The new year has arrived and that means that baseball season is just right around the corner. The Bellingham Bells are pleased to announce the return of two 2017 Bells for the 2018 season. A pair of left-handed pitchers, Tanner West and Trevor DeLaite, will be rejoining the Bells after finding great success in 2017.
Tanner West, a six-foot-two-inch pitcher from Albuquerque, N.M. will return after appearing in six games last summer for the Bells.
West, a sophomore at Arizona State, finished the season 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA across 7.1 innings. West made all of his appearances out of the bullpen for the Bells.
“Tanner is a hard throwing lefty who continues to develop,” Bells’ General Manager Stephanie Morrell said. “We are thrilled to have him back with us this summer, not only because we expect him to be a key piece of our pitching staff, but also because we know his character and his understanding of what it means to be a Bell. We can’t wait to have Tanner back in Bellingham this summer!”
Prior to the Bells, West had an impressive rookie campaign with the Sun Devils appearing in nine games and giving up just three runs in 9.2 innings pitched. The lefty committed to Arizona State after a sensational high school career at Volcano Vista High School, where West finished his prep career with a 22-5 record and an ERA of 1.66.
DeLaite, a six-foot-two-inch left-handed pitcher, will be one of three players making the cross-country trip from the University of Maine to play for the Bells this summer. DeLaite, a sophomore for the Black Bears, was a strong presence out of the Bells bullpen during 2017, appearing in 18 games.
The southpaw went 3-2 and allowed just 12 runs across 32 innings during the summer for an ERA of just 3.18. DeLaite proved to be a workhorse out of the pen as he pitched more innings than any other Bells’ bullpen arm.
“Trevor was extremely reliable for us last summer, appearing in 18 games for 32 innings pitched and only walking 8 batters,” Morrell said. “He has excellent command and the ability to come in and take control of a game. Not only does Trevor add great depth to our pitching staff, he also adds maturity in the clubhouse as he is a great teammate and a great representative of the Bellingham Bells.”
DeLaite got valuable experience in his first year at Maine as he made eight appearances and started four games en route to a 2-3 record with a 5.96 ERA. He had the second most innings pitched by any freshman on the team after hurling 22.2 innings during the spring.
DeLaite comes from a winning background as he led Bangor High School to three straight state championships before moving on to the University of Maine.
West, DeLaite and the Bells will begin their journey back to the top of the West Coast League on June 1 as they will take on the Kelowna Falcons in Kelowna, BC to kick off the 2018 season.
Information and logo courtesy Bellingham Bells
