Brooks Hatch Blog: Stanford’s Williams Earns Pac-12 POW Honor

Corvallis, Ore., February 19, 2020 – Good new on the alumni front.

Right-handed pitcher Alex Williams (2019, pictured above) of Stanford earned Pacific-12 Conference Pitcher of the Week honors for Feb. 10-16. He allowed one run in seven innings and earned the victory in a 2-1 win over Cal State Fullerton.

He struck out three, allowed just six baserunners, and got the final 16 outs while facing only 17 batters. The 2019 Freshman All-American improved his career record to 9-1.

Congrats to Alex!

Portland first baseman Trayce Tammaro (2018-19) was nominated for West Coast Conference Player of the Week, but was not selected.

Cal Poly outfielder Cole Cabrera (2018) was nominated for Big West Conference Player of the Week honors, but was not selected.

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As you probably already know, our Player of the Decade and All-Decade Team were released earlier this week. So congrats to three-time West Coast League champion Zak Taylor of Oregon State, our Player of the Decade, and to all the great Knights who made our All-Decade Team.

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We have signed future UCLA shortstop Milan Tolentino for the 2020 season. He is a 6-foot, 189-pounder from Mission Viejo, Calif., who is a senior at Santa Margarita High School. He bats left and throws right.

Tolentino was the starting shortstop for Team USA’s U-18 club at the 2019 World Cup and helped lead the Americans to the silver medal. He is ranked as the country’s No. 29 prospect by Prep Baseball Report, and as the No. 2 shortstop in California and No. 7 shortstop nationally by Perfect Game.

He hit. 391, with a .472 on-base percentage and was the Trinity League MVP and a first-team all-county selection as a junior in 2019. He was the CIF Division 2 Player of the Year and led Santa Margarita to the CIF SS Division 2 title. SMHS edged Norco 1-0 in 12 innings at Dodger Stadium; Tolentino drove in the winning run.

He also played in the High School All-Star Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland, where he was named the top performer by MLB Pipeline. He was also the No. 1 selection in the 2019 Mexican League Draft by Mexicali, which will own his winter ball rights when he goes pro.

“He has tremendous hand-eye coordination with a plus arm,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “He’s a shortstop that reminds us of another great Bruin, Brandon Crawford,” of the San Francisco Giants.

“Milan is a left-hitting shortstop who will be an impact player at UCLA the day he steps onto campus.”

Welcome to the Knights, Milan.

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We have also signed have signed Mt. Hood Community College pitcher Sam Strader. He is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore from Park City High School in Park City, Utah, the alma mater of 2018 Knights’ MVP Chandler Anderson.

Strader was 0-2, 3.29 in six games for the Saints in 2019, with a save and 13 strikeouts in 13.2 innings. Two of his six appearances came as a starter.

He was second-team 4A all-state in 2018 as a Park City HS senior. He was 15-4, 1.88 in 28 career games, with a save and 132 strikeouts in 123 innings.

Welcome to the Knights, Sam.

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Our 2020 schedule is finalized. We will open the home season against the Portland Sea Dogs on June 2 on Weyerhaeuser Science, Engineering and Art Day. For the complete schedule, please click here.

The Knights set a franchise record for total attendance in 2019 by drawing 59,357 fans to Goss Stadium in 36 regular-season and playoff games. We averaged 1,721 fans per regular-season game, and 1,071 fans for the four playoff games.

Thanks to the best fans in the West Coast League.

The WCL All-Star Game is scheduled for July 20 at Paul Thomas Sr. Field in Wenatchee. New AppleSox head coach Ian Sanderson and staff will coach the North Division’s team and the 2019 West Coast League champion Corvallis Knights coaching staff led by Brooke Knight will coach the South Division. For more details, please click here.

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Some news from elsewhere in the West Coast League:

• Wenatchee 2018 opening-day starter Tyler Chipman and five newcomers will join Ian Sanderson’s first roster as AppleSox head coach. Please click here for more details on that story, from Our Sports Central.
• Walla Walla has signed right-handed pitchers Mason Kokodynski, Wyatt Boone and Nick Irwin, all of whom were members of the 2019 squad. Please click here for more details on that story, from Our Sports Central.

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That’s all for today. See you soon!