Name: Northwest Nazarene University
City and State: Nampa, ID
Head Coach
Joe Schaefer
Assistant Coaches
Matt Hollod, Billy Newbery, Max Holtzclaw
Who are some key returning position players and what do you hope to see from them this year?
Duke Pahukoa 3B (all region), Tyler Best CF (all conference), Kyle Payne SS, Rumble Reyes C – Duke and Tyler will be a couple of the best hitters in the West Region. Kyle Payne and Rumble should both be all conference players this season as they have made big offensive improvements and are two of the best defenders at their positions in the region.
Who are your key returning pitchers and why?
Kyle Ethridge LHP, Brock Moffitt LHP, Spencer Schwehr LHP, Joe Ihli RHP – We return 3 of our 4 starting pitchers in Ethridge, Moffitt, and Schwehr. All strike throwers with swing and miss stuff and big game experience. Ihli moves into the closer role after excelling in a set up role last season.
Do you have an incoming impact freshman or transfers that will help the team in 2023?
Dylan Plutner RHP and Wade Duncan RHP – both Wade and Dylan have the chance to be our 4th starter as freshman this year. Jonathan Zayas LHP (AZ Western College), Ty Pohlmann RHP (UNLV), Shane Jamison 2B (Seattle U) – Jonny and Ty will both be big pieces at the back end of our bullpen, while Shane will solidify the 2B position and hit in the middle of our lineup
What was the focus and what things did you see from the team in the fall?
Focus was getting the team to play together as we brought in 21 new players. Pitching looked very strong and we are competitive up and down the lineup
What are the expectations and goals for the team entering the season?
We expect to compete for another conference championship and regional bid