Submitted by: the Bellingham Bells
Five players have been named All-Stars for their accomplishments during the 2019 season, and will represent the Bellingham Bells in the 2019 West Coast League All-Star Game, the league announced today. This year’s All-Star Game will be hosted by the Bend Elks, in Bend, Oregon on July 23rd, 2019.
Troy Viola (3rd Base), Guthrie Morrison (Centerfield), Jack Machtolf (Outfield), Nick Proctor (Pitcher), and Jimmy Chatfield (Pitcher) will take the field for the North Division during this year’s game and proudly represent the Bellingham Bells. All five players have been a major part of the team’s success during the first half of the season.
“We are thrilled to have five players selected to the All-Star team,” Bells general manager Stephanie Morrell said. “They are all very deserving of this honor and we know they will represent our team and our city very well.”
The 2019 All-Stars from the Bellingham Bells include:
Troy Viola – 3rd Base, San Jose State University
Viola, the WCL home run leader (6), has held down the hot corner all year for the Bells and has been a pillar in the middle of the lineup for the Bells all season. His walk-off homerun against the Portland Pickles on June 30th was a season highlight.
Guthrie Morrison – Centerfield, Gonzaga University
The speedy centerfielder has been a catalyst in the Bells lineup all season and leads the Bells with a robust .347 AVG. He leads the team in many other categories (Runs, Hits, Stolen Bases, Triples) all while playing sparkling defense in center.
Jack Machtolf – Outfield, Gonzaga University
Machtolf has been a stabilizing influence in the Bells lineup all season long and has been versatile in the field as he has seen time at RF, LF, and 1B without making an error. Machtolf sports a quality slash line of .294/.380/.435 for an OPS of .815.
Nick Proctor – Pitcher, University of California, Berkeley
Proctor has been the ace of the Bells staff this summer appearing in 7 games while starting 5. Keeping hitters off balance with a diverse repertoire, he leads the Bells in Innings Pitched (28.2), is 2nd in ERA (1.25), and leads in pitching wins (4).
Jimmy Chatfield – Pitcher, Yale University
A reliever this summer for the Bells with a blazing fastball, Chatfield has been dominant coming out of the pen. While appearing in a team leading 9 games this season, he has a team leading ERA of 0.65 while striking out 20 batters in 13.2 IP.
The 2019 West Coast League All-Star Game will take place in Bend, Oregon on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019. For more information, visit www.bendelks.com.
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 Bob Miller (Head Coach), Jim Clem (Assistant Coach/Pitching), Jake Whisler (Assistant Coach) and Adam Geaslen (Assistant Coach). Former Bells players who have spent time in Major League Baseball include: Jeff Francis (Colorado Rockies), Kevin Richardson (Texas Rangers), Ty Taubenheim (Toronto Blue Jays) and Marc Rzepczynski (Seattle Mariners).
Featured photo courtesy of the Bellingham Bells
