Tuesday, September 10, Corvallis, Ore. – The Corvallis Knights unveiled their team awards this morning as voted on by the coaching staff. This past summer’s MVP selection was shortstop Ty Yukumoto of Gonzaga and Top Pitcher pick starter Kaden Segel of Portland.
The recipient of the annual Joe Segel Hustle Award, named after club co-founder Joe Segel, was Thomas Ferroggiaro of Santa Clara. The award winner is the coaches choice for the club’s most gritty, enthusiastic and tough player.
Lastly, utility man Kevin Takeuchi of USC was named the team’s top prospect.
Yukumoto shined in his second season with the Knights. Following another solid spring campaign at Pacific University, Ty’s play earned the rising senior at Gonzaga first-team all-West Coast League honors. The left-handed hitting infielder from Hawaii also was a WCL All-Star Game selection. Yukumoto started at shortstop in the 2024 All-Star Game played at Joe Martin Stadium in Bellingham and broadcast live on MLB Network.
Counting non-league and playoff contests, Yukumoto led the club in hitting with a .343 batting average, runs scored with 61, walks with 44 and stolen bases with 29 while playing stellar defense at shortstop and hitting .500 in the post-season.
Segel emerged as the Knights workhorse and like Yukumoto earned first-team all-WCL honors and was a WCL All-Star Game selection. The rising senior at UP capped his last summer with the Knights, his fourth season, with a start in the 2024 All-Star Game for the South. He tossed two scoreless innings and also earned a win versus Ridgefield in his only playoff start.
The right-hander from NE Portland led the team in innings pitched with 46 and wins with 6 while posting a 1.84 regular-season ERA. In total, he struck out 37 and walked only 6 batters all summer. Over Kaden’s four-year career with Corvallis, he went 16-1 with a 2.16 ERA while striking out 115 and walking 32 over 133.1 innings pitched. His 16 wins are tied for the team’s career record in victories with his teammate southpaw Sean Wiese of Arizona Christian, who went 16-3 over his remarkable four-year career with the Knights. The next closest Knights hurlers in career wins are Kyle Kraus of Portland (2009-2010) and Max Beatty of Pacific Lutheran (2010-2012) as Kraus went 11-2 over two summers and Beatty 10-3 over three seasons.
Ferroggiaro, who attended Central Catholic High School in NE Portland, played second and third base for the Knights. The rising junior at Santa Clara hit. 295 and stole 19 bases.
Takeuchi earned first-team all-WCL honors and was also a WCL All-Star Game selection. The rising sophomore at SC powered Corvallis, leading the league in RBIs with 45 and the team in WCL batting average (.323), homers (5), doubles (16) and games played (53). He was named the West Coast League’s top prospect.