Respect. Integrity. Commitment. Excellence. These four values guide Whitman’s baseball team.
For senior pitcher and captain Wyatt Adams, they are a promise of the team’s potential.
“Our mindset is that if we have a priority of taking care of each of these things in everything that we do, then we can be as good as we want to be,” Adams said.
During the 2024 season, the Blues realized much of that potential, winning the NWC Conference regular season title for the first time in over 70 years and hosting the NWC Tournament for the first time in program history. Unfortunately, the team failed to capitalize on the achievement, getting eliminated from the tournament after losses to Willamette and Whitworth.
“I think that still looms over a lot of guys’ heads, and there’s a lot of people from last year that came back and really want to win the tournament [this year],” said Beck Maguire, fifth-year shortstop and team captain. “There’s unfinished business.”
With 2024’s sour taste in their mouths, the team has approached the 2025 season with newfound determination and lofty aims.
“Our goal is to avenge last year and win the conference tournament, and everyone bought into that immediately. But we expect more than just that,” Maguire said. “I think we expect to go to a regional and fight to win a championship. That was the biggest goal that all of our guys put forward. And that’s what drives us every day.”
A NWC conference tournament championship grants the winning team an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship. The Blues will soon find out whether they have what it takes to advance to either stage. With seven games left in the final two weeks of the regular season, Whitman has a 20-17 overall record and an 11-10 conference record at the time of publication, tied for No. 4 in the NWC conference out of nine teams. To qualify for the NWC postseason tournament, which will take place from May 9 to 11, the Blues must finish top four in the standings.
It’s not the position the team hoped it would be in, but players remain hopeful for success.
“We’re underperforming a little bit for what we could achieve … There’s definitely been some good throughout the season, some bright spots, but other things that we’re continuing to work on aren’t quite there yet [and] are holding us back,” Adams said. “Given the spot we’re at right now, we’re hoping to have a strong finish to give us a chance to compete in the playoffs.”
The stakes are high, but the Blues’ resolve has not wavered.
“We’ve been working for eight, nine months … we don’t want to not make the tournament,” Maguire said. “It’s exciting because we know what we’re capable of, and now we’ve just got to do it … [W]e’ve talked the talk enough.”
Players characterized the 2025 season thus far as one of ups and downs. Their Head Baseball Coach and Whitman class of 2010 alum, Brian Kitamura, agrees.
“Our biggest challenge this spring has been staying healthy as we have, unfortunately, had a significant number of key players injured throughout the season. While our positional depth has been challenged immensely, it’s been great to see players step into new roles,” Kitamura said in an email to The Wire.
These players have made an impact both at the plate and on the mound.
“Halen Otte is having one of the best seasons in program history [team high 1.177 OPS and 48 RBI], and Wyatt Adams has thrown the ball extremely well for us on the mound [4.64 ERA and 49 strikeouts], earning NWC Pitcher of the Week honors twice already this season,” Kitamura said.
Statistical contributions like these from junior and senior players are expected, but their leadership can’t be taken for granted.
“I can’t thank our seniors enough for all they’ve given to our program. Their competitive spirit and willingness to ‘do what is necessary’ to elevate our program on and off the field has been tremendous,” Kitamura said.
Team captains reflected on how they have stepped into their roles as team leaders.
“[I’ve] been through a lot of failure along the way, so I’ve been able to learn a ton as far as what I need to do to be successful and target areas where I was lacking in the past,” Adams said. “As a teammate, [I’ve] definitely, especially this last year, tried to put a large emphasis on holding people accountable and prioritizing the program values in all settings and holding others to that standard.”
For senior centerfielder and captain Nate Korahais, a perspective shift on the game has informed his evolving approach to it and the team.
“As a player, I’ve definitely grown into understanding what routine and what headspace and mindset works best for me as a player. There’s been a stark difference in how I both view the sport and also the intensity [at which I play],” Korahais said. “As a teammate … [and] as I’ve gotten older, … [I’ve realized that] I can have a bit more of a presence both on the field and within the locker room.”
Maguire credited Kitamura, in his tenth year as Whitman’s head coach, and his guidance of the team for creating a tight-knit team culture from which leaders can develop.
“He does an outstanding job of knowing his players. It’s very rare at the college level to have a coach that’s so willing to talk to his players and willing to communicate and be there for his guys,” Maguire said.
Though they might not yet hold leadership roles on the team, younger players have certainly made an impact this season. In particular, sophomore pitcher Russell Peterson leads the Blues’ pitching staff in multiple categories with 61.1 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts.
Korahais says these kinds of contributions have made for a more well-rounded team.
“ … [A]s a group, we have learned to play together, and a lot of guys have filled into roles and positions that … weren’t necessarily locked in before the season,” Korahais said.
Maguire expressed his excitement about the future of the team as the younger players transition into leadership roles.
“ … [I]t seems like the guys just keep getting better and better. The freshman class that came in is [made up of] really good players but also really good guys. I definitely think that they’ll uphold the culture that we’ve set, and I think that they’ll elevate it. On the baseball field, I think the sky’s the limit for these dudes; [they are] some of the most talented guys I’ve seen,” Maguire said.
Adams had similar praise for the up-and-coming players on the team.
“They’re incredibly talented. There’s no denying that we have a lot of very skilled young players. In order for them to elevate themselves in the future, it’s going to be a question of, how can they continue to improve the[ir] talent but also … hone their ability to carry these values that we preach and apply them to how they train, how they play the game, how they spend time with each other and everything that they do in their li[ves],” Adams said.
The Blues can rest easy about the future with these young contributors. Similarly, no matter the outcome of the 2025 season, the team can hold itself high knowing that the connections they form and the principles they play by will endure.
“For the most part, we’re each other’s best friends on campus … [W]hen you get to Whitman, you have 35 people that you’re going to spend a lot of time with every single year … [T]hey’re guaranteed to be there for you,” Adams said.
