PORTLAND, Ore. – Wednesday morning, West Coast League Commissioner Rob Neyer announced the summer loop’s Coach of the Year, Umpire of the Year, and Jim Dietz Team Sportsmanship Award.

Mitch Darlington is this season’s Coach of the Year. He skippered the Wenatchee AppleSox to a WCL-best 39-13 record in the regular season, capturing the North Division title in both halves.

In the playoffs, Wenatchee swept the Kelowna Falcons in a best-of-three divisional semifinal series before defeating the Bellingham Bells to reach the championship game. In that contest last Thursday night in Wenatchee, the AppleSox scored a thrilling come-from-behind win over the Corvallis Knights and earned their sixth WCL title and first since 2012.

“The AppleSox have been a perennial championship contender since Mitch arrived in 2022,” said Commissioner Rob Neyer, “and considering his ability to both recruit and coach brilliantly, a championship was probably just a matter of time.”

Darlington earned his second top coach honor, having shared the award in 2024 when he led the AppleSox to a runner-up finish, falling just short against Portland in the championship game.

The 2026 Umpire of the Year is Mattias Smith. His hard work and steady progression have earned him an invitation to the Major League Baseball Umpire Prospect Development Camp next January in Vero Beach, Florida.

“Mattias has embraced the development process from day one and has consistently shown a willingness to learn, work, and improve,” said John White, the WCL’s supervisor of umpires. “His progression in the WCL has been impressive, and this invitation to the MLB Umpire Prospect Development Camp is a tremendous opportunity for him to take the next step. We’re proud of what he’s accomplished and excited to see where his hard work takes him.”

This year’s Dick Dietz Sportsmanship Award goes to the Bellingham Bells. No strangers to this prestigious team award, the Bells also were honored in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2021. What’s new this summer was head coach Alan Regier, who not only led the Bells to the second-best record in the WCL, but also guided his team through an entire season without a single ejection among coaches or players.

Awards Schedule
August 17: Executive, Broadcaster, and Scorekeeper awards
August 19: Coach, Umpire, and Sportsmanship Awards
August 20: All-WCL Team
August 24: MVP and Pitcher of the Year Awards
August 26: Top Prospect Award

About the West Coast League
The West Coast League is North America’s premier summer collegiate baseball league, now in its 21st season. Sixteen teams span the region from Oregon to Alberta, giving top amateur athletes a grand stage for competition, development, and connection with the communities they represent, in the finest summer baseball weather on the continent. In each of the last three seasons, a WCL alumnus has been selected in the top five of the MLB Draft, and 10 players have come off the board in the first 10 picks over the last decade.