The ace on the Bellevue College Bulldogs baseball team’s staff in 2017 will continue his collegiate baseball career in paradise.

Bellevue Bulldogs left-handed Kash Koltermann, who finished this past season with an overall record of 8-1, including an earned run average of 2.75 as a starting pitcher, committed to play baseball for the University of Hawaii. Koltermann moved to Hawaii on July 26.

“It is a dream come true,” Koltermann said. “To see how far I have been able to come in the game and knowing how hard I have worked to get here really makes it that much more special.”

The 2014 Bonney Lake High School graduate spent three years at Bellevue College. Koltermann had to redshirt during the 2015 season due to a shoulder injury, which required surgery but returned to the hill for the 2016 and 2017 seasons with the Bulldogs. The left-handed hurler credits Bellevue College head coach Mark Yoshino for guiding him through those rocky times.

“That was really unexpected,” Koltermann said of his shoulder injury in 2015. “He never gave up on me and never treated me any differently because I was hurt. He still worked with me everyday individually just like he did with everybody else. That really speaks a lot to his character. I’m really appreciative of that and how he was able to help me become the Division-1 pitcher that I am. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Koltermann said the University of Hawaii baseball program is known for consistently having players on its roster who previously played for the Bulldogs. Outfielder Dylan Vchulek, infielder Jordan Lafave and pitcher Dominic DeMiero are all currently players on the Hawaii roster who played for Bellevue College at one point.

“I’m going to have three former teammates from my original class (2014),” he said. “That is going to be a unique transition already having guys that I know on the team because I will know what to expect and how the program is run. The guys have always had good things to say about it.”

Koltermann said he is looking forward to competing for playing time during the 2018 season.

“When I did commit, the coach told me, ‘I don’t make any promises but you’re going to have your chances to compete for competitive innings.’ It was what I expected, I didn’t expect anything to be sugarcoated. Everybody is here to earn it and I’m glad it’s that way,” Koltermann said.