Knights aim to reclaim WCL title

Monday, June 2, Corvallis, Ore. – The quest for another West Coast League championship begins Tuesday night for the Corvallis Knights with a showdown series against their arch-rival, the Portland Pickles.

The Knights begin their 18^th summer in Corvallis with a 7:15 p.m. season-opener at Walker Stadium in SE Portland. It is the first of 54 WCL contests for the Knights, whose streak of seven-consecutive WCL crowns was snapped by the Pickles last August in the playoff semifinals.

“We’ve got some really good guys, they are happy and eager to play and improve,” veteran head coach Brooke Knight said after watching several early practices, which did not include all of the players who will eventually report to the club.

“We’ll compete hard in the early games,” with lineups composed at least partially of 10-day signees. “We’ve got the pitching, it will be our early strength and we’ve got enough guys on the mound” to keep the Knights in the first-half pennant race before the full team arrives.

Knight enters his 17^th season at the helm as the winningest coach in league history (715-290, .711).  The eight-time WCL Coach of the Year has directed the Knights to 10 WCL championships and to the Championship Series in 14 of his 16 seasons.

His coaching staff will be bolstered by the addition of new assistants Spencer Scott, a noted alumnus from the University of Portland who played for the 2021 and 2022 championship teams, and Josh Woods.  Associate head coach Beau Kerns returns for his fifth summer with the club.

“It’s great to have Beau back, he’s a real pro who knows what he is doing and knows how to develop talent,” Knight said. “He’s somebody I totally trust taking control of the staff.

“Spencer and Josh are good energy guys who will make us better.”

Many other familiar faces from past seasons return for another campaign in the Willamette Valley. Infielders Thomas Ferroggiaro (Santa Clara) and Blake Wilson (Washington) are back, as are pitchers Nate Marshall (Eastern Illinois), Zach Johnson (Linfield), Dom Tatone (Western Oregon), Chance Wallace (Pacific) and outfielders/pitchers Kellen Segel (LBCC) and Quin Dufort (Portland).

Dufort hit .307 (29 RBI) for the Knights in 2024. He, Ferroggiaro (.293, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 20 SB), Wilson (.304, 14 doubles, 19 RBI, 18 SB) and Segel (.288, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 10 SB), now healthy after redshirting this past spring to rehab an injury, will help lead the offense.

Marshall (1.17 ERA, 7.2 IP in 2024) and Tatone (5-0, 3.16 ERA, 22 relief appearances) are three-year Knights, as is Johnson (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 7K, 6 IP).

Those three returnees will be important parts of a talented and deep pitching staff for Kerns to mold.

Wallace was an all-Northwest Conference selection (NCAA DIII) for the Boxers this past spring. The southpaw went 3-4, with a 4.58 ERA. Marshall was 2-1, 3.94 at Eastern Illinois, with a save. Johnson was 3-1, 5.10 in 12 appearances at Linfield.

The Cal Poly lefty-righty duo of Luke Kalfsbeek and Troy Cooper went a combined 4-0 for the Mustangs in 2025. Cooper was slated to play for Corvallis in 2024.

Long Beach State right-hander Jake Fields joins the Knights for the 2025 season. He made 10 starts for the Dirtbags this past season, including a gem late in the season at Goss Stadium versus the Beavers.

Another newcomer, Portland’s Cole Katayama-Stall showed good power in his true freshman season, with nine homers and 38 RBIs, and should be an infield mainstay. Two Big West catchers will vie for starts. Redshirt freshman Xavier Rios (CSUN) had four homers and 15 RBIs after taking over as the starter midway through the season. Ian Fernandez of UC Santa Barbara started 16 games with the Gauchos as a frosh and hit 2 HR with 9 RBIs.

Infielders Maddox Riske of USC, Antonio Castro (Cal Poly, 2026) and Gavin Brubaker of NW Nazarene should report for the Knights first home games next week.

An infielder/outfielder to watch is incoming Oregon State freshman Joshua Proctor, a right-handed hitting slugger.

The Knights will be somewhat short-handed early, before all the projected full-time signees report when their schooling is complete for the academic year or when their college teams complete their seasons.

“We’ve got some scrappy players for the first couple weeks who will really compete” while vying for full-time positions, Knight said. “We’ll find ways to manufacture runs and be competitive on the mound.”

The Knights play their first six games on the road. Goss Stadium is reserved for the Oregon State Beavers postseason and their quest for a berth in the NCAA’s College World Series.

Corvallis opens a 32-game home schedule on June 11, against the Springfield Drifters. It will feature seven games against the Marion Berries, the newest WCL expansion team that will play its home games at Chemeketa CC in Salem.

The regular season ends Aug. 6. The playoffs start on Aug. 8 and will conclude with the WCL Championship Game on Aug. 14.

Knights at a glance … 

COACHING STAFF: Head coach Brooke Knight, 17^th year; associate head coach/pitching coach Beau Kerns, fifth year; assistant coach Spencer Scott, first year; assistant coach Josh Wood, first year.

PITCHERS: LH Quin Dufort (Portland); RH Nathan Marshall (Lane CC); LH Dom Tatone (Umpqua CC); RH Zach Johnson (Linfield); LH Chance Wallace (Pacific U.); LH Chase Olson (Nebraska); RH Landen Parker (NW Nazarene); LH Mac Zawistoski (Chaminade); RH Michael Singleton (George Fox); RH Kaleb Wing (incoming Loyola Marymount); RH Sam Coffman (Umpqua CC); RH Easton Jones (Utah); RH Trey Newmann (TCU); RH Tee Southesine (USC); LH Luke Kalfsbeek (Cal Poly); RH Troy  Cooper (Cal Poly); RH Jake Fields (Long Beach State); RH Nate Stern (TCU); RH J’Shawn Unger (Nebraska); LH Van Froling (UC Santa Barbara), RH Parker Warner (Stanford).

CATCHERS: Xavier Rios (CSU Northridge); Dakota Chun (incoming Portland); Ian Fernandez (UC Santa Barbara); Aiden Hazen (Linn-Benton CC).

INFIELDERS: Maddox Riske (USC); Thomas Ferroggiaro (Santa Clara); Antonio Castro (incoming Cal Poly); Maverek Russell (incoming UCLA); Cole Katayama-Stall (Portland); Gavin Brubaker (NW Nazarene); Blake Wilson (Washington).

OUTFIELDERS: Josh Proctor (incoming Oregon State); Kellen Segel (LBCC); Brock Ketelsen (incoming Stanford).

10-DAY SIGNEES: INF Braeden Mondeau (Hawaii-Hilo); INF Elliot Brown (Lane CC); OF Sam Giansante (LBCC); INF Brooks Avery (LBCC); OF Aiden O’Malley (Umpqua CC); 1B Jake Holmes (LBCC).