WALLA WALLA, Wash. – A few Hornets are heading north for a summer of baseball in Walla Walla. Sacramento State’s Tanner Kern, Andrew Overland and Nikhil Beasley are excited to compete in the West Coast League while playing alongside familiar faces.

Kern, a high school senior, recently committed to Sacramento State earlier this month. The second and third baseman bats left-handed and brings a mix of power and contact to the Sweets, posting a .338 average, .532 slugging percentage and a 1.002 OPS. The San Jose native credits his consistency at the plate to his ability to work through slumps.

“What helps with that (cold stretches) is when I journal,” Kern said. “When I am on hot streaks, I journal what I’m thinking, how I feel during at-bats, and I can just look back at that and remember how I was feeling to get back to there.”

Although he is not from Eastern Washington, Kern has ties to the region. His father played collegiate baseball at Gonzaga, and his parents have spent time living in Walla Walla. He hopes his confidence at the plate will help lift the Sweets this summer.

Overland, a right-handed pitcher from Las Vegas, features a three-pitch mix of a fastball, slider, and his putaway pitch, the splitter. The 6-foot-5 righty tops over 90 mph, utilizing different deliveries and pitch placements. In his rookie season with the Hornets, Overland posted a 4.00 ERA with more than seven strikeouts per nine innings across 27 innings pitched. He is eager to take his game to the next level this summer.

“I think it’s time for me to take a big step up in the competition, and the WCL is a really good league,” Overland said. “There are a lot of guys at the Division I level, and with me going into my junior year, I think it was time.”

The West Coast League is widely regarded as one of the nation’s top 10 summer collegiate leagues. Overland believes having other Sacramento State players with him will be an asset.

“Last summer I was with three guys and I had a great time, so it’s just really good working with your team,” Overland said. “I’m excited to get to work, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

Nikhil Beasley, a catcher, will be working alongside Overland this summer. The redshirt freshman is known for his above-average athleticism behind the plate, elite defense, and ability to get on base. Though he did not play in his first year at Sacramento State, he led his high school team with a .351 batting average as a senior. The Berkeley native’s success behind and next to the plate stems from his passion for the game.

“In my opinion, baseball is the greatest sport there is, and there’s nothing more fun than watching a baseball game, both college and major leagues, with a group of friends,” Beasley said.

The right-handed hitter rounds out an impressive group of players from Sacramento State set to make an impact for the Sweets this summer.

Walla Walla opens its season on the road against Springfield on May 30. The Sweets’ first home game is June 6 against the Ridgefield Raptors. Season tickets and groups are on sale now, with single game tickets becoming available in the spring.