Ashworth Returns, Four Others Signed To 2023 AppleSox

AppleSox head coach Mitch Darlington announced on Thursday the addition of five players to the 2023 roster. Two of these players have previous experience in the Apple Capital. Jadon Williamson, Cade Westerlund, Travis Helm, Conner Ashworth and Fred Buckson will all play for the AppleSox in the summer.

Williamson suited up for the AppleSox two seasons ago as a late addition to the roster down the stretch. The right-hander tossed two scoreless outings at the beginning of August, 2021, prior to his redshirt freshman year at Lower Columbia College. Williamson got more work last summer, recording a 4.11 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 19.2 innings over 16 games for the Cowlitz Black Bears.  

The Longview, Wash. native will join the AppleSox on a 10-day contract at the conclusion of his sophomore year with the Red Devils. Williamson has not allowed any runs in 10.1 innings over three games. His most recent outing of 6.2 scoreless innings of relief with nine strikeouts this past Friday against Centralia was his finest effort to date this spring. 

“If you follow the West Coast League or AppleSox baseball,” Darlington said, “you know that pitching is a premium in this league so there is a chance that Jadon could stick around the whole summer for us. He’s really gotten into a groove lately (after he) wasn’t able to pitch early on in the season but is back and fully healthy.”

Westerlund is the first-of-two catchers joining the AppleSox this week on 10-day contracts. The sophomore at Everett Community College leads the Trojans with five home runs and 31 walks while also posting an impressive .407 on-base percentage.

The Billings, Mont. native began his collegiate career at Yavapai, where he slashed .247/.360/.342 in 26 games. Westerlund graduated from Mountain Pointe High School in 2021 and hit .377 with four home runs and .500 on-base percentage in 18 games. 

“A really good defensive catcher. For me at the catching position the defense has to be the number one thing. I love a good defensive catcher who can control the running game, can receive well, can learn from his pitching staff and call a good game. The bat is just a bonus. He definitely has some juice with the bat though.”

Helm is another 10-day contract signed by the AppleSox to bolster the catching position early on. He is coming off a strong year at Central Washington where he led the Wildcats in RBI, walks, hit by pitches and on-base percentage to earn Second Team All-GNAC honors. He’ll join his teammate and fellow backstop Austin Ohland on this summer’s team.

The Beaverton, Ore. native has previous experience in the WCL, primarily playing for non-league teams. He appeared in two games for the Portland Gherkins in non-league action before later playing in a pair of games for the Port Angeles Lefties in league play. Helm got his first taste of college baseball action in 2021. With Clark College not competing that spring he and many other Penguins played for the Northwest Star Academy. Helm recorded a .373 on-base percentage in 18 games for the Nighthawks, including going 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI against the AppleSox on June 2 that summer. 

“Central’s coaching staff has had nothing but good things to say about Travis,” Darlington said. “I reached out to see if they had another catcher available and they really wanted to get Travis with us. You get a guy like Travis who is really proven at the plate and also is hungry to get some playing time behind the plate and it’s the perfect combo. Really excited about Cade and Travis and that opening weekend against Bend will be their shot to show me and show our fans what they can do.”

Ashworth has battled injuries over the last year that began last summer but shined in his first season with the AppleSox. He has not pitched this spring at Montana State University Billings after recording an impressive season with the AppleSox. Ashworth recorded a 3.24 ERA in four games (one start) during the regular season before only allowing one run in five innings to earn the win as the starter in Game 1 of the North Division Series at Kamloops. 

The Brewster native and graduate also shined in his summer debut for the AppleSox on June 7 against Port Angeles. Ashworth retired all nine hitters in order, striking out each of the final eight to pick up the win at home. The right-hander also recorded a 2.18 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 20.2 innings for Spokane Falls as a sophomore in 2022.

“He got to Montana in the fall and was still having some lingering issues so he had to shut it down for the whole year,” Darlington said. “He still may be doing some rehab and we probably won’t see him until late June or early July for an in-game appearance but you’ll definitely see Conner out at the park. He’ll be in our dugout, in the bullpen and ramping back up. I’m so excited to have Conner back to have another local kid and a guy who just wants to pitch for us. I put him in the same boat as Quincy (Vassar) where summer baseball almost means more to him than his regular school season. He’s always texting me, giving me updates on his arm and making sure we have a jersey ready for him. He’s just a guy who really cares about our organization and wants to see us do well.” 

Buckson is the final 10-day contract addition from this week and he will shore up the middle of the infield for the AppleSox to begin the season. He is batting .294 with a team-high nine home runs and 45 RBI in 53 games this spring for Vanguard. Buckson is also second on the Lions with 19 stolen bases and 57 hits. 

The Silverdale, Wa. native is a sophomore in eligibility this spring but is playing in his fourth season of college baseball. He played Bellevue from 2020-21, combining to hit .274 with four home runs and 20 RBI over 33 games. Buckson played at Northwestern Oklahoma State University last spring and hit .275 in 20 games before transferring to Vanguard. 

“This is a Quincy find for us,” Darlington said. “I’ve gotta give him his credit. He’s connected to everybody off his own team and a lot of those California schools and they were teammates at Bellevue. He’s an upperclassman with a ton of experience, a ton of games under his belt. He’s had a monster year for Vanguard. Basically played every game at second base. Might see him at second base opening night, could see him bump over to shortstop. Just a good veteran player who is going to start the season with us.”

To hear more about this week’s roster additions please listen to the AppleSox Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Darlington and broadcaster Joel Norman break down the latest on these players and you can also listen to previous episodes to hear more on the AppleSox.

Single-game tickets are now on sale for the 2023 season and can be purchased at applesox.com/2023-schedule. The 23rd season in AppleSox history opens up on June 3 at the Bend Elks before the home opener on June 6. Season tickets lock in your seats for all 31 home games and run as affordable as $145 for general admission bleacher seats while reserved premium seating is $245. Additionally, fans can get 10-ticketDouble Play Ticket Packs for $60. These 10 general-admission ticket punches can all be used at once or spread out over the course of the season over multiple games. To purchase 2023 ticket packages please visit applesox.com/season-tickets, call 509-665-6900 or email allie@applesox.com.