The Bellingham Bells, coming off their best season since 2016, are set to begin the 2023 summer season on Friday, June 2, at Joe Martin Stadium.
A collegiate, wood-bat baseball team, the Bells will play their season opener at home versus the Edmonton Riverhawks. In 2022, Bellingham had its first appearance in seven years in the West Coast League Championship’s title game.
Along with multiple key returning players, the Bells have stocked their roster with plenty of pitching talent — 29 pitchers, to be exact — and fielders that are ready to play some summer ball while away from their college programs.
2022 record: 36-21 (33-20 regular season; WCL North Division First Half Champions)
Last game: 5-0 loss to Corvallis Knights in WCL Championship
Key returners: RHP Trevin Hope, SS/RHP Ty Saunders, RHP Ryan Beitel
Head coach: Jim Clem
Clem was named the Bells’ head coach for 2023 on Aug. 25, 2022, shortly after the end of the season. Clem was a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the team from 2011–2021 before stepping away in 2022.
Pitcher Trevin Hope from Lewis-Clark State College — a Lynden High School alum — headlines the Bells’ returners after winning the WCL Pitcher of the Year award in 2022. Hope completed the season with a league-best 2.23 ERA and 4-1 record in nine games.
Hope was also awarded the 2022 Bell of the Year award, which is given to a player who represents the team’s core values, among other criteria. In 2021, his first season with the team, Hope appeared in 12 games, making seven starts.
Trevin Hope throws a pitch in the early innings of the Bellingham Bells game against the Northwest Star Nighthawks on June 8, 2022. (Andy Bronson/Cascadia Daily News)
“Over his three years with the Bells, Trevin has developed into a tremendous leader who dominates on the mound,” Bells general manager Stephanie Morrell said in a Jan. 23 news release, announcing Hope’s return.
“He has developed impressive secondary pitches and a great feel for his stuff. His work ethic, attitude and treatment of his teammates really embody everything you’d want in a player who is representing your team.”
Utility player Ty Saunders, who plays college baseball at the University of Portland, will also return for his third season with the team.
Saunders played shortstop for the Bells in 35 games last season and ended his season at the plate with 22 hits, 10 RBIs and one home run. He also pitched in three games.
Pitcher Ryan Beitel is entering his second season with the Bells after appearing in 12 games in 2022 and starting six. Beitel finished his season with a 3.57 ERA through 45.1 innings and was a First-Team All-WCL selection. He plays college ball at the University of British Columbia.
Pitchers Jack Erdman (Skagit Valley College), Carter Parcher (Cal State Bakersfield) and catcher Garner Christensen (San Joaquin Delta College) will also return from last year’s team.
This year’s team will have 17 Washington state natives on the roster, including six who are originally from Whatcom or Skagit counties. Additionally, 11 colleges and universities from around the state will be represented by Bells players this season.
