 19 Willamette 5 p.m.

March 23 at Pacific 1 p.m.

April 3 at George Fox 5 p.m.

April 7 at Puget Sound 1 p.m.

April 10 at Lewis & Clark 7 p.m.

April

April

April

April

April 24 George Fox 6 p.m.

April 27 Puget Sound 1 p.m.

May 4-5 at NWC Tournament

Jan. 28 at Oregon TBA

10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m. Feb. 11 Puget Sound 10 a.m. Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 10 a.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m. Feb. 25 British Columbia 10 a.m. March 2 Willamette 11 a.m. March 3 at George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 Whitman 11 a.m. March 25 at Biola 2 p.m. March 28 at Pt. Loma Nazarene 2 p.m. March 31 at Puget Sound 10 a.m. April 6 at Pacific 11 a.m.

13 Lewis & Clark 11 a.m. April 20-21 at NWC Championships

Jan. 21 vs. Portland State 10 a.m.

28 at Oregon (exhibition) TBA

Feb. 10 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

Feb. 16 vs. Colorado College 2 p.m.

Feb. 18 Cal Lutheran 10 a.m.

Feb. 19 UC-Santa Cruz 10 a.m.

March 2 at Willamette 11 a.m.

March 3 George Fox 11 a.m.

March 9 at Whitworth 11 a.m.

March 10 at Whitman 11 a.m.

March 21 Wellesley 3 p.m.

March 27 at Occidental 4 p.m.

March 28 at Point Loma Nazarene 5 p.m.

March 31 Puget Sound 10 a.m.

April 6 Pacific 11 a.m.

April 13 at Lewis & Clark 11 a.m.

April 20-21 at NWC Championships TBA

WOMEN'S

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

the prime objective

Well-traveled Hunter Klingelhoffer says personal statistics are secondary to the collective goal of winning a national title

by KARLIE VERCAUTEREN ’27

Hunter Klingelhoffer’s path has been much more winding than that of the average college student. And even though it’s taking him much longer than expected to finish his degree, he’s happy to be doing so at Linfield.

The 23-year-old Olympia, Wash., native graduated high school in 2018 and enrolled at Ventura College in Ventura, Calif., where he declared a himself as a psychology major. His freshman season was normal, but his second two baseball seasons were greatly impacted by COVID and by the end of his junior year, Klingelhoffer was ready for a change.

“I played three years of junior college while only one year counted to my eligibility. And after that third year, I had a labrum and rotator cuff injury in my shoulder and ended up getting surgery,” he says, looking back. “That next year, I didn’t attend college at all. I got the surgery done, stayed at home, worked, and then basically saved up to train at a spot in Georgia and rehab. Out of there, I signed with Georgetown College in Kentucky.”

Being around such hardworking, diligent people has proven essential for Klingelhoffer as he has worked to stay motivated despite having spent so much time in undergraduate courses. “It’s like a battle between being 23 and kind of being over it while also seeing the work the other kids put in and it’s like ‘Alright, I’ve got to step up my game.’ I got the grades last semester, I’m going to get them this semester, but it’s a lot of work.”

While maintaining his commitment to his academics is challenging, Klingelhoffer works hard to take responsibility and hold himself accountable.

After playing at Georgetown for a season, Klingelhoffer realized he wanted to spend the last part of his college career closer to home. He got in touch with Elijah Maris, a teammate from Ventura who also had extended eligibility due to COVID, and the pair honed in on Linfield as their final stop, largely because of the excellent reputation of baseball head coach Dan Spencer.

“I wanted to finish up near home because I had been on the road for so long; my parents had only seen five or six of my college games. Now I’m here and we’re rocking, and this is technically my third year of college sports even though I’ve played in six. I’ll finish up my degree this calendar year in the fall.”

Linfield’s baseball program has impressed Klingelhoffer during his short time in McMinnville. “Both (of my previous schools) aren’t even remotely close to how organized and funded this school is. It’s the most professional college program I’ve been a part of and I’m happy to be here,” he says.

Klingelhoffer says a big part of what makes Linfield baseball stand out is the community created by the players. “I really like (the atmosphere on the team), it’s fun. I will say, this is the most academically sound team I’ve ever been a part of. You’ve got to be smart to go to this school. There are a lot of kids with good heads on their shoulders,” he says.

“I’m at the age where I understand what I need to do. It’s the maturity of being like ‘I’m here, I signed up for it, I’m going to get it done.’ It’s just realizing that (working hard on academics) is my only choice and I’m doing it for that reason.”

The more he matures, the more Klingelhoffer understands himself as a cohesive member of his team. His end goal has always been to win a national championship, and he understands that the only way for that to happen is to prioritize whatever is best for the team.

“It’s part of growing up, you’ve seen it and done it before,” he says. “You’re on a team, your team is playing games, the reason you play games is to win them, and the reason you want to win those games is so that you can go further into the season and compete for some kind of title. So, what’s the point of individual stats if they’re not helping you accomplish the goal at hand, which is to win a championship?”

Klingelhoffer’s application of this mindset is obvious to Maris, who describes Klingelhoffer as “a gifted athlete with a great work ethic. As a friend, teammate, and overall person he is humble, compassionate, and wants the best for those around him.”

Klingelhoffer’s commitment to and passion for his sport will not end with his formal schooling, and he says he’s optimistic about the role baseball will play in his future. “I’m hoping that this could maybe lead to an overseas offer to play and continue to make enough money to survive and have fun; I want to use baseball as a plane ticket to see the world.”

This plan is not yet concrete, but that does not worry Klingelhoffer. He’s comfortable with the unknown for the time being. “(My future) is like a big open space. It can be daunting sometimes, but it’s also exciting. I know I’ll be fine; I know it’ll work.”

Even as Klingelhoffer is starting to plan for next year and finally wrap up his array of psychology courses, he is grounded in the present, intent on performing his best in the sport he has loved for as long as he can remember. In this moment, his primary goal is to “bring a championship to Linfield baseball!”

2024 SEASON OUTLOOK

Wildcats coach Dan Spencer enters his fifth season with a retooled roster than includes 23 new faces

by kendrick murphy

The 2023 baseball season didn’t go the way the Linfield Wildcats would have hoped. Injuries and inconsistency led to a 13-24 record and an 8-16 mark in Northwest Conference play. The good news for this 2024 Linfield squad is all the opportunities are right in front of them. Dan Spencer enters his fifth season at the helm and is ready to guide a hungry retooled squad to compete.

“We have a deeper roster this year,” Spencer said. “We’re better positionally. The guys that had good solid years for us last year are back for the most part on offense. The pitching staff has a chance to be really good.”

Linfield returns Jake Hoskins, Tyler Marr and Casey Struckmeier who were all named Honorable Mention All-NWC after last season. The returning trio looks to help the Wildcats prove some doubters wrong after they were picked to finish sixth in the NWC after a preseason coaches poll.

Hoskins was one of two players who appeared in every game for Linfield, starting in 36 of the Wildcats’ 37 games. He batted .301

with 46 hits, a team-leading 28 runs, 22 RBI and tied for the team lead with six home runs.

Marr emerged as the No. 1 option behind home plate last season for the Wildcats. In 27 games, he batted .343 with a .411 on-base percentage totaled a .455 slugging percentage and added 11 doubles.

Struckmeier had a strong sophomore season, appearing in 10 games and starting in eight. He won two games on the mound to go with 25 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA that ranked inside the top three in the NWC.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX

The Linfield offense returns some key bats in the lineup this season. Hoskins and Marr will be joined by the likes of Danny Kahn who was named Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2022 and hit over .300 in 25 games played. Nick Holm will also provide a steady back in the lineup, he led the ‘Cats with 33 RBIs and tied for the team lead in home runs.

New additions to the lineup this season will be Corban transfer Elijah Maris who’s already off to a strong start with five hits in three games. Along with Matthew Lewis who hit Linfield’s first home run of the season.

Nathan Kassler, Bodey Smith and Trent Wainfeld are a few

2024 SEASON OUTLOOK

names that will provide some depth for the Linfield offense.

“We’re really excited to play at home,” Spencer said. “We need to do a good job at home and create some momentum since we have the next three weekends here.”

ON THE MOUND

Struckmeier will be a key part of the 2024 rotation. Joining him will be some new faces, including Camden Oram and Jacob Swenson who both touched the rubber in the season-opening series down in California.

Coming out of the bullpen, Gavin Ludlow appeared in 16 games and finished second on the team in total strikeouts (24) while Jackson Koons (22) and John Over (21) finished third and fourth in total strikeouts. That trio will be reinforced by the likes of Brian Mannion, Nick Alder, Wyatt Hurley, Casen Reed and Logan Travis.

With so many arms returning and joining the staff this season. The focus for the Wildcats will be improving on a 6.63 team ERA that landed seventh in the conference last season and limiting free runners on base due to walks. Linfield gave up the fifth-most walks in the NWC last year.

31 garret ringer

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.

HEAD COACH DAN SPENCER

Dan Spencer is in his fifth 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, 25, Logan, 22, and Elizabeth, 15.

Steve kovac | 0 6-0 | Sophomore | RHP Portland, Oregon

jackson Bui | 1 5-10 | Sophomore | OF Tigard, Oregon

jake hoskins | 5 5-11 | Senior | INF Hillsboro, Oregon

nate Kassler| 17 5-11 | Junior | C Olympia, Washington

Casen reed |20 6-1 | Sophomore | LHP Vancouver, Washington

Chase highberger | 29 5-10 | Sophomore | INF Sherwood, Oregon

jarrett allen | 30 5-8 | Senior | RHP Eugene, Oregon

luke porter | 33 6-1 | Freshman | 1B Paradise Valley, Arizona

Cosmo lange | 42

6-3 | Freshman | RHP/DH Boise, Idaho

braden woods | 16 5-9 | Sophomore | OF McMinnville, Oregon

john over| 18 6-3 | Senior | LHP Eugene, Oregon

matthew lewis| 8 5-10 | Junior | OF/P Black Diamond, Washington

aiden jackson |22 5-11 | Sophomore | INF Lakewood, Washington

chase stephenson| 35 5-10 | Sophomore | INF Ripon, California

andrew ahn| 34 5-10 | Freshman | OF Sammamish, Washington

casey struckmeier |48 6-1 | Sophomore | RHP Vancouver, Washington

Tyler Marr | 46 6-2 | Junior | C Great Falls, Montana

aj gaspar| 43 6-0 | Freshman | 1B Kent, Washington

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

marco santulli | 4 5-9 | Freshman | INF Bellevue, Washington

garret ringer|31 6-0 | Sophomore | OF Puyallup, Washington

Declan francis| 44 6-1 | Feshman | RHP/DH Lake Oswego, Oregon

Hunter klingelhoffer| 45 6-3 | Senior | OF

cage hardy | 21 6-0 | Grad. | C Gig Harbor, Washington

Charles gargus| 99 6-7 | Junior | RHP Yakima, Washington

dylan kleinschmidt | 57 6-0 | Junior | RHP Mount Angel, Oregon

Zack Hampson | 59 5-2 | Freshman | RHP Seattle, Washington

joel french Team Manager Yakima, Washington

brian kice Team Manager Mount Angel, Oregon

spencer burgess Team Manager Seattle, Washington

Jacob Swenson | 11 6-3 | Freshman | RHP Camas, Washington

bodey smith | 24 6-0 | Senior | OF Rochester, Washington

GAVIN LUDLOW | 9 6-1 | Senior | RHP Lake Tapps, Washington

elijah maris | 23 5-10 | Senior | INF Atlanta, Georgia

trent wainfeld | 10 5-10 | Sophomore | OF Los Angeles, California

nick holm | 25 5-10 | Sophomore | INF Happy Valley, Oregon

jackson koons | 15 5-11 | Junior | LHP Hillsboro, Oregon

Camden Oram | 12 6-3 | Junior | RHP/INF Tumwater, Washington

Emerson Dennis | 14 6-3 | Sophomore | RHP Happy Valley, Oregon

tanner kraushaar | 28 6-2 | Freshman | LHP Seaside, Oregon

jhett jacquot | 26 6-2 | Senior | INF/RHP Lincoln, Nebraska

Eic albios | 27 5-9 | Sophomore | C Vancouver, Washington

wyatt hurley | 37 6-2 | Sophomore | 1B/RHP Yamhill, Oregon

matthew tacheny | 36 6-3 | Feshman | RHP Happy Valley, Oregon

nick alder | 38 5-9 | Junior | INF/RHP Vancouver, Washington

ray pekarek | 41 5-11 | Freshman | OF Clovis, California

grant knox | 39 6-0 | Senior | RHP Fallbrook, California

logan travis | 40 6-2 | Senior | RHP Scappoose, Oregon

alex galvin | 51 6-4 | Junior | RHP West Seattle, Washington

kaden duchene | 50 6-3 | Freshman | OF Tigard, Oregon

joey genduso | 53 6-1 | Freshman | OF Hillsboro, Oregon

riggs towle | 58 6-0 | Junior | RHP Greeley, Colorado

brian mannion | 54 6-3 | Sophomore | RHP Beaverton, Oregon

Brett Joner | 55 5-6 | Senior | C Amboy, Washington

jordan harlow Assistant Coach

dan spencer Head Coach

Braden Wells Assistant Coach

larry carlson Assistant Coach

Carl Johnson Assistant Coach daniel turpen Assistant Coach

LINFIELD WILDCATS

HEAD COACH: Dan Spencer (fifth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Jordan Harlow, Braden Wells, Carl Johnson, Daniel Turpen, Larry Carlson

STUDENT MANAGERS: Brian Kice, Spencer Burgess, Joel French

WHITMAN BLUES

LINFIELD VERSUS WHITMAN Don’t Text and Drive

SERIES BREAKDOWN

THE RECORDS

Due to inclement weather, Linfield played just one of three scheduled games with Pacific. In that single showing, the Wildcats controlled the contest from start to finish en route to a 12-4 victory. Linfield (44, 1-0 NWC) now shifts its focus to a three-game homestand with Northwest Conference foe Whitman (3-4, 2-1 NWC).

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

The Wildcats rank fifth in the NWC with a .277 team batting average and hold a 5.16 team ERA. Wyatt Hurley and Trent Wainfeld both rank inside the top five of the NWC in batting average at .429. Elijah Marris leads the Wildcats in hits (12) and slugging percentage (.676). Camden Oram leads the Linfield pitching staff with a 2-1 record in three starts. Oram tops the conference in innings pitched at 19.1 and ranks among the leaders in ERA (2.79) and strikeouts (15). On defense, Tyler Marr, Matthew Lewis and Jake Hoskins all have a perfect fielding percentage and all rank inside the top 10 in the NWC in defensive chances.

WHITMAN AT A GLANCE

Whitman ranks seventh in the NWC with a .238 batting average and holds a 5.35 team ERA. Beck Maguire leads all qualified Blues batters with a .417 batting average with Mateus Conaway (.333) the next closest. Halen Otte leads Whitman with two home runs. Maguire (.625) and Otte (.619) lead the Blues in slugging percentage. Russell Petersen leads the pitching staff with two wins and a 1.00 ERA that ranks among the NWC leaders. Julian Hernandez is the only other Whitman pitcher to be credited with a win so far this season.

SERIES HISTORY

The Wildcats are 150-30 all-time against the Blues. Linfield averages 8.64 runs per game and holds a 73-13 home record against Whitman. The ‘Cats are 5-5 in the last 10 meetings and are looking for their first home win over the Blues since the 2021 season.

5 jake hoskins

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 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.

LSN broadcasts are under the direction of the athletic department’s Broadcast Operations Coordinator, Joe Stuart. In his third 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. Sophomore Brian Kice returns for his second year behind the microphone. He began as a baseball color commentator last spring and expanded his outreach to include volleyball play-by-play duties in the fall. Senior Connor Nelson, a former pitcher with the Linfield Wildcats, is in his first season as part of the baseball announcing crew. He also provided color commentary during the winter months calling Linfield baseball games. Sophomore Johnny Miller

Joe Stuart

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.

Brian Kice

johnny miller

Taste the bounty of the region in unexpected ways.

Now taking reservations for our new Seasons menu celebrating the micro-seasons from our farm. Also duck into our cozy Cellar Bar for farm-inspired cocktails, our six-course tasting menu or a la carte bites.

NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

baseball STANDINGS

Linfield’s Tayah Kelley dazzles in Georgia, sweeps conference and national awards

Linfield softball pitcher Tayah Kelley was named the season’s first Wilson/NFCA Division III Pitcher of the Week. Kelley’s efforts in the circle helped Linfield to a perfect 4-0 record and ultimately an NFCA Leadoff Classic title in Columbus, Ga.

In all, Linfield defeated three teams rated among the top 20 in the season’s first NFCA Top 25 poll. The Wildcats entered the Leadoff Classic owning the No. 7 ranking, but were at a notable disadvantage having traversed three time zones and without the benefit of having played any games yet this spring. Each of the teams Linfield faced this weekend had already at least four games under their belts.

In three appearances last week, Kelley totaled 12 innings, including two complete games and striking out 16 total batters while surrendering only one earned run. The Myrtle Creek, Ore., native earned Northwest Conference for the 16th time in her storied career earlier this week. This is Kelley’s second recent NFCA award after also being named to the Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team.

Linfield leads the NWC in team ERA at 1.59 with Kelley’s 0.58 ERA also topping the conference leaderboard.

The Wildcats moved up four spots in the NFCA Division III Top 25 Softball Coaches Poll to sit third in the rankings. The ‘Cats return to action this weekend in Spokane when they begin NWC play against the Whitworth Pirates.

tayah kelley

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

LINFIELD CHEER

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