Players to Watch
Here’s a closer look at some notable Falcons and new recruits expected for the 2019 season:
TRENT TINGELSTAD, OF
Hometown: Marysville, Wash. School: U of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks The reigning WCL’s MVP was top three in the league for batting average (.350), home runs (nine), RBI (40) and doubles (13) last season.
NIALL WINDELER, SP
Hometown: Toronto School: UBC Thunderbirds The six-foot-four, 205-pound left-hander was 4-1 with a 2.74 ERA through six games in 2017 for the Falcons.
TUCKER GROTE, RP
Hometown: Gresham, Ore. School: Mt. Hood CC Saints When he signed in Kelowna, Grote had pitched in 16.2 innings out of the bullpen in relief. The six-foot-four, 175-pound hurler led his squad in saves with five, and sat tied for second in the Northwest Athletic Conference in that department while holding a 1.62 ERA.
AUSTEN BUTLER, OF
Hometown: Port Coquitlam School: UBC Thunderbirds The five-foot-11, 185-pound outfielder hit .250 during his 37 games for the Falcons last season with 21 hits in 84 at-bats, slapping seven doubles and six RBI.
JAYDEN KNIGHT, OF
Hometown: Langley School: UBC Thunderbirds Played for Baseball Canada’s junior team in the Dominican Summer League in Punta Cana. The six-foot-one, 200-pound righthanded batter just finished up his freshman year.
DAN PRUITT, IF/P
School: Western Oklahoma State Pioneers Hometown: Oklahoma City Led the National Junior College Athletic Association with a .481 batting average and ranked second in RBI (83) and home runs (22). His slugging percentage (1.016) and onbase percentage (.573) were also among the top two along with a slew of other offensive categories.
MATT VOELZKE, IF/RP
School: George Fox University Bruins Hometown: Lake Oswego, Ore. Voelzke finished the season with 10 doubles, two triples, five homeruns and 26 runs batted in in 160 at-bats, possessing a .313 batting average. Voelzke also made 17 appearances on the mound, hurling 29.1 innings and finished third on the team with 40 strikeouts with a 3.07 ERA, a 2-2 record and seven saves.