After nearly three seasons presiding over the West Coast League (WCL) – the leading summer collegiate wood-bat baseball league in the west – Dennis Koho announced his resignation as WCL president effective immediately. Koho cited needs to focus solely on his law practice and to spend more time with family.

“I am appreciative of having the opportunity to serve as the West Coast League’s president,” said Koho. “I love baseball and the West Coast League, and am happier for having had the experience.”

Koho started his term as president on July 1, 2013 and went on to successfully manage three member transfer sales. He also helped bring baseball back to Yakima County Stadium in 2014 with the expansion Yakima Valley Pippins. And he recently helped make possible the WCL’s latest addition – the Gresham GreyWolves who will play at Mt. Hood Community College’s Oslund Field in 2016.

“Dennis did an excellent job managing several critical team sales over the past few years,” said WCL Treasurer Kelsie Marick of the Bend Elks. “We thank him for his service to the league and its member teams, and we wish him the very best.”

With Koho’s departure, the league will move forward with current WCL Vice President Holly Jones as its interim president.

Jones earned WCL Executive of the Year honors in 2013 as the general manager of the Victoria HarbourCats. She is presently the senior vice president of operations for the Corvallis Knights with six seasons of experience in the WCL. Prior to her position with the HarbourCats, Jones worked in New York City for the NBA League Office and headquarters of JetBlue Airways.

“In the near term, we plan on leveraging our board member strengths to administer the league until we come up with a thoughtful long-term leadership solution for the WCL,” said Jones. “We have a committed and involved board that is enthused to see the league progress and continue to deliver the premier fan and player experience west of the Mississippi.”

ABOUT THE WEST COAST LEAGUE

The West Coast League is the premier summer collegiate baseball league west of the Mississippi. The twelve-year-old, eleven-team, professionally-operated wood-bat league located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest features pro prospects from major conferences across the nation and an unparalleled history out west of great fan and player experiences – not to mention the best summer weather in North America. In 2015, 59 players with WCL experience were selected in the MLB June draft, and over 200 WCL alums appeared in affiliated professional baseball including 25 in the big leagues such as MLB home run leader Chris Davis (Baltimore), NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Matt Duffy (San Francisco) and rising star pitchers Matt Andriese (Tampa Bay) and James Paxton (Seattle). Overall member attendance exceeded 400,000 last season. The 2016 54-game campaign opens Friday, June 3.