BELLINGHAM, WA — Wednesday, January 21, the Bellingham Bells announced the return of four former Bells joining the 2026 roster.

Colt Peterson headlines this group of returners after having a remarkable 2025 in the West Coast League. Peterson pitched 16.2 innings mainly as a high-leverage reliever for the Bells and had two saves with only one earned run allowed in nine appearances.

Peterson will be remembered in Bellingham Bells history as the player to record the final out in the 2025 WCL Championship game with his championship-winning strikeout.

The Stanford freshman is set to play his first-collegiate season this spring after being a highly-recruited prospect out of Orange Lutheran High School. 

After being an All-WCL First Team selection last year, the sky is the limit for Peterson heading into another season as a Bellingham Bell.

Lathan Haywood rejoins the Bells bullpen after pitching 13 innings down the stretch for Bellingham. 2026 will mark his third summer with the Bells after 22.1 innings pitched in 2024.

Haywood joined the Stetson Hatters for his junior season after two stellar years at Edmonds College. In two seasons with the Tritons, Haywood pitched 140 innings with a 2.64 ERA and had a career record of 11-5 in 26 appearances.

The highlight of his sophomore season at Edmonds was his no-hitter against Skagit Valley College. The Olympic High School alum will be back in the PNW for another summer with the Bells.

Lane Simonsen returns to the Bells roster after playing for Bellingham during the 2024 season fresh out of Lynden High School. The current University of Washington Husky didn’t pitch his freshman year.

With the Bells in 2024, Simonsen threw 17 innings with a 3.18 ERA. As a local product, Simonsen has been a fan favorite after impressing at Lynden with three All-Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Year honors.

His prep success made him the second-best right-handed pitcher in Washington for his class according to Perfect Game. 2026 is set to be an exciting year for Simonsen, especially with the Bells.

Our last returner is sophomore infielder Bobby Pierce Jr. Last year Pierce Jr. played in 24 games with the Bells and hit .244 with 14 runs scored and 11 RBI.

At South Mountain Community College, Pierce Jr. earned First Team All-ACCAC Division II after hitting .362 with 79 runs in 64 games and stealing 15 bags.

After his breakout freshman season at South Mountain, Pierce Jr. committed to the University of Utah for his junior season, so he’ll play this spring with the Cougars once again as a sophomore. 

Pierce Jr. is from Casteel High School where he won two Arizona 5A state championships.