BELLINGHAM, WA — It was announced Friday, January 26th, that four 2023 pitchers would be returning to Bellingham in June. Matt Molina, Kadden Drew, Sheldon Egger and Nathan Van Beek now make up eight pitching roster spots, along with already announced Ryan Beitel, Will Franklin, Everett Swaim and Will Anderson.

Matt Molina, a right-handed pitcher from Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, will be returning for his second season with the Bells. 

“Coming off an injury in 2023, Molina saw limited time with the Bells but proved to have great potential,” said Bells General Manager, Stephanie Morrell. “Matt can be dominant on the mound and possesses the ability to make hitters guess. We anticipate Matt being an important part of the bullpen this summer.”

Kadden Drew, a left-handed pitcher from the University of Missouri, saw 10 games and 20 innings last summer where he struck out 17 batters.

“Kadden is extremely reliable on the mound, and possesses the ability to strike out hitters with a variety of different pitches,” said Morrell. “Kadden was a great addition to the Bells bullpen last summer, and we are very excited to have him back as we know he has the potential to be a very important part of this summer’s pitching staff.”

Sheldon Egger, a left-handed pitcher from Edmonds College, pitched in 11 games and 21 innings. He also struck out 17 batters during his time on the mound.

“Sheldon had a great summer for the Bells last year. He started the summer on a ten-day contract and performed well enough to spend the entire summer on the Bells roster. Sheldon is a consistent arm who can help the Bells in a variety of situations,” Morrell said.

Lastly, Nathan Van Beek, a left-handed pitcher from Union College, appeared in 11 games and 22.1 innings during the 2023 season.

“Nathan is a unique talent, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen another player like him,” said Morrell. “He doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity, but has great success frustrating the opposing team at the plate through a variety of off-speed pitches. Nate was extremely reliable for the Bells last year.”

Each week we will be announcing more players, continuing with returners.