Bearcats to Battle Whitworth in First Round of NWC Baseball Tournament

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University will take on Whitworth University in the first round of the 2024 Northwest Conference Baseball Tournament on Friday, May 10 at Borleske Stadium in Walla Walla, Washington. Game time for #2-seeded Willamette against #3-seeded Whitworth is at 3:30 p.m. PDT. The double-elimination tournament continues through Sunday, May 12.

The opening game of the four-team tournament will be between regular season champion Whitman College, seeded #1, and Pacific University, seeded #4, on Friday at 12 p.m. PDT. The winners of the first round games will meet in the winners bracket game at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 11. The losers in the first round games will meet in an elimination game on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Willamette enters the NWC Tournament with a 25-13 overall record, including 15-9 in the NWC. Whitworth is 26-12 overall, 14-10 in the NWC. Whitman brings in a 25-15 record for the season and a 16-8 mark in the NWC, while Pacific is 25-14, 13-11 in the NWC.

Top hitters for the Bearcats include Jeff Hoffman (Sr., 3B/1B, Salida, CA/Joseph A. Gregori HS), Tassos Foster (Sr., 2B, Novato, CA/Novato HS), Luke Piazza (Jr., 1B/LF, Simi Valley, CA/Royal HS/UC Davis), Wyatt Thames (Jr., OF, Elk Grove, CA/Huntington Beach HS/Biola University), and Clint Walker (Grad., CF, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS). All five players are hitting over .325 for the season.

Hoffman leads the Bearcats with a .381 batting average for the season and leads the NWC with a .393 batting average in conference games. He ranks first for the Bearcats with 11 homers to go with one triple and six doubles. He has earned 34 runs and 39 RBIs. Hoffman has walked 22 times. He owns a .706 slugging percentage and a .481 on-base percentage.

During his career, Hoffman has pounded out 42 home runs to trail only the 51 homers by Kyle Stalker (2006-09) on Willamette's all-time list. Additional career totals for Hoffman are a .321 batting average, 138 runs scored, 132 RBIs, 33 doubles, and a 12-for-12 record on stolen bases.

Foster tops the Willamette offensive chart with 150 at bats, 46 runs scored, and 53 hits. He also leads the Bearcats with 33 walks, and is tied for third with 26 RBIs. He owns a .333 career batting average. On defense, Foster started the triple play turned by the Bearcats against Whitman on May 6.

Piazza is hitting .349 this season with eight doubles and five home runs. He is tied with Foster for third place on the team with 26 RBIs. Piazza has missed several games recently after being hit in the helmet while batting.

Adding a .348 batting average for the Bearcats is Wyatt Thames (Jr., OF, Elk Grove, CA/Huntington Beach HS/Biola University). Thames has just 66 at bats, but he has scored 21 runs and earned 12 RBIs, while being successful on 13 of 15 stolen base attempts. He has a strong .443 on-base percentage.

Walker has provided the Bearcats with 40 hits, 29 runs, and 25 RBIs. He has batted .328, while belting 11 doubles, two triples, and three home runs. His career totals include 58 runs scored, 46 RBIs, and 41 walks. He is 20 of 24 on career-stolen bases.

Key pitchers for Willamette this season are starters Layton Wagner (Grad., RHP/INF, Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Steven Verespey (So., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS), as well as relievers Logan Haslam (Sr., RHP, San Ramon, CA/California HS) and Brady Joyner (Sr., RHP, Las Vegas, NV/Shadow Ridge HS).

Wagner has an 8-3 record with a 3.39 earned run average. He has struck out 67 batters in 69 innings pitched. Verespey is 5-3 and holds a 4.50 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 58 innings.

Haslam enters the NWC Tournament with a 2.63 earned run average and 27 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings pitched. He threw four scoreless and hitless innings before leaving as the starter against Whitman in Willamette's 9-2 win on May 6. Haslam's career record is 4-1 with a 5.67 ERA and 72 strikeouts.

Joyner begins the weekend with five saves and a 2.21 ERA in 20 1/3 innings this season. He has amassed 30 strikeouts and is averaging 13.28 strikeouts for every nine innings pitched. He is Willamette's career leader with 24 saves, breaking the record of 23 saves set by Mike Corey (1994-98).