WCL Announces Additional Postseason Award Honorees
September 7, 2021 - West Coast League (WCL) News Release
Tuesday morning, the winners of the West Coast League's Top Prospect, Coach of the Year, Executive of the Year and the Team Sportsmanship Award were announced by West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer.
Incoming Oregon State freshman Travis Bazzana of the Corvallis Knights, who was also named the WCL's MVP, earned the league's Top Prospect Award. Bazzana becomes the first player in WCL history to earn both awards. This summer the Sydney, Australia native batted a sizzling .429 to capture the league title, in the process setting a new WCL single-season record. Bazzana also led the league in runs (46), hits (81), total bases (112), triples (5) and slugging percentage (.593) and propelled the Knights to their fifth straight league championship.
The Corvallis Knights' Brooke Knight is 2021's Coach of the Year. It's the seventh Coach of the Year award for Knight, the winningest coach in WCL history. This summer, he guided Corvallis to the league's best record and their fifth consecutive League championship (and eighth overall).
Stephanie Morrell, of the Bellingham Bells, was selected by WCL team directors as Executive of the Year. This summer, Morrell oversaw a Bells squad that reached the playoffs for the third time in her five seasons as general manager. Another testament to Morrell: for the third time in the last four seasons, Bellingham was voted by the League's head coaches as recipient of the Jim Dietz Team Sportsmanship Award.
WCL MVPs
2021 - Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) of Corvallis
2019 - Briley Knight (Utah) of Corvallis
2018 - Trent Tinglestad (Louisiana-Monroe) of Kelowna
2017 - Chase Illig (West Virginia) of Bellingham
2016 - Michael Toglia (UCLA) of Wenatchee
2015 - Hunter Villanueva (Fresno Pacific) of Kelowna
2014 - Vince Fernandez (UC Riverside) of Yakima Valley
2013 - Alex Calbick (Maine) of Bellingham
2012 - Mitchell Gunsolus (Gonzaga) of Wenatchee
2011 - Alex Stanford (Gonzaga) of Walla Walla
2010 - Tommy Richards (Washington State) of Bend
2009 - Richie Jimenez (Riverside CC) of Corvallis
2008 - Drew Heid (Gonzaga) of Bend
2007 - Zach Kim (San Francisco) of Moses Lake; Brandon Kuykendall (Benedictine College) of Kitsap
2006 - Darin Holcomb (Gonzaga) of Spokane
2005 - Steve Marquardt (Columbia Basin College) of Wenatchee
WCL Pitchers of the Year
2021 - Eric Chavarria (Lewis-Clark State) of Bellingham
2019 - Tevita Gerber (Dixie State) of Corvallis
2018 - Curtis Bafus (VCU) of Wenatchee; Landen Bourassa (San Francisco) of Corvallis
2017 - Jack Owen (Auburn) of Victoria
2016 - Zach Draper (College of Idaho) of Yakima Valley
2015 - Brady Miller (Western Oregon) of Kelowna
2014 - Seth Martinez (Arizona State) of Bellingham
2013 - Nick Sabo (Long Beach State) of Klamath Falls
2012 - Cord Cockrell (Louisiana-Lafayette) of Kelowna
2011 - Owen Jones (Portland) of Wenatchee
2010 - Dayne Quist (UC Davis) of Kelowna
2009 - Matt Andriese (UC Riverside) of Corvallis
2008 - Jared Eskew (Cal Poly) of Corvallis
2007 - Paul Applebee (UC Riverside) of Bellingham
2006 - Ross Humes (Washington State) of Kitsap
2005 - Tommy Hanson (Riverside CC) of Aloha
WCL Top Prospect
2021 - Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) of Corvallis
2019 - Brooks Lee (Cal Poly) of Corvallis
2018 - Matt McClain (UCLA) of Bellingham
WCL Coaches of the Year
2021 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2019 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2018 - Bryan Donohue, Kelowna; Justin Barchus, Portland
2017 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2016 - Graig Merritt, Victoria
2015 - Billy Clontz, Kelowna
2014 - Jeff James, Bellingham
2013 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2012 - Ed Knaggs, Wenatchee
2011 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2010 - Ed Knaggs, Wenatchee
2009 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis; Ed Knaggs, Wenatchee
2008 - Brooke Knight, Corvallis
2007 - Gabe Boruff, Moses Lake
2006 - Steve Hertz, Spokane
2005 - Ed Knaggs, Wenatchee
WCL Executives of the Year
2021 - Stephanie Morrell, Bellingham
2019 - Alan Miller, Portland
2018 - Glenn Kirkpatrick, Bellingham
2017 - Tony Bonacci, Cowlitz
2016 - Jim Swanson, Victoria
2015 - Mark Nonis, Kelowna; Casey Powell, Bend
2014 - Nick Caples, Bellingham
2013 - Holly Jones, Victoria
2012 - Nick Caples, Bellingham
2011 - Eddie Poplawski, Bellingham
2010 - Zachary Fraser, Walla Walla
2009 - Dan Segel, Corvallis
2008 - Dan Segel, Corvallis
2007 - Dan Segel, Corvallis
2006 - Brent & Amy Kirwan, Moses Lake
2005 - Rick Smith & partners, Kitsap
Jim Dietz Sportsmanship Award*
2021 - Bellingham Bells
2019 - Ridgefield Raptors
2018 - Bellingham Bells; Kelowna Falcons
2017 - Bellingham Bells
2016 - Corvallis Knights; Wenatchee AppleSox
2015 - Klamath Falls Gems
2014 - Bellingham Bells
2013 - Bellingham Bells
2012 - Cowlitz Black Bears
2011 - Cowlitz Black Bears
2010 - Moses Lake Pirates
2009 - Moses Lake Pirates
2008 - Corvallis Knights
*established in 2008, and named after the league's inaugural commissioner Jim Dietz.
West Coast League Stories from September 7, 2021
- Bellingham Bells Awarded West Coast League Team Sportsmanship Award, Executive of the Year Awards - Bellingham Bells
- WCL Announces Additional Postseason Award Honorees - WCL
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