Name: Oregon Tech
City and State: Klamath Falls, Oregon
Head Coach
Jacob Garsez
Assistant Coaches
Ricky Walker, Kevin Olmstead, Kaleb Keelean
Who are some key returning position players and what do you hope to see from them this year?
Key returning position players are Tyler Horner, Matt Ortiz, Brodie Marino, and Ian Peters. All three had great years last season. Tyler and Brodie combined for one of the best defensive catching groups in the country last year. They are also both productive offensive players. Tyler and Matt both had great offensive seasons as freshmen and are a year stronger, more mature, and prepared. I believe both Matt & Tyler will compete for player of the year in our conference. Brodie has the capability to have a successful offensive season.
Who are your key returning pitchers and why?
Key returning pitchers are Patrick Arman and Cody Dubray. Patrick was a 1st team all-conference pitcher as a freshmen in 2021 and had a down year last year. He is stronger and more ready than I have seen him. Cody made a lot of progress last year and had a very successful year… looking at his stats, probably should have been a 1st team all- conference pitcher. He is also a year stronger and more experienced. We expect them to be as tough as anyone we face.
Lalo Barraza is a returner that missed all of 2022 with an injury. He had a 1.91 ERA as a starter at Bakersfield College in 2021. Great competitor.
Brendan Talonen had a great junior college career prior to injury, (.69 ERA with 52 innings pitched) and is finally throwing more consistently after coming back from a UCL tear.
Ryan Poling is a returning arm that has made tremendous progress and we anticipate he has a key role.
Braeden Bellum is arguably our best arm. We lost him to injury around 2/3 of the way through last season and he’ll be full go again around the end of February.
Do you have an incoming impact freshman or transfers that will help the team in 2023?
We have several. First baseman Bryce Petrilla from Folsom Lake College, Korrey Siracusa was originally a Cal State Fullerton sign and played junior college baseball at San Mateo will likey play 2B/DH, Riley Cronin is a successful two way player from College of Marin, Alonzo Vergara is a CF we are excited about from Mission College, Cade Castillo was Ohlone’s closer last year, and Julien Jones an outfielder from Umpqua. We have added more depth at key positions with other transfers as well. Dane Bradshaw and Landon Cheney are two freshmen that have great upside… Dane will be in the mix to see time in our outfield and Landon is projected to pitch out of our bullpen. They were co-2A Idaho players of the year. Dylan Huddle is a freshman LHP that we project to throw out of our bullpen.
What was the focus and what things did you see from the team in the fall?
Our focus has and will always be to continue to build our culture that is defined by toughness, togetherness, and possessing winning behavior. Although focused on at different times, we focused on development and competing in practice, while making quality strength gains in the weight room. We saw improved defensive athleticism on the field, a chance to hit successfully 1-9 in our batting order, and more consistency on the mound from our bullpen arms.
What are the expectations and goals for the team entering the season?
We are working to earn the right to compete at the top of our conference and at a national level. We are optimistic about our season, but everything is earned one day at a time in this game.