2010 Baseball Season Review
THREE
BOXERS LAND SECOND TEAM ALL-NWC SELECTIONS: Three key seniors
saw their careers end with postseason recognition with selections to the
2010 All-Northwest Conference Baseball Second Team. Outfielder Joey Pulito,
infielder Jeramey Probert and first baseman/designated hitter Kaeo Lau
Hee led a total of eight Pacific selections to the team by the conference’s
coaches.
Pulito, a four-year starter for the Boxers in the outfield, finished his career as one of the team’s top offensive threats with the ability to hit for power and for average. Pulito finished third for Pacific with a .346 batting average, including 47 hits, 15 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 25 runs batted in, all while working as the lead-off hitter. Pulito also led the team with 10 stolen bases. After injuries limited the number of arms in the Pacific bullpen, Pulito agreed to spend some time on the mound in short relief, making eight appearances. This was Pulito’s third All-NWC selection, earning honorable mention honors in 2008 and 2009.
“Joey had a great year,” said Pacific Head Coach Greg Bradley. “He was our best clutch hitter this year and is well deserving of the second team honor. To be recognized three years in a row as one of the best outfielders in the conference is a great accomplishment.”
A
two-year starter for the Boxers after transferring from Centralia Community
College, Probert also played a key dual threat role at the plate and on
the mound. Probert hit .321 in 36 games with 43 hits, 14 doubles, four
home runs and 28 runs batted in. He capped his season with a 4 for 6 performance
at Whitworth on Apr. 17 in which Probert added three runs, six RBIs, two
doubles and two home runs. Probert also made 12 appearances on the mound,
going 3-0 as a short reliever. He earned NWC Pitching Student-Athlete of
the Week honors, however, after throwing a complete-game three hitter in
his only start, a 2-1 victory over Puget Sound on Apr. 25.
“Jeramey is very deserving of his second team award,” Bradley said. “He contributed in the outfield, infield and on the mound. He batted for average and power and finished his career playing his best baseball at the end of the year.”
Lau Hee finished the year as one of the conference’s top hitters, earning selection as a utility player after seeing action ts first base, catcher and as the team’s designated hitter. Lau Hee led the team and finished third in the NWC by batting .410, which also ranks as the 10th best single season average in school history. He set a Pacific single season record with 18 doubles to go along with 55 hits, four home runs, 23 RBIs, a .649 slugging percentage and a .497 on base percentage. Lau Hee capped his season with a 4 for 5 effort against Pacific Lutheran on Mar. 20 where he had two runs and three doubles.
“Mo hit in the middle of the lineup and was a key contributor both offensively and defensively,” Bradley said. “He played some catcher along with his normal first base responsibilities because of injury. He has had a great career at Pacific.”
FIVE BOXERS EARN HONORABLE MENTION: Five other Pacific players earned honorable mention selection to the All-NWC Baseball Team, bringing the total selections for the Boxers to eight. Coaches selected pitchers Jeff Bethke and Tyler Fransen, designated hitter Mike Nagamine, shortstop Brandon Kon and third baseman Nate Rasmussen.
Fransen and Bethke provided the Boxers’ two strongest starting arms all season. Fransen made eight starts, compiling a 5.80 earned run average and led the Boxers with a .302 opponent’s batting average. Bethke led the Boxers in starting assignments with 10, finishing with a 4-4 record and a 7.50 earned run average. He also led Pacific and ranked tied for fifth in the NWC with 50 strikeouts and also finished second in the league with 21 batters struck out looking.Nagamine became an impact player for the Boxers in his sophomore campaign, finishing second on the teams with a .358 batting average. His line included 43 hits, 13 doubles, four home runs, 36 runs batted in and a .583 slugging percentage. Kon put together a well-rounded senior season, hitting .287 while starting all but two of the Boxers’ 39 games. He had 39 hits, 21 runs, seven doubles and 17 RBIs. Rasmussen settled into his role as the Boxers’ starting third baseman well, hitting .289 with 37 hits, six doubles and a team-leading eight home runs. Rasmussen also made five appearances on the mound, which included one start.
GOLD
GLOVER: Brandon Kon recovered from an injury-shortened junior
season to be one of the most solid defensive players in the region. The
Pacific shortstop was one of nine players honored as a recipient of an
ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III West Region Gold Glove Award.
“Brandon had a phenomenal year defensively,” said Bradley. “His fielding percentage for a shortstop was amazing. He is an example of hard work, passion and commitment paying off. He is the best fielding shortstop I have coached in all of my years at Pacific.”
Kon was incredibly solid as the Boxers’ regular shortstop. Kon posted a .975 fielding percentage, committing just four errors in 161 total chances in 38 games. He contributed 106 assists and 56 putouts and also played a part in 22 double plays. Kon ranked seventh in the Northwest Conference in assists and ninth in fielding double plays. Kon is the second Pacific player in program history to be recognized with a regional Gold Glove Award. Outfielder Jeff Johnston earned the award in 2008. Kon was one of two Northwest Conference players to earn Gold Gloves in 2010, joining Pacific Lutheran pitcher Trey Watt.
AMONG THE BEST DEFENSIVELY: Brandon Kon’s Gold Glove punctuated a season that may have been the best defensive season ever for a Pacific baseball program. The Boxers finished year ranked fifth out of 359 NCAA Division III teams with a .970 fielding percentage. In all, the Boxers committed just 43 errors in 1,419 total chances. Pacific benefited by having 13 games where the team went without an error. A total of seven players compiled a 1.000 fielding percentage, including part-time starters Nick Tasaka and Corby Makin and reserve first baseman/outfielder Trux French.
Pacific actually tied with Heidelberg with a .970 fielding percentage, but Heidelberg was ranked higher thanks to participation in more games and more total chances. Linfield, Pacific’s NWC rival, led the nation with a .972 fielding percentage, committing 53 errors in 50 games.
DOUBLE
TROUBLE: Kaeo Lau Hee not only finished the season with one of
the best single season hitting performances in school history, but he also
finds them listed among the top extra-base hitters that Pacific has seen.
Lau Hee led the Boxers with a .410 batting average, which ranks as the
No. 10 best single season batting average in school history. He also managed
to club 18 doubles, easily surpassing the single season record of 15 two-baggers
set by Jeff Johnston in 2008, and ranking him 39th nationally in doubles.
Lau Hee hit doubles in 15 of his 37 games, topped by three doubles against
Pacific Lutheran on Mar. 20. In all, Lau Hee finished with 23 extra-base
hits, equaling his total of runs batted in. In addition, Lau Hee ranked
29th nationally at 0.47 doubles per game.
Lau Hee led a Pacific team that ranked among the most prolific nationally when it came to two-base hits. Pacific ranked 31st against NCAA Division III teams with 2.44 doubles per game and 49th in total doubles (and third in the NWC) with 95 doubles. Four Pacific players registered 13 or more doubles and seven had six or more doubles.
INCREDIBLE
COMEBACK: The incident on Mar. 20 could very well have ended pitcher
Tyler Fransen’s baseball career and seriously impacted his life. Instead,
Fransen became an inspirational story of resilience, hard work and the
love of the game.
Fransen was seriously hurt when he took a line drive in the head in the game against Pacific Lutheran. Following a five-day stay in the hospital, it was questionable whether the senior would return to the mound. He came back to watch his Boxers’ teammates play against Menlo a week later, but had to come to Chuck Bafaro Stadium in a wheelchair because of problems with balance and walking.
Just as shocking as Fransen’s injury was, his return may have been even more shocking. Fransen returned to the mound on Apr. 11, talking Head Coach Greg Bradley into the start that day against Whitman. Wearing a batting helmet for protection, he proceeded to pitch three perfect innings, throwing just 31 pitches as the Boxers went on to beat the Missionaries 7-4.
“Since the injury, Tyler had been on the mound exactly one time in a bullpen session,” said Pacific Head Coach Greg Bradley. “For him to come out and do what he did was an absolute tribute to him and his courage and his belief in himself, and it’s an absolutely huge shot in the arm to our ball club.”
Fransen’s comeback story attracted a lot of media attention for the Pacific baseball program. He was the subject of a feature in The Oregonian newspaper and was also a front page subject of the May issue of the Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
A ROLLER COASTER YEAR: The injury to Tyler Fransen and his return seemed to be pivot points to what seemed to be a roller coaster season for the Pacific baseball program. The Boxers opened by toughening up in a five-game series against Hawaii Pacific. The Boxers dropped four of the five games against the Sea Warriors. The one win saw Rob Dittrick allow just four hits in six innings to pace a 14-0 shutout and earn the freshman NWC Baseball Pitcher Student-Athlete of the Week honors in his first week with the program.
The Boxers went on to go 5-5 in their next 10 games, earning a series win over Lewis & Clark. Fransen’s injury of the first game of their three-game series with Pacific Lutheran on Mar. 20, however, seemed to take some serious steam out the Boxers as they went on to lose nine straight and 11 of their next 13. The one win during the stretch was a 13-9 victory at Willamette on Apr. 3.
Pacific returned to the win column by taking three straight from Whitman, which included the return of Fransen on Apr. 11. The Boxers went 8-4 in the month of April to finish the season with a 15-24 record. The eight wins in April allowed Pacific to move up into a tie for sixth place in the NWC standings with Whitworth at 10-14.
BY THE NUMBERS: Dan Wolfe finished with four saves in 14 appearances, tying him for 61st nationally among Division III pitchers for saves…Pacific’s .970 fielding percentage came with second fewest number of chances (1,420) in the NWC…The Boxers also ranked third in the NWC in runners caught stealing, taking out 19 runners on the bases…Kaeo Lau Hee’s .410 batting average was third best in the NWC, trailing Linfield All-American Kelson Brown (.443) and Whitworth’s Landon Scott (.465).
Season Summary
Overall Record: 15-24
NWC Record Finish: 10-14 (tie 6th place)
Home Record: 8-10 Away Record: 7-14
SEASON HONORS
Second Team All-Northwest Conference: Jeramey Probert (2B), Joey Pulito (OF), Kaeo Lau Hee (UT)
Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference: Mike Nagamine (DH), Tyler Fransen (P), Brandon Kon (SS), Jeff Bethke (P), Nate Rasmussen (3B)
Rawlings/ABCA Division III West Region Gold Glove: Brandon Kon (SS)
NWC Pitching Student-Athlete of the Week: Rob Dittrick (Feb. 23), Jeramey Probert (Apr. 27)
NWC Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week: Joey Pulito (Apr. 20)
IN THE NCAA DIVISION III RANKINGS
Team Fielding Percentage: 0.970 (5th of 359 ranked)
Team Doubles Per Game: 2.44 (31st of 539 ranked)
Team Doubles: 95 (49th of 359 ranked)
Individual Doubles Per Game: Kaeo Lau Hee, 0.47 (29th of 300 ranked)
Individual Doubles: Kaeo Lau Hee, 18 (39th of 300 ranked)
Individual Saves: Dan Wolfe, 4 (61st of 150 ranked)