WASHINGTON BASEBALL ACADEMY COACHES

Motivators. Educators. Mentors.

TRAINING COACHES

COACH NATE SANTIAGO

Head Hitting/Infield Coach

Coach Santiago runs the Washington Baseball Academy hitting program.

Coach Nate Santiago is a top hitting/infield coach in the area with years of coaching experience. His Collegiate baseball career began at Bellevue CC 2002-2005 and continued at Centenary College where he was the starting shortstop from 2005-2007.

After graduating from Centenary College Coach Santiago turned his baseball career towards coaching and became an assistant coach at Centenary College from 2007-2009 before moving back to the Pacific Northwest where he became an assistant coach under legendary Coach Mark Yoshino at Bellevue CC from 2009-2012. Coach Santiago then became the Hitting Coach at Pierce College from 2012-2014 and from 2014-2016 was the Assistant Coach at Edmonds CC.

Coach Santiago has coached at the select level with Rijo Athletics, Baden, Easton and ProPlayer. He also has several years of college level experience coaching at Pierce CC, Bellevue CC, Edmonds CC.and at Centenary College.

COACH TYLER HAGGETT

Head Pitching Coach

Coach Haggett runs the Washington Baseball Academy pitching program.

Coach Haggett played at Meadowdale high school where he was named an All-Star League First Team Pitcher in his senior season. .Coach Haggett played at the collegiate level with Edmonds CC and San Jose State. He has coached for several top level select programs prior to taking over the pitching program for Washington Baseball Academy.

COACH JACOB TERAO

Head Catching Coach

Coach Terao was a 4 year varsity baseball and 3 year varsity football player at Seattle Prep where he earned first team honors his senior year and was the Seattle Prep Male Athlete of the Year winner

In football Coach Terao earned 1st team honors on offense, as a running back, and on defense, as middle linebacker, the only player in his 3A division to receive 1st team honors for both offense and defense.

In baseball Coach Terao's senior year he was a first team All-Metro Catcher, and made the Metro 3A Alll-Star Team. He was a top 3 ranked catcher in the state and top 10 Washington prospect for the MLB Draft.

Coach Terao played on the Baseball NW and PAC NW travel teams and was an Area Code Selection for the KC Royals. He played collegiately at Bellevue College , University of Portland and Towson University. He also played for the Yuba-Sutter Gold Sox, and Bellingham Bells collegiate summer teams. Coach Terao is currently the catching coach at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.

COACH ROMELL MITCHELL

Outfield/Hitting Coach

Coach Mitchell has years of experience in both playing and coaching. While attending West Seattle High School he was a 3 sport letter winner in Football, Basketball and Baseball. He earned All Metro 1st Team Selection as an Outfielder in both his Junior & Senior years.

Coach Mitchell was drafted out of West Seattle High School in the 17th Round of the 1997 Major League Draft by the Houston Astro's but chose to go to college and play baseball. He played ball at Bellevue College and St. Martin's College before being drafted by the San Diego Padres. He played professional baseball in both the Frontier and Canadian baseball Leagues.

COACH JACOB TALAMANTE

Outfield Coach

Talamante graduated from Saint Mary's College of California where he played OF for the Gaels 2017-2021.

In his final season for the Gaels Talamante appeared in 43 games and made 42 starts as a fifth-year senior in 2021, the second-most starts on the team. He led the Gaels in batting average (.299), hits (47), doubles (12), triples (2), stolen bases (13), and on-base percentage (.414). His OBP was good for a top-ten finish in the WCC, and his 13 stolen bases were the fourth-most. He had a seven-game hitting streak and was named All-WCC Honorable Mention.

Talamante was signed with the Gary SouthShore RailCats, of the American Association of Professional Baseball, and then joined the Missoula PaddleHeads aof the Pioneer League.

COACH J.J. Asinas

Pitching Coach

Coach Asinas hails from Federal Way Washington and attended and played baseball at Todd Beamer High School.

Coach Asinas played collegiately at Central Washington University as a pitcher, and infielder. appearing in 54 games as a pitcher. He finished his 5 years at CWU with a 12-6 record, 137 innings pitched, and 111 strikeouts.

COACH Maggie Gallagher

Hitting Coach

Coach Maggie Gallagher, graduated and played softball at University of Washington.

Her freshman year she played in 20 games and finished the season with a .250 BA. In her Sophomore year she finished the season with a .356 BA with 4 doubles and 8 RBI's.

Raised in Seattle and played at Kennedy Catholic High School as a senior, Coach Gallagher was named the 2017 Gatorade Player of the Year, batting a .714 BA with 17 home runs. Coach Gallagher won back-to-back Seamount League MVP with a .719 batting average along with 42 runs scored and 34 RBI in her junior campaign. She helped the Lancers to a league title and was named a MaxPreps 2015 Small Schools All-American.

Coach Gallagher was twice named to the Seattle Times All-Area team and First Team All-Conference each season.

1n 2022 Coach Gallagher was the Head Coach of the UW Women's Baseball Club Team winning the Collegiate Women's Club Team National Championship. She also competes in the Puget Sound Senior Baseball League.

MiLB COACHES

COACH ELI WILSON

Catching/Hitting Coach MiLB

Coach Wilson graduated from Garfield High School in 2016 and was named to the all-state all-star team in 2016 and the all-state third team his junior season. He was named all-conference twice and all-area by the Seattle Times. Selected on the Kansas City Royals Area Code Team.

Coach Wilson went on to play at the University of Minnesota and was an All-Big Ten First Team selection leading the Gophers with his .294 batting average, reaching base at a .382 clip, and slugging .453 with five home runs, 15 doubles, 29 RBIs, and 32 runs scored. Was an Academic All-Big Ten Selection and received the Richard “Chief” Siebert Memorial MVP Award voted on by teammates and the Paul Molitor Batting Champion title.

Coach Wilson was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 16th round of the 2019 draft.

COACH MORGAN McCULLOUGH

Infield/Hitting Coach MiLB

Coach McCullough was a four-time first team all-metro selection at West Seattle High School and Washington 3A All-State team as a senior.

McCullough played with the 2015 18U Team USA that earned a gold medal at the 2015 WBSC Championship in Osaka, Japan.

McCullough played in 53 games at University of Oregon his freshman year. His sophomore year McCullough transferred to Chipola Community College where he helped them to a second straight NJCAA National Championship. Named to the All-Tournament Team and the Jay W. Tolman Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Elite Hitter and Preston Walker MVP

His Junior year McCullough played at University of Alabama starting in 54 games and finishing as the overall team leader in triples (3) and tying for the lead in doubles (12) and multi-hit games (17).

Coach McCullough was selected in the 22nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Angels. and is currently in the KC Royals minor league organization.

COACH SAM HELLINGER

Pitching Coach MiLB

Coach Hellinger is a West Seattle native and played at West Seattle High School earning Metro League MVP his senior year. He was part of the Wildcats first ever WIAA State 3A title appearance.

Played two years 2014 & 2015 for the College of San Mateo going 15-2 in two seasons for the Bulldogs, including a 9-0 mark as a sophomore. Hellinger earned First Team All-Conference as a pitcher.

Played for Gonzaga University in 2016 and 2017. In 2016 Hellinger went

3-1 with a 5.36 ERA and 30 strikeouts and 42.0 innings pitched as a junior leading the team with 26 appearances, all in relief. In 2017 he made 23 appearances as a senior, going 4-3 with two saves, and a 3.79 ERA in 40.1 innings. Had a 25/9 strikeout/walk ratio, third-best on the team.

Coach Hellinger, is currently in the Texas Rangers farm system. Hellinger attended West Seattle High School where he posted school records for most wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts. Was the 2013 Washington State Player of the Year, 2013 Seattle Times All-Area team and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2013.

MLB COACHES

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COACH STUART FAIRCHILD

Outfield/Hitting Coach

Coach Stuart Fairchild, from Seattle, WA attended Seattle Preperatory High School. He was a Seattle Times All-Area Team selection in 2014. He attended and played college baseball for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

In 2017, his junior year, he slashed .360/.439/.636 with 17 home runs and 67 RBIs in 63 games

He was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 2017 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. He is currently playing for the Cincinnati Reds.

2023 WBA TEAM COACHES

COACH DYLAN MCLAUCHLIN

18U HEAD COACH

Coach McLauchlin, graduated and played baseball at Enumclaw High School

He started his collegiate career at Green River Community College but after only playing for one year tore his UCL and was forced to cut his pitching career short.

Coach McLauchlin has several years of select team coaching experience coaching at Baden and Rijo Athletics as a pitching and hitting coach. He also coached the Baden 13U-15U select teams while at Baden.

Coach McLauchlin was an assistant coach for Mercer Island High School baseball team prior to taking the assistant baseball coaching position at West Seattle High School.

COACH GARY TATTERSON

18U Co-HEAD COACH

Coach Tatterson comes from Arizona and is in his second year as the Head Baseball Coach at Cleveland High School.

Coach Tatterson started his collegiate pitching career at Glendale Community College in Arizona and was drafted by the Twins in the 16th round. Coach Tatterson chose to continue his collegiate career at Arizona State where he sustained an injury but was still drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 35th round.

Coach Tatterson brings years of baseball experience to the WBA program and we are excited to have him with the WBA program.

COACH DAVID JOHNSON

16U HEAD COACH

Coach Johnson hails from West Seattle where he was a West Seattle Little League All-Star. He attended Chief Sealth High School where he was a standout infielder and Team Captain. He was a first team Metro 3A All-Star selection his senior year.

He attended and played baseball on scholarship at Whitman College. In his freshman year he started all but one of his 48 games played. and batted .292 with 33 runs, 36 RBI, 14 doubles, a triple and five homeruns...season high four hits against Whitworth, batting 4-5 including a double and a homerun to go along with one run and four RBI...belted a grand slam vs. Occidental as part of a two-hit, two-run, seven-RBI performance...homered three times in a five game NWC stretch and .batted 3-4 with one run in the NCAA Tournament at Chapman.

His junior year he saw action in 16 games prior to the season being suspended. for COVID. He had a .266. batting average and scored nine runs with eight RBI, three doubles, a triple and a homerun.

In his senior year he played in 30 games with 27 starts.. He was second on the team in homeruns (8) to go along with 21 runs, four doubles and one triple finishing with a .344 batting average on the season helping his team to make the conference tournament.

Coach Johnson graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Biology. After graduating he became a Emergency Medical Technician and is now working on his Medicall Degree.

COACH JARED THURBER

16U ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Thurber attended Kennedy Catholic High School where he was a four-time letter winner. He was a three-time All-North Puget Sound League selection and as junior hit .387 with eight doubles, one triple and 18 stolen bases. As a senior, he hit .347 with six doubles, two triples, one home run and 12 stolen bases.

A complete athlete Coach Thurber also lettered twice in basketball. and was also a four-year letter winner in football. He was a three-time All-League wide receiver and as a senior was named North Puget Sound 4A Offensive Player of the Year, NPSL 4A First Team and Tacoma News Tribune All-Area First Team after catching 53 passes for 1,205 yards and 20 touchdowns. He also picked off three passes, was 14-of-16 kicking extra points and threw one touchdown pass. Coach Thurber was awarded the Kennedy Catholic Val Kirk Student-Athlete Award..

After high school Coach Thurber attended the University of Montana to play football as a wide receiver. After redshirting his freshman year he made the decision to switch to baseballl and transferred to Washington State University.

At Washington State University Coach Thurber appeared in 22 games, 10 as a starter and hit .220 with two doubles and five RBI's and scored nine runs prior to the COVID shutdown.

Coach Thurber is now working on his Nursing degree..

COACH NATE RASMUSSEN

15U Head Coach

Coach Rasussen attended and played baseball at West Seattle High School 2017-2021. During the summer of 2021 Coach Rasmussen played for Washington Baseball Academy in its innaugural year.

After High School Coach Rasmussen attended and pitched at Bellevue CC under legendary coach Mark Yoshino.. His freshman and sophomore years he appeared in 25 games, completed 63 innings on the bump going 3-3 with 6 saves finishing with a 4.13 ERA, striking out 52 batters in 63 innings.

In 2023 Coach Coach Rasmussen is currently continuing his collegiate baseball career at Corban University in Oregon.

COACH HARRISON CLARK

15U Assistant Coach

Coach Clark attended and played baseball at Mt. Si High School 2016-2020.

After High School Coach Clark attended and played at Bellevue CC .. His freshman year he appeared in 14 games, compiling 39 AB's and an .333 batting average, .438 OBP and a .410 slugging average. His Sophomore year was cut short due to a injury and is currently recovering and looking to get back on the diamond this summer.

COACH JARRETT HITE

14U HEAD COACH

Coach Hite attended and played baseball at Auburn Riverside High School 2012-2016 as a pitcher and outfielder and was a 3 year Varsity starter earning SPSL Second Team honors as both a pitcher and outfielder.

After High School Coach Hite went on to play on scholarship at Everett CC and Wenatchee Valley CC as a pitcher.

After his college career was cut short due to injury Coach Hite started his coaching career as the assistant baseball coach at Foster High School. Coach Hite made the move to Arizona where he became the Pitching Coordinator at Post Grad Sports in Scottsdale Arizona. coaching college age players making their transition into collegiate baseball.

Coach Hite recently moved back to the Northwest and WBA was fortunate to have the opportunity to have him join our staff bringing his vast knowledge and experience to the program.

COACH JAIDEN NELSON

14U ASSISTANT COACH

Coach Nelson attended and played baseball at Kennedy Catholic High School 2013-2017

Complete Bio Coming

COACH TYLER TODISH

14U Co-HEAD COACH

Coach Todish comes from thr Tri-Cities area where he attended Kennewick High School and played outfield for the Lions.

For collegee he attended and played outfield at Big Bend Colleg.e but was cut short due to COVID. He played in 14 games and had a .324 BA and .416 OBP. Defensively he was 16 for 16 a 1.000 fielding percentage.

COACH MARC STEINER

14U Co-HEAD COACH

COACH DALE DOLEJSI

13U HEAD COACH

Coach Dolejsi attended and played baseball at Charles Lindbergh High School as a pitcher..

After High School Coach Dolejsi went on to play on scholarship at University of the Pacific in Stockton California.

Standing at 6' 9" Coach Dolejsi was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 51st round of the 1994 MLB Amateur Draft..

After his professional baseball career Coach Dolejsi earned his teaching certificate and is the Art teacher at Kennedy Catholic High School and was the Head Baseball Coach.

We are fortunate to have Coach Dolejsi on staff to teach and train our young baseball players on all aspects of the game.

COACH J.J. GUAJARDO

14U Assistant Coach

COACH MAGGIE GALLAGHER

14U GIRLS BASEBALL FOR ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM HEAD COACH

Coach Maggie Gallagher, graduated and played softball at University of Washington.

Her freshman year she played in 20 games and finished the season with a .250 BA. In her Sophomore year she finished the season with a .356 BA with 4 doubles and 8 RBI's.

Coach Gallagher was twice named to the Seattle Times All-Area team and First Team All-Conference each season.

COACH BEN WEXLER

FLOATER COACH

Coach Wexler 4 year varsity letter winner at West Seattle High School and in his senior year played his part to help the Wildcats make their first ever WIAA State 3A title appearance. He threw a complete game 5-hitter, allowing 2 runs while striking out 2 on 76 pitches to help seal Westside’s victory over and first trip to the State 3A Final Four in school history. He earned Metro 3A 2nd Team honors his senior year.

Coiach Wexler attended and played baseball at San Diego City Col.lege.

COACH NICK HORN

FLOATER COACH

Coach Horn was a Kennedy High School standout pitcher. In his senior year he was a key factor in the Lancers advancing to the Elite 8 in the Washington State 4A tournament. He was also named Kennedy Catholic Baseball Player of the Year where he posted a 2.03 ERA resulting in 9 wins on 69 IP with 82K's and a .184 OBA and .923 FP.

Coach Horn attended Bellevue College and had a short stint on the bump before deciding to focus on his academics receiving his AA in Business Administration & Management and transferred to the University of Washington where he received his Bachelors Degree in Business Administration and Management-Finance .

COACH JAKE MAGERA

FLOATER COACH

Coach Magers was on the West Seattle High School team. He was a 2 year varsity letter winner and in his senior year helped the Wildcats make their first ever WIAA State 3A title appearance. and was a Metro 3A honorable mention.

Coach Magera attended and played baseball at Olympic Col.lege.