LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL VERSUS WHITWORTH • MARCH 11-12, 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, Ben Baxter

GAME PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Felip Unker, Kaho Akau

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

a meaningful journey

After losing his father to cancer as a teenager, the inspiration of Braden Thorn’s high school coach helped point him toward a career helping student-athletes

by marissa dolson ’24

Wearing the prominent Linfield University purple baseball jersey hits close to home for senior Braden Thorn. For Thorn, the color purple is much more than his baseball uniform, Linfield apparel, or simply a color. Thorn wears purple proudly every day in honor of his late father, Jason.

“My dad passed away in the fall of 2018 after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer,” says the Sherwood, Oregon, native. “I wear the color purple proudly at Linfield since the color represents pancreatic cancer awareness.”

Thorn’s father was one of his biggest role models as he was growing up and remains so to this day. Says Braden: “The older I get, the more respect I gain for my father, and the more I wish he was still here. My dad was someone who woke up and went to work every day even while he was battling cancer. He was always there for our family even when I couldn’t even imagine what he was going through. He showed us all how much he loved us by how he carried himself and how he took care of my family.”

Losing a loved one is arguably one of the hardest challenges to overcome in life. The endless support from not only his family but also Thorn’s high school basketball coach, Rahim Tufts.

“Coach Tufts has been an incredible support system to not only me, but also my whole family. While my dad was battling cancer, Coach was there for me any time of the day. If I was at school and needed a classroom to decompress in, I could just head over to his room. If it was late at night and I needed someone to talk to, I would just walk down to his house a block away from mine.”

Through it all, Braden Thorn drew closer to his mother, Holli, and his sister, Courtney.

“I am very close with my mom and sister after growing up in a very tight family and losing our father. We are all there for each other now and always will be. My family taught me what it means to be there for the people you love. I wouldn’t be the driven and passionate person I am today without going through the things I’ve gone through with my family.”

At Sherwood High School, Thorn’s extracurricular activities have included serving as the school’s strength and conditioning coach, working side-by-side with Coach Tufts.

“Today, I am still very close to Coach Tufts and still very involved with the Sherwood High School basketball program. I have spent most of this year being their strength and conditioning coach and supporting their teams through their season. Coach Tufts is a role model to me. He’s taken me in as family and supported me through all of my highs and lows,” says Thorn. “I want to be the coach that he was to me and to the athletes that I coach someday.”

Strength and conditioning align closely with Thorn’s career goals. As he wraps up his final semester at Linfield this spring, Thorn will walk away from Linfield University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and a minor in psychology. He plans to begin a new journey at Louisiana Tech where he’ll work toward a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on sports performance.

“I want to spend my life working with athletes as a performance coach or a baseball pitching coach or something along those lines. I would love to do this at a big university one day and build a culture that my athletes love to be a part of and build lifelong relationships with them as well.

“I enjoy building relationships with the athletes that I work with, and I want to be able to mentor them and always be available for them to help them navigate their own lives, whether that be in sport, school, or any other parts of their lives.”

Thorn uses his passions to help guide his own recovery day by day. After suffering a UCL injury to his pitching arm, Thorn spent time rehabbing and absorbing the knowledge throughout the long journey. Explains Thorn: “I tore my UCL my senior year of high school and tried to rehab my freshman and sophomore year (at Linfield) but ended up having my first surgery in May of 2021. I had some complications in the healing process and had to go back in for a second surgery in October of 2021. It has been an incredibly long and difficult three years of rehabbing, but I am back and healthy now.”

Thorn is eager to finish out his final baseball season strong and compete with his teammates before hanging up his cleats and taking on his new quest.

“I hope I can step on the field and have fun playing my last year of baseball with my guys. I want to continue to get better and throw harder and scrap to be the best pitcher and teammate I can until the very last pitch that I throw.”

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 11-12, 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

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

WHITWORTH PIRATES

HEAD COACH: CJ Perry (fifth year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: JT Phelan, Jeff Simmelink, Logan Kurucz, Jacob Silva, Dylan Stakelin

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.

THE RECORDS

Linfield enters the week at 4-8 overall and 2-4 in Northwest Conference play. Whitworth is 5-9 overall with a 2-1 NWC mark.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

The Wildcats are looking to shake off a series loss at Puget Sound. They opened the week with a non-conference game against Corban. Jake Hoskins leads the team with a .377 batting average and 20 hits. Nick Holm is batting .375 with three home runs and 13 RBI. He’s slugging .719 with a .415 on-base percentage in his freshman season. Branden Pasion has scored 12 times while Cameron Skinner leads the ‘Cats with four doubles. Gavin Ludlow has 10 strikeouts and a 2.13 ERA in five relief appearances.

WHITWORTH AT A GLANCE

The Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak by taking two of three games from Lewis & Clark last week. Elijah Tanner and Dawson Warner are each batting .333. Tanner has 16 hits, including three doubles and two triples. Zach Tincher and Austin Paul have both driven in nine runs. Hunter Dryden is 3-1 with a 3.80 ERA in four starts. Hunter Williams is holding opposing lineups to a .227 average in five appearances and one start.

THE SERIES

Linfield commands the all-time series with Whitworth, owning a 96-56 record. That record includes a 52-25 mark at home. The Wildcats won 12 straight between 2007 and 2010, but the Pirates won seven of the last 10. Whitworth took two of three games at Roy Helser Field in 2022.

make it

55 brett joner

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.

Linfield places four men and four women on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Swimming Teams

Linfield led all Northwest Conference institutions with a combined eight selections to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2022-23 Academic All-District Swimming Teams, released last week.

The Wildcats are the only program in the NWC with four honorees on both the men’s and women’s teams. Pacific Lutheran boasted seven Academic All-District student-athletes, including four women and three men. Willamette saw six players earn honors while Whitworth had four to round out the NWC’s 25 total selections.

Representing the Linfield women both in the pool and in the classroom are seniors Alexis Matthiesen-Johnson (exercise science) and Kate Walkup (journalism and media studies), junior Emma Campbell (political science/mathematics) and sophomore Avery Campbell (undecided).

Walkup won individual titles in the 400-yard IM and 200-yard backstroke at the NWC Championships, leading the Wildcat women to their first league championship in 30 years. Avery Campbell placed first in the 100 backstroke. Both Walkup and Campbell were named members of the All-NWC First Team.

The men’s side features seniors Nathan Herde (exercise science) and Casey Wong (computer science), junior Alex Landry (physics) and sophomore Gavin Smith (applied physics). Smith won the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NWC Championships on his way to earning a First Team nod on the All-NWC Team.

The 2022-23 CSC Academic All-District Team recognizes studentathletes for their combined efforts in both athletics and academics. The honorees will advance to the Academic All-America ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced by the CSC in late March.

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.