Brooks Hatch Blog: Alum Justin Viele Now Coaching for Dodgers

Happy Friday, everyone, from the world-wide headquarters (WWHQ) of the Corvallis Knights, your 2016-2017 West Coast League champions! Our May 30 opener with the Portland Sea Dogs is just 40 days away, so get ready for another great summer of Knights’ baseball!

————–

Alum Justin Viele (pictured above, playing for us in 2010) is the new hitting coach of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ affiliate in the high-A California League. He worked for Ogden Raptors in the rookie-level Pioneer League in 2017.

Now 27, Viele played for us following his freshman year at Santa Clara. He was a four-year shortstop for the Broncos after starring at Esperanza High School in Anaheim.

Viele played 186 games with the Broncos, and at one time started 161 consecutive games. He was selected in the 37^th round of the 2013 draft by Baltimore and played 126 games in a two-year career at the Class A level.

He began his professional coaching career in 2014 as an assistant for Frederick, Md., Baltimore’s affiliate in the Class A South Atlantic League. He then returned to Santa Clara for two seasons before joining the Dodgers’ organization in 2017.

Thanks for former Knights broadcaster Jason Schwartz (2010), now the radio voice of the California League’s Lancaster JetHawks, for the tip!

————–

Time to update the college stats of our incoming position players. We will do the pitchers next Friday.

JAMES ANDERSON: The Western Oregon infielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting .077 (1-13) in seven games, with no homers or RBIs.

AUSTIN BAEK: The George Fox catcher, a 10-day signee, is hitting .288 (32-111) in 35 games, with no homers and 17 RBIs.

BEAU BRUNDAGE: The Portland outfielder is hitting .400 (56-140) in 35 games, with a homer and 19 RBIs.

COLE CABRERA: The Cal Poly outfielder is hitting .259 (7-27) in 18 games, with four RBIs.

COREY CONKLIN: The Eastern Kentucky infielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting .077 (1-13) in 13 games, with no homers or RBIs.

BEN FARISS: The UC Santa Barbara outfielder is hitting .000 (0-1) in three games as a position player. He also pitches.

AUSTIN FEIST: The St. Martin’s outfielder is hitting .316 (43-136) in 36 games, with five homers and 22 RBIs.

COLE HAMILTON: The Linn-Benton catcher is hitting .269 (18-67) in 21 games, with no homers and 15 RBIs.

CAMERON HASKELL: The Arizona infielder is hitting .000 (0-5) in seven games.

SEAN LITTLE: The Willamette infielder, a 10-day signee, is hitting .667 (10-15) in seven games, with no homers and seven RBIs.

CHAD STEVENS: The Portland infielder is hitting .264 (34-129) in 35 games, with no homers and 12 RBIs.

ZAK TAYLOR: The Oregon State catcher/infielder is hitting .253 (24-95) in 32 games, with a homer and 10 RBIs.

ZACH WELLER: The Cal State-Fullerton infielder is hitting .077 (2-26) in 18 games, with no RBIs.

ELLIOT WILLY: The Oregon State outfielder is hitting .000 (0-1) in one game.

————–

Delmarva (A South Atlantic, Orioles) pitcher Cameron Bishop (2015-16) allowed five hits and one run and had five strikeouts in six innings in a 4-3 loss to Lakewood on Thursday night to earn Corvallis Knights Minor League Player of the Day honors. He was not involved in the decision, and lowered his ERA to 1.89. He played at UC Irvine.

Honorable mention went to:

*San Antonio (AA Texas, Padres) second baseman Peter Van Gansen (2013) was 1-for-1 with a run in a 10-5 win over Midland. He played at Cal Poly.

*Hartford (AA Eastern Rockies) catcher Chris Rabago (2012-13) was 2-for-3 in a 5-0 loss to Portland. He played at UC Irvine.

*South Bend (A Midwest, Cubs) second baseman Christian Donahue (2015) was 1-for-3 with a run, a double and an RBI in a 3-2 loss to Dayton. He played at Oregon State.

————–

Our 2018 season tickets are now on sale! For more details or to order your tickets online, please click here. Tickets may also be purchased by calling us at 541-752-5656 or by visiting our office at 4th Street and Jefferson Avenue in downtown Corvallis. See you at the ballpark in 2018!

We also have three fireworks nights and tons of other promotions planned for this summer. Our entire promotional schedule is also available, by clicking here.

————–

Lots of news from around the West Coast League.

The Victoria HarbourCats are helping out following the tragic crash of the Humboldt, Sask., junior hockey team’s bus, and they’ve signed more players for the 2018 season. For more on that story from Our Sports Central, click here.

Wenatchee has hired West Virginia University graduate Joel Norman as its new  radio play-by-play broadcaster and director of communications. For more on that story from Our Sports Central, click here.

————–

That’s all for today. Have a great weekend, and we will see you on Tuesday.