When the weather starts to warm up and the sun starts to come out again, everyone knows that both baseball and softball are back on the rise. The Bellevue College baseball and softball teams are ready to take the field for the 2013 season. Both teams had stellar seasons last year and are ready to repeat last year’s successes with great play and readiness to do their best.
The 2012 baseball team had an incredible year led by talented players. The team ended their season last year ranking #1, then proceeded to win the regional tournament and be ranked on a national level. Some of the team’s top players last year included Tyler Baumgartner and Adrian Sampson. Tyler Baumgartner finished last year with an amazing .409 batting average and was given a scholarship to the University of Oregon to play baseball.
The Oregon Ducks are ranked #5 in the nation in baseball. Adrian Sampson was the team’s top pitcher and was selected in the 2012 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in the fifth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was also the highest selected college junior in the draft in the country. Both of these players were great assets to the team, but now we have a younger squad this year. This includes a “young team with over 20 freshmen. The youngest squad I’ve had in 15 years,” said Head Coach Mark Yoshino. The team is going to have a really young core this year, but come next year we will have an even stronger sophomore core. Players like Jordan Richartz, Anthony Flatt, Nick Kiel and co-captain Max Brown lead the team.
BC had a group of players along with Adrian Samson that were selected in the MLB Amateur Draft. These players included: Theo Alexander, Ian Parmley and Alex Ross. This team has a tradition of great players who have been drafted in the MLB, and that tradition will continue for years.
The softball team also had a terrific year last year finishing undefeated in league play, then going on to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championships. While they didn’t walk away in first, they placed fourth at the end of the season. Head Coach Leah Francis commented on her team’s play in the championship last year, “We had some amazing come from behind wins at the NWAACC championships, and while our goal is always to win a NWAACC title, while we came up just short of that goal, we feel great about the season we had.”
The upcoming season is on track to be just as productive as the 2012 season. The softball team has a strong sophomore class along with some great freshmen to make it ready to pursue another NWAACC title. The team has goals this season, to help them accomplish as much as they can. “Our goals are consistent year to year, working hard daily, improving as individuals and a team throughout the season, winning the North Region, earning a berth to the NWAACC championships and ultimately winning an NWAACC title,” said Francis. However, as any coach knows, there are concerns for the upcoming season: “As a head coach, my biggest concern has always been everyone staying healthy. While we always have to overcome injuries in sports, it is more comforting to go into season with a full, healthy squad,” said Francis. The team is looking forward to another great season, and possibly another NWAACC title.
BC has terrific baseball and softball programs. The next step forward for the teams is to go out and win games. Students are encouraged to go and watch the home games for their teams. Students can find the schedule online at the Bellevue College athletics website www.bellevuecollege.edu/athletics.com