Losing key upperclassmen players has forced Pilots baseball to “be young,” according to head coach Geoff Loomis.
In the offseason, the Pilots lost players like Zach Toglia, Ryan Rembisz – who threw a perfect game– and Major League Baseball (MLB) draftees Curtis Hebert and Tyler Howard.
But this year’s squad features multiple underclassmen in the starting lineup, which is an unusual occurrence, according to senior infielder Jonas Salk. Salk and senior outfielder Brady Bean take the reins to lead the squad this season.
While some underclassmen will get more playing opportunities, a focus for this year is enforcing that everyone on the roster is a “job-doer” even if their playing time is limited.
“There are going to be guys like Brady [Bean] who are going to be all-conference players that are going to need to do their job on the field,” Salk said. “But just as importantly, if not more important, it's guys in the dugout and in the locker room that need to uphold a certain standard of energy and focus.”
The Pilots displayed the power of energy and focus in their season-opening win against Purdue on Feb. 13 when they scored eight runs in the final two innings.
“Hits are contagious, energy is contagious, wins are contagious,” Bean said. “Preceding the game positively is contagious, and it's got to start with somebody. As leaders, that's kind of the pressure we put on ourselves is to start that contagious result or process.”
However, a flood of runs in one game only accounts for one win, which is why a major focus for the season is building a consistent offense. Loomis believes this will be attained through consistent practice.
“We're focused on the process and not the results,” Loomis said.
In games, the team emphasizes that success is found through sticking to fundamentals and focusing on the task at hand without looking too far ahead. But most importantly, they make sure to have fun.
“In a game with so much failure, celebrating the small successes is how this team will and does have fun within the game,” Bean said.
Following the team’s 22-30 overall and 13-11 conference record in 2025, the West Coast Conference (WCC) Preseason Coaches Poll picked the Pilots to finish No. 4 in the conference. Salk was the sole player selected to the conference preseason team.
Salk was also the only player named to last year’s All-WCC First Team, while Bean and redshirt sophomore outfielder Cody Nitowitz were honorable mentions.
Nitowitz and sophomore pitcher/infielder Trey Swygart each made last year’s all-freshman team, and Nitowitz provides crucial support at the plate and on the base paths with a .294 average, .814 OPS and five stolen bases.
Swygart was named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award Watch List for the second straight season on March 4. He is the only Pilot in program history to earn this honor.
Beyond Swygart, the team’s youth is seen elsewhere in the rotation in pitchers like freshmen Grady Keljo, Alex Via and Will Labonte, sophomores Aaron Louis and Nolan Umlandt, and redshirt sophomore Logan Anderson.
Labonte has emerged as one of the best freshman pitchers in the WCC with a stellar 1.44 ERA through a team-high 25 innings.
Labonte earned a spot on the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List on March 11, becoming the first Pilot since 2019 to receive any College Baseball Foundation (CBF) pitcher of the year recognition.
The rotation is also strengthened by fifth-year senior Kaden Segel, senior and 2024 WCC Pitcher of the Year Carter Gaston and junior transfer Trey Newmann, who leads the squad with 21 strikeouts. Loomis cites pitching as the Pilots’ main strength so far, as the team has a conference-low 3.32 collective ERA.
Though the team’s veterans are important, Portland is also anchored by young talent beyond the pitching staff.
Sophomore infielder Cole Katayama-Stall has gained excellent experience in his first two seasons, routinely anchoring the infield at starting shortstop. Katayama-Stall ranked top four on the squad in both home runs and RBI in 2025, and he co-leads the team this season with three homers.
There is also notable youth behind the plate, as catchers Isaac Pfeifer, Carter Stewart and Dakota Chun are all freshmen.
Chun has emerged as the primary starter and a key offensive contributor with 18 hits, .295 average and .864 OPS. This includes two doubles in the home-opener win against Niagara on Feb. 27 and a four-hit game that sealed the sweep against Holy Cross on March 8.
To instill maturity into the younger players, Salk emphasizes that it doesn’t necessarily equate to experience.
“Maturity doesn't lead to knowing a situation better [or] having a better swing,” Salk said. “I think it's just getting rid of all the excess noise and maybe pressures that you would put on yourself, and just playing free and having fun and trying absolutely as hard as you can.”
The Pilots’ season has been solid so far, and they sit at 11-7. They will begin conference play on March 20 against LMU.
Kaeden Souki is the Sports Editor for The Beacon, he can be reached at souki28@up.edu.
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