Bellevue to kick off 2020 campaign in OKC this weekend

2020 NSAA Preseason Coaches' Poll
2020 NAIA Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University baseball team is primed to build on last year's successes when they kick off the 2020 season this weekend.

The Bruins made their 22^nd National Tournament Appearance and 14^th trip to the Avista NAIA World Series in 2019 after putting together a 48-16 (23-1 NSAA) record that saw them win 41 of their final 44 games. Bellevue captured their 17^th regular-season conference championship, 15^th conference tournament title, and second Opening Round crown.

Earlier in the offseason, Bellevue was the unanimous choice as preseason favorite in the seven-team NSAA Coaches' Poll and ranked No. 7 in the NAIA Coaches' Preseason Top 25.

Coaching Staff:

Duane Monlux heads a coaching staff that remains largely intact after last season's World Series run. Monlux enters his 10^th season at the helm of BU program and has thus far compiled a

Returning to the staff for his 14^th season is Associate Head Coach Mitch Schmidt, the reigning ABCA/Baseball America NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year.

Shawn Malley returns for his 13^th season as the Bruins pitching coach.

Also returning are Jake Aylward – now in a full-time role as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the entire athletic department – and Richie Moore.

Key Returners:

Bellevue returns three regular starters off last year's team in seniors Riley Baasch, Cody Banks, and Tommy Hansen. All three were first team all-NSAA selections last season.

Baasch, a four-year starter at first, enters the year with gaudy career totals that are likely to land him atop the BU record book in numerous categories. He hit .342 with a .996 OPS in 2019 ranking second on the team in both doubles (18) and RBI (60), and third with 11 home runs.

Banks will transition from manning the keystone last season to being the Bruins' opening day shortstop. Defensively, Banks produced a .948 fielding percentage while turning 23 double plays last season. With the bat he hit .354 for a .916 OPS, 21 extra-base hits, and 40 RBI. He struck out just 19 times in 263 plate appearances.

Hansen will lend experience to arguably the deepest pool of Bruin outfield talent since Coach Monlux's arrival at BU. Last season Hansen hit .328 with a .948 OPS as he managed 18 extra-base hits, 12 stolen bases, and 39 RBI.

Two other players who got regular playing time a season ago return in catcher and second team all-NSAA honoree Hunter Jury (.269 AVG/772 OPS) and outfielder Daniel Teasley (.337 AVG/.768 OPS). Also back is infielder/catcher Bailey Link (.333 AVG/936 OPS) who was unexpectedly thrust into a starting role during last season's NAIA Opening Round.

Leading the returning pitchers is first team all-NSAA selection lefty Jarrett Poh who went 9-0 with a 1.95 ERA and logged seven complete games in an 83-inning effort on the hill.

Also returning with starting experience are a trio of seniors in right-handers Colton Walker and Graham Cahill as well as left-hander Anthony Alvarado.

Walker pitched to a 7-2 record and 3.87 ERA and earned a gritty win over perennial power Lewis-Clark State in the World Series.

Alvarado appeared in 15 games – eight starts – going 5-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 52 innings of work. He earned the save against York that sent BU to the World Series.

Closer Derek Browne is also back after a very steady 2019 campaign that earned him honorable mention all-NSAA honors. Across 17 appearances, Browne logged 36.1 innings while posting a 6-1 record and 3.22 ERA.

Impact Newcomers:

Bellevue welcomes 15 newcomers, including eight cited by Coach Monlux that could have an immediate impact on the program.

Among the pitchers, right-hander Jackson (Calgary, Alta.) is a Division I transfer from UNC Greensboro who pitched to a 7-1 record with 70 strikeouts in 57.2 innings and a 4.84 ERA for the Spartans. He features upper 80-low 90's heat and a plus slider.

Southpaw Charlie Patterson (Eugene, Ore./Lane CC) and righty Elijah Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Southeast CC) are also new to the pitching staff. Patterson features a mid-80's arm that saw time as both a starter and reliever at his JuCo, going 3-2 with a 4.12 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning. Johnson appeared in 12 games out of the bullpen for the Storm a season ago earning a pair of saves in 15.2 innings of work.

Chaz Lopez (Auburn, Wash.) will be a two-way player for the Bruins after arriving on campus from Division II Colorado Mesa. Lopez will feature in both the outfield and on the hill. At the plate, he is a career .300 hitter with an .845 OPS in 191 plate appearances. Lopez most recently pitched in 2018 at Clark (Wash.) College, going 6-1 in nine starts with a 4.16 ERA.

Of the position players, outfielders Andrew Ishii (Salem, Ore./Chemeketa CC), Payton Higgins (Enoch, Utah/Treasure Valley CC), and Alec Lee (Grand Island, Neb./Northern State).

Ishii is a talented hitter and plus outfielder. In two years of JuCo ball, he hit .347 with a .955 OPS that saw him produce 31 extra-base hits, 61 RBI, and 22 stolen bases.

Higgins hit .262 with a .761 OPS in his time at Treasure Valley CC with 16 doubles and 39 RBI.

Lee was a mainstay in the Wolves lineup last season, starting 60 percent of the teams games. He hit .255 with a .714 OPS and drove in 12 runs. Prior to NSU, he hit .305 with 33 extra-base hits and 81 RBI in two seasons at Southeast (Neb.) CC.

Third baseman Zach Diehl (Eugene, Ore./Tacoma CC) should another solid bat as well as some speed to the Bruin lineup. He hit .345 with an .846 OPS in two years of JuCo ball while going a perfect 22-of-22 in stolen base attempts.

The Schedule:

Bellevue opens the season with three games in Oklahoma City against Nationally Ranked competition this weekend.

In total, the Bruins will be on the road for their first 20 games of the season, including a 10-game swing through Florida highlighted by a pair of games against #16 Webber International (Mar. 2) and #2 St. Thomas (Mar. 5).

The home slate features 21 games, including 10 against conference foes. The Bruins kick off the home portion of their schedule with a double-header against Midland University on Friday, Mar. 13 at 3 p.m.

Home games are tentatively scheduled to be played at historic John Stella Field at Brown Park, however, delays in getting the outfield turf laid could force the Bruins to play at least some of their home games at alternate venues.

The 2020 NSAA Tournament will again be held in Valley City, N.D. from May 1-4.

National Tournament play kicks off with the Opening Round, at campus sites, from May 11-14 and culminates with the 60^th Avista NAIA World Series from Harris Field from May 22-29 in Lewiston, Idaho.