Sweets Bolster Rotation, Sign Three Right-Handed Pitchers

All three return for their second season in Walla Walla

The Sweets announced the signing of three players Friday, as the team roster now sits at seven players.

Mason Kokodynski, Wyatt Boone and Nick Irwin, all of whom were members of the 2019 squad, will dawn the Sweets uniform once again this season. All three players are right-handed pitchers and make up the third group of players brought in by first-year manager Jeff Cirillo.

Kokodynski, a Phoenix, Arizona, native, currently attends Loyola Marymount University where he is a freshman. The 6-foot-4 right-hander posted a 3-0 record for the Sweets last season and struck out 30 batters across 26.1 innings. Prior to college, he was ranked the 58th best prospect in Arizona and was three-year letter winner at Brophy College Prep.

LMU begins its season tonight with a three-game weekend series against Washington.

Like Kokodynski, Boone is a right-handed pitcher and enters his second season in Walla Walla. The 5-foot-10 righty from San Juan Capistrano, California, is a hard thrower with a fastball that tops out in the low 90s. He also mixes in a 12-6 curveball and a changeup to keep hitters off balance.

Now at his third school in Walla Walla Community College, Boone is well traveled at this point in his career. After spending his freshman season at Seattle University, Boone posted solid numbers for Saddleback College in 2019. He finished with a 3.24 earned run average across 16.2 innings, allowed six earned runs, and fanned 22 batters.

Walla Walla CC gets its 2020 season started February 29 in a home matchup against Tacoma.

Currently in his sophomore campaign at Northwest Nazarene University, Irwin posted a 4.58 ERA with three wins, two saves and 20 strikeouts last year. He’s made one appearance for NNU so far this year, in which he struck out four hitters in 2.1 innings pitched.

Irwin resides in Kennewick, Washington, one hour away from Walla Walla. He is looking to forward to donning a Sweets uniform once again.

“It (the Sweets) gives me an environment filled with teammates that strive for success in a league that is filled with competition,” Irwin said.

By: Brandon Monty

Date: February 14, 2020