Bells Announce Five Returning Players for 2023 Season

The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce five players returning from the 2022 roster. SS Ty Saunders, RHP Ryan Beitel, RHP Jack Erdman, RHP Carter Parcher, and C Garner Christensen will all return to the team for the 2023 season.

Saunders, an Anacortes native, plays for University of Portland and will return in 2023 for his third season with the Bells. Saunders was the ultimate utility player for the Bells last season, pitching in three games and playing shortstop for another 35 games. Saunders ended the season with 22 hits, 10 RBIs, and 1 home run.

“Ty is an incredibly gifted defensive player, who can literally play any position on the field. He’s willing to do whatever needed to help his team, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him back with the Bells this summer,” Bells general manager Stephanie Morrell said.

Beitel will be entering his second year with the University of British Columbia this spring. Beitel appeared in 12 games for the Bells with six game starts. He ended the 2022 WCL season with a 3.57 ERA through 45.1 innings and was named to the All-WCL First Team.

“Ryan has shown incredible growth during his first two seasons with the Bells,” Morrell said. “He’s a talented pitcher who continues to show massive potential. He can be counted on to throw strikes and really compete each time he’s on the mound. Ryan will be a big part of our pitching staff this season. We look forward to having him back.”

Erdman took the mound for a season with Skagit Valley College and will be entering his first season at Bellevue College this spring. Erdman appeared in 10 games for the Bells during the 2022 season with two game starts and ended the season with a 2.25 ERA through 28 innings.

“Jack is another young pitcher with tremendous upside who seemed to get better with each and every outing,” Morrell said. “We are excited for him to be back with the Bells this summer.”

Parcher, a Lynden High School graduate, will be entering his second season with Cal State Bakersfield after transferring from Skagit Valley College. In 2021 with the Bells, he tossed 15.2 innings in nine appearances and ended with a 2.87 ERA.

“Carter is an extremely reliable arm coming out of the bullpen,” Morrell said. “He’s also a hard worker and a fantastic representative of the Bells. It was a no brainer to bring Carter back for 2023 and we look forward to the contributions we know he will make to the team.”

Christensen, a graduate of Burlington-Edison High School, will be entering his second season for San Joaquin Delta College. Christensen joined the Bells on the back end of the 2021 season and took on a primary role as bullpen catcher.

“Garner is a very talented player,” Morrell said. “He is a solid defensive catcher who blocks and throws well. He also is a consistent hitter who should give us some stability in the lineup. We look forward to having him back!”

About the Bellingham Bells:

The Bellingham Bells are a summer, wood bat, collegiate baseball team that plays in the West Coast League (www.westcoastleague.com).  The Bells play their home games at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham and their field staff includes Jim Clem (Head Coach), Carlos Arroyo (Pitching Coach), Cody Anderson (Associate Pitching Coach & Baseball Analytics Coordinator), and David Higuera (Assistant Coach – Offensive Strategy Coordinator). Former Bells players who are currently in Major League Baseball include Seth Martinez (Houston Astros), Michael Rucker (Chicago Cubs), Kyle Stowers (Baltimore Orioles) and Spencer Howard (Texas Rangers).

Contact:
Bellingham Bells (www.bellinghambells.com)

Stephanie Morrell

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (360) 746-0409