The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce the signing of three more Gonzaga Bulldogs as right-handed pitchers Taylor Davis and Mason Millett and outfielder Jack Machtolf will join Ernie Yake on the 2018 Bells roster.

Davis is currently in his first year at Gonzaga but already has two years of playing experience at the collegiate level as he attended Lower Columbia College after graduating from high school in 2015.

At LCC, Davis quickly rose to the front of the staff and became one of the best pitchers in the conference. As a freshman, the six-foot right-hander appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen and finished the season 3-3 with five saves and a 2.17 ERA.

In 2017, Davis was moved into the starting rotation and was sensational. He went 10-1 over the course of 13 starts and compiled an ERA of 2.51 in 89.2 innings.

The impressive sophomore year led Davis to first team all-region and all conference recognition.

“As a junior, Taylor Davis is an experienced right-handed pitcher, who in his career, has pitched in a lot of big games. He’s been a stand-out performer, as evidenced by his 10-1 record last season while pitching at Lower Columbia College,” Bells pitching coach Jim Clem said. “He has exceptional command; his fastball typically ranges between 87-90 and he also has a great change-up and a very good breaking ball.”

Davis comes to Bellingham by way of Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way, Wash., where he finished with a career ERA of 2.45. Davis also left Todd Beamer High School as the football team’s all-time winningest quarterback.

“Taylor can really pitch,” Clem said. “His maturity should help us in many ways. No doubt that Taylor will be a key to our pitching success.”

Joining Davis in the Bells’ rotation this season will be Mason Millett.

Millett is a six-foot-four-inch right-hander from Anthem, Ariz. He is currently in his first season for the Zags after a tremendous high school career at Boulder Creek High School.

The righty posted a stunning 0.78 ERA after returning from an injury during his junior year, and held opposing hitters to .220 batting average against.

Millett struck out 68 in his senior season including a 12-strikeout performance against O’Conner High School.
“Mason Millet is a freshman right-handed pitcher who will be an exciting pitcher to watch,” Clem said. “He was a big recruit for Gonzaga. Mason throws hard, typically 88-92, with very good secondary pitches.”

Millett was named an honorable mention All-American by Perfect Game and first team All-Region.

“What’s exciting about Mason is that he is already a good pitcher, but his ceiling is really unknown,” Clem said. “Like most young players, Mason still has room to grow and with more experience under his belt, physical maturity, and some hard work, it will be fun to see what happens this year for him. We are looking forward to having Mason on our staff and he will surely play a key role for the Bells.”

Patrolling the outfield behind Millett and Davis will be Jack Machtolf.

Machtolf is a redshirt freshman at Gonzaga who will get his first taste of collegiate action in the spring.

Despite redshirting his freshman year, Machtolf is no stranger to college baseball as he spent last summer with the Wenatchee AppleSox in the West Coast League.

There, Machtolf played first base and drove in two home runs, five doubles and 10 runs batted in.

“Jack Machtolf is going to be a key player on our team,” Clem said. “He’s a versatile athlete who is a good defender and makes a strong corner outfielder, but he could also play some first-base. Jack’s a solid left-handed hitter, who has some pop in his bat too.”

He is a product of Gonzaga Prep where he hit .513 and had three homers as a senior. The impressive performance earned him a spot on the All-State First Team and First Team All-Conference.

“One thing that’s fun to know about Jack is that he was also an All-State defensive end and the MVP of his league while playing at Gonzaga Prep, playing on a team that went 14-0,” Clem said. “I’ve always believed multi-sport athletes bring a lot to the table. We are confident that Jack’s going to be a great guy to have in the clubhouse too. No question, we are excited about what Jack brings to our team.

Jack is the son of Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf.

The four players from Gonzaga represent the most players from a single school on the Bells’ roster this season.

 

Information release courtesy of the Bellingham Bells.