In its short history, the Bellevue Christian baseball team has set some expected standards.
Since the program began in 1998, its players have laid down simple set of objectives. Play hard. Win the Emerald City League . Go to state. Compete.
It’s a tradition – an expected one – that’s in the head of each player.
“Tradition doesn’t graduate,” said shortstop Max Pressey, one of two Bellevue Christian seniors. “You have to carry on what’s been done before you. You don’t want to be the seniors who didn’t win the league title and didn’t make it to state.”
Whether it’s capturing down that league title – which they’ve done the last four seasons – or playing in state, where they’ve gone eight out of the last nine years – the Vikings have a tradition of excellence each class strives to uphold.
Things don’t look to be much different this year.
The Vikings return six starters, including three junior pitchers that should provide plenty of starting depth in the rotation. Bellevue Christian returns just two seniors – Pressey and Cuesta College-bound second baseman Andy Chung – but a wealth of underclassman talent has the Vikings dreaming big.
The three starters – Jo Jo Howie, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Nat Townsend – form a nucleus that should be hard to match within class 1A.
“If you have one kid, you can go a long ways in 1A,” said Vikings coach Rob May. “We have three of these guys that could be No. 1 starters.”
Each is a little bit different.
There’s Howie, the ace who led the team in wins and innings pitched last season, a crafty left-hander who May likens to Jamie Moyer with a newly developed fastball with deceptive speed thanks to his release. He’ll throw any pitch, any count, and will tell you about it.
There’s Ryan Fitzpatrick, a strike-throwing machine who can play almost every position on the field. One of the team’s best hitters and leads off for the Vikings.
Then there’s Nat Townsend, an intimidating 6-foot-4 power pitcher who grew so fast his growth plate broke and is now held together by metal plates and screws in his legs.
“Since we all throw different styles, we can all mix it up,” Townsend said. “It’s just more effective.”
“Our pitching depth,” Howie said, “is tough to match.”
The Vikings have plenty of experienced returners on the field, despite their youth. Junior John Runke will catch and sophomores Rajan Hanstad, Bryce Oldham and Tor Coyle will patrol the outfield.
One of the biggest surprises may be freshman Sean Fitzpatrick, Ryan’s younger brother, who will start at third base and hit in the middle of the lineup. Chung was moved from third base to second base this season to make room for the freshman, who May pegs as a future Emerald City League star.
“He moved a senior,” May said. “I stuck him at third and haven’t thought twice about it.”
The Vikings hope to get over the hump this season at the first day of state – a day in which teams must win two games to move on. It’s a day Bellevue Christian haven’t made it past since May’s first season in 2002.
“I feel like we’ve had the talent the last couple of years and it’s a little bit frustrating,” Pressey said. “We’re coming in this year knowing that if we can get to state, we have a good chance to win some games with the pitching staff that we have.”
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BCS Big Men – Vikings are loaded with height
The Vikings are loaded with tall players like Jo Jo Howie, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Nat Townsend (all over 6-foot-2) and sophomores Tor Coyle (6-foot-5) and Bryce Oldham (6-foot-4).
The Vikings look like they would be just as comfortable on the basketball court as they do on the diamond. So where’s all that size come from?
“We drink a lot of milk,” Fitzpatrick said.
