PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Pilots baseball team has announced the nine players joining the class of 2022 in the early signing period. All players will come in as freshmen next fall.
"We are thrilled to announce this next group of Pilots," Portland head coach Geoff Loomis said. "In keeping with a recipe that works for us, this class is athletic, intelligent and each has the interpersonal skills that we'll work with to build future leaders within our program. Coach (Jake) Valentine and Coach (Connor) Lambert did a commendable job in finding these very talented young men. It's fun when you match ideal fit with top-shelf talent and our coaches did that with the announcement of this class. Tyler, Jonas, Gage, Morgan, Vinny, Curtis, Harris, Dominic, and Justin - Welcome the Pilots Baseball family!
Here's a look at the recruits.
Tyler Howard – Catcher – Vancouver, Wash.
Tyler Howard is a catcher from Vancouver, Wash. who has thrived both behind and at the plate for the Skyview High School Storm. A four-year letterman, Howard was named the Greater St. Helen's League MVP this past season
, helping the Storm become league champions after an undefeated season as well as District Champs. He earned the 2021 Silver Slugger Award and Hustle Award for his team and is also a scholar athlete who boasts a 3.8 GPA.
"He was the area code catcher for the Royals scout team," associate head coach Jake Valentine said. "He's a big-time hitter who's made huge strides on the defensive side. He's now a legit catch-throw guy and he's always been able to hit, so we look forward to having him on The Bluff."
Jonas Salk – Shortstop – Fairfax, Calif.
A shortstop from Fairfax, Calif., Jonas Salk joins the Pilots from Archie Williams High School. He was named the team MVP back last season and was named to the Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) First Team. He was a part of the 2019 NTIS Northwest Region team that won back in 2019 and has also played for club teams such as NorCal U and Alpha Baseball Club. He's made honor roll every year in high school and is a CSF scholarship recipient for his outstanding academic achievement.
"Jonas plays a really, really good middle infield, has some of the more advanced pop in Northern California and he's played at a very high level in very high-level events," Valentine said. "We think he has the ability to come in and be brought up to game speed right away."
Gage Bruce – Outfielder – Woodinville, Wash.
Shoring up the outfield will be centerfielder Gage Bruce. A right-hander from Woodinville, Wash. Since his freshman year he's been one of the top hitters and base-runners on his team. He finished second on the team in batting average his freshman year at .300 and dominated summer ball this past season. He posted a batting average of .384, an OBP of .484 and led his team in hits (41), runs scored (41) and stolen bases (21). His team, the Woodinville Falcons, also took the Northshore School District Championship in 2021.
"Gage Bruce can really, really run," Valentine said. "Gage has the ability to be a lockdown centerfielder and has continued to grow on the offensive side, but speed doesn't slump and Gage has plenty of speed."
Morgan Codron – RHP – Los Osos, Calif.
The Pilots also add right-handed pitcher Morgan Codron from Los Osos, Calif. A four-year letterman at Morro Bay High School, he's earned All-League honors in the Ocean League every year since his freshman season. Last year, Cordron led the Pirates to an Ocean League Championship while posting a league-leading 1.35 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He is the first Division I baseball player to come from Morro Bay.
"Morgan Codron is a right-handed pitcher and throws a fastball in the high 80s to low 90s," Valentine said. "The biggest thing with Morgan is that he has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes and his fastball is on the higher end in regards to spin rate."
Vinny Salvione – INF – Milwaukie, Ore.
An infielder from Milwaukie, Ore., Vinny Salvione joins the Pilots after spending his high school career at Rex Putnam High School. He was a four-year letterman who was a valuable infielder, making the All-NWOC Second Team his freshman year and the All-NWOC First Team his junior year. He led the Kingsmen in hitting last season, batting an impressive .411 at the plate. He also was tied for first on the team in home runs.
"Vinny's a local product from Rex Putnam," Valentine said. "Has the ability to play anywhere in the infield, as well as the outfield. Runs really well, but the main tool of Vinny is Vinny can hit. Vinny is going to continue to hit."
Curtis Hebert – INF/RHP – Anchorage, Alaska
Curtis Hebert will join the Pilots after an already impressive high school career. Playing for the South Anchorage High School Wolverines in the Cook Inlet Conference, Hebert was named to the All-State Tournament Team last season in 2021 and was an All-Region All-Star selectee in 2020. The Wolverines won the state championship in 2021, going undefeated that season. Hebert was named MVP of the semifinal game after hitting two home runs. He is the only player in history to hit two home runs in the Matson State Tournament.
"Curtis was on the area code team representing the Royals this past summer," Valentine said. "Very athletic, very twitchy athlete. Can play a multitude of positions, has played shortstop, catcher, centerfield, pitched… Just a very good athlete who we think is going to be a high-ceiling type of player."
Harris Smajic – RHP – Newcastle, Wash.
Smajic is a 6-2, 200-pound pitcher from Washington with a big arm. Last season, Smajic put up impressive numbers across the board with a 1.84 ERA, just 14 hits allowed and 10 earned runs and 48 strikeouts in 38.1 innings pitched through six starts. He also has twice gone up against top-five teams in the state and spoiled their perfect seasons, earning the win both times. He was given the Golden Arm award by his team for his outstanding performance last year.
"Harris is a right-handed pitcher who profiles as a starting pitcher at the next level," Valentine said. "Ability to throw three pitches for strikes, he's anywhere from 88 to 91 and throws a really firm breaking ball. There's another jump in there velo-wise."
Dominic Giustino – RHP – Issaquah, Wash.
From Issaquah, Wash., Dominic Giustino adds to the talented rotation of hurlers joining the Pilots as part of the Class of 2022. In 32 innings pitched last season, Giustino posted a 1.05 ERA with 35 strikeouts. He earned the Academic Student-Athlete Award for excellence on the field and in the classroom. He also has experience playing with several high-level regional teams, including the Pacific Northwest Regional Team and the GBG NW Regional Team.
"Dom is a right-handed pitcher from up north," Valentine said. "Always been a strike thrower, has three pitches and has competed at high levels for some high-level travel teams."
Justin Tsukada – Catcher – Aiea, Hawaii
The brother of current Pilot infielder Jake Tsukada, Justin Tsukada comes to the Pilots as a talented offensive player. A four-year letterman at Punahou School and a two-year team captain, he helped lead the Buff 'n Blue to a state championship his freshman year and a second place finish in the private school league his junior year. He was named a 2021 Underclassman Preseason All-American by Perfect Game and was his school's 2-21 Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Last season, he finished the year tied for third in the state in triples and in the top five for total hits. He had a hit in every regular-season game in 2021.
"We're lucky to have Justin," Valentine said. "He was heavily recruited by other schools. Justin's a left-handed hitter that can really swing with a high motor. He played for one of the better travel teams in the country (Trosky National 2022) and has done nothing but produce offensively wherever he goes."
The Pilots are coming off their best season since 2010, finishing with a record of 24-26 and a conference record of 14-13. They had nine Pilots earn All-WCC recognition last year, the third most of any team in the conference. For more information on their upcoming season, stay tuned to PortlandPilots.com.
