AppleSox Host Pippins On BNCW Night

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv or ncwlife.com
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Ryan Martinez makes his fourth start of the summer tonight and his first since July 7 at Nanaimo... Martinez fired a scoreless third inning against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team in non-league action last Sunday in his most recent outing... Martinez has no record with a 3.95 ERA, seven strikeouts, two walks and 18 hits over 13.2 innings... He earned All-WCL Honorable Mention in 2023 and has fired at least five innings in eight-of-11 starts with the AppleSox over the last two summers... Martinez transferred from Pacific to Utah Tech last week...

Yakima Valley Probable Pitcher: Ethan Salscheider makes his second start vs. the AppleSox this season after allowing two runs over six innings on June 18... He struck out three, walked two and allowed six hits to earn his most recent victory... Salscheider is 3-3 with a 3.23 ERA, 26 strikeouts, 12 walks and 44 hits over 39 innings in seven games... The southpaw from Hawaii-Hilo is 5-8 with a 4.03 ERA in 20 games over the last three summers with Yakima Valley...

Season Series vs. Yakima Valley: Wenatchee dropped two-of-three games against Yakima Valley June 18-20 at Yakima County Stadium... The AppleSox are 2-4 vs. South Division opponents and 21-9 against North Division opponents... After this series Wenatchee does not face another South Division foe until Aug. 6-8 when it wraps up the regular season at Bend...

Last Weekend: The AppleSox swept both non-league games against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team, first with a 7-0 win last Saturday and a 21-5 triumph the next day... Wenatchee finished the season 3-1 in non-league action...

The Pippins: Are 3.5 games back of the Ridgefield Raptors for the final playoff spot, the second wild card in the South... Are four games back of the Raptors for the best record in the South in the second half and the second seed in the divisional playoffs... Dropped two-of-three games against Corvallis July 10-11 in their three most recent WCL games... Defeated the CCL last Friday, split the next two days against the Northwest Star Academy and then defeated the CCL again on Monday...

Drafted: Two AppleSox players were selected in the 2024 MLB Draft earlier this week... 2022 alum Matt Halbach was selected in the 10th Round by the Chicago Cubs and 2024 player Jace Hampson was selected in the 18th Round by the New York Mets... Halbach earned All-WCL Honorable Mention after hitting .329 with 17 multi-hit games two summers ago... Hampson played three games in WCL play and two non-league games this summer but signed with the Mets...

2024 WCL All-Stars: Garrett Ahern, Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar all represented the AppleSox as 2024 WCL All-Stars this past Wednesday at Joe Martin Field... Ahern helped turn a double play in a scoreless fourth inning, Vassar struck out in a scoreless sixth and Hartman walked and stole second in the third...

Top Offense: The AppleSox enter the post-All-Star Break with the best batting average (.287) and the most runs scored (262) in the WCL... Wenatchee has scored 34 more runs than the next-closest team (Portland) and faces the team with the second-worst ERA in the WCL in Yakima Valley (5.45)...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

Stretch Run: Only 18 games remain in the regular season and the AppleSox are still pushing to lock up home-field advantage for the North Division Championship Game and the West Coast League Championship Game, if they can reach them... Wenatchee’s 23-13 mark is currently tops in the entire North Division and would earn them home-field advantage for the North Division Championship Game if the season ended today and they reached it... The AppleSox have the third-best record in the WCL behind Corvallis (28-8) and Portland (26-9)...

Hampson Selected By Mets In 18th Round

Wenatchee AppleSox infielder/pitcher Jace Hampson got to realize a dream come true when he was selected by the New York Mets in the 18th round of the 2024 MLB Draft on Tuesday.

Hampson, an incoming freshman at Everett Community College, made his AppleSox debut last Tuesday by appearing at third base against the Edmonton Riverhawks. He then made back-to-back starts at shortstop before making his summer pitching debut last Saturday against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team, striking out three hitters on just 17 pitches. Thirteen of those pitches went for at least 90-miles per hour, including hitting 94-miles per hour on his first pitch of the game.

The Snohomish native was the eighth-best prospect in Washington and the second-best at shortstop. Perfect Game also had him as the eighth-best prospect and the best at third base. Hampson hit .393 in nine games as a senior at Lynwood High School this spring and also did not allow any runs in three appearances with 30 strikeouts, three walks and five hits allowed over 13.2 innings.

Hampson joines Matt Halbach as players to have suited up for the AppleSox to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. Twenty two former AppleSox players have gone on to appear in at least one MLB game.

AppleSox Alum Halbach Selected In MLB Draft

Former Wenatchee AppleSox player Matt Halbach was selected by the Chicago Cubs on Monday in the 2024 MLB Draft.

Halbach played for the AppleSox in 2022 and earned All-WCL Honorable Mention after hitting .329 with 17 multi-hit games. He showcased his versatility by playing first base, third base, left field and right field. The then-incoming sophomore at UC San Diego regularly batted either second or third in the AppleSox batting order and never went back-to-back games without collecting a base hit until his final two games of the regular season.

‘Matt The Bat,’ as he was known to be called by cheering AppleSox fans, recorded a personal-best eight-game hitting streak July 3-15 and batted .371 during it. Two of his most exciting moments of the season came during that streak when he hit a go-ahead and eventual game-winning home run in the fifth inning against Kelowna July 5 and then hit a game-tying RBI single in the bottom of the ninth against Corvallis July 15. Halbach helped the AppleSox walk off the Knights on July 16 when he reached on an error in the ninth for Wenatchee’s only walkoff victory of 2022.

The San Jose native went on to play for the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod League last summer and hit .364 in 32 games to earn a spot on All-League team and an All-Star berth. Halbach helped Orleans reach the Cape Code League Championship by recording eight extra-base hits and 15 RBI.

Halbach’s success in the Cape Cod League is even more impressive after climbing from the Expedition League in 2021 to the WCL in 2022 before the last jump to the highest level of summer collegiate baseball. He hit .333 in 28 games with the Hastings Sodbusters.

In three seasons at the University of California San Diego, Halbach has batted .311 over 121 games in three seasons. He was limited due to injury in 2024 but ranked 87th overall in D1Baseball's midseason Top-100 MLB Draft prospect rankings and was named to the Big West Preseason Coaches Team. Last year Halbach hit .306 (third-best on the Tritons) while recording 15 doubles, five home runs and leading the conference with five triples to earn All-Big West First Team honors. As a freshman he recorded a team-best three triples and ranked fifth on the Tritons with a .270 batting average, fourth in slugging percentage (.432) and fifth with 29 runs scored.

Halbach becomes the second player coached by AppleSox skipper Mitch Darlington to be selected in the MLB Draft, joining Aiva Arquette, who was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022. Rounds 11-20 take place Tuesday at 11 a.m. PST and can be seen on MLB.com.

Ahern Added To All-Star Game

Wenatchee AppleSox right-hander Garrett Ahern has been added to the North Division’s roster for Wednesday’s West Coast League All-Star Game.

Ahern, an incoming sophomore at Grand Canyon, is 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in five games. He has struck out 23, walked seven and allowed 22 hits over 23 innings. The AppleSox have won every game that he has pitched and he has tied the rubber four times after a loss.

The Gilbert, Ariz. native has recorded six strikeouts in a game twice, first in four innings against Bellingham in his season debut June 12 and again over four innings vs. Victoria July 3. Ahern tossed a season-high 5.2 innings vs. Edmonton last Wednesday in his most recent start.

Ahern joins Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar as AppleSox representatives in Bellingham at the All-Star Game. First pitch is at 6:35 and the game will be televised on MLB Network, MLB TV and MLB.com

AppleSox Sweep CCL

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored in all but two innings and defeated the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team, 21-5, on Sunday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Every AppleSox hitter in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit and Wenatchee scored at least three runs in five innings. Jack Haferkamp homered and drove in four with three hits. Matthew Henning also recorded 4 RBI with three hits. Kanoa Morisaki drove in three with two hits and walked four times.

Head coach Mitch Darlington pinch hit in the eighth and, though he struck out, recorded a game-ending double play in the ninth at shortstop. Assistant coach Xander Orejudos delivered a pinch-hit double in the eighth and recorded an assist in the ninth at second base.

Wenatchee has the next four days off before opening the post-All-Star break on Friday at home against Yakima Valley at 6:35 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. Garrett Ahern, Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar will represent the AppleSox in Bellingham at the All-Star Game. First pitch is at 6:35 and will be televised on MLB Network, MLB TV and MLB.com

AppleSox Shut Out CCL

Evan Cloyd drove in two runs and scored twice as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team, 7-0, on Saturday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Seven different AppleSox pitchers combined to blank the CCL in the first-of-two non-league games this weekend. Wenatchee recorded three two-run innings with the first coming in the bottom of the first.

Cloyd recorded three hits and also stole second after his RBI single in the third. He also plated a run with an RBI single in the third. Cannon Peery scored three of Wenatchee’s runs and also recorded two hits. Jonathan Fitz recorded two RBI singles and also drew two walks.

Peery helped bring home the first run of the game with a fielder’s choice and a throwing error while batting with runners at first and second. Cam Hoiland singled in Peery two batters later after Bloyd singled in between them.

Cloyd singled in Peery in the third after his one-out single in the third and then Fitz plated Cloyd two batters later. Three of the first four hitters reached in the fifth with Peery and Cloyd again getting part of the fun with a double and a single, respectively, to start the frame. Cloyd’s hit played Peery before Fitz picked up another RBI single to make it 6-0, AppleSox.

A bases-loaded wild pitch brought home Wenatchee’s final run in the bottom of the eighth before Andrew Manson struck out the side in the ninth to close out the win.

The AppleSox face the CCL Showcase team again on Sunday night at 5:35. Fans who arrive early will receive AppleSox trading cards presented by WaFd Bank. Tickets are available at applesox.com/schedule

AppleSox Can’t Hold Late Lead, Fall To Riverhawks

The Edmonton Riverhawks scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to overcome a two-run deficit and defeat the Wenatchee AppleSox, 6-4, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

The AppleSox entered Thursday 17-0 when leading after the seventh or eighth inning but could not overcome two ninth-inning errors. Wenatchee (23-13, 5-4 second half) scored three runs in the bottom of the first but dropped its first series of the second half and only its second of the summer at home.

Roberto Gonzalez singled twice and scored for a sixth consecutive game and for the 13th time in that span. He came across in the first inning after a Max Hartman single and an error to put Wenatchee up 1-0. Cannon Peery hit an RBI double and Luca Boscarino hit a two-out RBI single to put the AppleSox ahead, 3-0.

Edmonton (21-12, 3-2 second half) evened the game up with a three-spot in the fourth when each of their first four hitters singled and the first three all scored. Evan Cloyd hit an RBI single in the fifth to give the AppleSox the lead again and it held until the top of the ninth. With one out and a runner at first base a ground ball to third looked poised to be a game-ending double play, but trouble with the reception at second allowed the game to continue and the Riverhawks took advantage.

The AppleSox are off on Friday and have two home games this weekend against the Cascade Collegiate League showcase team. Saturday’s game begins at 6:35 and Sunday’s first pitch is 5:35. Tickets are available at AppleSox.com/schedule

AppleSox Host Riverhawks On Throwback Thursday

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Cam Hoiland makes his third start and fourth appearance tonight after earning the victory last Thursday vs. Victoria... He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits, four walks and one strikeout over five innings at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium... Hoiland, an incoming senior at Cal Poly, is 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA, five strikeouts, six walks and eight hits over 9.1 innings...

Edmonton Probable Pitcher: David Stuart starts five days after his third relief appearance and preps for his third start of the summer in the rubber match... He fired scoreless fourth and fifth innings last Saturday vs. Kamloops, striking out one and only allowing one hit... Stuart is 2-1 with a 6.35 ERA, 10 strikeouts, 11 walks and 10 hits over 11.1 innings... The incoming senior at Texas A&M Corpus Christi made his last start on June 27 vs. Bellingham, surrendering five runs (two earned) on five hits, three walks and two strikeouts in 3.2 innings...

Last Game: The AppleSox scored a season-high 17 runs in a 17-5 win vs. the Riverhawks... Aidan Dougherty and Cannon Peery both drove in four runs apiece and Garrett Ahern tossed a season-high 5.2 innings to earn his second win... Wenatchee’s 12-run win marked its second-largest margin of victory behind a 15-2 win June 2 vs. Port Angeles... The AppleSox scored in seven-of-eight innings...

Runs, Runs Runs: Wenatchee leads the WCL with 258 runs, 58 more than the next-closest team... The AppleSox have plated 42 runs over their last three games and 91 in their last nine games... Wenatchee needs 131 more runs to break its single-season record of 388 from two summers ago and would need to average 6.89 runs per game over its final 19 games... This all comes despite being shut out three times this summer, the most in a season since being shut out six time in 2018...

Dougherty - All-Star Snub?: Aidan Dougherty continued to plead his case for why he should have been a WCL All-Star with a two more hits last night... He is 5-for-8 with 6 RBI, three walks, five runs and three stolen bases the last two days... Dougherty, the reigning NWAC batting champion and NWAC Tournament MVP, has recorded nine multi-hit games and is hitting .520 in 12 home games... Dougherty is fourth among the eight WCL players with at least 25 games played hitting .320-or-better and is the only one who is not a WCL All-Star...

Scoring First And In The First: The AppleSox snapped a 12-game streak of not scoring before their opponent and a 10-game streak of not scoring in the first inning... Wenatchee had not scored in the first inning since tallying twice in the bottom of the first in a 17-4 win vs. Kelowna June 26 and most recently scored before it opponent with a four-run bottom of the first in an eventual 11-3 win vs. Kelowna June 24...

Rubber Matches: Wenatchee is 5-1 in rubber matches and is looking for its ninth series victory of the summer... A win tonight would give the AppleSox their third consecutive series victory to open up the second half...

2024 WCL All-Stars: Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar have all been selected as 2024 WCL All-Stars representing the AppleSox July 17 at Joe Martin Field... The North Division First Half Champs will send the third-most players in the division to next week’s All-Star Game in Bellingham... Wenatchee’s four All-Stars are third behind Edmonton’s five and Bellingham’s six... Edmonton is sending Tate Dearing, Vicarte Domingo, Bryce McFeely, Jakob Poturnak and Michael Soper to the All-Star Game... The 2024 WCL All-Star Game will be televised on MLB Network...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

AppleSox Bats Strike Early, Often vs. Riverhawks

The AppleSox scored in seven-of-eight innings and defeated the Edmonton Riverhawks, 17-5, on Wednesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee (23-12, 5-3 second half) set a new single-game high for runs scored in 2024 and has now plated 42 runs over its last three games. The AppleSox lead the West Coast League with 258 runs, 58 more than the next-closest team.

Aidan Dougherty and Cannon Peery both drove in four runs to. Pace the bats. Garrett Ahern (2-0) went a season-high 5.2 innings and struck out four. Dougherty improved his batting average to .520 in 12 home games while Peery has now driven in six runs over the first two games of this series.

The AppleSox scored first for the first time since June 24 and scored in the first inning for the first time since June 26. Dougherty collected his first of two hits and then scored on an error a batter later. He would later deliver a 3-RBI triple in the fourth after Peery smacked a 2-RBI double in the third.

A night after collecting a season-high 13 walks, Wenatchee drew eight more. The AppleSox lead the WCL with 200 walks and reached on a free pass seven times over their final four innings at the plate.

Max Hartman recorded two hits for his 12th multi-hit game of the summer. He scored twice and leads the WCL with 35 runs.

Kanoa Morisaki picked up his first multi-hit game of the season with three hits as the number nine hitter and also scored three times.

Roberto Gonzalez scored four times with two hits and two walks. He has scored at least twice in each of his last five games and has 12 runs, eight walks and four hit-by-pitches in that time.

The AppleSox face the Riverhawks again at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday for the rubber match. It’s another Throwback Thursday with discounts on alcoholic beverages all game. Purchase tickets at AppleSox.com/schedule

AppleSox Continue Homestand Against Riverhawks Tonight

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Garrett Ahern makes his third consecutive start at home and fifth overall tonight... He allowed three unearned runs in four innings last Wednesday against Victoria and matched his season high with six strikeouts... The right-hander from Grand Canyon is 1-0 with a 2.59 ERA, 19 strikeouts, five walks and 17 hits over 17.1 innings in four games, all starts...

Edmonton Probable Pitcher: Daniel Orfaly will start for the fourth time in his fifth game tonight... He is 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA, eight strikeouts, 12 walks and 15 hits over 13 innings... The right-hander from British Columbia allowed four runs over five innings, marking the third time in four appearances that he has given up at least four runs...

Last Game: The AppleSox rallied back from a 6-0 deficit for a second consecutive game but fell to the Riverhawks, 13-11, last night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium... Wenatchee scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth but did not score again until a four-run ninth... Edmonton scored in seven-of-nine innings and Sam Kane led the way with a five-hit day for his third straight multi-hit game...

Scoring Last: The AppleSox have not scored first in a game over their last 12 games but are 7-5 in that span... Wenatchee is 14-9 overall when scoring last and most recently scored first with a four-run bottom of the first in an eventual 11-3 win vs. Kelowna June 24...

Troubles On The Mound: Despite winning the first half Wenatchee’s pitching staff has gotten off to a troublesome start in 2024... After posting the fifth-best ERA in the WCL in 2023 and their best ERA since 2012 with a 3.35 mark, Wenatchee is ninth this summer at 4.77 through 34 games... The AppleSox have surrendered 70 runs over their last eight games and have a 20.67 ERA in that time...

2024 WCL All-Stars: Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar have all been selected as 2024 WCL All-Stars representing the AppleSox July 17 at Joe Martin Field... The North Division First Half Champs will send the third-most players in the division to next week’s All-Star Game in Bellingham... Wenatchee’s four All-Stars are third behind Edmonton’s five and Bellingham’s six... Edmonton is sending Tate Dearing, Vicarte Domingo, Bryce McFeely, Jakob Poturnak and Michael Soper to the All-Star Game...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

AppleSox’ Huge Fifth Inning Not Enough vs. Edmonton

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored seven runs in the fifth but lost to the Edmonton Riverhawks, 13-11, on Tuesday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium. 

Wenatchee (22-12, 4-3 second half) erased a 6-0 deficit for the second straight game but did not score again after a seven-run bottom of the fifth. The AppleSox only collected three hits over their eight other innings at the plate. Wenatchee tied its single-game record for walks drawn in 2024 with 13 free passes. 

Max Hartman led the way offensively, hitting a grand slam in the fifth for his second home run of the season. Aidan Dougherty reached base four times with three hits and a walk in his first game back since June 30. 

Edmonton (20-11, 2-2 second half) scored in all but two innings and quickly tied the game in the top of the sixth before taking the lead for good with a four-run seventh. 

Hartman plated each of the first three men to reach base in the fifth to put the AppleSox on the board and only down two runs. Jonathan Fitz hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly five batters later and Cam Hoiland tied the game with an RBI single before Jake Larson scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. 

Dougherty doubled in a pair in the ninth and Cannon Peery followed with a two-run single but Wenatchee would not get any closer. 

The AppleSox face the Riverhawks again Wednesday night at 7:05. Fans are encouraged to bring their “bestie” and purchase tickets for a buy-one-get-one value at the gate. 

AppleSox Host Riverhawks For Hispanic Heritage Night

First Pitch: 7:05 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Karsten Sweum makes his second start of the summer prior to his freshman year at Gonzaga... The southpaw surrendered five runs over 2.2 innings last Tuesday against Victoria while striking out three, walking six and allowing two hits... Sweum graduated from Glacier Park High School this spring and recorded a 2.31 ERA with 65 strikeouts over 33.1 IP in seven games as a senior to earn First Team All-WESCO 4A pitcher and utility player as well as co-MVP...

Edmonton Probable Pitcher: Edmonton has not listed a probable pitcher...

Last Game: The AppleSox rallied back from a 6-0 deficit by scoring 11 runs in the top of the sixth inning to defeat the Nanaimo NightOwls, 14-8, on Sunday afternoon at Serauxmen Stadium... Wenatchee sent 16 men to the plate in the sixth and 10 consecutive reached between the first and second outs being recorded...

Scoring Last: The AppleSox have not scored first in a game over their last 11 games but are 7-4 in that span... Wenatchee is 14-8 overall when scoring last and most recently scored first with a four-run bottom of the first in an eventual 11-3 win vs. Kelowna June 24...

2024 WCL All-Stars: Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar have all been selected as 2024 WCL All-Stars representing the AppleSox July 17 at Joe Martin Field... The North Division First Half Champs will send the third-most players in the division to next week’s All-Star Game in Bellingham... Wenatchee’s four All-Stars are third behind Edmonton’s five and Bellingham’s six...

The Riverhawks: Dropped two-of-three games at home last weekend to Kamloops to give the NorthPaws their first road series victory of the summer and first overall series victory since June 4-6 vs. Bellingham... Are sending Tate Dearing, Vicarte Domingo, Bryce McFeely, Jakob Poturnak and Michael Soper to the All-Star Game...

Season Series Last Year: Wenatchee took five-of-six games to improve to 7-2 all-time against Edmonton... The AppleSox took two-of-three games at Re/Max Field June 30-July 2 before sweeping a three-game set July 28-30 at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadum...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

Four AppleSox Named 2024 WCL All-Stars

Evan Canfield, Jonathan Fitz, Max Hartman and Quincy Vassar will all represent the Wenatchee AppleSox at the 2024 West Coast League All-Star Game July 17 in Bellingham.

The 2024 All-Star Game is the WCL’s first since 2019. Participants will partake in a pro style skills showcase prior to the game and will also compete in the Community Champions Game the night before.

Canfield has been dominant in his three seasons with the AppleSox, with his 100 strikeouts already third-most in franchise history. He has a 0.69 ERA in five games (four starts) this summer. Canfield has 31 strikeouts, eight walks and 18 hits over 31 innings and most recently tossed six scoreless innings at Bellingham June 28. He also earned WCL Pitcher of the Week after allowing one unearned run over eight innings at Kamloops June 14.

The incoming junior at Lewis-Clark State earned All-WCL Honorable Mention with Wenatchee in 2023 after recording a 2.03 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 12 games. Canfield was also lights-out in 2022 with a 1.22 ERA and 33 strikeouts in nine games with the AppleSox.

Fitz has impressed defensively ever since catching a runner stealing in his season debut June 11 vs. Bellingham but his bat awoke during an eight-game stretch from June 23-July 6 when he hit .458 (11-for-24) to raise his batting average from .167 to .313. Fitz has recorded three multi-hit games in that stretch, including back-to-back three-hit efforts last Friday and Saturday at Nanaimo. His 13 free passes and four multi-walk games helped him record a .469 on-base percentage through his first 15 games.

The incoming sophomore at San Diego graduated from Covington (KY) in 2023 after batting .511 with 19 doubles, six home runs and a 1.501 OPS as a senior. He earned the 2023 Kentucky Johnny Bench Award, team MVP honors, First Team All-State Honors, Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division I Player of the Year and Northern Kentucky Senior All-Star Series MVP.

Hartman leads the WCL with 31 runs and appeared in each of the first 32 games of the summer before getting this past Sunday off. He recently ended a 10-game hitting streak, tied for the longest by an AppleSox hitter this summer and tied for the eighth-longest in the WCL this season. Hartman became the first player in franchise history to record a five consecutive multi-hit games to begin his AppleSox tenure.

The incoming junior at Washington State shined with the Cougs this spring, hitting .286 with 11 doubles three home runs and 41 RBI in 49 games. Hartman batted leadoff in 46 of WSU’s 53 games in 2024 and opened this spring with a 10-game hitting streak. He had 17 multi-hit games and led the Cougs in RBI and stolen bases.

Vassar entered this summer with the most strikeouts among any WCL pitcher over the prior two seasons with 87 and has racked up 21 more to move into second place in AppleSox history with 108 in his career. He is three strikeouts all-time leader in punchouts and has resumed his role as a regular starter this summer. Vassar has started all six games that he has pitched in and has delivered several huge outings, including the franchise’s first complete game in nearly two year on June 29 at Bellingham and by only allowing one run in four innings on three days of rest June 9.

The incoming graduate senior at Vanguard is not only climbing the AppleSox record book for strikeouts, but is also close to becoming the team’s all-time leader in innings pitched. His 113.2 innings are third-most in franchise history and he is 9.1 away from becoming the team’s all-time leader. Vassar has tossed at least five innings in 10-of-22 starts in his three seasons with Wenatchee.

The quartet helped the AppleSox win the North Division First Half title to earn the top seed and home-field advantage in the North Division Series Aug. 10-12. Wenatchee will host Game 2 Aug. 11 and Game 3 Aug. 12 (if necessary).

Big Sixth Propels Wenatchee Past NightOwls

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored 11 runs in the top of the sixth inning and defeated the Nanaimo’s NightOwls, 14-8, on Sunday afternoon at Serauxmen Stadium. 

Wenatchee (22-11, 4-2 second half) trailed 6-0 after five innings before sending 16 men to the plate and at one point had 10 straight hitters reach safely between when the first and third outs were recorded. Garrett Cutting delivered the biggest hit of the inning with a bases-clearing 3-RBI triple to make it 7-6 and pull the AppleSox ahead for good.

Four players recorded multi-hit games led by Evan Cloyd’s second four-hit effort in the last four games. Hunter Friedberg racked up three hits over his final three at-bats while Cam Hoiland and Cannon Peery also recorded two hits apiece. 

Hoiland plated Wenatchee’s first run with a bases-loaded walk before RBI singles by Friedberg and Kana Morisaki. Jake Larson was hit by a pitch before Cutting’s big swing. Cloyd doubled in Cutting before a walk and an RBI fielder’s choice by Antonio Gianni. Luca Boscarino singled as well before Hoiland put down a safety squeeze bunt to score Gianni before Friedberg singled in Boscarino for the final run of the inning. 

Friedberg kept the eighth inning going with a two-out single before Morisaki walked and Jake Larson singled in Friedberg. Morisaki scored on a passed ball and Larson scored on a wild pitch to end a three-run inning. 

Nanaimo (13-16) scored in each of the first three innings to race out to an early 5-0 lead. The NightOwls hit one-out solo home runs in each of the first two innings to give them five home runs over the final two days of the series. 

The AppleSox return home Tuesday to face the Edmonton Riverhawks for Hispanic Heritage Night and another $2 Off Tuesday. Tickets are available at AppleSox.com/schedule

NightOwls Walk Off AppleSox Saturday Night

The Wenatchee AppleSox lost for the first time in their history to the Nanaimo NightOwls, 9-6, on Saturday night at Serauxmen Stadium.

Wenatchee (21-11, 3-2 second half) had taken the first 10 head-to-head meetings against Nanaimo (13-15) over the last three seasons but dropped the second game of the weekend. Aaron Marsh hit a three-run walkoff home run in the bottom of the ninth to end it.

The AppleSox rallied to tie the game up in the top of the ninth on a 2-RBI infield single by Jonathan Fitz. Fitz collected three hits for a second night in a row and has reached base seven times in the first two nights of the series.

The bottom of the ninth had some controversy before the NightOwls walked it off. First baseman Cannon Peery fielded a ground ball on a hop down the first-base line off the bat of Riley Paulino that appeared to be the final out of the inning but was ruled a foul ball. Paulino walked and the next batter also reached before Marsh’s blast.

Wenatchee wraps up the series Sunday afternoon at 1:05 before a three-game home series with Edmonton Tuesday-Thursday.

AppleSox Go For Series Win At Nanaimo

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Serauxmen Stadium
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Quincy Vassar looks to make AppleSox history tonight as he is six strikeouts away from become their all-time leader... He has 105 strikeouts over three seasons with the AppleSox and is looking to pass Hunter Boyd, who pitched for Wenatchee 2017-18 and punched out 110 hitters... Vassar has recorded at least six strikeouts in seven games in his career but has yet to this season... The southpaw at Vanguard is 1-3 with a 2.96 ERA, 18 strikeouts, eight walks and 26 hits over 27.1 innings in five games (all starts)...

Nanaimo Probable Pitcher: Joshua Torres starts for a third time tonight and carries a 2.00 ERA with six strikeouts, two hits and nine walks over nine innings... He allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits, one walk and five strikeouts in four innings June 30 at Victoria... Torres surrendered two unearned runs over five innings in his first start on June 22 at Portland...

Last Night: The AppleSox scored twice in the top of the ninth to come back and defeat the NightOwls, 5-4... Cannon Peery doubled twice, scored twice and drove in two runs to lead Wenatchee at the plate...

Congrats, Skip: With last night‘s victory head Mitch Darlington moved into second place in AppleSox head coach history with 85 victories... Darlington improved to 85-47 midway through his third season and moves past Kyle Krustangel, who went 84-78 from 2017-19... Darlington is now 409 wins away from passing Ed Knaggs for first place after Knaggs went 493-273 at the helm from 2001-14... Darlington also became the fastest head coach to earn 80 wins this summer...

Errors: After committing 14 errors in the three-game home series vs. Victoria earlier this week the AppleSox did not commit any miscues last night... Wenatchee‘s 52 errors are second-most in the league but its .957 fielding percentage is third-best...

End Of A Streak: Max Hartman‘s 10-game hitting streak came to an end with an 0-for-4 night last night, his first hitless night since June 22 vs. Walla Walla... He finished tied with Elijah Pelayo (June 20-30) for the team‘s longest hitting streak... Hartman has played in all 31 games this summer and only has five games without a hit this season... He leads the West Coast League with 30 runs while his 39 hits are tied for second-most...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

AppleSox Take First Lead In Ninth, Beat NightOwls

The Wenatchee AppleSox scored two runs on an error in the top of the ninth inning to defeat the Nanaimo NightOwls, 5-4, on Friday night at Serauxmen Stadium.

Cannon Peery doubled twice, scored twice and also drove in two runs to give Wenatchee (21-10, 3-1 second half) its third straight win. Jackson Campbell (1-0) fired four scoreless innings in relief to keep Nanaimo (12-15) at bay until the AppleSox’ ninth-inning rally.

Wenatchee trailed 4-3 entering the ninth inning before the AppleSox scored twice on an error. Max Hartman and James Castagnola set the table for the rally with a walk and a hit by pitch, respectively. Evan Cloyd put down a sacrifice bunt to move both men up 90 feet. Peery hit a high chopper over the mound that Nanaimo shortstop Nevin Noonan intended to throw to first but could not corral. The ball hit off his glove and ricocheted to where his second baseman would have been. Hartman broke for home on contact and immediately scored and Castagnola scored all the way from second without hesitation.

The NightOwls threatened in the bottom of the ninth on back-to-back two-out singles but David James shut the door for his second save.

Nanaimo raced out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first with all three runs coming with two outs. Two RBI triples around an RBI single put the NightOwls in the lead eight batters into the game. They added another two-out run in the fourth for their final run of the night.

Peery helped the AppleSox strike in the top of the second on a one-out double before Antonio Gianni hit a sacrifice fly two batters later. Peery drove in Cloyd on another double after a leadoff hit by pitch in the fourth.

The AppleSox go for the series win on Saturday night when they face the NightOwls again at 6:35. Quincy Vassar starts and is six strikeouts away from becoming the AppleSox all-time leader.

AppleSox Make First Road Trip Of Second Half

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Serauxmen Stadium
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com

GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Caleb Costa makes his first start since June 16 at Kamloops… He is 1-0 with a 9.34 ERA in four games with six strikeouts, six walks and 10 hits over 8.2 innings... Costa last pitched on June 22, surrendering four runs (three earned) on two hits and one walk in 0.2 innings vs. Walla Walla... Costa allowed three runs over four innings in his lone start vs. the NorthPaws...

Nanaimo Probable Pitcher: Jacob Fleury starts for the first time this summer after allowing a run in each of his first four relief appearances… He is 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA, eight strikeouts, one walk and 11 hits over seven innings... The incoming freshman at Skagit Valley surrendered one run in 2.1 innings out of the bullpen on Monday against Victoria...

Last Night: The AppleSox scored five times in two different innings and held on late for an 11-10 win… The HarbourCats scored four times in the seventh and four more times in the eighth to nearly erase a nine-run deficit but JD Goodcase recorded a six-out save to seal the win... Cam Hoiland gave up two runs (one earned) over five innings to get his first win of the summer...

Colossal Cloyd: Evan Cloyd turned in his best night of the summer at the plate last night by finishing a triple away from hitting for the cycle and drove in four runs… Cloyd launched his first home run on a solo shot to open the second, doubled in two runs in the third, singled in a run in the sixth and singled again in the eighth... He also drew a walk in the fifth in his first multi-hit night of the summer...

The NightOwls: Enter this weekend a game back of Victoria for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North… Have never beaten the AppleSox in nine head-to-head matchups... Opened the season 5-2 and are 10-13 since... Have played nine games against Victoria and went 4-5 in those games... Are led by Riley Paulino, who is hitting a WCL-best .387 in 18 games...

Series Last Summer: Wenatchee took all six games against Nanaimo, sweeping them at Serauxmen Stadium July 11-13 and then again at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium July 21-23... Josh Williams feasted on NightOwls pitching, hitting four home runs in six games while batting .357 with a 1.244 OPS... Williams, Izzy Lopez, Nick Putnam and Frankie Carney all went deep in an 18-1 waxing on July 13 to record the first game in team history in which four different players went deep in the same league game...

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…

Cloyd’s Big Day Leads AppleSox To Win

Evan Cloyd finished a triple away from hitting for the cycle and the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Victoria HarbourCats, 11-10, on Thursday night at Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium.

Wenatchee (20-10, 2-1 second half) earned its ninth series win and improved to 11-4 at home with two different five-run innings. They surrendered the game’s first run in the top of the first but tied it in the second before a five spot in the third. Victoria (15-15, 1-2 second half) got within four runs with one in the sixth before Wenatchee scored five more times that inning. The HarbourCats recorded back-to-back four-run innings in the seventh and eighth.

Cloyd launched his first home run on a solo shot to open the second, doubled in two runs in the third, singled in a run in the sixth and singled again in the eighth. He also drew a walk in the fifth in his first multi-hit night of the summer.

Roberto Gonzalez reached base three times with a hit by pitch and two walks and also scored twice. Max Hartman also scored twice and leads the West Coast League with 29 runs. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the sixth. Hartman is tied with Elijah Pelayo (June 20-30) for the longest hitting streak by an AppleSox player this summer and is five games away from matching the longest in the WCL.

Cam Hoiland (1-0) allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings to earn his first win. He surrendered an unearned run in the first inning and then induced two double plays to end the next two innings. JD Goodcase got the final six outs and twice stranded the tying run on the basepaths to earn his first save of the summer.

James Castagnola gave the AppleSox the lead permanently in the third with a 2-RBI bases-loaded single for his fourth and fifth runs driven in of the series after three on Wednesday night. Cloyd followed two batters later with a 2-RBI double before Garrett Cutting grounded out to short to plate the fifth run of the third.

Cloyd added another RBI single in the sixth to drive in the final run of the frame after Hartman’s RBI single and Jake Larson’s bases-clearing 3-RBI double.

The HarbourCats made it interesting with a huge rally in the seventh and eighth. Goodcase allowed a single to the first batter that he faced in the eighth but stranded him at second. He got two quick outs in the ninth before an error but again got out of it on a ground ball to end the game.

Wenatchee won the season series against Victoria, 4-2, and improved to 18-6 in division play. The AppleSox now travel to Nanaimo to face the NightOwls for the first time this summer. First pitch on Friday night at Serauxmen Stadium is at 6:35.

AppleSox Host HarbourCats On Fourth Of July

First Pitch: 6:35 p.m.
Park: Paul Thomas Sr. Stadium
Tickets: applesox.com/schedule
Watch: wcleague.watch.pixellot.tv
Listen: kcsyfm.com


GAME NOTES

Wenatchee Probable Pitcher: Cam Hoiland makes his second start and third appearance of the summer in the rubber match… Hoiland appeared in relief on Sunday at Bellingham and surrendered two runs on two walks and a hit in the seventh… He made his summer debut in the mound June 24 with four strikeouts over four shutout innings against Kelowna… The incoming senior at Cal Poly recorded a 2.35 ERA with five strikeouts and one walk in three games this spring…

Victoria Probable Pitcher: Payton Hawkinson pitches for the fifth time and starts for the third time this summer tonight… He has a 0.90 ERA but did allow a run on a leadoff solo home run by Aidan Dougherty in the ninth inning in his first outing of the summer June 8 vs. Wenatchee… Hawkinson has struck out eight, walked six and allowed six hits over 10 innings… He has twice pitched a season-high four innings and most recently tied a scoreless third inning on Sunday…

Last Night: The AppleSox scored five times over the seventh and eighth innings to rally back from two different deficits and win, 7-6… Wenatchee trailed 3-2 entering the seventh before James Castagnola hit a 2-RBI single to put the AppleSox in the lead… Victoria stormed back with a three-run top of the eighth but could not hold the two-run lead… Jake Larson and Castagnola drew back-to-back two-out bases-loaded walks before Roberto Gonzalez scored the eventual winning run on a wild pitch…

Rubber Match: Tonight is the first rubber match that the AppleSox are playing since June 20… Wenatchee has won three-of-four times in the final game of a three-game series where both teams split the first two games... A win tonight would give the AppleSox their seventh series victory but a loss would be their fourth series loss…

Clutch Castagnola: James Castagnola has played a huge role in the late innings in the AppleSox’ last two games… He drove in three runs over two plate appearances last night after previously playing two runs over the eighth and ninth innings on Sunday… Castagnola has 8 RBI already in six games with five of them coming in his last two games…

Free Passes: The HarbourCats’ pitching staff has done an excellent job at limiting walks in the first half of games but has faltered in the later innings the last two nights… AppleSox hitters have not drawn any walks in the first five innings the last two nights but have then gone on to walk a combined 11 times over the final four innings… Victoria pitching has issued 104 walks, the third-fewest in the West Coast League…

First Half Champs: For the first time since the two-half playoff berths began being awarded in 2016 the AppleSox have won the North Division first half title and have locked up home-field advantage as the top seed in the first round of the playoffs… This is the 16th playoff berth in franchise history and the fourth in the last five seasons… Wenatchee had to wait for the result of Edmonton's game on Monday before officially claiming the title… The AppleSox and the Riverhawks both finished with 18-9 records in the first half but Wenatchee (+37) held a better run differential than the Riverhawks (+35)…