LINFIELD UNIVERSITY BASEBALL VERSUS PACIFIC • MARCH 14-15, 2026

WELCOME TO LINFIELD UNIVERSITY

TODAY’S MATCHUP: PACIFIC AT LINFIELD

game operations | event staff

EVENT MANAGER

Casey Powell

COMMUNICATIONS

Chase Fisk, Joe Stuart, Kelly Bird

STATISTICS

Joe Miglioretto

PUBLIC ADDRESS

Ericson Teller

VIDEO WEBCASTS

Joe Stuart, Brian Kice, Maddie Funk, Eric Albios, Jackson Bluhm, Ethan Klein

GAME PROGRAM

Kelly Bird, Chase Fisk, Felipe Unker

WILDCAT SPOTLIGHT

his first love

Capable of playing any of three sports in college, Wyatt Hurley says when it came time to choose just one, baseball was the easy choice

by kalina zagyva ’29

Linfield University senior Wyatt Hurley raves about the incredible dynamic contained within the Wildcats’ storied baseball program.

“It’s a brotherhood,” says the former three-sport star from nearby Yamhill Carlton High School. “It’s just a bunch of brothers bonding and playing the game that we’re fortunate enough to play at the next level.”

The team motto is “Tradition, Toughness and Team First.” A banner hangs along the perimeter fence of Linfield’s Roy Helser Field, showcasing the team’s three previous national championships.

“The tradition is getting back to that,” says Hurley. “We want to show what we can do because we’re Linfield baseball.”

As for toughness, the 6-foot-2 student-athlete says that the Wildcats should always exhibit grit, especially during a game.

“We want to leave that field, whatever game we play, knowing that we gave it our all, that we were tougher than our opponent, and that we fought harder than them. Regardless of the result, they should be like ‘We just faced the ’Cats.’”

Most importantly, Hurley says the value of ‘ First’ is the mindset that he takes each time he steps on the field.

“Statistics don’t mean anything.” Hurley believes team wins far outweigh personal accomplishments.

“We have a team-first mentality, and that will get us a lot further than any stats could.”

Hurley calls himself “one of the biggest competitors you will ever meet. When I step onto the field, I’m there for my teammates…I’m giving it my 100%.”

Being a good sport, teammate and steward of the game is always a top priority.

“That’s why we’re here. I try to give back to the game because it’s given me a whole lot.”

Ultimately, Hurley focuses on the mental side of the game, saying that being a committed teammate is his greatest strength of the game.

“More than 95% of baseball is mental. If you get lost in your thoughts, the game will bite you.”

Now in his last semester at Linfield, Hurley has set one final goal for the season: “Personally, I’d just like to leave it all on the field.”

During the middle of his sophomore baseball season, Hurley was serving as a mid-week starter when tragedy struck. By throwing a fast ball in the third inning, he tore the UCL ligament in his throwing arm.

“It’s a feeling that you just can’t describe. It’s like your body just gave out on you, I felt it pull off my elbow.”

Hurley looked at his coach and they both knew what had just happened, yet Hurley knew that the team came first, no matter what. So, he kept playing in the game and contining as a batter, despite the injury. “That’s that team-first mentality.”

After careful medical examination, doctors informed Hurley that his elbow couldn’t get any worse. Instead of dwelling on the severity of the injury, Hurley took this to mean that he could continue to play. While pitching was off the table due to his elbow, Hurley continued hitting for his team. The day after his sophomore season ended, Hurley went in for surgery to have the ligament repaired.

“I was just a field position last year and I wasn’t able to

It wasn’t until a year and a half later that Hurley was able to step back on the mound, going head-to-head with a Seattle team last summer.

“It definitely puts things into perspective. You can never take anything for granted.”

Now completely healed, Hurley has his both his health and the coaches’ confidence back.

Baseball has been Hurley’s passion for as long as he can remember.

“Mom and Dad introduced me to baseball at a young age. They couldn’t get me off the field if they wanted to.”

The sport has always served as a bonding experience for Hurley and his dad, Monty.

“Whenever I needed a break and he needed a break, we’d just go hit and hit and hit. It never got old and I never got tired. It was just a game that we loved,” he says.

As a high school athlete, baseball wasn’t the only sport that kept Hurley busy. He played football and dabbled in basketball as well. But when the time came to choose which sport to play collegiately, Hurley had no hesitation.

“Honestly, baseball was just my first love. For as long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was be a pro baseball player. When I picture little me, I picture him in an all-star game jersey, watching the home-run derby and hitting with his dad outside.”

After he completes his final season at Linfield, Hurley plans to continue being a team player throughout his life. Even as he begins his postgraduation job search in accounting and finance, Hurley will always remember what it was like to be on a team such as Linfield’s, where tradition, toughness, and team-first mindset are the primary principles.

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ROY HELSER FIELD

Roy Helser Field, together with Jim Wright Stadium, has developed from a belowaverage facility to a jewel among Northwest small colleges.

First put into use in 1970, the facility has served as designated host of the 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2014 NCAA Division III regional playoffs.

One important addition was construction of a partially enclosed and fully covered batting practice structure, called “Carney’s Cages” in honor of longtime baseball coach Scott Carnahan. In 2024, a project was completed that added a dedicated baseball

weight room adjoining the batting cages.

A major change took place in 2008 when the grass infield was replaced with a FieldTurf artificial playing surface. Drainage was improved and construction of covered, enclosed batting cages on the venue site was undertaken. Prior to the 2013 season, the dirt pitching mound was also replaced with artificial turf to match the infield surface.

In 2000, outdoor lighting was added to the field. Musco lighting systems were installed in the fall of 2000 to give more flexibility in scheduling while enhancing the facilities and allowing for NCAA post-season

competition. Outdoor lighting provides additional opportunities for McMinnville-area youth teams during the summer.

Wright Stadium was added to Helser Field in 1990, replacing portable aluminum bleachers and a chainlink backstop.

On May 25, 1991, Linfield dedicated its newly completed baseball stadium at Roy Helser Field in honor of Jim Wright, his wife, Sondra, and parents Edith (Hall) Wright of McMinnville and the late Neale Wright, class of 1929. Jim Wright, a retired Portland businessman, provided a large portion of the funding for the new stadium.

BASEBALL WEIGHT ROOM

After years of competing for workout space with other athletic teams and the general student population inside the HHPA Complex, the Linfield baseball program now enjoys its own weight training space at Roy Helser Field. Contributions directed to the baseball program through the TopCat Club provided the needed funding for an extension onto the batting cages structure.

The location of the baseball-only weight facility allows for greater efficiency during practices and hitting times, as players can rotate

times in the batting cages, weight room, clubhouse and on the field surface. The indoor space can also be used for team meetings.

The structure includes rubberized flooring, ample lighting and a large garage-style door opening to right field to allow fresh air inside. The weight training equipment, including squat racks, barbells and dumbbells, was also donated.

One bonus benefit of the new addition is a concrete patio facing the field, providing a potential space for alumni gatherings during home games.

HEAD COACH JORDAN HARLOW

with a nod to the past, new coach eyes the

future

The hiring of Jordan Harlow as head coach signals a return to the championship roots of the region’s top baseball program

Jordan Harlow is in his first year as head baseball coach at Linfield after nine seasons as either assistant coach or associate head coach.

He served under three previous Wildcat head coaches –Dan Spencer, Scott Carnahan and Stan Manley – and helped bring home two Northwest Conference championship baseball trophies back to McMinnville in 2017 and 2022.

The starting third baseman on Linfield’s 2013 national championship baseball team, Harlow was a three-year varsity letterman and a first team all-Northwest Conference performer. As a player, he was a member of the 2011 and 2013 NWC title-winning clubs, which went on to post a combined record of 10-4 in NCAA postseason contests.

Harlow graduated from Linfield with a bachelor’s degree in English in 2013 and went on to receive a master’s in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University-Irvine.

He previously coached baseball and taught classes at McMinnville High School from 2014 until 2016, leading that program to a pair of Class 6A state quarterfinals appearances and one Oregon Class 6A state semifinals appearance. He guided the Grizzlies to the Greater Valley Conference championship in 2015 and was honored as the Pacific Conference Coach of the Year.

Jordan and his wife, Brynna (Fuller), a former women’s basketball student-athlete, reside in McMinnville with their son, Dane, and daughter, Jensen.

WILDCATS

LINFIELD WILDCATS

Ore. / Phoenix College

/ Clackamas

Camas, Wash. / Seton Catholic 29 Riggs Towle RHP R/R 6-0 205 Jr./So. Greeley, Colo. / University

Luke Schoeffler RHP R/R 6-2 205 Fr./Fr. Corvallis, Ore. / Crescent Valley

Luke Porter

Paradise Valley, Ariz. / IMG

Salem, Ore. / Centralia College

Yamhill, Ore. / Yamhill-Carlton

Lebam, Wash. / Willapa Valley

PACIFIC BOXERS

6-2 So. South Pasadena, Calif. / South Pasadena 32 Dustin Doherty INF 6-0 So. Beaverton, Ore. / Jesuit 33 Benjamin Lewis 1B 6-2 Jr. Vancouver, Wash. / Union

Aiden Carpenter RHP 6-0 Fr Brighton, Colo. / Riverdale Ridge 35 Pano Koutoulas INF 5-8 Fr. Belmont, Calif. / Carlmont 36 Trent Nagamine RHP 6-0 Jr. Pearl City, Hawaii / Punahou

37 Ethan Carlile P 6-1 So. Grants Pass, Ore. / Hidden Valley 39 Kenneth Kroese RHP 6-3 Sr. Tucson, Ariz. / Tucson Magnet

40 Riz Collado OF 5-8 Sr Huntington Beach, Calif. / Ocean View

41 Zachary Soran OF 5-9 Sr Holladay, Utah / Cottonwood

42 Jaxon Coles LHP/OF 5-11 Fr. El Cerrito, Calif. / El Cerrito

43 Sean Klaess INF 5-8 So. Greenwood Village, Colo. / Cherry Creek

44 Dakota Pagente

47 Adam Kim

RHP 5-8 So. Kalihi, Hawaii / Moanalua

RHP 6-0 Jr. Issaquah, Wash. / Issaquah

48 Racen Pegeder INF/OF/RHP 6-3 So. Li-hue, Hawaii / Kauai 49 Alex Laureano C 5-11 Sr. Redondo Beach, Calif. / 50 Conor Grady

RHP 6-5 Fr Antelope, Calif. / Antelope

52 Lucas Yamanaka RHP 6-4 So. Hilo, Hawaii / Waiakea

54 Vince Williams OF 6-1 So. Lake Oswego / Lake Oswego

56 Aukai Arruda INF 5-6 So. Lihue, Hawaii / Kauai

58 Luis Robles-Malan INF/RHP 5-8 So. Pasadena, Calif. / Heartland Charter

59 Javin Hamura UT 5-6 So. Honolulu, Hawaii / Punahou School

63 Akoni Arruda C 5-8 Sr Lihue, Hawaii / Kauai High School

71 Haiden Stack 1B/RHP 6-4 So. Englewood, Colo. / Cherry Creek

77 Tavian Gomez

RHP 6-0 Fr Broomfield, Colo. / Centaurus

HEAD COACH: Jacob Upwood (second year)

ASSISTANT COACHES: Ryan Krout, Jackson Buehler, Aaron Svarthmule, Mitch Thomas

LINFIELD VERSUS PACIFIC SERIES BREAKDOWN

40 zack hampson

THE RECORDS

The Wildcats enter the week atop the Northwest Conference standings at 9-4 and 4-2 in conference play, having won two of three games in both of their first two NWC series. Pacific comes into the series at 5-10 overall and 2-1 in the NWC. The Boxers took two of three against the Willamette Bearcats in late February.

LINFIELD AT A GLANCE

Linfield aims to keep the momentum rolling into its first NWC home series. Linfield is finding production from an array of Wildcats in each series, often led by junior outfielder Jaxson Kister, who leads team with a .358 average and a team-high 17 runs batted in. Kister is also a threat on the basepaths, entering the weekend a perfect 7 of 7 on stolen base attempts. Junior righthander Matthew Tacheny has been the most consistent starter on the mound during the early season, maintaining a 2.66 ERA over 23.2 innings while walking just four batters. Out of the bullpen, junior Zack Hampson has been stellar, leading the team with a 1.29 ERA in six appearances and earning three wins plus two saves.

PACIFIC AT A GLANCE

A season ago, Pacific won the NWC crown with a 16-8 record, earning the top-seed in the NWC Tournament, where the Boxers eventually fell to second-seeded Whitworth twice in the championship series. Led by junior Will Shelor leads the Boxers wtih a .444 average and an OPS of 1.138 over 14 games. He’s second on the team in runs batted in (11), trailing only sophomore utility player Javin Hamura (14). Sophomore pitching ace Nicholas Saelens has tossed two complete games in five starts and boasting a 3.82 earned run average.

SERIES HISTORY

Linfield owns a 150-57 record all-time against Pacific, although the Boxers took two out of three contests in the 2025 series at Forest Grove. The Wildcats most recently squared off against the Boxers in the 2025 NWC tournament, falling 5-4 on the road.

THE NORTHWEST CONFERENCE

baseball STANDINGS

KEEPING TABS ON THE WILDCATS

All Linfield Sports Network webcasts are now carried on FloSports, a conference-wide pay-to-watch platform

Linfield University has joined together with its eight fellow Northwest Conference institutions in support of a new partnership with streaming provider FloSports to offer live and on-demand video coverage of nearly every athletic event Linfield participates in Schools are expected to receive annual investments from FloSports to build and expand broadcast capabilities and make other investments within the athletic department. Linfield personnel will continue to staff and operate all home broadcasts.

FloSports subscribers will have the capability to access more than 40,000 events nationwide spanning 25 different sports.

FloSports expects to deliver live and on-demand coverage of Linfield events across 15 different sports: Football, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s wrestling, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, and women’s lacrosse. Northwest Conference Championship events in all sports except golf and cross country will also be streamed as part of the annual agreement.

Beyond live competition, FloSports plans to invest in original content and storytelling initiatives online and across social media aimed at elevating the profile of NWC student-athletes and institutions. The NWC joins several of its regular non-conference opponents in partnering with FloSports, the industry leader and primary media rights partner for Division III conferences.

Each year, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 800 regular-season and postseason events and is available via web, mobile apps (iOS and Android), and streaming platforms including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. The FloSports app is expected to be pre-installed on most top-selling Smart TVs in the U.S.

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LINFIELD SPORTS NETWORK

The Linfield Sports Network will again bring fans live action of all home Linfield baseball games during the 2026 season. Fans can enjoy live video webcasts with play-by-play commentary on their computer, tablet, mobile device or smart TV.

McMinnville native Joe Stuart, a 2020 Linfield graduate, is the Athletics Broadcast Operations Coordinator, managing all aspects of Linfield’s webcasting outreach and handling lead play-by-play duties on Linfield football, baseball and softball webcasts in addition to basketball. Stuart assists with other external sports communications and social media needs.

Five Linfield students will contribute their talents to the baseball broadcast as well. Senior Brian Kice returns to share play-by-play duties with Stuart this spring for a second season. A native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kice spent last summer working with the broadcast media staff of the Knoxville (Tenn.) Smokies baseball team. Linfield sophomore Maddie Funk, a member of the women’s soccer team, will contribute color commentary this spring. Eric Albios will serve as video director while Ethan Klein and Jackson Bluhm, a men’s basketball player, will operate cameras.

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All LSN broadcasts, both live and on demand, can be accessed at golinfieldwildcats.com/watch or from within the Linfield Athletics app on mobile, tablet or smart TVs.

ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame, sponsored by Pacific Office Automation, was established in 1998 as an avenue to honor former athletes, coaches, staff and contributors and to preserve the memory of their past achievements.

A new class of inductees is honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet each fall. Inductees are chosen from a list of submitted nominations and voted upon by the Hall of Fame Executive and Selection Committees. The 20-member panel is made up of current and former staff members, past inductees, a member of the media, and a former athlete representing each of the preceding six decades.

Nominations must be submitted in writing using an official nomination form. Hall of Fame nominations are considered in any one of six categories: Athlete, Coach, Team, Athletics Staff, and Meritorious Service.

LINFIELD SEASON-BY-SEASON

Ad Rutschman 21-14 1st

Ad Rutschman 15-11 3rd

Ad Rutschman 16-13 4th

Ad Rutschman 17-18 1st (tie)

Ad Rutschman 18-18 2nd

Ad Rutschman 12-18 4th 1982 Ad Rutschman 16-17 1st 1983 Ad Rutschman 18-15 2nd 1984 Scott Carnahan 16-15 2nd 12-6 1985 Scott Carnahan 16-22 1st 11-4 1986 Scott Carnahan 13-22 2nd 12-4

1987 Scott Carnahan 17-23 2nd 10-4 1988 Scott Carnahan 26-16 1st 12-4 1989 Scott Carnahan 30-14 1st 15-3 1990 Scott Carnahan 26-17 3rd 12-6 1991 Scott Carnahan 19-19 2nd 13-5 1992 Scott Carnahan 24-14 1st

RECENT HONORS

Longtime sports information director Kelly Bird is chosen for induction into the CSC Hall of Fame

Over his 36-year career as Linfield sports information director, Kelly Bird has built the Athletic Communications office from the ground up. Beginning in a part-time role before expanding the office of one fulltime position to three, Bird has not only served as a leader on the Linfield campus, but also as an award-winning communicator on the national stage. Bird started his retirement process in 2025. He is now in a hybrid role as the athletic marketing and events coordinator, though remains Linfield’s primary media relations contact for football, track and field and softball while continuing his roles as sponsorship coordinator, Athletics Hall of Fame historian, and department photographer.

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In recognition of his lengthy service to Linfield, Bird will be inducted into the 2026 Hall of Fame class as part of the College Sports Communicators annual convention in Las Vegas in June.

“I feel totally blessed to have worked within the sports communications field and at Linfield University for as long as I have. Being singled out for induction into the CSC Hall of Fame is a dream come true,” said Bird. “Celebrating and promoting the accomplishments of so many exceptional student-athletes and teams for over 35 years has been an absolute honor and privilege. I would not have been able to elevate the profile of our programs and university without the encouragement and support of my family and the many colleagues whom I’ve worked with over the years.”

During Bird’s lengthy tenure as SID, he successfully promoted 103 Northwest Conference championship teams, 21 swimming and track national champions, four national championship teams, four NCAA Elite 90 Award winners, 30 CSC Academic All-Americans, and a Gagliardi Award winner.

PROUD PARTNER OF LINFIELD ATHLETICS

IN THE NEWS

Competing in a national competition, Linfield’s cheer team returns

Linfield cheer competed recently at the 2026 USA Spirit Nationals & Collegiate Championships, bringing home a pair of fifth-place trophies in two categories.

“Having the opportunity to come to Anaheim for USA nationals, was one of a kind and something we will all cherish forever,” said freshman Taylor Mason following the competition.

In the Game Day Fight Song College Finals category, the Wildcats placed tenth with an event score of 87.4.

Linfield earned its first trophy in the Game Day Situational Sideline/Cheer College Finals, totaling an impressive 94.8 event score. The ‘Cats finished fifth out of 12 teams in the category.

“It’s always so rewarding to represent Linfield in a positive light, but there was something special about doing it at USA Nationals 2026,” said senior captain Miki Dunham on the opportunity to compete at the national level.

In the finals for the 4-Year Game Day Band Chant, Linfield took home another fifth-place trophy, racking up a 91.3 event score.

“As a team we were determined to bring hardware back to McMinnville,” said Dunham. “We were disciplined and driven to meet our goal. I’m so proud that we have not just met our goal we exceeded it by bringing 2 trophies back to Mac! Being a part of this team the last four years has helped me grow as a person and as an athlete, I am so lucky to have been surrounded by such amazing teammates pushing me to my best every single day.”

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THE TOPCAT CLUB

The Linfield University TopCat Club serves as a support organization to the 21 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams and the more than 500 students who participate in athletics each year. Each year, support from the TopCat Club is essential to maintaining and expanding each of these programs.

The mission of the TopCat Club is to provide students with an outstanding athletic and academic experience and to strengthen the overall competitiveness of the overall Linfield athletics program.

At Linfield, we continually strive to improve programs and facilities so that our teams may compete at the highest level. Roughly 75 percent of the athletic department’s annual operating budget comes from the university’s general fund. The remainder is generated through a wide variety of external sources, including annual gifts to the Linfield TopCat Club.

To learn more about giving opportunities, please visit the TopCat Club website at www.linfieldtopcat.com