Corner Infielders, Pitcher Returning to Pippins in 2025
February 5, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release
YAKIMA, Washington - A trio of returning players, including two key corner infielders, will anchor the 2025 roster for the Yakima Valley Pippins.
Third baseman Preston Allen, who was a West Coast League All-Star last year, first baseman Julian Angulo and right-hander AJ Hendrickson will return to Yakima when the Pippins open their 11th season on May 30.
"Across the diamond we have some good returners that I'm happy with," Pippins manager Kyle Krustangel said. "I'm excited about Julian and Preston and AJ coming back to us because they know the culture and expectations. We've got a good position player group coming in overall, a lot of them from the same schools we've worked with in the past but some new ones as well."
Allen, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound left-handed hitting junior from Cal Poly Pomono, hit .274 (46-for-168) in 44 games for the Pippins last year. He drove in 22 runners, had 10 doubles, two triples and two home runs. He also stole eight bases, and strung together a six-game hitting streak early in the 2024 season.
Angulo, a sophomore at Cal Poly Pomona, hit .284 (52-for-183) in 49 games, with 14 doubles and 35 RBI. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-handed batter is already off to a hot start for the Broncos this year, hitting .600 (9-for-15) with two doubles, a home run and two RBI in Cal Poly's three-game opening series last weekend against Westmont.
Hendrickson, a 6-foot sophomore from Kennewick who pitches at Everett Community College, was 2-1 for the Pippins last year, starting five of his seven appearances. He compiled a 3.45 ERA in 31.1 innings, striking out 15 and walking 15. His seven-inning start against Kamloops on Aug. 7 last year was his longest outing of the year, and he notched the win in the 8-3 contest.
In building the roster this year, Krustangel is putting a bigger focus on experienced pitchers.
"Focusing on seasoned pitching is an emphasis," the fifth-year manager said. "Pitching is always a struggle at every level of baseball, whether you're 5 or in the big leagues. It can be hard not knowing the pitchers coming in because sometimes the better ones are on big inning limits or pitch counts, so we're trying to find that quality bullpen arm that can pitch at an all-league-type of level for their school."
The Pippins open a three-game series at Wenatchee this year before their WCL home opener on June 3 against sibling rival Walla Walla at Yakima County Stadium. Opening night, presented by Legends Casino Hotel, will feature a souvenir giveaway for the first 1,000 fans and postgame fireworks. It's also the first game of the rivals' annual Battle of the Basin series. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6.
A preseason nonleague contest against Cascade Collegiate Showcase will be held at 5:30 p.m. May 29 at The Orchard. Tickets cost $5 for that game.
Tickets for the preseason game and Opening Night are on sale at PippinsBaseball.com/tickets. Single-game tickets for the remainder of the Pippins' 31-game home schedule will go on sale in April.
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West Coast League Stories from February 5, 2025
- Corner Infielders, Pitcher Returning to Pippins in 2025 - Yakima Valley Pippins
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