| Trinity (Texas) left-hander Ryan Gray was an All Star this summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Trinity (Texas) athletics photo |
By Colton Westfal and Ralph Turner
for D3baseball.com
Every year, we hear about how deep the West Region is: the NWC sent three teams to the NCAA Regionals last year; the SCIAC’s fourth place team won their league tournament; three teams from the ASC received first place votes in the 2016 preseason poll; second place in the SCAC, Trinity (Texas) made a run deep into the World Series. Every year there are surprise teams that rise to the top of the West, and this year will be no different.
There seems to be parity on a great level throughout the entire region. The last few West Regionals have reinforced that notion as games almost always end up as tight, low-scoring affairs. While Trinity (Texas) may be the leader of the pack, there are a handful of teams that have a great chance to represent the West in this year’s World Series. From established powers, like Texas-Tyler, Trinity (Texas), Linfield, and Cal Lutheran, to newcomers like Pacific Lutheran, we can expect the West to be wild, once again.
New Faces
Bill Walkenbach, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps: The Stag's new head coach, Bill Walkenbach spent the last seven years as the head coach for Cornell. Under his leadership, the Big Red won their first ever Ivy League Championship in 2012. As a four-year All-Ivy League shortstop at Cornell, he earned a spot into the Cornell Hall of Fame in 2010. Walkenbach is familiar with the D-III experience having been the head coach at Franklin & Marshall.
| Scott Carnahan will take over the reins of Linfield team for the second time in his career. Linfield athletics photo |
Scott Carnahan, Linfield: Scott Carnahan, the 11-time NWC Coach of the Year returns to the position he held for 24 seasons from 1984-2007. Linfield’s director of athletics has spent the last eight seasons as the Wildcat’s pitching coach, but the departure of Scott Brosius (now a part of the Seattle Mariners minor league system) has Carnahan taking the helm again. Carnahan owns a career coaching record of 562-377-2 at Linfield.
Aaron Gentry, Ozarks: After spending the last eight years as a coach at LeTourneau, where he was a part of two American Southwest Conference Coaching Staff of the Year awards, Aaron Gentry will start the season at the University of the Ozarks. Gentry was a standout collegiate player, leading Berry to a TranSouth Conference championship as a senior hitting .404 with three home runs and 38 RBI. After being drafted in the 12th round in 1997, Gentry played in the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1997-2000.
Nolan Soete, Pacific Lutheran: A Pacific Lutheran graduate, Nolan Soete has been on the coaching staff since 2007. He was named the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in 2011, so it is no surprise that he was named the interim head coach after Coach Loomis accepted the head job at University of Portland. Soete was a 2nd team All-Northwest Conference first baseman his senior year at PLU.
Brian Kitamura, Whitman: Brian Kitamura has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Whitman program. A graduate of Whitman, Kitamura was a four-year starter on the baseball team as he patrolled the outfield. In the summer, he coaches a local 19u team, the Walla Walla Bears.
Conference Previews
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If the ASC preseaon poll proved prophetic, there will be at least one dog pile for the Patriots in 2016. |
American Southwest Conference: Texas-Tyler, the reigning ASC champion, enters 2016 as the favorite to repeat. Sam Lane (.345, 6 3B, 35 RBI) enters his 4th year as a starter in the outfield and will lead an offense that must replace key components of their lineup. Fortunately, the Patriots return eight of their top pitchers from last year. Starting pitchers Cason Adams (8-3, 3.23 ERA, 61 SO) and Tyler Stallings (3-0, 28.1 IP, 0.64 ERA) will look to get the ball to one of the best closers in the country, Chad Hayes (20.1 IP, 24 K, 0.89 ERA, 13 SV).
Concordia (Texas) will go as West Region Player of the Year 1B Connor Bertsch (.403, 8 HR, 42 RBI) goes. The first team All-American leads an offense that returns nearly every starter. As good as the offense can be, the Tornados will need some big time help on the mound as they must replace their entire starting rotation. Expect preseason D3baseball.com All-American Justin Traxler (1.74 ERA, 51.2 IP, 67 K, 6 SV) to be relied on even more this year in his sophomore season.
Texas-Dallas has a legitimate triple crown threat in 3B Brandon George (.414, 7 HR, 50 RBI). After leading the conference in batting average and runs batted in, he will be counted on again to lead an experience offense if they want to make a return to the Regional round for the first time since 2007. Aaron Bach (5-1, 3.16 ERA, 43 SO) and Brandon Lee (6-2, 3.43 ERA, 41 SO) at the top of rotation gives the Comets a legit chance to win every weekend.
Sul Ross State looks to improve upon their 15-15 record in conference last season. A healthy mix of returners, led by Eli Gallego (.339, 5 HR, 23 RBI) and Kit Henderson (.354, 12 RBI) give the Lobos a chance to make some noise. The two-way man Gallego (7-4, 3.16 ERA, 47 SO) and Justin Vajgert (3.69 ERA, 58 SO) anchor a rotation that makes the Lobos a contender for an ASC title.
Northwest Conference: The Linfield Wildcats, ranked 14th in the preseason poll, will have some rebuilding to do on the mound. Gone are Chris Haddeland (two-time National Pitcher of the Year) and Aaron Thomassen. A new look staff, led by junior Riley Newman and sophomore Callahan Neely, should get better as the season goes along. Eric Lawson (.318, 4 HR, 33 RBI) and Ben Roberts (.303, 42 RBI) will be a veteran presence on an otherwise young offensive team that should improve from last season.
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Ben Welch batted .331 last year for the Lutes.
Pacific Lutheran athletics photo by John Froschauer |
The 17th ranked Pacific Lutheran Lutes return nearly their entire lineup from a team that made a deep run in last year’s South Regional. The double play tandem of SS Ben Welch (.331, 3 3B, 24 RBI) and 2B Landon Packard (.331, 3 HR, 28 RBI) will look to lead last year’s NWC regular season champions. The Lutes will get a huge boost with the return of junior SP Derrick Mahlum (2.28 ERA, 77 SO in 2014) after he missed all of last season due to an injury. Mahlum and ace Kyle Rossman (6-4, 2.49 ERA) will anchor a PLU staff that should be one of the best in the West.
The Whitworth Pirates, winners of last year’s inaugural NWC tournament should, once again, have an intimidating lineup led by junior Matthew Nelson (.330, 6 HR) and senior Jeremy Druffel (.382, 16 2B, 30 RBI). The Pirates will rely on a slew of transfers and freshman on the hill, as they must replace their entire starting rotation from last year’s Regional team.
Puget Sound might’ve come out of nowhere to lead the NWC in offense last season, but they won’t be a surprise this year. Seniors Chris Zerio (.365, 33 RBI) and Nathan Backes (.319, 4 HR, 37 RBI) return for the hard-hitting Loggers that will once again be loaded on offense with six of their top eight hitters returning this season. Whitman will look to rebound from last year with a talented roster filled with underclassmen like Adrian Vela (.358, 17 R, 10 XBH). Robert Maislin (2.01 ERA, 52 SO) is one of the few seniors that will be relied on to lead the Missionaries.
Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: The 7th ranked Trinity Tigers return as the SCAC and West Region favorite when the 2016 season gets underway. Last year, Trinity won 20 of their last 24 games to win the SCAC and West Region tournament. The Tigers finished third in their first trip to the World Series. All-American Ryan Gray (8-0, 2.00 ERA, 75 SO, 2 SV) is a formidable ace that gives Trinity the upper hand in every game he pitches. It is Trinity’s offense that gives the Tigers such optimism as they return every starter from last year’s team. C Drew Butler (.398, 4 HR, 55 RBI), OF Jeremy Wolf (.390, 6 HR, 44 RBI) and SS Connor Moore (.358, 48 R, 29 RBI, 17 SB) are just three of the many players to watch as they attempt to get back to Appleton.
Centenary won the regular season but lost to Trinity in the postseason tourney. Senior RHP Holden Novak (8-2, 72 IP, 51 SO) returns to the mound. Novak’s battery mate, sophomore C Chris Zapata (.358, 27 RBI), and OF Michael Schimpf (.309, 50 H, 37 R, 10 HBP) return in key roles to lead the offense. The Gents will get an early taste when they face off with No. 8 Birmingham-Southern in early February.
| Justin Law's .465 on-base percentage was tops for Texas Lutheran and good for third in the SCAC in 2015. Texas Lutheran athletics photo |
Texas Lutheran tied for second in the 2015 regular season. The Bulldogs have 26 newcomers to join 22 returning lettermen. Big non-conference games on the Bulldog’s schedule include Birmingham-Southern and No. 19 Baldwin-Wallace. Key returning players include 1B Justin Law (.364, 4 HR 31 RBI), OF Riley Schaefer (.324) and UT/P Lincoln Baylor (.313, 27 IP, 2.33 ERA).
Southwestern is led by preseason All-American OF Will Cates (.391, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 31 SB). The Pirates return 29 players and welcome 15 newcomers. When the Tournament Selection committee is evaluating Pool C bids, they may encounter six degrees of Southwestern. The Pirates have Huntingdon, Randolph-Macon, Millsaps, Whitworth, Pacific, Emory, Piedmont, Concordia-Texas, Texas-Tyler and Texas-Dallas on the non-conference schedule.
Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Cal Lutheran is the preseason pick to win the 2016 SCIAC title and they look to get back to a regional after a one-year hiatus. Key players include OF Ramsey Abushahla (.368, 41 R, 54 RBI), OF Justin Caña (.343, 49 R, 22 RBI) and Trey Saito (7-4, 74.2 IP, 3.86 ERA). Coach Marty Slimak has put together a quality non-conference schedule, facing Whitworth, Hendrix, Texas-Dallas and Sul Ross State before games against No. 6 Webster and No. 17 PLU later on in the season.
La Verne took 4th in the SCIAC but defeated Cal Lutheran in the 2015 SCIAC tourney before going 2-2 in the West Regional. The Leopards will be led by Gold Glove 1B Ben White (.386, 4 HR, 48 RBI) and sophomore reliever Nick Byrd (58.1 IP, 2.62 ERA, 48 SO, 7 SV). The Leopards open a tough regular season schedule in Arizona with two games against the top teams in the NWC, Pacific Lutheran and Linfield.
| Tanner Nishioka was an All-Star in the Alaska Baseball League this summer. Pomona-Pitzer athletics photo |
Redlands got key performances from young players in 2015. Coach Aaron Holley’s Bulldogs are a year older and ready for the 2016 campaign. Junior Scott Scalisi (.342, 33 R, 27 RBI) and senior Mitch Samson (.371, 32 R, 31 RBI) are the leaders of an offense that hit .338 as a team last year. Redlands returns a young, battle tested rotation led by sophomores Matthew Acosta (78.2 IP, 4.23 ERA, 63 SO) and Felix Minjarez (7-2, 3.53 ERA, 67 SO).
Chapman returns 20 players from the 2015 team that finished 6th in the SCIAC. Key players include D3baseball.com All-West IF Tyler Cook (.377, 37 RBI) and SS John Wiehe (.384, 29 RBI). Last year’s runner up in the SCIAC, Pomona-Pitzer boasts two potential All-Americans in junior Tanner Nishioka (.329, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 22 SB) and senior Simon Rosenbaum (.359, 9 HR, 48 RBI) on an otherwise young team that must replace nearly their entire offensive lineup.