WALLA WALLA, Wash. —  The Sweets return to Borleske Stadium on Friday, June 10 for the 2022 home opener.

This morning, the West Coast League announced the full schedule for the 2022 summer season.  The league will consist of 16 teams next year with the addition of the Springfield Drifters, and the return of the league’s five Canadian teams who had to pull out of the 2021 season due to COVID-19.

The Sweets start the season with road trips to Ridgefield and Yakima Valley before their home opener against the Cowlitz Black Bears on Friday, June 10.

Walla Walla will have 32 home games in the 2022 regular season, consisting of 27 league games and five non-league games.  The Sweets will play 10 home games in June, 19 in July, and three in August.  The season finale is scheduled for Thursday, August 4 against Ridgefield.

A full promotional schedule with finalized game times will be released at a later date.  Season tickets, mini plans, and group packages are currently on sale at the Sweets downtown office, or by calling 509-522-2255.

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A full list of the 2022 Schedule

(Home Games in BOLD)

June 3-5: Ridgefield Raptors

June 7-9: Yakima Valley Pippins

June 10-12: Cowlitz Black Bears

June 13: Cascade Collegiate League

June 14-16: Northwest Star NightHawks

June 17-19: Port Angeles Lefties

June 21-23: Corvallis Knights

June 24-26: Springfield Drifters

June 28-30: Yakima Valley Pippins

July 1-3: Kelowna Falcons

July 4: Cascade Collegiate League

July 5-7: Bend Elks

July 8-10: Portland Pickles

July 12-14: Bend Elks

July 15-17: Kelowna Falcons

July 19-21: Springfield Drifters

July 22-24: Wenatchee AppleSox

July 26-28: Portland Pickles

July 29-31: Corvallis Knights

August 2-4: Ridgefield Raptors

August 5-7: Wenatchee AppleSox

WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Brandon Van Horn, a former San Francisco Giants minor league player, will become the new manager of the Walla Walla Sweets.

“It is a huge honor to lead the Sweets for the upcoming summer.  This is such an exciting time for my wife and I,” said Van Horn. “I am extremely grateful to the Sweets for giving me this opportunity to lead the team in 2022.”

Sweets general manager Cody Miller is looking forward to having Van Horn as part of the Walla Walla community and is excited about what Van Horn will bring to the field next summer.

“His experience in the minor leagues is something that will be a huge asset for our players,” Miller said. “Understanding what it takes every day to prepare, improve, and compete to get to the next level is exactly what the Sweets want to provide our players each summer.”

Van Horn, a native of Tujunga, California, will become the fourth manager of the Sweets. He succeeds interim manager Larry Price, who helmed the team in 2021.

“Larry stepped in just a few months before we took the field last summer, and represented the Sweets and the community very well,” Miller said. “As an assistant coach in 2019 and head coach in 2021, Larry always put the players and the community first.”

Van Horn comes to Walla Walla with more than four years of playing minor league baseball in the Giants organization. After San Francisco drafted him in the 19th round in 2016, Van Horn reached as high as Triple A in the minors.

After his playing career, Van Horn spent a summer in the Competitors Collegiate League as manager of one of four teams during the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, Van Horn became a member of the New Mexico State baseball coaching staff as an assistant.  He is starting his second season with the Aggies as they prepare for the 2022 college spring season.

Van Horn is excited about working on the Sweets’ roster for next season.

“I am looking forward to building a culture of player development and winning ball games that the community of Walla Walla will be proud of,” he said.

“I can’t wait to spend summer nights out on a ballfield with the rest of the Sweets family and can’t wait to get going,” Van Horn added.

Season tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Sweets season.  Call 509-522-BALL or visit the downtown store at 109 E. Main Street for details.

WALLA WALLA, WA – The West Coast League today announced the All – WCL team selections for the 2021 summer season, with the five Sweets garnering spots.

Catcher Colin Wetterau, a junior from St. John’s, and reliever Caden Kaelber, a junior from Washington State, were both named to the First Team All – WCL.  Left-handed pitcher Travis Craven, a Whitman College graduate on his way to USC this fall, picked up Second Team All – WCL honors after a second consecutive summer season in Walla Walla.

Oregon State infielder Paul Myro IV and Northwest Nazarene infielder Parker Price picked up honorable mentions for the All – WCL selections.

Wetterau was a mainstay in the sweets lineup all summer long.  Appearing in 45 games, the junior batted .268, with six doubles and two triples while driving in 18 runs on the season.  Overall, he slashed .268/.316/.324 on the year, and was second among West Coast League catchers in batting average on the season.

Kaelber, the long and lanky reliever from Washington State, was the Sweets most reliable arm out of the bullpen this summer.  The junior threw a West Coast League leading 47 1/3 innings in relief in 19 appearances, striking out 63 batters with a 3.61 ERA.  Kaelber also added 2 saves on the season for the Sweets.

Craven was his usual reliable self for Walla Walla this summer.  The local product threw 61 1/3 innings in 16 appearances this season, 10 of them starts.  He struck out 63 hitters while allowing just 16 walks and posting a 3.82 ERA.  He also picked up Pitcher of the Week honors in July, highlighted by an 8 inning, 14 strikeout performance in a 1-0 loss against the Wenatchee AppleSox on July 22.

Myro IV appeared in 37 games for the Sweets, and slashed .265/.436/.341 while finishing second in the West Coast League in walks with 37.

Price, in his second season with the Sweets, slashed .310/.429/.422, and led the team with an .851 OPS in 33 games.

The Walla Walla Sweets concluded their 11th season as a franchise August 12. With another season in the books, the Sweets look back at some of the best memories and accolades of the 2021 campaign.

Despite the Sweets finishing with a record of 15-33, there were still several notable performances, both individually and team wise, from the hometown onions, particularly on the pitching side.

From a team standpoint, the Sweets set a new strikeout mark and shattered the previous record of 471 strikeouts set by the 2016 Sweets squad. Needing just 48 games to do so, the 2021 Sweets piled up 507 punchouts, exceeding the previous record by 36 and posting the second best strikeout total team wise in the WCL.

Three different pitchers, Caden Kaelber, Travis Craven and Logan Hurd, all finished the season with over 50 punchouts. Kaelber and Craven posted 64 and 63 strikeouts, respectively, to finish second and third in the league.

Sweets interim manager Larry Price said his pitching staff’s resilience stood out the most to him.

“With all the injuries and adversity our pitching staff faced throughout the year, they did a terrific job of pulling through,” Price said.

Individually, Craven and Kaelber both put themselves in the Sweets record book. Craven set the single season record by a Sweet for most innings pitched with 61 1/3 innings across 16 appearances. The lefty from Whitman College also struck out 14 batters in a single start against Wenatchee on July 21 and was awarded West Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors the following week, joining Brandon Llewellyn as the two Sweets to win the award in 2021.

In his final start at Borleske Stadium and on the final day of the regular season, Craven threw six innings and struck out eight batters. Craven was greeted to a standing ovation by the Sweets crowd and dugout after exiting the game.

“To be able to pitch four years for Whitman and two years for the Sweets ere in Walla Walla was something that I’ll cherish forever,” Craven said. “I’ve made so many great memories here and its been so special to be a part of the community here in Walla Walla.”

Craven will continue his baseball career at USC in his home state while enrolling in the biokinesiology program.

On the hitting side, Parker Price led the way for the Walla Walla Sweets. Price finished the season hitting .310, which paced all hitters in the North Division in the West Coast League. Price also led the team with seven doubles while hitting two home runs and 13 runs batted in

After missing his entire spring season to a knee injury, Price returned in a big way in the summer for Walla Walla. Having a positive mindset and working hard to get back in game shape made all the difference for the infielder from Northwest Nazarene University.

“Injuries, especially meniscus injuries, are always tough to bounce back from,” Price said. “You can either sit around and mope or stay positive and get back on your feet. To be able to get back on the field this summer and play again for the Sweets was a great experience.”

While Price put up good statistics, his leadership on the field in what stands out the most to his father and manager.

“Parker is a terrific vocal leader and always brings the best out of his teammates,” Larry Price said.

The Sweets began their 2021 season with a shutout victory over the Cowlitz Black Bears on the road, one of two shutout victories for the Sweets on the season. They wasted no time posting more strikeouts after, punching out 18 batters as a pitching staff the next game.

The most memorable of the 15 wins came on July 23, a night in which the Sweets erased an early seven run deficit to earn a 9-7, comeback win over the Bend Elks. The win as the largest comeback win of the season for the Sweets, highlighted by a go-ahead, bases clearing triple in the eighth inning by Paul Myro IV.

As for team leaders, Eli Paton paced the Sweets with five home runs. The redshirt freshman from UCLA was the only Sweets player to homer twice in a single game, doing so on July 29 against the Corvallis Knights.

Despite the Sweets not having the success they envisioned this past season, the players and coaches reflected positively on their time in Walla Walla.

“This summer was so enjoyable, and it makes saying good bye that much harder,” Price said. “I’m going to miss all of these players. This was really a special group.”

The Walla Walla Sweets wrapped up their 2021 season with a 4-2 loss in ten innings to the Ridgefield Raptors.

The Sweets conclude the season with a record of 15-33. With the win, the Raptors clinch their first playoff berth in team history.

In his final career start at Borleske Stadium, Travis Craven pitched a gem for Walla Walla. After pitching four seasons at Whitman College and two for the Sweets, Craven was honored with a standing ovation after throwing six innings of two run baseball while striking out eight hitters.

Craven finished the season with 63 strikeouts, the third most in the WCL. Craven also set the Sweets single season record for most innings pitched 61 1/3 innings of work, surpassing Micah Gorman’s record of 59 back in 2015.

The Raptors scored the first two runs of the game on a two-run, inside-the-park home run by Tanner Jacques in the third. Jacques hit a fly ball to the right field corner and legged out his second home run of the season.

The Sweets would score once in the sixth off a Chris Conniff fielders choice groundout. Walla Walla put four men on base in a row off three singles and a walk before Conniff drove in his 11th run of the season.

Walla Walla would then tie the game on an RBI single to right by Quentin Ayers. Ayers finishes the season with three runs batted in, all of them against the Raptors.

The Raptors took the lead in the top of the 11th. Would runners on second and third and two outs, Ridgefield would plate two runs on back-to-back wild pitches to earn the playoff-clinching win.

The Sweets would like to thank all of their supporters and fans for their continued support throughout the 2021 season, and we are looking forward to having everyone back at the ballpark in 2022.

The Walla Walla Sweets snapped a 12 game league losing skid Wednesday with a 6-0 victory over the Ridgefield Raptors.

The win marked the first home shutout win for Walla Walla since August 4, 2019 and their second shutout win of the season, their first since Opening Day back on June 4 against Cowlitz.

The Sweets wasted no time picking up a lead they would not falter. Eli Paton launched his team-leading fifth home run over the left field fence in the first inning to make it 2-0 Sweets.

From there, the pitching staff for Walla Walla stole the show. One night after setting the single season record for most strikeouts by a pitching staff, starter Calvin Kirchoff added to that total with a masterful performance. After giving up seven earned runs against the Raptors the last time he faced them, the University of Washington commit responded with a 6 1/3 inning, 10 strikeout performance.

For Kirchoff, it was his second double digit strikeout performance of the year. He becomes the only Sweet to strike out 10 or more batters in two different outings this season.

Caden Kaelber recorded the final eight outs of the game to complete the shutout. Kaelber did not allow a hit and struck out five batters to cap off a 15 strikeout performance. Kaelber remains in second in the WCL with 64 punch-outs this season.

Offensively, Paton paced the Sweets in this one. He finished the night a triple shy of the cycle with a season high three hits and three runs batted in.

Parker Price added two hits for Walla Walla. He has now driven in a run in his last five games, picked up a hit in his last eight, and reached base in his last 17 outings.

The win brings the Sweets to 15-32 with one regular season game remaining. With the loss, the Raptors drop to 25-22 and will need to win tomorrow for a chance at their first playoff berth in team history.

The season finale for the Sweets is Thursday at Borleske Stadium at 7:05 PST. The first 1,000 fans will receive a team blanket as part of Fan Appreciation Night. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

The Ridgefield Raptors earned a blowout win Tuesday over the Walla Walla Sweets by a score of 15-3.

A combination of big hitting and walks from the Ridgefield made all the difference in the contest. The Raptors picked up their fifth consecutive win against the Sweets with the victory Tuesday.

Much like he did in Ridgefield, Raptors outfielder Caden Connor hit the ball exceptionally against Walla Walla once again. The outfielder from Cal State Fullerton went 3-for-6 against the Sweets with four RBIs and a two run home run, giving him a league leading 51 runs batted in on the year. This season, Connor is 15-for-22 with 14 RBIs against Walla Walla.

The Raptors would score a run in every inning from the third to the seventh. Isaac Lovings hit a solo home run in the sixth to give the Raptors their 41st home run of the season. The Raptors would then explode in the top of the ninth for seven runs off four hits and four walks.

For Walla Walla, the Sweets put together two scoring innings in the sixth and seventh. The Sweets got three straight hits ending in a two-run double by Colin Wetterau in the sixth. Parker Price drove in a run on an infield single in the seventh as part of a 3-for-4. Price is now hitting .312, good for 12th in the league.

Walks were the downfall of the Sweets pitching staff. Five Sweets pitchers combined to walk 12 batters in the loss, the most by Walla Walla this season.

With the win, the Raptors remain tied for the second playoff spot in the South Division. The Sweets have now lost 12 league games in a row and sit at 14-32 overall.

The Sweets look to even the series Wednesday when they host the Raptors again at Borleske Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:35.

The Walla Walla Sweets put together a span of 13 runs in a row to defeat the Redmond Dudes Sunday.

The Sweets won the game 13-8 and picked up their third win in a row. Walla Walla scored all 13 of their runs between the second to fifth inning to take their second game in a row against Redmond.

After going down 3-0 early, the Sweets put forth a big inning in the second. The Sweets scored six runs on just three hits and took advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch. A Nation Wood RBI single and an RBI double by Colin Wetterau highlighted the offense in the second frame for Walla Walla.

The Sweets would continue the offensive barrage with five more runs in the third. Colton Aragon and Colin Wetterau each drove in runs on doubles, and the Sweets once again took advantage of free passes and errors. The three other runs came on a throwing error by the pitcher, two walks, a hit by pitch, and a wild pitch.

Offensively, Wetterau led the way for the Sweets with two doubles and four runs batted in. Sweets hitters walked eight times in the game as well.

Noah Serna, the starter for the Sweets, struggled early but found his groove in the middle innings. The southpaw finished the game with five innings of work and allowed three earned runs.

The Sweets have the day off Monday before hosting the Ridgefield Raptors Tuesday at Borleske Stadium. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

A sixth inning, solo home run by Jack Sheward helped springboard the Sweets to a 7-2 win over the Redmond Dudes.

The Sweets offense put together a balanced attack in the win. Walla Walla collected 13 hits as a team from eight different players.

Sheward was one of five Sweets with multiple hits in the game. The catcher from Lewis-Clark State finished with two hits and two RBIs. Seth Ryberg, Paul Myro IV, Will Grimm and Parker Price all finished the game with two hits for Walla Walla.

The Sweets scored six of their seven runs from the fourth through seventh innings. Sheward and Myro IV each drove in a run on a home run and a triple in the sixth, with Ryberg following up in the seventh with a two-run double to left center.

On the pitching side, the Sweets got a quality start from Nick Irwin. The righty from Northwest Nazarene University threw five scoreless innings while striking out five and allowing just one hit.

The Sweets look to extend their winning streak to three games Sunday when they host the Redmond Dudes for the second time. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

The Walla Walla Sweets got back in the win column Friday with a 5-1 victory over the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars.

The Sweets jumped ahead early and never looked back in route to their 20th win of the season. The Sweets never trailed in the game and defeated the CCL All-Stars for the third time in four meetings.

Walla Walla’s offense attacked early with a four run bottom of the first. The Sweets hit three doubles, including a two-run double by Quentin Ayers and another RBI double by Cayden Delozier.

The highlight of the night for Walla Walla, who played every position on the field and switched every inning. Folz caught the eighth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth, including a strikeout.

Pitching wise, Joe Ball turned in a solid start for the Sweets against his former team. Ball turned in five scoreless innings and struck out six innings while allowing just two hits and three baserunners.

Eli Paton also picked up an RBI single in the sixth for Walla Walla. Paul Myro IV and Nolan Anguiano each picked up two hits for the Sweets, as Myro IV finished with a double and a triple.

The Sweets are back at Borleske Stadium tomorrow to host the Redmond Dudes in a non-league contest. First pitch is set for 7:05 PST and can be streamed at the Walla Walla Sweets YouTube page. Tickets are also available at www.sweetstickets.com.

The Walla Walla Sweets fell to the Bend Elks Wednesday by a final score of 10-3.

With the defeat, the Sweets have now lost 10 consecutive games and are 14-30 overall. The Elks move to 20-21 and 10-7 in the second half.

With the win, the Elks take the first two games of the series. The first game from Tuesday was originally suspended until today, but then ruled final earlier this afternoon.

The Sweets took the early lead two batters in. Paul Myro IV doubled off the left center field wall and was brought home on a throwing error off a bunt by Seth Ryberg.

From there, the Elks took over. After scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning of the first game, the Elks attacked early once again. Bend scored three runs in the bottom of the first on two hits, including an RBI single by Aidan Welch.

The Elks would plate three more runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a two-run home run by Greg Fuchs, his first home run of the season.

The Elks would plate 10 runs on 12 hits. Bend would score two more runs in the fifth and two in the seventh, with the three through seven hitters from the Elks combining for 10 hits and eight runs batted in.

The Sweets would score once in the sixth and once in the seventh. Seth Ryberg drove in Myro IV on a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Cayden Delozier drove in a run on an RBI single in the seventh.

Jacob Kmatz, the starter for the Elks, pitched six innings and allowed one earned run with eight strikeouts.

The Sweets and Elks meet for the series finale tomorrow at 6:35 PST. The game can be streamed at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball

The Ridgefield Raptors picked up their second win in a row over the Sweets Saturday in a 5-1 win at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

The Sweets dropped their seventh game in a row with the loss, while the Raptors improved to 22-16 and maintained a playoff spot in the South Division.

The Sweets were held to their lowest hit total of the season Saturday, earning just hit in the loss. The lone hit came on a Parker Price solo home run to lead off the top of the fourth, which gave the Sweets a 1-0 lead.

From there, 18 consecutive batters were set down by Raptors starter Brock Gillis and reliever Carson Walters. Gillis struck out nine hitters through six innings, while Walters threw three perfect innings in relief and struck out five while earning his first save.

Joe Ball turned in a quality outing on the other side for Walla Walla. The lefty from Lewis-Clark State threw his longest outing of the year in a 5 1/3 inning, five strikeout, two run performance.

The Raptors were held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Caden Connor, the leadoff hitter for the Raptors, broke things open late for Ridgefield with hsis first home run of the summer out to right field. The Ridgefield right fielder hit a two-run homer to to give the Raptors a 2-1 lead they would not give up.

Connor would pick things right back up in the seventh. The Cal State Fulleton outfielder dropped a two-run triple down the left field line to score two more and extend the Raptors lead to 4-1. A Wade Meckler RBI single capped off the scoring in the game.

Connor finished the night 2-for-4 with four RBIs and is now 6-for-10 in the series with seven runs batted in. Connor now leads the WCL with 39 RBIs and has 10 of them in his last five games.

The Sweets try to take one of the three games in the series Sunday when they face the Raptors at 1:05 PST.

The Ridgefield Raptors scored a season-high 17 runs on 17 hits in a 15 run victory over the Walla Walla Sweets.

Ridgefield set several records, both team wise and individually, including most runs scored in a game in team history and most RBIs in a single game by one player, with shortstop John Peck driving in six.

The Raptors didn’t take long to get started offensively. Ridgefield got four hits and a walk to start the game, including a home run by Peck to make it 3-0 against Sweets starter Calvin Kirchoff.

Peck would drive a home un to the opposite field to right center in his next at-bat, launching a two-run blast to make it 7-0 Raptors. Peck exceeded his season high of five RBIs after tripling in another run in the eighth.

On the other side, Raptors starter Jaren Hunter turned in another impressive performance. The right-hander from Oregon State pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed two earned runs, and struck out a season high six batters to pick up his third victory in his last three starts.

The two runs for the Sweets came on a two-run home run to right center by Justin Folz in the top of the sixth. Folz’s home run gives him three for the year and two in his last two games.

The long ball was a frequent occurrence at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Center Friday. The Raptors hit four homers in the game, with catcher Isaac Springs homering in his Raptors debut and Kody Darcy going opposite field for a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth. The Springs home run highlighted a stretch of nine straight runs for Ridgefield between the eighth and ninth innings.

With the loss, the Sweets have now dropped six in a row and are 14-26 overall. The Raptors are now tied for the second playoff spot in the South Division at 21-16 as they seek their first playoff bid in team history.

The two teams meet in game two of the series Saturday at 6:35 PST.

The Corvallis Knights earned their second walk-off win in a row on a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth Thursday, defeating the Sweets 6-5.

Corvallis was down by one going into the bottom of the ninth, but a Nick Vogt single and a double by Nate Nankil to deep center tied the score at five. Two walks loaded the bases and Nankil was able to make it home with the winner on a wild pitch from Sweets’ closer Eric Romo.

The Sweets scored the first foive runs of the game and had their best power-hitting game of the season. The Sweets homered four times in the first five innings of the game to take a 5-0 lead in the fifth.

Walla Walla got back-to-back home runs from Eli Paton and Justin Folz to start the top of the second. Paton would follow that up with another solo shot in the fourth, becoming the first Sweet to homer multiple times in a single game this season.

Nation Wood delivered the Sweets final runs of the game on a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right-center field. The Sweets homered multiple times in a game for the first time this season have now have 20 home runs as a team.

Despite this, Corvallis picked up the three-game sweep of the Sweets and improved to 28-8 overall. After Taison Corio’s walk-off yesterday, the Knights followed that up with another victory in the bottom of the ninth.

Ethan Loveless, the ninth hitter for Corvallis, led the way for the home team. He finished with a homer, two singles and two RBIs and reached base in all four at-bats, as he was also hit by a pitch. He was also at the plate when the game-winning run scored.

Eric Romo was unable to close the game, falling to 0-3 on the season. Bradley Mullan, who pitched three scoreless innings in relief, picked up the win for the Knights.

All five of the Sweets runs in the game were the result of the four home runs. Chris Conniff had the other two hits for the Sweets, who fell to 14-25 overall and 5-10 in the second half with the loss.

The Sweets begin a three-game series with the Ridgefield Raptors Friday at 6:35 PST.

Taison Corio hit a walkoff solo home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth Wednesday to give the Corvallis Knights a 6-5 win over the Walla Walla Sweets.

Corio capped off a three-hit performance with a line drive home run just out of the reach of right fielder Seth Ryberg. The Knights took the series with the win after taking the series opener 6-3 Tuesday.

The Corvallis Knights improved to 27-8 overall with the win, while the Sweets fell to 14-24 overall and have now dropped four in a row.

Outside of Corio, Travis Bazzana led the way for the Knights offense. The Corvallis second baseman finished the game 4-for-4 to raise his league-leading average to .442. Bazzana doubled twice in the game and is now 7-for-8 in the series with three doubles and five runs scored.

Chris Conniff highlighted the offense for the Sweets. The second baseman from St. John’s hit his first home run of the summer on a two-run shot to right field in the fifth inning. Conniff is the 10th different Sweet to leave the yard this summer.

Eli Paton led the Sweets with two hits in the game. Walla Walla tied the game in the top of the ninth at five off of four walks between Nathaniel Mendoza and Ben Kibbe, but scored just once off of the Ryberg RBI base on balls. A line drive hit by Colin Wetterau resulted in a double play to end the inning.

Starting pitcher Andrew Baughn went four innings and allowed two earned runs on two strikeouts in his second start with the Sweets. Kibbe earned the win for Corvallis, while Nick Irwin was hit with the loss.

The two teams will meet for the final game of the series Thursday. Brock Townsend will start for the Knights, while Travis Craven takes the mound for the Sweets. First pitch is set for 6:35 PST.

The Walla Walla Sweets were unable  to overcome an early run from the Corvallis Knights Tuesday in a 6-3 defeat.

Travis Bazzana, the current WCL leader in batting average and hits, went 3-for-4 to lead the charge for the Knights. Bazzana, along with number two hitter Kyler Stancato, delivered a combined six hits at the top of the lineup to pace the Knights in the win.

Bazzana, who leads the WCL with a .425 batting average, put together a three-hit, three RBI effort with a double and two singles. Stancato added three hits of his own, going 3-for-4 on the game.

The KnightS attacked early in the bottom of the first. Bazzana and Stancato both reached on a single and a double to setup an RBI groundout by Tanner Smith.

Bazzana would drive in two more in the second on a double as part of a three-run inning. Tanner Smith would single in two runs in the seventh to make it a 6-2 game. The first three hitters in the Knights lineup accounted for all of the runs batted in in the game for Corvallis.

Mason Kokodynski ran into trouble early, but found his rhythm in the middle innings. The right-hander from LMU pitched five innings and allowed four earned runs and recorded three strikeouts.

The Sweets scored two in the seventh to cut into a 4-0 deficit. Two walks and a groundout led to a Paul Myro IV run scored on a wild pitch. An Eli Paton RBI single cut the deficit to two runs.

Despite the late comeback effort, the Sweets fell short and dropped to 14-23 overall. The Sweets are four games out of a playoff  spot in both the overall West Coast League and second half standings.

The Sweets will square off against the Corvallis Knights at 6:35 PST at Goss Stadium Wednesday in game two of a three-game series.

The Bend Elks squeezed out a 5-4 win over the Walla Walla Sweets Sunday evening.

After trailing 5-0 in the third, the Sweets put together two rallies in the late innings to cut the deficit to one. Despite this, the Elks were able to hang on and pick up their 14th victory of the season while taking the series two games to one.

The Elks broke things open with a big inning in the top of the third against Sweets starter Jacob Dahlstrom. Bend plated all five of their runs in the third on six hits and two errors from the Sweets. The Elks got the first two batters of the inning aboard on a Bryce Tweedt walk and a single from Bryce Boettcher.

After a groundout from Greg Fuchs, the Elks put their next seven hitters on base on five singles, a hit by pitch and a walk. Bend got their runs on a two-run single by Aidan Welch and three one-run singles by Chase Matheny, Omar Veloz and Gavin Logan.

The Sweets would score their first run on a bases-loaded error by the first baseman Fuchs. The Sweets forced the bases loaded on two walks and a hit by pitch before a groundball by Chris Conniff brought home Seth Ryberg.

Walla Walla pushed across two more in the seventh to cut the lead in half. After Ryberg reached on a one out walk, Conniff singled and advanced to second on a throw third. Parker Price delivered his seventh hit of the series on an RBI grounder off the third baseman Boettcher. Conniff would then score from third after a throw to second to catch Price stealing was unsuccessful.

The Sweets were mostly held in check through seven innings by Elks starter Kade Morris. Morris allowed three runs and struck out seven in seven innings, his longest start of the season.

The Sweets would score one more run in the bottom of the eighth on a Matthew Clark double off Elks reliever Cameron Smith. The Elks then turned the ball over to Gabe Smith, who inherited a second and third, nobody out situation and struck out three batters in a row. Smith would set down the Sweets in the ninth to earn a two-inning save.

The Sweets bullpen kept them in the game late. Travis Craven, Logan Hurd, Caden Kaelber and Eric Romo combined for 6 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out 10 batters. Kaelber highlighted the relievers, matching a season high six strikeouts in three innings.

The Sweets have the day off Monday before they begin a nine-game road trip Tuesday with a three-game series against the Corvallis Knights. First pitch is set for 6:35 PST.

The Walla Walla Sweets were held to just two hits Saturday in a loss to the Bend Elks.

Four Elks pitchers combined to blank the Sweets. Bend snapped a five-game losing streak with the win, while the Sweets fell to 14-21 with the loss and 5-6 in the second half.

The first four innings of the game were scoreless, as starters Nick Irwin and Dillon Holiday combined to allow just four hits through the first four frames.

In the fifth, the Elks struck first for three runs. Gavin Rork, Chase Matheny and Collin Montez all picked up RBI singles as part of a three-run, five-hit half inning for the Elks.

The game took a major turn in the top of the seventh. With one run already home for the Elks in the inning, Collin Montez ripped a 1-1 fastball down the right field line. After the ball was originally ruled foul, the umpires overturned the call and determined the hit to be a two-run home run.

From then on, the Elks would score five straight runs. Bend finished with 16 hits and had seven different players record multi-hit games. Matheny and Montez highlighted the offense for Bend, combining for four hits and six runs batted in.

The Elks delivered an equally impressive showing on the mound. Starter Dillon Holliday tossed six innings of shutout baseball and allowed just one hit. Charlie Adamson, Matt Dallas and Cole Wilkinson threw a combined three scoreless frames out of the bullpen while allowing just one base hit. Holliday earned his second win of the season, while Nick Irwin recorded the loss after allowing three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Parker Price recorded both hits for the Sweets on the offensive side and now has six hits in the series. Defensively, the Sweets struggled, committing five errors.

The Sweets are back in action tomorrow for the rubber match of the three-game series. First pitch is set for 6:05 PST.

The Walla Walla Sweets earned their biggest comeback win of the 2021 season with a 9-7 win over the Bend Elks Friday.

After trailing 7-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, the Sweets scored nine unanswered runs to earn their 14th win of the season and improve to 5-5 in the second half.

The Bend Elks produced a six-run top of the second inning to take a big lead early on. Bend picked up six hits in the half inning and also took advantage of two Walla Walla errors to jump ahead early against Sweets starter Calvin Kirchoff. The inning was highlighted by a two-run triple by Chase Matheny, who now leads the Elks with 17 runs batted in.

After an RBI single by Gavin Logan made it 7-0 Elks in the top of the 4th, the Sweets got to work offensively. After a single by Colin Wetterau and back-to-back hit by pitches by Justin Folz and Eli Paton, Matthew Clark delivered the first grand slam of the summer for the Sweets on a homer over the left field scoreboard. Clark is now tied for the team lead with three home runs.

Folz helped cut into the deficit one inning later. The Sweets left fielder ripped a ball into right field to score Parker Price and make it a 7-5 Elks game. Folz knocked in his 11th run of the year and his sixth run in his last eight games.

Both teams would go scoreless from the top of the sixth to the top of the eighth, largely thanks to the effort of relief pitcher Joe Ball. The lefty from Lewis-Clark State turned in  his best outing of the year, setting new season highs with four innings of scoreless baseball and six strikeouts.

“Joe Ball kept us in that game and did a great job of getting out of some tough spots,” Folz said.

In the eighth, the Sweets were able to break through and take a lead that they would not relinquish. A single, error and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Sweets leadoff hitter Paul Myro IV. The Walla Walla infielder ripped a 2-2 fastball down the right field line for a bases clearing triple, giving the Sweets an 8-7 lead. Parker Price would single in Myro IV one batter later, giving Price a season high four hits and the Sweets a 9-7 advantage.

Sweets closer Eric Romo ran into a bases loaded jam in the ninth, but struck out two hitters in a row to close it out and earn his sixth save of the summer. Romo is now tied for the WCL lead in saves.

Ball earned his first win of the season for Walla Walla, while Eli Ankeney picked up the loss for Bend. The two teams combined for 27 hits, with Price leading the way for the Sweets with four. Gavin Logan had a four hit night for Bend.

The two teams meet again Saturday at Borleske Stadium starting at 7:05. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

Sweets starter Travis Craven put together one of the best outings of the year by a Sweets pitcher in a 1-0 loss to the Wenatchee AppleSox Thursday.

The left-hander from Whitman College threw eight scoreless innings and struck out 14 batters, the most by a Sweets pitcher this season. Craven surpassed the previous high by Calvin Kirchoff, who had 11 punchouts on July 17.

Craven , who had a season high of six strikeouts coming in, mixed speeds and locations effectively to keep the AppleSox hitters off balance.

“I felt I did a good job mixing sequences and locations throughout the game,” Craven said. “I felt like I did a good job with two strikes and was able to work around the zone very well.”

Craven stayed in the zone from the beginning of his start to the end. 71 of the 91 pitches Craven threw found the strike zone. The left-hander also did not surrender a walk and allowed just three hits.

The Wenatchee pitching staff was outstanding in their own right on the other side, as pitching ruled this game throughout. AppleSox starter Jacob Hughes put together his best outing of the season, striking out a season best eight hitters while allowing just three hits and walking three.

The lone run of the game came in the top of the ninth inning. Dakota Duffalo reached on an error by the third baseman Eli Paton off of Sweets reliever Caden Kaelber. After Duffalo was picked off at second, Adam Grob drew a walk. After a strikeout to John Newman Jr. and a walk to Luc Stuka to put runners on second and third, Collin Villegas reached on an errant throw by Parker Price that scored Grob from third.

Gavin Gorrell picked up the win for Wenatchee. The lefty from the University of Utah pitched three scoreless innings in relief of Hughes and struck out four batters, including three straight punchouts in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. Caden Kaelber was charged with the loss, but did not allow an earned run.

The Sweets and AppleSox both sit at 13-20 overall on the year. The Sweets are now 4-5 in the second half and are now two games out of first in the North Division second half standings to the Yakima Valley Pippins.

The Sweets begin a three-game weekend series Friday at Borleske Stadium when they host the Bend Elks.

The Walla Walla Sweets put forth one of their best team efforts of the season Wednesday in an 8-2 victory over the Wenatchee AppleSox.

The Sweets used a combination of effective pitching, timely hitting and slick fielding to secure their 13th victory in league play and even the three-game series at one apiece.

Jack Sheward, who set a new season high with three runs batted in, drove in two runs in the bottom of the second on a triple to left center field. Sheward recorded multiple RBIs in a game for the first time this season.

For the first 5 1/3 innings, the AppleSox were unable to get a man aboard thanks to dominant pitching from Andrew Baughn. The right-hander made quite the first impression in his Sweets debut, throwing four perfect innings while striking out five batters on just 48 pitches.

Wenatchee tied the game on a two-run double to center by Michael O’Hara off Sweets releiver Jacob Dahlstrom. O’Hara picked up his second double of the series and scored Enzo Apodaca and Aidan Selfridge after they reached on a double and an error, respectively. Selfridge was the first man to reach base for Wenatchee after the first 16 batters were set down in order.

From that point on, the Sweets took full control of the game. Walla Walla would post two, three-run innings in the bottom of the seventh and eighth to run away with the win.

In the seventh, the Sweets got their first two men on base on back-to-back singles by Sheward and Chris Conniff. After a Paul Myro IV sacrifice bunt, Seth Ryberg hit a flyball over Apodaca’s head in left to score two on a double. Justin Folz would drive in Ryberg two batters later, giving Folz his 10th RBI of the summer.

In the eighth, the Sweets added some insurance runs. After a Sheward sacrifice fly, Myro IV blasted a two run home run over the left center field fence off AppleSox reliever Alex Brady.

Myro IV now has two home runs on the season. He finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBIs and picked up his fourth mulit hit game in his last seven contests. Sheward led the team with three RBIs while going 2-for-3.

Nick Irwin threw two scoreless innings of relief to pick up his first win of the season. After earning his first win of the summer against Walla Walla June 10, Jared Engman was charged with his first loss.

The rubber match of this three-game series begins tomorrow at 6:35 PST. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

The Walla Walla Sweets struggled to produce timely hits Tuesday in a 7-1 loss to the Wenatchee AppleSox.

The Sweets had opportunities throughout the game to score with men on base, including a bases loaded, nobody out situation, but couldn’t cash in with the exception of the fifth inning.

The lone run of the game for Walla Walla came on a fifth inning RBI triple by Chris Conniff. Conniff drove in his seventh run of the season and now leads the team with three triples.

Outside of that inning, the Sweets were held scoreless and left eight men on base in total. The Sweets started the bottom of the sixth with three singles to load the bases, but reliever Michael DeFelippi struck out the next two batters he faced. Cayden Delozier lined out to third to end the inning as the AppleSox left-hander escaped unscathed.

Wenatchee took control of the game early and never relinquished the lead. Michael O’Hara started the game with a double, and was driven in by an RBI triple by Adam Grob two batters later. Grob picked up his first triple of the summer along with his team leading 23rd run batted in.

Wenatchee posted two more runs in the fourth off of two errors. Following his leadoff walk, Tino Bethancourt scored on an errant throw by catcher Colin Wetterau. Luc Stuka scored the other run of the inning on a dropped fly ball in right field.

The AppleSox took a commanding lead in the ninth after neither team scored from the fifth through eighth. Wenatchee picked up five consecutive hits to start the inning and posted a four run, five hit top of the ninth. The inning was highlighted by two two-run singles by John Newman Jr. and Dakota Duffalo.

Mason Kokodynski, the starter for the Sweets who had the second best ERA in the WCL entering the game, was charged with his first loss of the season. The Sweets ace went five innings and allowed two earned runs with four strikeouts.

Cole Hatton picked up the win as the starter for Wenatchee. He also threw five innings and allowed five hits, one earned run, three walks and struck out five. The AppleSox bullpen got four scoreless innings from their two best relievers in terms of ERA, DeFelippi and Skylar Hales. Hales picked up a three inning save while striking out four hitters.

The Sweets and AppleSox meet again Wednesday at Borleske Stadium starting at 6:35 PST.

The Walla Walla Sweets moved into first place in the North Division standings Saturday with a 5-2 win over the Port Angeles Lefties.

The Sweets are now 12-17 overall and 3-2 in the second half. Walla Walla leads the Yakima Valley Pippins by one game in the division.

Sweets starter Calvin Kirchoff turned in one of the best performances of the season by a Sweets pitcher. The right hander from Bellevue Community College set a new single game high for a Sweets pitcher with 11 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Kirchoff has 19 strikeouts in two starts to begin his Sweets career. For the second start in a row, the Sammamish, Washington, native allowed just two hits.

Offensively, the Sweets got all the runs they would need in the first inning. With two outs, Colin Wetterau picked up a single. Lefties third baseman Carson Crawford committed a costly error on the next play after dropping a popup on the infield. With runners at first and second, Eli Paton blasted a three run home run to give the Sweets a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

The Sweets scored two more times in the top of the fifth off Lefties starter Luke Jewett. A walk and two singles by Paul Myro IV, Parker Price and Wetterau loaded the bases for Folz. The Sweets right fielder drove in a run on a sacrific fly, with Paton quick to follow with another one batter later.

Paton finished the game 1-4 with four runs batted in, tying Cameron Butler for the most by a Sweet this season in a single game.

The Lefties scored once in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly by Javy Espinosa. Their only other run of the game came on a throwing error back to Kirchoff by catcher Jack Sheward.

The Sweets got 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of their bullpen. Caden Kaelber appeared for the second night in a row and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Kaelber is now tied for third in the league in strikeouts with 38.

Eric Romo entered in the ninth and struck out the side. Romo recorded his fifth save of the year, which is second in the WCL.

The Sweets and Lefties play their series finale Sunday at 1:35 from Civic Field.

The Walla Walla Sweets used a combination of balanced hitting and effective pitching to take down the Port Angeles Lefties Friday.

The Sweets got a hit from every starter in the lineup Friday, the first time this season Walla Walla has accomplished that feat. Three players, Paul Myro IV, Coin Wetterau and Justin Folz, had multiple hits.

The Sweets went down 1-0 in the second, but took the game over from there.  Walla Walla strung together four runs on just one hit in the top of the fourth. Niko Khoury drove in Parker Price from second on an error by the first baseman Ethan Flodstrom. After Justin Folz scored on a wild pitch during Seth Ryberg’s at bat, two runs scored on a dropped third strike to Cayden Delozier and a throwing error by Port Angeles catcher Nathan Chong.

The Sweets bats would get going in the fifth, five of the first six batters in the inning singled as part of a three run fifth for Walla Walla. Wetterau, Niko Khoury and Matthew Clark all knocked in runs on singles.

Wetterau and Folz would both go on to drive in runs on back-to-back singles in the top of the eighth. Wetterau finished the night with three runs batted in to lead the team.

The Sweets got a solid effort from four different pitchers. With the exception of one run in the second, Sweets starter James Hepp was efficient on the bump. The UCLA commit went four innings and allowed one earned run with five strikeouts in his longest outing of the year.

Logan Hurd picked up right where Hepp left off. The LMU left-hander went 3 2/3 innings and recorded his second highest strikeout total of the season with five. Caden Kaelber recorded the final out in the eighth before Evan Harmon closed the game in the ninth.

The Lefties were able to muster just four hits against the Sweets. Coleman Schmidt was the highlight of the game for Port Angeles, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run to left. Along with his second home run, Schmidt also singled in a run as part of a two RBI night.

The Sweets are now 2-2 in the second half and tied for first in the North Division in the second half. Walla Walla is back in action Saturday at 6:35 to face the Lefties at Civic Field in Port Angeles.

The Portland Pickles posted 15 runs on 18 hits Thursday in a 10-run win over the Sweets.

After posting two runs in the first inning, Portland’s offense exploded for six runs in the bottom of the third. The Pickles scored seven more in the next three innings to run away with the game.

With the game tied at two in the third, Leo Mosby got the scoring started for the Pickles with a two run single. Daniel Hirose singled in two more and was followed by a two run single by Gabriel Arellano to cap off a six run, seven hit bottom of the third for Portland.

The Pickles picked up four more runs in the fifth on a grand slam from Ryan Guardino. The outfielder from Wofford was one of seven Pickles with multiple hits in the game. Matt Jew led the way with three hits and three runs.

Matthew Clark led the offense for Walla Walla with a solo home run to left center. Clark is the second Sweet to record multiple home runs this season after hitting his second home run of the season.

Seth Ryberg was 1-for-5 with two RBIs for the Sweets. Ryberg doubled in two runs in the top of the third to tie the game.

Eric Marrujo pitched three innings for the Pickles, allowing one earned run and picking up the win in his second appearance against Walla Walla. Jacob Dahlstrom, who threw 2 1/3 innings and allowed six earned runs, was charged with the loss.

The Pickles upped their record to 17-10 and 2-1 in the second half, while the Sweets dropped to 10-17 overall and 1-2 in the second half. The Sweets are two games out of the second playoff spot in the North Division to the Bellingham Bells.

The Sweets hit the road again tomorrow to start a three-game series against the Port Angeles Lefties. First pitch is set for 6:35 PST from Civic Field in Port Angeles, Washington.

The Portland Pickles used six pitchers Wednesday in a combined shutout victory over the Walla Walla Sweets.

The loss marked the second time this season the Sweets have been shut out. Walla Walla falls to 10-16 on the year, while Portland improved to 16-10.

The Pickles starter, Alex Giroux,  started the game for Portland with three scoreless innings. Walla Walla had chances early with runners in scoring position against the right-hander, but were unable to register a hit with men on second and third. In total, the Sweets left five men on in the game.

The Pickles bullpen delivered yet another solid performance. The Pickles got six innings of scoreless baseball  between five different hurlers. Jared Villalobos, Ryan Sveningston, Scott Wright, Elias Farland and Josh Mollerus combined for eight strikeouts in those innings.

The Pickles offense got going early against Sweets starter Travis Craven. After the first batter of the bottom of the first was set down, the Pickles put four straight men on base on the strength of a walk and three singles. Reigning WCL Player of the Week Leo Mosby capped off the run with an RBI single.

The Pickles struck again in the fourth, this time forcing an unearned run home against Craven. After leadoff Ryan Guardino reached on an error, stole second, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, catcher Max Shor delivered a line drive single to right to plate another run.

The Pickles would score two more times, once in the sixth and another in seventh, to cap off a 4-0 victory. Leo Mosby singled in another run in the sixth, with Kyle Dernedde adding another run in the seventh to score Gabriel Arellano after his leadoff double to right.

Travis Craven went four innings in his team leading sixth start of the year. The Goleta, California, native allowed just one earned run on five hits while striking out two.

Dylan Schwartz and Will Grimm pitched the remainder of the game for Walla Walla. Schwartz struck out four batters while allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Grimm entered the game with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh and retired the final five batters of the game for Portland.

Paul Myro IV highlighted the Sweets lineup with two of the team’s hits. Colin Wetterau also doubled to extend his hit streak to 17 games and on base streak to 19.

The Sweets conclude their three-game series with Portland Thursday evening at 7:05 PST.

WALLA WALLA, WA – After the dust had settled, three former or current Sweets players heard their name called during the 2021 MLB Draft.

Two Sweets alumni, Sean Sullivan and Chazz Martinez, along with current Sweet, Cameron Butler, were selected as part of the MLB’s 20 round player draft that started this past Sunday.

It was Sullivan who heard his name called first, when the Pittsburgh Pirates selected him in the eighth round.  Sullivan, a right-handed pitcher from the University of California, played for the Sweets during the 2018 summer season.  He made ten appearances, six of them starts, while striking out 24 batters in 26 innings pitched.  He is coming off a junior season at California where he went 4-5 with a 3.68 ERA for the Golden Bears, striking out 75 hitters.

Martinez, a left-handed pitcher from Orange Coast College, was next off the board.  He was also selected by the Pirates, going in the 12^th round.  Chazz was used in a dual role for the Sweets during his one season with the team in 2019.  He finished the season with a .308 batting average at the plate, hitting five home runs and added 15 RBI’s on year.  On the mound, Martinez made eight appearances, starting in three of those games, striking out 21 batters in 11 1/3 innings pitched.

Butler, a high school senior who had committed to play at Cal Poly, got the call from the Chicago White Sox in the 15^th round.  After a stellar season his senior year at Big Valley Christian High School, he made his way to Walla Walla for the first half of the 2021 West Coast League season.  He batted .265 in 18 games for the Sweets, with one home run and 10 RBI’s while playing several positions in the infield and outfield.

The Walla Walla Sweets squeezed out a thrilling victory over the Portland Pickles Tuesday.

The Sweets snapped a four-game skid with a 2-1 victory over Portland, improving to 10-15 on the year. Walla Walla also took home its first win over the Pickles this season.

Neither team produced a run through the first six innings. Mason Kokodynski delivered his best start of the season, throwing six scoreless innings with five strikeouts on the bump while allowing just three hits.

Kokodynski lowered his ERA to 1.61 on the season, the second best mark in the West Coast League. The right-hander from LMU used his fastball, slider and changeup to keep Pickles hitters off balance.

The Sweets broke open the scoring in the seventh and held the lead until the end. Justin Folz started off the inning with a double and was moved to third by a ground ball by Seth Ryberg. With the infield moved in, Will Grimm bounced a ball to second that scored Justin Folz. Grimm later scored on an error to cap off the scoring for the Sweets.

Logan Hurd worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings before handing the ball to Caden Kaelber. Kaelber recorded the final out in the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and second, striking out pinch hitter Jacob Jablonski.

In the ninth, the Pickles cut the lead in half with two outs of Kaelber. Matt Jew picked up a lead off double and later scored on a pinch hit double by Eamonn Lance. After a pop up dropped on the infield in front of Kaelber, the right-hander forced a ground out from Connor Henriques to first to strand two runners on and pick up the save.

The two squads meet again Wednesday night at 7:05 PST. The game can be streamed at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

The Portland Pickles defeated the Walla Walla Sweets Sunday 8-1, completing a weekend series sweep for Portland.

The Pickles finish the first half of the West Coast League season 15-9, while the Sweets fall to 9-15 after one half of play. The Sweets have now lost their last four games.

The game started off tightly contested and low scoring through five innings. The Sweets got a solid performance from starting pitcher Calvin Kirchoff, who just arrived in Walla Walla 24 hours prior to first pitch. The right-hander from Bellevue Community College went five innings and struck out eight batters while allowing one earned run.

The Pickles scored the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. After an error at second by Paul Myro IV with two outs, a stolen base and a wild pitch, Jacob Jablonski drove in Leo Mosby on a single to right.

The Sweets tied the game in the bottom of the third off a leadoff walk to Nation Wood and an RBI triple to right center by Seth Ryberg. Ryberg picked up his first triple of the year while driving in his 11th run of the year.

The Pickles would score the next seven runs of the game starting in the fifth. Eamonn Lance launched a solo home run to left field to start the inning, his second homer of the season. The home run was just one of two hits allowed by Kirchoff.

The Pickles broke the game open in the seventh inning with six runs. The Pickles posted a six spot with five hits, all of which came with two outs. The inning was highlighted by a two-run single by Ivan Luna, an RBI double by Ryan Guardino, and an RBI single by Leo Mosby.

Nick Brink, the first reliever for Portland, picked up the victory on the mound. The Pickles threw a scoreless outing for the second straight game, as four different pitchers combined to go six innings while striking out seven batters.

The Sweets have the day off Monday before traveling to Portland on Tuesday for three more games against the Pickles.

The Walla Walla Sweets were unable to consistently find the strike zone as a pitching staff Saturday, dropping their third straight game in a 10-5 loss to the Portland Pickles.

After walking 10 batters in the series opener, the Sweets surrendered a season high  12 free passes Saturday between six different pitchers.

The Pickles picked up their ninth win in their last 11 games while taking the series and improving to 14-9. The Sweets fall to 9-14 with the loss and have lost six of their last eight league games.

The Sweets got the first two runs of the game on back-to-back RBI singles by Niko Khoury and Colin Wetterau. Wetterau extended his hitting streak to 15 games with the first inning base hit and has 24 hits in his last 15 games.

After a clean first inning, Sweets starter James Hepp lost his command and issued five walks in the second inning. This led to a four-run inning and Hepp being removed after 1 2/3 innings of work.

The Sweets tied the game in the bottom of the second with two runs. After a Quentin Ayers leadoff single and a double by Jack Sheward, Ayers later scored on a wild pitch before Parker Price drove in Sheward on a groundout.

The Pickles would then score two runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. The three inning run was highlighted by a solo, pinch hit home run to left by Carter Booth, who replaced leadoff hitter Cam Clayton.

Leo Mosby led the offensive attack yet again for the Pickles with two hits. The Portland infielder has five hits in the series, has a five-game hit streak going, and has seven runs batted in during that span.

Portland also continued its impressive stretch. After starter Kyle Ethridge struggled out of the gate and allowed four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings, the Pickles bullpen picked up eight strikeouts and allowed just one earned run through 7 1/3 innings of work.

Eric Marrujo picked up the victory for Portland, while Logan Hurd was saddled with his second loss of the season.

The two teams meet for the series finale Sunday evening at 6:05.

The Walla Walla Sweets dropped their first of six consecutive games against the Portland Pickles Friday by a score of 10-3.

The Pickles took control in the second inning and didn’t look back. Portland has now won eight of its last 11 games and improved to 13-9 with the win. The Sweets fall to 9-13 with the loss.

Two Pickles hitters stood out in this contest. Leo Mosby got things started with a solo home run to left in the second off Sweets starter Jacob Dahlstrom. Matt Jew then doubled in two runs in the top of the third to give Portland a 3-0 lead.

The Sweets responded with an RBI single by Parker Price in the bottom half of the third. Price poked a ground ball between third and short into left field to score Nation Wood.

From there, the Pickles scored seven consecutive runs. Justin DeCriscio grounded in a run off Dylan Schwartz after Dahlstrom was removed one batter into the third. Schwartz finished his outing with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts. He has not allowed a run in each of his last seven innings of work.

Neither team would score again until the eighth, where the Pickles would put up four runs. Jew picked up another RBI double to finish the night with two hits and three runs driven in. A wild pitch, RBI double by Mosby and an error brought in the other three runs of the half inning.

Mosby highlighted the offensive attack for Portland. He finished with three hits, two runs and two RBIs.

Justin Folz and Eli Paton both picked up RBIs for the Sweets in the bottom of the ninth, but the deficit was too large to overcome. Folz drove his fifth run in on a groundout, while Paton singled in a run to right center.

The Pickles got a solid effort from four pitchers in this game. The combination of Alonzo Treadwell, Scott Wright, Chris Baytosh and Ian Lawson combined for 11 strikeouts, with Wright picking up the victory.

Both teams meet again tomorrow night starting at 7:05 PST at Borleske Stadium. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com.

The Yakima Valley Pippins used two two-run home runs to take down the Sweets Wednesday by a score of 6-4.

Alex Shanks, who hit a two-run home run in the first game of the series, added to his total with another two-run blast to left in the top of the fourth. Mason Marenco launched the other two-run home run for the Pippins in the sixth that would ultimately be the deciding factor.

Alex Fernandes got the scoring started for the Pippins in the second inning. After Shanks reached base as part of a three-hit night, Fernandes drove him and Chase Graves in on a single to right-center just out of the reach of the second baseman Cameron Butler.

The Sweets were quick to respond in the bottom half of the second inning. Colin Wetterau led off the inning with an opposite field double. Will Grimm drove him in one pitch later on a groundball into right field, picking up his 10th RBI in the process.

Shanks was not the only player to hit a home run in the fourth. In his first game as a Sweet, Matthew Clark launched a two-run shot over the left field fence in his second at-bat as a Sweet.

Clark finished the game 1-for-4, but also had a long flyout to left center. On top of playing efficiently in center, Clark was happy with his performance in his debut.

“It felt great to get that first home run,” Clark said. “I felt comfortable throughout the night and am glad I was able to deliver.”

After the two-run home run by Marenco in the sixth, the Sweets would score one more run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Grimm. The Sweets sent the winning run to the plate in the ninth in Wetterau, but struck out with runners on first and second.

Travis Craven picked up his second loss of the year. He went four innings for the Sweets and allowed four earned runs. Kenny Johnson earned his third victory for the Pippins after going six innings and striking out six batters.

In relief, Owen Wild pitched effectively and earned his second consecutive three inning save. He struck out six batters and allowed one earned run, throwing 63 pitches out of the bullpen.

For the Sweets, Connor Cirillo, Caden Kaelber and Eric Romo combined for five innings in relief. The trio struck out six batters while allowing just two runs on four hits.

The Sweets fall to 9-12 with the loss, while the Pippins finish their first half 15-9. The Sweets have an off day Thursday before hosting the Portland Pickles this weekend starting Friday evening.

It was a night of two big innings for the Walla Walla Sweets, who prevailed over the Yakima Valley Pippins by a score of 13-4.

The Sweets posted new season highs in runs (13), runs in a single inning (eight), and margin of victory (nine).

The Pippins put up the first three runs of the ballgame in the top of the third inning off Sweets starter Mason Kokodynski. Leadoff hitter Chaz Myers doubled to score Alex Fernandes, an unearned run as Fernades reached on an error. Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek then drove in two runs on a single for his multi-RBI game of the year.

From there, it was all Sweets. The next 13 runs of the contest were scored by the Sweets, the most unanswered runs the Sweets have posted this season.

The Sweets started the run with five runs off Pippins starter Kirby Robertson in the fifth inning. After a Paul Myro IV walk and a Parker Price single, Seth Ryberg drove in his team leading 10th RBI on a base hit. After a Colin Wetterau RBI single, Cameron Butler broke things open with a three-run home run into left center field, the first three-run home run of the year for Walla Walla.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Sweets ran away with the game thanks to timely hitting and several walks from the Pippins pitching staff. The Sweets posted eight runs in the inning on just three hits, as three Pippins pitchers walked seven hitters.

Chris Conniff got the scoring started with a fielders choice. Butler then drove in his fourth run of the night on a single, a new season high for a Sweet in a single game. A Nation Wood sacrifice fly, Myro IV two-run single, a wild pitch to score Connor Cirillo, and a two-run single by Wetterau rounded out the scoring for the Sweets in the seventh.

Pitching wise, the Sweets got five solid innings from Kokodynski. The right-hander struck out a season high eight batters while allowing just two earned runs and four hits. Dylan Schwartz relieved Kokodynski and set down six straight batters in two innings, striking out three in the process.

Evan Harmon closed the game for the Sweets with two innings of work, allowing zero earned runs while striking out two.

Kokodynski picked up his second win of the year in two decisions, while Robertson was hit with the loss. The Pippins pitching staff walked ten batters, tying the season high for most walks to the Sweets lineup.

The Sweets  improve to 9-11 with the win, while the Pippins fall to 14-9. The two teams meet for the rubber match of a three-game set tomorrow starting at 6:35 PST.

A three-run eighth inning propelled the Sweets to a 5-3 win over the NW Star Nighthawks Saturday.

The Sweets, playing in front of their largest crowd of over 1,000 spectators, earned a comeback victory on their “Super Saturday” promotion night.

Sweets catcher Colin Wetterau, who tallied two hits and extended his hit streak to 10 games, was one of many players who enjoyed the Borleske Stadium atmosphere.

“The crowd tonight was awesome and its great to play in front of so many fans,” Wetterau said. “The crowd was electric tonight and you could feel it on the field.”

The Nighthawks jumped out to the early lead in the first with two runs. From there, three position players held the Nighthawks scoreless until the ninth inning.

Connor Cirillo started for Walla Walla in his second pitching appearance of the season.  He went four innings and allowed two runs and two strikeouts, while holding the Nighthawks scoreless for his final three innings of work.

Chris Conniff took over after Cirillo and threw scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing just two hits. Parker Price then put two zeros on the board in the seventh and eighth innings without allowing a hit.

Hitting wise, the Sweets got on the board in the third inning on a Paul Myro IV sacrifice fly. Wetterau later drove in a run in the fifth to tie the game at two.

In the eighth, the Sweets pulled away. After a Wetterau leadoff single and two bunts from Myro IV and Price to load the bases, Will Grimm drove in the lead run on a sacrifice fly. Cameron Butler then singled and reached second on an error that drove in two runs.

Dylan Schwartz closed the game in the ninth, stranding two runners in scoring position. With the victory, the Sweets improve to 13-13 overall including non-league games.

The Sweets have the Fourth of July off before hosting the Yakima Valley Pippins on Monday back at Borleske Stadium.

The Walla Walla Sweets lost the first game of a two-game non-league series Friday, falling to the NW Star Nighthawks by a score of 9-7.

In their first of two meetings this season, the teams went back and forth from start to finish. There were five lead changes throughout the game.

The Sweets put together one of their best hitting games of the season. Three different Walla Walla batters left the yard, two of them doing so for the first time this season in Cameron Butler and Jack Sheward. Justin Folz added the other home run, his second of the season.

The Sweets totaled 11 hits in the game, with first baseman turned pitcher William Grimm pacing the lineup with three.

NW Star took the lead in the first inning, but the Sweets quickly tied the game in the bottom half after Colin Wetterau tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Jack Sheward’s first home run of the year made it a 2-1 Sweets game after two innings.

After the Nighthawks scored the next four runs of the game, the Sweets put together one of their best offensive innings of the season. Folz and Butler each launched solo home runs as part of a three run inning, with Sheward driving in Quentin Ayers and scoring himself off three errant throws by the Nighthawks.

After both teams picked up a run in the seventh, the Nighthawks plated the final three runs in the eighth and ninth. Travis Helm drove in two runs on a two-out double in the eighth, and Carter Monda added on an RBI single in the ninth to lead to the 9-7 final score.

Evan Harmon went three innings for the Sweets in his first start of the year. He allowed three earned runs on three walks and four strikeouts. Turner Edwards, Cayden Delozier and Will Grimm combined to throw six innings out of the bullpen, allowing six runs.

The Sweets host the NW Star Nighthawks for “Super Saturday” at Borleske Stadium at 7:05.

In their second extra-inning  game of the week, the Sweets fell short in 15 innings against the Cowlitz Black Bears.

The Sweets have now played 15 innings in multiple games in the same week for the first time in team history. With the loss, the Sweets fall to 8-10 but remain in second place in the West Coast League North Division.

The Sweets got the first run in the ballgame on an RBI single by Jack Sheward in the bottom of the fifth. The first seven innings were dominated by pitching, with each starter going at least innings.

Travis Craven turned in a solid outing for Walla Walla. The left-hander went six innings and did not allow a run while surrendering just four hits. He also struck out five batters without issuing a walk.

Izaak Martinez was equally as effective on the other side for Cowlitz. The left-hander from California went 6 1/3 innings and allowed one unearned run. Like Carven, Martinez did not strike out many hitters but forced plenty of groundballs and flyouts.

Both teams did not get going offensively until the eighth inning. With two outs in the top of the eighth, the Black Bears on an unorthodox triple to shallow left. A shallow line drive to left field looked to be caught by left fielder Niko Khoury, but was then ruled as a hit. Weber advanced to third on the play due to the Sweets holding the ball and not knowing if the play was still live.

That triple set up cleanup hitter Henry Muench, who launched a two-run home run four pitches later over the scoreboard in left to make it 3-1 Black Bears.

The Sweets responded with a two-run home run over their own to tie it up at 3 in the bottom half of the inning. Eli Paton sent a fly ball over the right field fence for his first round tripper as a Sweet. Paton is now the sixth Sweet to hit a home run this year.

From the eighth all the way to the 15th, a bullpen battle ensued. For the next six innings, neither team mustered up a run. Nick Irwin turned in his best outing of the season in relief, going 5 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out a season high three hitters.

Cowlitz once again had a strong outing bullpen wise. The Black Bears, who entered this series with the second best bullpen ERA in the league, got 8 2/3 innings of two-run baseball from their relievers after their bullpen did not allow a single run in game two of the series.

Cary Arbolida ultimately picked up the game-winning single for the Black Bears on a hard ground ball into shallow left field in the top of the 15th. Jeff Nelson picked up his first win as a Black Bear while Noah Serna was hit with the loss for Walla Walla.

The Sweets return to Borleske Stadium Friday night to face the Northwest Star Nighthawks starting at 7:05.

WALLA WALLA, WA – Following the lead from the city of Walla Walla and local fire and city officials, the Sweets have postponed their 4th of July fireworks show.

The fireworks display was scheduled to happen at the conclusion of the Sweets July 3 game against the visiting Northwest Star Nighthawks.  But with extreme heat entering the Walla Walla Valley this past week coupled with the combined dry and humid conditions, the guidance from city officials’ determined that public fireworks displays were not safe for the region at this time.

A makeup date for the show will be announced at a later date.  Tickets for the July 3 matchup are still valid for the game.  Tickets for the rest of the Sweets games can be purchased at SweetsTickets.com

There was never a doubt in the outcome of Tuesday’s contest between the Sweets and Cowlitz Black Bears.

The Sweets timely hitting and balanced hitting to get back to .500 and win their third game in four tries this year against the Cowlitz Black Bears.

After a much needed day off to relax following their 16-inning game on Sunday, the longest game in team history, the Sweets looked recharged out of the gate Tuesday. Walla Walla took the lead early in the ballgame and never relinquished it, as the Sweets remain in second place and are now 8-8 in league games in 2021.

The Sweets have been getting off to much faster starts offensively in recent games, and that trend continued Tuesday. The Sweets scored in the first inning for the fourth game in a row thanks to a solo home run from Seth Ryberg, a double by Justin Folz, and an RBI single from Eli Paton.

“We’ve been taking a lot better approaches at the plate lately and have been seeing the ball a lot better,” Ryberg said. “Sunday’s game was a big turning point for our season. We are really starting to gel as a team and get some timely hits.”

Seven different hitters picked up a base hit for Walla Walla Tuesday. The Sweets used three two-run innings and one more in the seventh to pick up the 7-3 victory.

On the pitching side, the Sweets used four different arms to pick up the victory. Jacob Dahlstrom started the game and went 3.2 innings, striking out three and walking three while allowing just one earned run in his first league start.

The most impressive pitcher of the night was Logan Hurd. The southpaw accomplished something no other Sweet has done in a game this year, striking out the side twice in one outing. He set a new season high six strikeouts in three innings of work.

Travis Craven picked up his league-leading third win of the year. The Sweets held Cowlitz to just four hits, as the Black Bears fell to 6-10 and fifth in the South Division.

The Sweets and Black Bears meet again Wednesday night starting at 7:05 from Borleske Stadium.

Due to the extreme heat affecting much of the pacific northwest this week, the Sweets have announced they have moved back their game start time to 7:05pm for this week’s games against the Cowlitz Black Bears.  The games were originally scheduled to start at 6:35pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The Sweets start a three game home series against the Cowlitz Black Bears on Tuesday, June 29 as part of a stretch of 11 home games in 13 days.  The following two games against Northwest Star on July 2 and 3 are still planned to start at 7:05pm.

Walla Walla will have an off day on July 4 before hosting a three-game series against the Yakima Valley Pippins , who currently lead the West Coast League North Division by three games.  The Sweets then finish off the homestand with a three-game series against the Portland Pickles beginning on July 9.

Tickets for all upcoming games are now available at SweetsTickets.com

The Yakima Valley Pippins responded to their loss on Friday in a big way Saturday in their win against the Sweets.

After losing a four run lead in the late innings in the series opener, the Pippins came back Saturday and took control in the middle innings thanks to timely hitting and excellent starting pitching.

Tyler Frieders, the starter for Yakima Valley and a Yakima Valley CC product, turned in his best start of the year and the best outing of the year for a Pippins starter. He went seven innings and set a new Pippins season high with 10 strikeouts while allowing just one run and two hits.

The Sweets scored first for the second game in a row thanks to a Paul Myro IV walk and a Parker Price RBI double, his fourth run driven in in the series.

From there, the Sweets could not figure out Frieders. Walla Walla had just one hit from the second through seventh inning and wouldn’t score again until Myro IV blasted a two run home run off the scoreboard in left in the eighth.

The Pippins offense got going in the second inning on a two-run single from Spencer Marenco. Yakima Valley wasted no time getting on the board in the third after Noah Williamson took the first pitch of the inning down the left field line for a triple. Blake Dickman drove him home one batter later on a sacrifice fly.

The Pippins big inning came in the fourth after Sweets starter Jake Dahle was removed after three innings. The Pippins used four walks from Sweets reliever Noah Serna and two errors from shortstop Parker Price to push across four runs. Walks came back to the haunt the Sweets, with the pitching staff registering a season high 10 free passes.

Frieders earned his first win of the 2021 season, while Dahle was hit with his first defeat. The Sweets put up four runs late in the game with two in the eighth and ninth innings against Pippins reliever Joey Cammarata, but were unable to complete the comeback in a 9-5 defeat.

The rubber match of the series is set for Sunday at 7:05 PST.

The Sweets entered the top of the eighth inning down 7-3 Friday night against their rival the Yakima Valley Pippins.

With their backs against the wall, the Sweets fought back and willed themselves to a 9-7 victory to pull within one game of first in the North Division.

Four of the first five batters reached base on a walk to start the eighth inning, with Justin Folz picking up an RBI without having to swing the bat. After Colin Wetterau drove in Paul Myro on a groundout, Seth Ryberg came through with a line drive single to right center to score two runs and tie the game at seven.

After Caden Kaelber set down the Pippins in the bottom of the eighth, the Sweets got right back to work in the ninth and took advantage of some costly mistakes from the Pippins. After Yakima Valley shortstop Connor Coballes botted a groundball to start the ninth, Nation Wood dropped a bunt single in front of the mound. A Myro walk brought Parker Price to the plate, and he delivered a two-run single to make it 9-7 where the game would end.

For the Sweets, the win was their second this year when trailing after the seventh inning. Walla Walla is now 7-6 and trails the first place Pippins by one game.

Parker Price also ripped a solo home run in the ball game, finishing the contest with two hits and three runs batted in to tie the season high for a Sweet in a single game this year. Eli Paton collected two hits as well.

Caden Kaelber picked up his second win of the year and matched a season high with five strikeouts. Eric Romo earned his league-leading fourth save.

For Yakima Valley, Noah Williamson led the way hitting with two hits and four RBIs. He had a three-run home run in the game as well.

The Sweets and Pippins meet again Saturday for game two of the series starting at 7:35. The game can be streamed at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

After six consecutive games that were decided by fewer than two runs, the Sweets left no doubt Wednesday in their matchup against the CCL All-Stars.

The Sweets picked up three runs in the bottom of the first inning and one more in the second on their way to a 9-3 victory.

Parker Price started the offensive attack early for Walla Walla with a solo blast to left field. With a one-run lead two at-bats into the game, the Sweets continued the rally in the first frame. After an Eli Paton walk, Justin Folz and Colin Wetterau hit back-to-back doubles, with Wetterau driving in two to complete a three-run first inning.

The Sweets totaled 12 hits in the ballgame, with Seth Ryberg leading the way with three base hits. Eli Paton had his best game as a Sweet thus far, collecting two doubles and an RBI.

The Sweets never trailed throughout the game after a back-and-forth first game of the series. Jacob Dahlstrom threw four innings of two-run ball as the starter for the Sweets, while the bullpen of Noah Serna, James Hepp, Mason Kokodynski and Will Grimm combined for five innings, one run and nine strikeouts. Serna picked up the win in his Sweets debut.

CCL cut the deficit to 4-2 on a two-run shot by Zane Skansi, but the Sweets put the game out of reach with five runs between the seventh and eighth innings. Wetterau added another RBI for three total on the evening, while Justin Folz, Cameron Butler and Paul Myro each drove in a run late to seal the game.

The Sweets go for a three-game sweep tomorrow at 6:35 against the CCL All-Stars. Tickets are available at www.sweetstickets.com

WALLA WALLA, Wash. –  Starting no later than July 1, the Walla Walla Sweets will lift many of the current COVID-19 restrictions in place and allow full stadium capacity at Borleske Stadium for the rest of the summer season.

Tickets for all remaining games will go on sale starting Friday, June 25 at 10am online and at the downtown Sweets Shoppe.  All sections will be available for single game purchase depending on current ticket availability.

Fans who are unvaccinated will still be encouraged to wear masks, per current CDC guidelines.

The Sweets will continue current crowd seating restrictions through the upcoming home series from June 22-24 with pod seating.

Walla Walla is currently 6-6 in league play, and just 2.5 games out of first place in the West Coast League North Division.  They travel to Yakima Valley this Friday to play the Pippins, who currently sit atop the division at 7-2.

As part of the return to full capacity, cash transactions will also be made available at all points of sale starting Tuesday June 29 at Borleske Stadium when they start a three game homestand with the Cowlitz Black Bears.  The Sweets will then host the Northwest Star Nighthawks on July 2 and 3, with a postgame firework show after the July 3 game to celebrate Independence Day.

Tickets for all remaining games will be available at SweetsTickets.com or by calling 509-522-BALL.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: www.SweetsTickets.com

Strikeouts have been a strength of the Walla Walla Sweets pitching staff all year, and they put it on full display again Sunday in a 4-2 win over the Highline Bears.

The Sweets matched their season high with 18 strikeouts, with four pitchers combining to achieve the feat. The Sweets have recorded at least ten strikeouts in all but one of their games in 2021.

Dylan Schwartz cruised through the first three innings for Walla Walla. The Sweets starter retired the first nine hitters he faced and struck out six of them.

The Sweets got the first runs of the game in the bottom of the third. Following a leadoff walk from Colin Wetterau, Niko Khoury drove a triple to right center to make it a 1-0 game. Cameron Butler picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly one plate appearance later.

After drawing three walks in the fourth, the Bears tied the game on a two-run single by Kyle Casperson. Schwartz was relived after 3.1 innings by Logan Hurd, who tossed 2.2 innings and picked up the win while striking out four. He worked his way out of bases loaded jam in the fourth and a second and third base spot in the fifth.

James Hepp entered the game in the sixth and was dialed in from his first pitch on. He struck our four consecutive batters to start his appearance and finished the night with five punchouts in two innings of one-hit, no-run pitching.

Niko Khoury delivered again in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to right as part of a two RBI game. The final run of the game came on a groundball single to right by Connor Cirillo to score Wetterau.

The crowd and both benches came to life in the eighth inning due to a controversial double play call. After Nation Wood was called out on a bases loaded lineout by Cameron Butler, the Bears threw the ball to each base after the play was dead and the hit was ruled a ground ball. When only two outs were recorded instead of three and with runners still at first and second, Bears manager Ben Reindel came out to argue the call and was ejected, riling up the Sweets dugout and crowd on his way out of the park.

Caden Kaelber picked up the save for the Sweets, who took the series finale and the series. Both teams were hurt by walks in this contest, with each squad surrendering eight free passes.

The Sweets are off Monday before hosting the Cascade Collegiate League All-Stars Tuesday at 6:35 PST. Tickets can be purchased at www.wallawallasweets.com.

The Walla Walla Sweets edged out a close victory over the Corvallis Knights Thursday by a score of 7-6.

The Sweets now sit at an even 6-6 going into the second half of their 12-game homestand. The win also snaps a five-game winning streak for Corvallis.

Corvallis got things started in this ballgame with two runs in the first, but Walla Wall was quick to answer. The Sweets responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning thanks to two errors from Corvallis.

The Sweets then put together a four-run second inning to lead it 6-2. Parker Price and Quentin Ayers started things off after  reaching base on a walk and a single. With two outs, the Sweets got two clutch hits on an RBI single from Paul Myro and a two-run triple from Chris Conniff. Conniff later scored on a wild pitch to cap off the inning.

Travis Craven picked up the win for Walla Walla in what was a strong night for the Sweets bullpen. He posted three innings and five strikeouts while allowing no earned runs on three hits.

Caden Kaelber picked up his first save of the year, recording the final six outs of the game. The Knights got a run in the ninth off an RBI single from Nick Vogt, but Kaelber bounced back to bring the Sweets a win. He recorded three strikeouts in two innings and allowed just one hit.

Cameron Butler recorded two hits to lead the way offensively for Walla Walla, including his first double. Conniff and Myro combined to score four runs and picked up three runs batted in as well.

Vogt led the way for Corvallis with two hits and two RBIs.

The Sweets begin a stretch of six non-league games Friday when they host the Highline Bears. First pitch is set for 7:05 at Borleske Stadium.

The Corvallis Knights earned their fifth win in a row Wednesday, defeating the Sweets by a score of 5-3.

For the Knights, this marks their second series win of 2021. They now sit at 6-2 and are in first place in the South Division. The Sweets are 5-6 and tied for third in the North Division.

It was a back-and-forth contest from start to finish. Down 3-2 in the eighth inning, the Sweets tied the game off a Chris Conniff single, a Justin Folz walk, and an RBI single from Will Grimm.

The Sweets had the bases loaded with no outs, but Knights reliever Brock Townsend recorded three straight strikeouts to keep the game deadlocked.

In the top of the ninth inning, Travis Bazzana dropped a drag bunt down the third base line for a hit. After a Thomas Dukart single, Braiden Boisvert came through with the go-ahead base hit after entering the game for the injured Nick Vogt. Tanner Smith added on a base hit to make it 5-3.

Both teams showcased talented bullpen arms in this game. Dylan Schwartz struck out eight batters for Walla Walla in four innings, while Ethan Ross of Corvallis struck out seven hitters in three innings of work. Neither pitcher surrendered a run, and Schwartz set a new season record for a Sweets relief pitcher in strikeouts.

Townsend got the win for Corvallis, while Eric Romo picked up his first loss. Conniff, Grimm and Quentin Ayers all had multi-hit games for Walla Walla.

The Sweets close out a three-game series tonight at 6:35 against Corvallis at Borleske Stadium.

Travis Bazzana drove in four runs and posted three hits as the Corvallis Knights defeated the Sweets 9-2 Tuesday.

The Sweets struck first in the second inning on an RBI single from Paul Myro, but it was all Knights from there. The Knights picked up six runs between the third to fifth inning, highlighted by a two-run single and a three-run triple from Bazzana.

The Australian shortstop continued to showcase why he’s been the best hitter in the WCL, raising his average to a league-best .485. Bazzana’s four runs batted in are a new season high.

Nick Vogt posted a three hit night for Corvallis as well. Tanner Smith sealed it for the Knights with a three-run double to left in the top of the ninth.

The highlight of the night for the Sweets was a home run to left by Nation Wood in the bottom of the ninth. The Saddleback College outfielder drove a first pitch fastball over the opposite field wall for his first home run as a Sweet.

Myro, Parker Price, Chris Conniff and Wood each had multiple hits for the Sweets.

Sean Wiese picked up the win for the Knights. He pitched five innings in relief and did not allow a run while striking out five.

The Sweets host the Knights again Wednesday at 6:35 PST.

Sweets starting pitcher Brandon Llewellyn has been named the West Coast League Pitcher of the Week, per WCL commissioner Rob Neyer.

Llewellyn takes home the award following an impressive home opening start for the Sweets against the Port Angeles Lefties. The right-hander from Pepperdine threw seven scoreless innings and allowed no runs on one hit and five strikeouts Friday and earned his first win of the season.

For Llewellyn, he hopes this is first of many awards he’ll receive this summer.

“The WCL and Sweets have been a great way for me to start of the summer,” Llewellyn said. “I could not have hoped for a better group to do all of this with. Hoping this won’t be the last time you see my name on the list and I’ll be back and ready for more.”

Llewellyn has looked sharp in two starts thus far in 2021. The Colleyville, Texas, native has thrown 11 scoreless innings without allowing a run, is tied for the league lead in ERA at 0.00, and is tied for second in the WCL with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting just .086 against him.

The Sweets are back in action Tuesday at Borleske Stadium when they host the Corvallis Knights. Tickets are still available at www.wallawallasweets.com.

The Walla Walla Sweets matched their season high for most runs in an inning Sunday with five in the sixth inning in route to a 6-3 win over the Port Angeles Lefties.

After Lefties starter Corey Sanchez allowed just one run through the first five innings courtesy of a Chris Conniff triple, the Sweets got going in the sixth frame. Walla Walla chased Sanchez after two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out.

From there, Jack Sheward drew a bases loaded walk against relief pitcher Justin Dunham. Chris Conniff drove in another run on a ground out to tie the game at 3-3 before Will Grimm smacked a two-run double to right to make it 6-3, where the game would end.

The Sweets forced the Lefties into three pitching changes in the sixth inning. Dunham was charged with the loss, falling to 0-2.

For Walla Walla, it was a collective, bullpen effort on the mound. The Sweets used a season high seven different pitchers, with no Sweets hurler facing more than eight batters.

Logan Hurd threw two scoreless innings to start the game before turning to Mason Kokodynski, who also posted two zeros and earned his first win of the year. Between the two LMU pitchers and Nick Irwin, Caden Kaelber, Jacob Dahlstrom, Dylan Schwartz and Eric Romo, the Sweets staff combined for 10 strikeouts and allowed just four hits.

Romo earned his third save of the year and has struck out nine hitters in 4.2 innings of work.

The Sweets move to 5-4 and are tied for second in their division with the AppleSox. The Sweets have the day off tomorrow before hosting the Corvallis Knights on Tuesday.

For the first time in over 660 days, the Walla Walla Sweets played and won a game at Borleske Stadium Friday.

In front of a sellout crowd, the Sweets won what turned into a down-to-the wire contest. The Sweets took game one of a three-game series against the Lefties, 7-6, improving to 4-3 on the season.

From the first to eighth, the game was a one-sided affair. Sweets starting pitcher Brandon Llewellyn dealt another impressive start. The Colleyville, Texas, native went seven innings without allowing a run. He allowed just one hit and struck out four, and now is tied for the WCL lead in ERA.

For Llewellyn, who dominated with his fastball, changeup and curveball, it was great to have the crowd backing him at Borleske.

“Walla Walla fans are awesome,” Llewellyn said. “They were definitely one of the best crowds that I’ve ever pitched in front of. It was a great atmosphere and I can’t wait to do it again.”

The offense fed off the energy of the Walla Walla faithful as well. The Sweets matched their season high in hits with 11 last night, and scored the first seven runs of the game. Colin Wetterau and Connor Cirillo each posted new season highs with three hits.

The Lefties made it a close game in the top of the ninth after rallying to score six runs. Jack Holman hit a two run home run to right to make it a one-run game, but Eric Romo sealed the deal after striking out the next batter, Kai Saterstrom, to earn his second save.

The Sweets will play the Lefties again tonight at 7:05 PST.

The Sweets put on their best offensive showcase of the young 2021 season in a 9-2 victory over the AppleSox Wednesday.

The Sweets set new seasons highs in runs and hits with nine and 11, respectively. Eight different Sweets hitters got in the hit column in a balanced effort from start to finish.

The AppleSox struck first on a two-run shot to left by Adam Grob, his second home run in as many games this series. After that, however, the Sweets took over and posted nine straight runs to grab their largest win of the year.

Walla Walla posted three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth to blow things open. Cesar Lopez, Cameron Butler and Chris Conniff all picked up RBIs for the Sweets, highlighted by Lopez’s two run single in the fifth inning on a line drive to right.

The final two runs of the game came on a no-doubt, two-run home run to right from Seth Ryberg in the eighth inning. Ryberg, who had a little added motivation from friends and family in the stands, got into a 3-1 count and waited for his pitch.

“He was down 3-0, so I had an automatic take and got a fastball so I could get on time,” Ryberg said. “He happened to throw me that same fastball and I let it fly and was able to find the barrel.”

Ryberg went 2-for-5 and drove in three runs, the most by a Sweet in a game this season.

Pitching wise, starter Mason Kokodynski went 3.2 innings and allowed two runs. Travis Craven inherited a bases loaded situation and came through with a clutch strikeout to get the Sweets out of trouble.

The Sweets bullpen turned in another excellent performance. Craven, Caden Kaelber and Eric Romo combined to throw 5.1 scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Kaelber struck out five hitters for the second straight appearance out the bullpen.

The Sweets conclude their three-game series in Wenatchee Thursday at 6:35 PST. You can tune in at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

Hunter Salinas pitched five innings of shutout baseball as the Wenatchee AppleSox defeated the Sweets 5-0 Tuesday.

Salinas turned in the best outing of the year for the AppleSox thus far, striking out five hitters while allowing just three hits and one walk. Reliever Tyler Chipman threw scoreless innings before handing the ball to Chase Grillo for a scoreless ninth to complete the shutout.

The AppleSox scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning thanks to two doubles from Mark Steward and Aidan Selfridge. Selfridge, playing in his first game in Wenatchee, ripped a line drive down the left field line to plate Steward and give the AppleSox a 2-0 advantage against Sweets starter Nate Dahle.

Outside of those two doubles, Dahle looked strong on the hill. He went four innings in his first start and allowed two runs while setting the Sweets record this seasons for most strikeouts by a pitcher in a game with nine. He also showed improved control from his first relief outing, as he did not walk a batter.

Adam Growb, the shortstop for Wenatchee, delivered the decisive blow in the seventh on a no-doubt home run over the fence in left field. Tino Bethancourt singled in a run in the eight to round out the scoring for Wenatchee.

For Walla Walla, Cayden Delozier highlighted the offense. He finished 2-for-2 with two singles and two walks in his first start at first base.

“I’m seeing the ball really good right now,” Delozier said. “I wasn’t making that great of contact against the Black Bears, but I was able to get in the cages Monday and get some help from LP (Larry Price) and make some adjustments.”

The Sweets are back in action Wednesday to take on the AppleSox starting at 6:35 PST from Paul Thomas Sr. Field. You can tune in at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

A two-run single by Jaden Sheppard propelled the Cowlitz Black Bears to a 5-4 victory over the Sweets Sunday.

Sheppard, who had just arrived in Longview, Washington, hours before the game, made an excellent first impression. Along with his go-ahead hit, he ripped a double to right center in his second at-bat.

The Black Bears got good production from the bottom third of their lineup. Cowlitz struck first on the strength of three straight singles from Torreahno Sweet, Henry Muench and Matthew Schwarz. The Black Bears scored the first three runs of the game and cashed in on their opportunities with runners in scoring position after going 1-for-17 with men on second and third Saturday.

For the Sweets, William Grimm looked impressive in his second start at first base. After throwing a scoreless inning of relief Saturday, Grimm returned to the plate Sunday and delivered two hits, including a double down the left field line as part of a three-run top of the sixth. Seth Ryberg was the only other Sweet with multiple hits, and made several terrific plays in right field including a diving catch.

Travis Craven got the start for the Sweets and forced many swings and misses. He threw five innings and allowed three runs while striking out six.

“It was good to be back on the mound after a month off,” Craven said. “I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and getting back to it consistently.”

Cowlitz starter Kyle Sandstrom and Craven combined for 12 strikeouts (six each) as it was once again a close, pitchers duel. All three games of the series were decided by one run, with just 19 total runs coming across to score in the three games.

Keegan Wright picked up the win for Cowlitz as the Black Bears moved to 1-2. The Sweets fall to 2-1 but are still tied for the North Division lead.

The Sweets are off Monday before hitting the road once again for a three-game series against the Wenatchee AppleSox. The Sweets play game one of that series Tuesday, June 8, with first set for 6:35 PST. You can tune in to the game at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

The eighth inning was kind to the Sweets once again on Saturday, as Walla Walla picked up a 5-4 victory against the Cowlitz Black Bears.

Like Friday, game two of the series started as a pitcher’s duel. Cowlitz snuck one unearned run across in the bottom of the first, but that was all they could muster up against Sweets’ starter Brandon Llewellyn. The right-hander from Pepperdine delivered four innings and struck out seven batters.

Walla Walla’s offense got started in the fourth courtesy of Justin Folz. The Sweets third-baseman ripped a high fastball to the deepest park of the ballpark in center for a solo home run. Folz tied the game 1-1 and delivered the first home run of the year for the Sweets.

After going down 2-1 in the seventh, the Sweets responded with their best scoring inning of the year. Folz delivered a leadoff single, one of four hits for him on the night. From there, a walk and back-to-back errors gave the Sweets two runs to make it 3-2.

Following the errors, Jackson Lapiner stepped up as a pinch-hitter. The Golden West product ripped a two-run single to right to give the Sweets all the runs they’d need. Lapiner, a utility player, then took over on the mound in the bottom half of the inning and shut the door with a four-out save.

“I had some trouble with the slider, but was still able to get some swings and misses,” Lapiner said. “I trusted my fastball a lot tonight, and got it done.”

The Sweets go for the three-game sweep of the Black Bears Sunday starting at 1:05. You can listen in at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball

Four different Walla Walla pitchers combined for a three-hit shoutout Friday, as the Sweets defeated the Cowlitz Black Bears, 1-0 on opening night.

Jake Dahle got the start for Walla Walla and looked impressive in four innings of work. The Dixie State commit established the zone early and showed great command, throwing 43 of his 61 pitches for strikes.

From there, second year Sweet Mason Kokodynski took over and held the Black Bears at bay. The Loyola Marymount pitcher shrugged off some early command struggles and worked his way out of two jams in two innings.

Kokodynski then handed the ball to fellow LMU teammate Logan Hurd, who struck out three batters in two innings and allowed just one baserunner via walk. Cal Poly Pomona reliever Eric Romo shut the door in the ninth to earn his first save since 2020.

Hitting wise, the Sweets did most of their work in the seventh inning. Leadoff man Seth Ryberg singled to left, and was followed by a line drive to right center field from Chris Conniff, his second hit of the night.

From there, Justin Folz took matters into his own hands. With runners at first and third, Folz ripped a first-pitch fastball to right field to score Ryberg and plate the only run of the game.

After delivering arguably the biggest hit in Sweets history in the 2019 postseason, Folz came through in the clutch yet again to start off 2021.

Conniff was the only player in the game to record multiple hits. Connor Cirillo also delivered the only extra-base hit of the evening on a pinch-hit double in the ninth. In total, the Sweets tallied seven hits.

Cowlitz was unable to produce much offensively past the third inning. The Black Bears were held hitless from the third inning on , and while they did put the tying runner on base in the eight and ninth inning via a walk and error, they could not cash in on either opportunity.

The highlight of the night for the Black Bears was starting pitcher Myles Davis. The right-hander from Feather River College delivered strong six innings of scoreless baseball, striking out six Sweets while allowing just three hits.

The Sweets and Black Bears play game two of a three-game set Saturday from Story Field in Longview, Washington. First pitch is set for 6:35, with the game available for audio stream at www.mixlr.com/sweetsbaseball.

The Walla Walla Sweets announced their final roster moves ahead of the 2021 season Thursday.

The Sweets welcome three more Division-I players to their squad this season, with the final roster now sitting at 35 players. Pitchers Brandon Llewellyn and Logan Hurd, along with infielder Paul Myro IV, are set to join the team.

Myro, currently a freshman at Oregon State, said he has learned a lot playing for a strong program like Oregon State.

“My first year has been a year for growth,” Myro said. “I have gotten much stronger and have been critiquing the little things in my game.”

The freshman outfielder graduated from Palo Verde High School last year and is from Las Vegas. He was a second-team all-state selection following his junior season, hitting .340 with eight doubles, six home runs, 27 RBI and 15 stolen bases.

For Myro, playing for the Sweets presents another opportunity to work on his craft and develop as a player.

“I’m looking forward to getting on the field, playing hard, helping my new teammates win some ball games this summer, and getting even more prepared for my second year at Oregon State,” Myro said.

Moving to the mound, the Sweets picked up two West Coast Conference pitchers in Llewellyn and Hurd. The former attends Pepperdine and is in his first season with the Waves, while Hurd throws for Loyola Marymount University.

Llewellyn is well-traveled in his baseball career. Originally from Colleyville, Texas, the right-handed pitcher attended IMG Academy in Florida and showcased enough skills to earn offers from several big schools across the country. After originally committing to Notre Dame, he ultimately decided on Pepperdine as his school of choice.

At IMG Academy, he threw 47.2 innings and had a 3-1 record. He also collected 12 saves, struck out 57 batters and walked just 10, and had a 1.93 ERA and 1.20 ERA in his two seasons at IMG.

Rounding out the additions is Logan Hurd, who becomes the third pitcher from LMU to join the Sweets roster (Mason Kokodynski, William Grimm).

Hurd has pitched 9 2/3 innings so far in his freshman season for the Lions, striking out ten batters in the process. He was named both a First Team All-League DAL and the Acalanes Varsity Pitcher of the Year in 2019. He chose LMU because he felt it was the perfect size.

The final edition of the “Where Are They Now?” series looks at the 2019 Walla Walla Sweets and their run to the Wets Coast League postseason.

The Sweets found their way into the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and won 30 games or more for the third time in franchise history. They wasted no time out of the gate, winning eight games in a row to set their longest winning streak to start a year in team history.

The Sweets began their 2019 season with a sweep of the eventual league champion Corvallis Knights, a sign that there were special things to come in Walla Walla. The Sweets followed this series with a sweep of the Bend Elks in dominating fashion. Patrick Caulfield led the way offensively and was named the West Coast League Player of the Week, going 14-for-25 at the dish.

Caulfield was one of six members of the Sweets to be recognized by the WCL. He received first team honors while pitcher Travis Craven earned a second team nomination. Brayde Hirai, Cesar Lopez, Brock Ephan and Reid Sebby were named honorable mentions.

The Sweets ended the first half of the 2019 season 18-9, good enough to secure them a spot in the postseason. The Sweets earned themselves a postseason bid and a matchup with the Knights in the WCL South Division Series. The Sweets dropped game one before evening the series in game two, one of the best games of the season and in franchise history for the Sweets. After Caulfield tied the game in the ninth with a single, Justin Folz shattered the tie with a grand slam. After capping the six-run rally with a single, Hirai closed out the Knights to win game two. Despite falling in game three, the Sweets still achieved their first postseason victory since 2011 and had one of the more memorable seasons in team history.

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WALLA WALLA, WA – Walla Walla Sweets single game tickets for the  opening home series against the Port Angeles Lefties will go on sale Monday, May 24.

Due to restrictions put in place by the state of Washington’s governors office for COVID-19 safety protocols, Borleske stadium will be at 25% fan capacity to start the season.  As a result, 550 tickets will be made available per game for fans and spectators.

“Under phase 3 guidelines, we will have to start the season with a limited seating capacity,” said Sweets general manager Cody Miller.  “Our hope is that restrictions will ease as the summer goes along and we can allow more fans into Borleske at some point this season.”

Tickets will be made available online at SweetsTickets.com beginning at 10am on Monday, May 24.  Tickets will also be able to be purchased over the phone at 509-522-2255, or at the Sweets downtown store at 109 E. Main Street in Walla Walla.

Due to social distancing protocols, all available seats will be available in pods of 2, 4, and 6 seats.  Ticket buyers must purchase all tickets in a pod when selecting their seats.

With such a limited number of seats available, Miller suggests buying seats early.

“I don’t anticipate many tickets being available If you wait too long,” he said.  “With such a limited number of seats available, games could get sold out faster than some might anticipate.”

Miller also said that season ticket holders, host families, and voucher plan buyers would be given first priority for their seats.

Borleske Stadium will be a cashless facility to start the season for all concession and merchandise purchases.

“We’re trying to eliminate as many situations as possible for transmission,” said Miller.  “Many other baseball facilities across the state have done the same.”

Miller also added that some concession stands will not open to begin the season due to the limited fan capacity.  The Sweets are currently looking at options for offering mobile ordering and pickup for concession orders.

Tickets for future games after opening weekend will be released at a later date.

The Sweets continue to look for host families for the 2021 season.  Those interested are strongly encouraged to apply at wallawallasweets.com/host-families/  or call 509-522-2255.

With the 2021 Walla Walla Sweets season now less than a month away, we continue to look back at the last few season of Sweets baseball with the 2018 edition of the Sweets.

The Sweets put together another winning campaign in 2018, finishing their season 28-26. The Sweets finished just one game behind the Portland Pickles in the first half and ultimately missed the postseason.

One player from the 2018 squad, outfielder Cesar Lopez, is still on the team entering 2021. Lopez still has fond memories of his first season.

“A lot of my favorite memories are the friendships you make with the players and coaches on the team,” Lopez said. “I have a lot of great memories with the Sweets.”

West Coast League teams were not the only teams the Sweets squared off with in 2018. The Sweets played in the second annual Walla Walla Valley High School Showcase Game. The Sweets took on some of the most talented high school baseball players from the area in an exhibition style game to raise funds for the youth baseball and softball programs in the Valley. The high school squad was coached by Jeff Cirillo.

Another unique promotion the Sweets held was Adam West Night, which took place in late June. The Sweets wore Adam West themed jerseys which were autographed and auctioned off after the game with the proceeds benefitting the Little Theatre of Walla Walla. The Sweets also won the game on a walkoff, 5-4.

Promotional Adam West Statue given to Sweets fans on Adam West Night.

Mariner Moose also made another appearance at Borleske Stadium. In one on-field performance, members of  the Walla Walla county police department tried to put the Moose back in the wilderness. Team President Zach Fraser stopped the attempt, and the Moose smashed a pie in on-field emcee Sean McKillip’s face later on in the game.

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Sweets Manager Larry Price takes pride in what his son, Parker, has accomplished on and off the baseball field.

The duo has shared plenty of special moments on the diamond together, and are prepared to do so again in 2021 at Borleske Stadium. This time around, however, the elder Price will be the skipper.

While the position for Larry Price changes from assistant coach to manager, the excitement to be back with Parker remains the same.

“I am very excited to have a three-year veteran returning to the WCL,” Price said. “Other players and opposing coaches have shared with me that his leadership on the field is as good as it gets.”

Parker’s on-field production and leadership have been on full display his whole career. He was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Idaho at Timberline High School. He was a first-team all-conference infielder and pitcher during his high school days.

In four years at Northwest Nazarene University, he owns a lifetime average of .308 while driving in 64 runs and stealing 25 bases. He stepped right in as a freshman in 2018 and impressed early, playing 50 games and hitting .324.

While the numbers are impressive, his aggressive playstyle and hard-working, positive attitude are the two things that stand out the most to his father.

“Parker is as tough as nails,” Price said. “He fits the mindset of our team’s philosophy of grit and mental toughness. His strengths are that he is savvy, has good athleticism and brings energy to the team. His desire to win is contagious.”

Parker Price is familiar with other areas of the West Coast League. He spent two seasons with the Wenatchee AppleSox before making his way to Borleske Stadium to sport the red and blue uniforms of Walla Walla. The energy and enthusiasm of the Sweets’ crowd was enough for him to make a change of scenery.

While Larry feels excited about coaching Parker, he emphasized the importance of treating everyone fairly.

“As far as how I will feel coaching him, he will be like any other guy,” Price said. “Every player I will coach I consider like a son. This team will be like a family.”

We now enter our last Weekend Wrap Up of April!

It is hard to believe we are now in week 10 of the college baseball season.  With playoffs and summer ball for many student athletes in sight, schools are putting the finishing touches on their resumes before the end of the season.

Let’s dive into the latest on this week’s edition of the Wrap Up..

Craven It

Traditionally a starting pitcher, Travis Craven has recently been coming out of the bullpen for the Whitman College Blues for the 2021 season.  

On Sunday, it was back to the bump in a starting role.

Starting his first game on the mound since March 6, the Sweets signee took the ball for the Blues against visiting George Fox.  The veteran left hander was in a groove all afternoon, going the distance with a 9 inning performance where he allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 11 batters.  The Blues would defeat George Fox by a score of 6-2.

Craven would pick up the win, his first as a starter on the season and his third overall in 2021.

The win helped the Blues take three of four games over the weekend against George Fox, as Whitman brought their record back to .500 on the season.  Looking to build off the strong weekend, the Blues next go on the road to Pacific for a four game series next weekend before finishing their 2021 regular season at home against Puget Sound on May 8-9.

Amrhein Shines in Starting Role

Speaking of role reversals…

Cal Baptist right hander Matt Amrhein is used to coming out of the bullpen for the Lancers to help close out games.  On Sunday, the senior took the ball for the start against Utah Valley, his first since 2019.

And he turned in quite the performance.

Amrhein shined, going 7 ⅓ innings allowing just 2 runs on 2 hits and striking out 3, picking up the win as the Lancers took the game with a 6-2 win.  The win was Amrhein’s third of the season, and first in a starting role.

MATT AMRHEIN IS DEALING 🃏#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/U78cdqEo85

— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) April 25, 2021

Amrhein is one of the senior leaders on the Lancer’s pitching staff this season, and the 2017 Sweets alum is leading by example this year.  He sports a 3-0 record with an impressive 2.60 ERA in 34 ⅔ innings of work on the season.

The Lancers are now top of the Western Athletic Conference, with a 25-11 overall record and a 17-3 record in conference play.  Cal Baptist looks to hold onto its spot atop the conference when they go on the road next weekend to face Seattle University.

Ephan Stays Hot

At this rate, Brock Ephan will be making a claim for most featured mentions on the Wrap Up over Isaac Esqueda.

If he continues his play from this past weekend, it won’t be long before he does.

Playing in all four games against the visiting College of Idaho, the Lewis-Clark State College senior went a combined 9 for 16 at the plate with 11 RBI, 2 doubles, and added 4 more home runs to his season tally.  The Warriors would win all four games on the weekend.

Ephan, a 2019 Sweets alum, is putting together an incredible season at the plate for the Warriors.  He has now raised his average up to .384 on the season with 15 home runs, 56 RBI, and 14 doubles.  Always a featured part in the middle of the lineup for the Warriors, Ephan is on pace to have his best season at LCSC since his arrival in 2017.

The Warriors finish up their season next weekend in a four game series when they visit Eastern Oregon.

Across the Diamond

Other notable performances from across the college baseball world:

Bellevue College freshman pitcher Jacob Dahlstrom picked up the win in game one of Friday’s double header against Skagit Valley.  The Sweets signee went 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 2 hits while striking out 6 in the Bulldogs 6-5 win.

Cal Baptist first baseman John Glenn (Sweets 2017 alum) went a combined 11 for 14 at the plate over the weekend against Utah Valley.  The senior also drove in 4 runs while adding a double and a home run in the series as the Lancers won all four games.

Sit on back and take another look at this John Glenn blast. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/B2tIReLL15

— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) April 25, 2021

California junior Sean Sullivan (‘18) started Saturday’s game against Washington State.  The right hander went 5 ⅔ innings, allowing 11 hits but only gave up 3 runs while striking out 4.  Cal would drop the game 4-2.

Sweets signee Jordan Stubbings started all four games for Colorado Mesa against New Mexico Highlands over the weekend.  The junior infielder went a combined 5 for 14, with a home run and 4 RBI as Colorado won all four games.

Sweets signee Mason Kokodynski pitched Sunday for LMU against Pepperdine.  The freshman right hander went 1 inning, allowing 1 run on 1 hit and striking out a batter.

New Sweets signee Will Grimm also pitched for LMU this weekend against Pepperdine.  The freshman pitched a scoreless inning, striking out 2 and picking up the win in LMU’s 5-4 win on Saturday.

Pepperdine freshman right hander Dylan Schwartz pitched twice this past week.  The Sweets signee had his best game Saturday, going 1 inning of scoreless work against LMU in a 5-4 losing effort.

Point Loma Nazarene freshman Seth Ryberg started three of four games for the Sea Lions over the weekend.  The Sweets signee went a combined 5 for 13 at the plate, driving in 3 runs and adding a double.

Saddleback community college outfielder Nation Wood played in three of four games this past week.  The Sweets signee went a combined 7 for 12 at the plate, with 6 RBI, a triple, home run, and a stolen base.

Oregon right hander Andrew Mosiello (‘19) made a relief appearance Saturday against UCLA.  The freshman went 1 ⅔ innings allowing just 1 hit and striking out 2, helping the Ducks beat the Bruins 3-2.

T9 | WOW!! Runners on second and third, no outs. @AndrewMosiello gets out of it with a K, FC 6-2, and K. Need one to win. #GoDucks

UCLA 2
Oregon 2 pic.twitter.com/OtIRRDv1mo

— Oregon Duck Baseball (@OregonBaseball) April 25, 2021

With the first Sweets game at Borleske Stadium since 2019 coming up in 50 days, the red and blue are putting the final touches on their 2021 roster.

The Sweets announced Thursday that they have signed pitcher Will Grimm and catcher Colin Wetterau for the 2021 campaign. This season will be the first in the West Coast League for both players.

Grimm, a freshman at Loyola Marymount University out of the West Coast Conference, gives the Sweets an effective southpaw in the pitching staff.

While he is listed as a pitcher, the Lions have primarily used him as a hitter in his first collegiate season. The California product launched a home run in his latest game on April 20, against USC.  This season, Grimm is hitting .263 with four RBI’s and six runs.

Prior to LMU, Grimm attended Crescenta Valley High School and was a four-year starter under manager Phil Torres. He was recognized  as CIF SS Div. II, All CIF Baseball First Team, and First Team All-League Baseball for Spring 2019. He was well on his way to earning those feats in 2020 as well before the season was cut short, as he threw 24 consecutive scoreless innings to begin the year.

Grimm is the second pitcher from LMU to join the Sweets, along with right-hander Mason Kokodynski.

Moving over to the east coast, Colin Wetterau becomes the third catcher to join the Sweets roster along with Jack Sheward and Quentin Ayers.

Wetterau is in his third season at St. John’s and is listed as a redshirt sophomore. The New Jersey native got off to a hot start for the Red Storm this season, picking up a hit in six of his first seven games.

Wetterau brings another efficient bat to the Sweets lineup and is an effective hitting catcher. He is hitting .280 this year for the Red Storm with 6 RBI’s and has displayed a good eye at the dish, drawing six walks.

Wetterau is the second member of the Red Storm to head out west for collegiate summer baseball, joining teammate Justin Folz. The Medford, New Jersey, product was a top-five catcher in New Jersey out of high school and was an all-conference selection in football as well.

Outside of baseball, Wetterau majors in business and lists Chase Utley as his favorite athlete.

A Tuesday edition of the Wrap Up is here!

With just a month left of games remaining for many schools across the country, teams are beginning to jockey for position in their respective conference standings hoping to secure a spot in the college baseball postseason.

See who left an impact this past week as we dive into another edition of the Wrap Up.

Brock’s Big Day

As the weather begins to heat up, so does Brock Ephan.

The power right handed hitter and 2019 Sweets alum continued his recent tear at the plate this weekend on the road against Saint Martin’s.  In game one of Friday’s double header, the senior infielder feasted at the plate, going 2 for 4, with a double, home run, and three runs batted in for Lewis-Clark State College.

The big day helped propel Ephan and the Warriors to a 10-3 win on the day, and extend their win streak to 22 games in a row.  Ephan raised his batting average to a season high .362 over the weekend, with 12 home runs and 45 RBI’s to add to his impressive season stat line.

The Warriors would see their win streak come to an end in the second game of the double header Friday, falling 7-5.  LCSC will look to start a new streak this Friday when they host the College of Idaho.

Folz strong in return to the Diamond

Due to COVID-19 protocols in the St. John’s baseball program, the Red Storm had to cancel 7 games between March 26 and April 3.  They recently got the go ahead to return to play last weekend at Xavier, but were missing a key bat in their lineup.

That changed this past Friday, as Sweets signee Justin Folz made his return to the lineup.  And the junior infielder looked ready to be back. 

Folz was in the starting lineup for St. John’s on the weekend as they visited Georgetown University for a three game series.  He would go a combined 3 for 10 at the plate, with his best game coming Sunday where he went 2 for 4 with a double, home run, and 2 runs batted in.

Although St. John’s would drop 2 of 3 against the Hoyas, being able to return to the field had to feel good for Folz and the Red Storm.  Folz looks to re-establish his early season success this weekend as St. John’s returns home to host Seton Hall.

Ayers lifts Nighthawks to victory

With two on and two out in a tie game, Northwest Nazarene was looking for one big hit to take command of Saturday’s game one double header against Montana State Billings.  Up to the plate stepped freshman catcher Quentin Ayers.

Four pitches later, Quentin Ayers had left the yard.

The Sweets signee took a 2-1 pitch and smacked it over the left field fence, giving the Nighthawks a 7-4 lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game.  NNU would add two more insurance runs and take the game 9-5.

The home run was Ayers first on the season, and it couldn’t have come at a more important time.  The win helped propel the Nighthawks to a four game weekend sweep of the Yellowjackets, as they continue to put together an impressive 2021 season.  Now sitting with a 23-5 record, Ayers and his teammates seem poised to make some noise in the division II playoffs later this spring.

NNU will host Saint Martin’s University next in conference play as they look to add to their impressive season resume.

Across the Diamond

Other notable performances from across the college baseball world:

Cal Baptist first baseman John Glenn (Sweets 2017 alum) was a combined 3 for 13 on the weekend against Dixie State. The senior drove in 2 runs and scored 3 times for the Lancers.

Cal Baptist right hander Matt Amrhein (‘17) appeared in all three games this past weekend.  The senior went a combined 6 ⅓ innings, allowing just 3 runs on 6 hits and striking out 4 as the Lancers took two of three games against Dixie State in the series.

Sweets signee Jacob Dahlstrom started two games this weekend for Bellevue College.  The sophomore right hander had his best game Sunday, going 6 innings allowing 2 runs on just 2 hits and striking out 4 in the Bulldogs 5-4 win.

California right hander Sean Sullivan (‘18) started Saturday’s game against the visiting Oregon State Beavers.  The junior went 6 innings, scattering 8 hits and allowing 2 runs, striking out 5 in a low run scoring 2-1 loss.

Sweets signee Nate Dahle made a relief appearance Sunday for the College of Southern Idaho.  The freshman right hander went 1 inning of scoreless work in the Golden Eagles 10-2 loss against Salt Lake CC.

Another College of Southern Idaho and Sweets signee Jacob Dahle started Saturday’s game.  The sophomore right hander went 4 innings, giving up just 3 hits and striking out 2 as he didn’t allow an earned run in the 4-2 loss against Salt Lake CC.

Sweets signee Jordan Stubbings went 2 for 5 with a double and an RBI for Colorado Mesa in their 27-4 route of Regis College in Sunday’s game one of the double header.

Sweets signee Jackson Lapiner had a pinch hit RBI double to help Golden West Coast win 13-3 against Santa Ana.

Northwest Nazarene senior Ben Johnson (‘19) went a combined 4 for 10 with 2 RBI’s on the weekend in their four game sweep at Montana State Billings.

Sweets signee Spencer Schwehr picked up the win in NNU’s game two one against Montana State Billings.  The left hander went 5 ⅔ innings striking out 4 in the Nighthawks 10-5 win.

Sweets signee Dylan Schwartz pitched 2 scoreless innings for Pepperdine Sunday against Gonzaga.  The freshman right hander allowed just 1 hit and struck out a batter in a 11-6 losing effort.

Infielder Seth Ryberg played both games of Point Loma’s Saturday double header against Biola.  The Sweets signee was a combined 3 for 7 with stolen base in the two games.

UCLA freshman outfielder Emmanuel Dean (‘19) went 1 for 2 with an RBI in the Bruins 20-0 drubbing of the University of Utah.

Oregon right hander Andrew Mosiello (‘19) picked up the win for the Ducks Sunday against USC.  The freshman pitched 2 innings of relief, allowing just 1 run on 1 hit and striking out 3 in Oregon’s 7-5 comeback win.

University of Washington redshirt junior Michael Petrie (‘19) went a combined 4 for 12 at the plate this weekend.  The Huskies swept their weekend three game series against Texas State.

2017 marked the eighth season of Walla Walla Sweets baseball and the second under manager Frank Mutz. The Sweets brought in plenty of new faces for the 2017 campaign as they looked to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2013.

The Sweets began their 2017 season on a high note, sweeping Wenatchee to start the year and winning four of their first six games. The Sweets balanced offense played a big role in that start. Ultimately, the Sweets finished the 2017 season with eight different hitters batting above .280, the highest mark for any Sweets team in club history.

Many members of the Sweets lineup were recognized for their impressive numbers. Third baseman and Gonzaga product Nick Nyquist was the lone member of the roster to be named to the WCL All-League First Team.  He finished the season with 55 hits, 36 runs, 24 RBI’s, and 12 doubles.

J.J. Hancock, an outfielder, was also recognized for his efforts at the plate. Hancock paced the Sweets and finished top five in the WCL with a .360 average. He scored 28 runs and collected 58 hits, 12 doubles, four triples and 22 runs batted in. These numbers earned him a spot on the WCL All-League Second Team.

On the pitching side, Chris Lincoln led the way for the Sweets and earned All-League Second Team honors as well. Lincoln posted a 1-1 record for Walla Walla across nine appearances and six starts. He finished the season with an ERA of 4.05 while striking 36 batters out in 33.1 innings of work.

The Sweets ultimately missed out on the 2017 postseason by 3.5 games, finishing with a record of 25-29. The Sweets finished fourth in the WCL in attendance, bringing in just under 35,000 fans for the season. The Sweets had a solid first half, finishing 15-12. Unfortunately, they finished one game out of a playoff spot to the Bellingham Bells.

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The 2016 Walla Walla Sweets managed to get back to their winning ways and finish the season above .500 under second year manager Frank Mutz. A veteran-laden roster filled with several future pros amassed a record of 30-24 but just missed out on the postseason in a competitive North Division.

The Sweets won seven of their final ten games to conclude the 2016 season. The Sweets saw five different players earn all-WCL honors and several others make the All-Star team as well. University of Washington product Willie MacIver was named to the WCL First Team and was second in the league in average, batting just under .330. He also led the team in home runs (4) and RBI’s with 33.

In total, the Sweets had five players participate in the 2016 WCL All-Star Game. Four players made the WCL Second Team, including second teamers Jarren Duran (Long Beach State), Chris Murphy (San Diego), Bobby Ay (Cal Poly), and Kyle Narahara (Cal State Monterey Bay). The Sweets had four different pitchers post an ERA of under 2.30

The Sweets were once again near the top in attendance for collegiate summer teams in 2016 as well. This season marked the second highest win total in a year for the Sweets and the second time they reached the 30-win plateau.

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