Logo courtesy of the Bellingham Bells
Bells Finalize Roster with Pitcher and Catcher
May 2, 2019
The Bellingham Bells have announced the addition of two more players to the team’s 2019 roster. Will Smith, a sophomore right-hander from Seattle University, returns to the Bells after toeing the Joe Martin Field rubber a season ago. Joining him will be Jake Terao, a redshirt freshman catcher from Bellevue College.
Smith, from Shoreline, Wash. is a big right-hander who stands at six feet seven inches. He pitched at Edmonds College prior to joining the Bells last summer, and transferred to Seattle University this year, where he has appeared in nine games, including four starts for the Redhawks.
Smith was excellent with the 2018 Bells, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched. He struck out 13 hitters and walked just four.
“Will was a terrific addition to the 2018 Bells roster, and really helped the team in the early parts of the season,” Bells’ general manager Stephanie Morrell said. “We know him to be a fierce competitor, a great teammate and a guy we think can really help bolster our pitching staff.”
At Edmonds, Smith was named to the Northwest Athletic Conference First Team, First Team North Region and to the American Baseball Coaches Association First Team.
An all-state selection at Shorewood High School in 2017, Smith holds the school’s single-season ERA record at 0.52.
Terao, who hails from Seattle, begins his first year at Bellevue College after spending a redshirt season at the University of Portland.
Through 26 games, Terao is hitting .241 with three homeruns and 16 RBI. He’s also been a tough out, walking 18 times compared to 17 strikeouts.
“Jake is known to be a solid defensive catcher who can also really hit,” Morrell said. “We expect him to add nice depth to our catching lineup and to also be a guy we can count on to get on base.”
The five-foot-eleven-inch Terao earned four varsity letters at Seattle Prep High School, where he was a three-time All-Metro League selection on the diamond. He was also a standout on the football field, receiving multiple league honors, as well as his school’s athlete of the year award in 2017.
Smith, Terao and the rest of the Bells will begin the summer on June 4 against the Kelowna Falcons at Joe Martin Field.
