SPOKANE, Wash. – One of the most anticipated Whitworth University baseball seasons in recent memory is about to get underway this weekend in Lewiston, Idaho. The Pirates will take on NAIA #21 Lewis-Clark State College in a season-opening doubleheader for both schools on Saturday, starting at 10:00 am. The games were originally scheduled for Sunday but have moved ahead a day to avoid a rainy forecast.
Whitworth returns the bulk of its offensive production from 2025, as well as two All-Northwest Conference starting pitchers and other key arms out of the bullpen.
After finishing as runners-up to Pacific (Ore.) during the NWC regular season last spring, the Pirates won the 2025 NWC tournament to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Bucs finished 29-18.
Head coach CJ Perry, entering his ninth season as Whitworth head coach, believes the taste of success last season has only built a hunger for more in 2026.
"The conference tournament title has made our guys hungry to win again," he said. "But there's a new level of belief around winning regionals and beyond in the NCAA playoffs."
The Pirates led the NWC in virtually every offensive category, including batting average (.314), runs (414), hits (509), home runs (52) and scoring average (8.7). Most of that production is returning, led by 2025 NWC Player of the Year Kyle Memarian, who finished as the league's batting champion (.421) with 13 doubles, five home runs and 31 runs batted in.
Fellow first team All-NWC honoree Caleb Gray batted .392, leading the team in home runs (13), doubles (14) and RBIs (53 – tied). He was tied for the RBI lead with Carson Coffield, who earned honorable mention All-NWC. Spencer Shipman, who missed three weeks of the season with an injury, still batted .306 with six doubles, five home runs and 21 RBIs to claim honorable mention All-NWC status.
Whitworth returns six starters among the field position players. Gray was the Pirates' most versatile player in 2025 with starts in the outfield and at first, third and DH. He could settle in at third base this season following the graduation of Kevin Corder. Shipman returns to start at shortstop with Memarian returning at second base and Coffield at first.
Whitworth's strong infield depth is demonstrated by the fact that Ty Quiggle has plenty of starting experience at third base, as does Austin Paul at second base and both should be a factor in the lineup this spring. Tyson Laugen and Yash Gupta will likely also push for playing time on the infield.
Only Dominic Guisti is back as a starter in the outfield. He will return in center after batting .292 with 26 RBIs last season. Two returnees and two transfers look to battle for the other two starting spots in the outfield.
Ty Komoda, who also has experience at catcher for the Bucs, along with Cole Weiland, already have playing experience at Whitworth. Emerson Fleck (WSU) and Nate Gray Jr. (Hawaii-Hilo) have transferred in from higher levels.
Junior Garcia started 26 games behind the plate in 2025 and could establish himself as the primary catcher this spring, along with Komoda. Xavier Hattenburg, who transferred from Pomona-Pitzer, has a chance to shake things up as well.
Several first-year Pirates will seek to make an immediate impact on the field and at the plate, including Brennan Aoki, Ryan Boehm, Rylan Davis and Tommy Lamb.
"We elevated the talent floor by bringing in some talented new freshman and transfers," Perry said. "I felt practices this fall were very competitive and didn't let anyone get complacent."
With all the offensive firepower returning, Perry might be most excited about the potential of his pitching staff. Whitworth returns first team All-NWC starter Dylan Huntsman and second team All-NWC honoree AJ Woodward.
"Our pitching staff is much improved," he said. "We are deeper and have lots of different looks to throw at opposing hitters."
In addition to Huntsman and Woodward, sophomores Nathaniel Kurano and Rylen Blair return after earning high-pressure pitching victories in the 2025 NWC tournament. In addition, Seth Mahler could move into a starting role after spending most of 2025 as the Pirates' closer.
Newcomers who could see action as a starting pitcher include Fleck and first-year Zach Wright.
Luke Stutesman and Tyler Disch bring back the most experience out of a bullpen that could include over a dozen arms.
The 2025 Northwest Conference preseason poll is yet to be released, but Whitworth has received votes in both the ABCA Division III and D3baseball.com preseason top-25 polls – the only NWC school to do so.
Following this weekend's doubleheader, the Bucs will make a challenging five-game trip to Southern California with four of the games slated against NCAA tournament contenders Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne, on Feb. 13-15. A four-game set at NCAA Div. II Saint Martin's follows on Feb. 21-22 before Whitworth's opens conference play on Feb. 28 at Puget Sound.
The 2026 NWC Tournament is scheduled for May 8-10 at the home of the regular season conference champion.
