AppleSox Begin 2023 Season At Bend
/
The Wenatchee AppleSox open up the 2023 season on Friday, June 2, against the Bend Elks at 6:35 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium. Wenatchee and Bend are opening up a season against each other at the same location for the second straight season.
The AppleSox advanced to the North Division Championship Game last season by sweeping the Kamloops NorthPaws in the North Division Semifinals. Wenatchee ultimately fell to the Bellingham Bells, 4-2, to end its season. Wenatchee shattered single-season team records for walks (281), runs (388), stolen bases (106) and RBI (299) while leading the WCL in runs and hits (549). The AppleSox finished in the top five in the WCL in 2022 for batting average (.285, second), RBI (second), walks (third), on-base percentage (.390, third), OPS (.765, third), stolen bases (fourth) and slugging percentage (.375, fifth). Ten players who appeared in at least one game for the AppleSox last summer are signed to play this summer.
The Elks finished with a winning record (28-26) in 2022 for the first time since winning the WCL Championship in 2015 but fell just short of a playoff berth. They took five-of-the-six games against the AppleSox last season and both squads combined to score at least 14 runs in all but one matchup. Bend led all teams in walks drawn (304) while also hitting the second-most home runs (34) and scoring the second-most runs (375) in the WCL in 2022. Former AppleSox outfielder Steven Meier is signed with the Elks this season.
Right-handed pitcher Garrett Gores returns for his second summer with the club and gets the Opening-Day nod tonight. The Spokane native was named All-NWAC MVP and NWAC East Region MVP this spring by recording a 1.15 ERA in 13 games (all starts) with 92 strikeouts to only 19 walks. Gores also excelled as a position player, batting .344 with 14 extra-base hits and winning an All-NWAC East Region Gold Glove at first base.
Bend counters with Dylan MacCallum from Pepperdine. He recorded a 6.53 ERA in 14 appearances this spring, all in relief. The right-hander from Portland struck out 12 and walked 16 in 20.2 innings but limited opponents to a .240 batting average.
Fans can tune in to the action tonight and all season long on KCSY Sunny FM. Pregame coverage begins at 6:10 p.m. You can listen online worldwide at kcsyfm.com, the TuneIn radio app or on one of the following translators.
93.9 FM in Wenatchee
95.3 FM in the Lake Chelan Valley
97.7 FMin Omak, Riverside, Tonasket and Oroville
98.1 FM in East Wenatchee, Rock Island and Quincy
101.3 FM in Brewster and Pateros
106.3 FM in the Methow Valley
