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Baseball Coaching Staff
Mark Yoshino
Head Coach
Coach Mark Yoshino enters his eleventh year as Head Coach at Bellevue, and nineteenth year of coaching
overall. Sixteen of those nineteen have been at Bellevue.
Yoshino was fortunate to take over a team that has only had one
losing season in over 30 years. In a day and age where coaching
turnover is high at all levels, the consistent success of the baseball
program is partly due to the coaching stability at BCC. Yoshino
follows a short list of baseball coaches at Bellevue, which includes
Jim Harryman, Ray Washburn, Bob Albo, Jim Johnson, and his predecessor,
Mike Kanzaki. During the sixteen years as part of the Bellevue tradition,
Yoshino has played an active role in the growth of an already successful
baseball program. Since his inception into Bellevue Community College
athletics in 1994, Yoshino has helped over 108 players move on to
continue playing baseball and furthering their education at four-year
colleges, set a school record for most wins in a season, and increased
net fundraising revenue by 50%. He has also helped spearhead greater
community involvement to numerous youth baseball leagues on the
eastside from the Little League to American Legion level. His commitment
to the eastside baseball community is evident by his attendance
at youth baseball games for all age levels throughout the area in
addition to his numerous coaching clinics as well. Yoshino has also
helped cultivate several facility development projects for Courter
Field along with an increase in the number of student-athletes graduating
with a two-year degree while playing baseball at the college. The
team is currently graduating approximately 75% of their sophomores,
which is a major success for athletic programs at the community
college level. Entering his eleventh year as Head Coach, Yoshino
has coached 29 players who were drafted by professional teams. He has
had nineteen pitchers drafted since his inception in '94 with nine
signing professionally in the last six years.
Prior to becoming part of the Helmsmen
coaching staff, Yoshino was associated
as a player and coach at Bellevue's arch-rival opponent, Edmonds
Community College. As Head Assistant at Bellevue from 1994-1998,
Yoshino was responsible for performing duties such as coaching pitchers,
development of the off-season speed/strength & conditioning
program, recruiting, maintaining Courter Field, coordinating youth
instruction programs, promotions, fundraising, budget management,
equipment-uniforms, academic advising, and sports information. He continues many of these duties today as Head Coach.
His first year not only was successful by his own terms, but also was one of the
best seasons ever in school history. Yoshino earned North Region
Coach of the Year honors for assembling a region championship club.
In addition to the team setting a school record for wins, Yoshino
felt that the program's greatest accomplishments that year were
individual, as ten of twelve second-year players earned a degree.
In addition, nine of those were recruited by and placed into four-year
college baseball programs. The '02 season will also go down in Bellevue
history as one of the greatest teams for their 34-14 record and
runner-up finish at the NWAACC Championships. Bellevue finished
with the number one ranking in the NWAACC Coaches' Poll in '02 as
Yoshino was named Coach of the Year.
In 2003, fourteen
players received scholarships to play baseball at the next level
- more than any other college in the league. Of those fourteen,
eleven were to division I universities while another was to one
of the top NAIA programs in the nation. Two turned down scholarships
to pursue professional baseball.
2007 was one of the greatest as far as the team goes, but was another success for Coach Yoshino's primary goals: graduation and moving on to a four-year institution. 13 players from the team are now at four-year colleges while 9 of them received their transfer degree. A final national ranking of 18th along with winning the school's first NWAACC Championship in over 28 years was just icing on the cake.
A 1987 Interlake HS (Bellevue) grad, Yoshino accumulated several accomplishments as a pitcher in both
high school and college. As a junior, Yoshino sported a 0.60 ERA
for the 24-1 Saints, who captured the class AAA state championship
in addition to a final ranking of 16th in the nation by U.S.A.
Today. The following year, Yoshino earned All-KingCo honors
as he captained the Saints to a Crest Division title. Yoshino then
took the mound at Edmonds CC, compiling a two-year record of 12-1
for Coach Bill Stubbs. In 1989, Edmonds finished second in the NWAACC
with a 40-6 record, one of only three teams to win 40 games in the
history of NWAACC baseball. Yoshino was named recipient of the Art
Feiro Award (first and only Edmonds CC athlete to ever receive this
honor), which is presented annually to the top scholar-athlete in
the NWAACC.
After a recurring elbow injury ended
his playing days after earning a scholarship
to the University of Portland, Yoshino returned home to begin coaching.
He began with the U.S. Bank (now known as Washington Bankers Connie
Mack) team in 1990. He was with the summer league powerhouse for
seven years. During his U.S. Bank stint, Yoshino spent one
season as pitching coach at Edmonds CC, where his staff sported
the lowest team ERA (2.40) in the NWAACC. Other coaching stints
include the Sandy Koufax level (13-14 year-olds), and the Chaffey
18-under Baseball Club in 1997, a team which he played on in his
prep days. He has been a clinician-speaker at several events in
the region including the Pemco All-Sports Clinic, Washington
Baseball Camps, Pacific Northwest
Coaches' Convention, Bellevue CC Camps, Edmonds CC Camps, St. Martin's College Camps, Dave Valle Baseball
Camps, and Diamond Baseball Camps. His baseball knowledge has also
been utilized in the past by previously serving as an associate
scout in the early 90's for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox organizations
before he became a coach at Bellevue.
Yoshino earned his master's degree from Pacific Lutheran University in exercise
science/athletic administration. He graduated with honors and a
3.9 g.p.a. In 1993, he obtained his bachelor's degree in exercise
& sport science from Western Washington University. He was selected
by the faculty at Western as the Outstanding Graduating Senior and
Physical Education Major of the Year for graduating with a 4.0 g.p.a.
Yoshino also served an internship at the Philadelphia Phillies spring
training site in Clearwater, FL, assisting the sports medicine team
with the physical conditioning / injury rehabilitation of minor
leaguers. Yoshino earned the Certified Strength and Conditioning
Specialist title, which is recognized by university athletic and
professional sport organizations as the credential to work with
elite athletes at either level. Yoshino is a member
of the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength &
Conditioning Association, and American Baseball Coaches Association
among others.
Yoshino's academic and professional
credentials in the health & fitness field have given him the opportunity to also work at the college as a
full-time instructor in physical education and health. He is a tenured
faculty member at the college and is also the Assistant Athletic
Director and Men's Athletic Commissioner. In 1996, Yoshino was a
nominee for the Margin of Excellence Award, which is annually presented
to an employee on campus whose dedicated efforts towards helping
students and serving the college are recognized. Although mostly
known for his hard work on the baseball diamond, Yoshino is just
as proud of his efforts 'in the classroom' - as a student and as
an instructor. To Yoshino, these accolades are the true reflection
of his efforts at serving as a positive role model for the players
at Bellevue. His promotion of sportsmanship while still demonstrating
success in a competitive college athletic environment has been recognized
by his peers. In 1999, Yoshino was asked to speak at the Seamount
League Sportsmanship Summit. His commitment towards enhancing the
image of Pacific Northwest baseball is also evidenced by his active
role on the NWAACC Baseball Committee. Yoshino and his wife Lisa and their son Quinn (born 11-11-07) reside in Newcastle.
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Scott Fairbanks
Assistant Coach
Assistant Coach Scott Fairbanks begins his fourth year of coaching at the college level after a learning experience in 2006 as interim coach for Olympic College in his hometown of Bremerton. Originally signing on as a volunteer coach, Fairbanks was thrusted into an everyday coaching role after a mid-season termination of the head coach. His exposure to a variety of duties was perhaps one of the fastest ways to learn the realms of college coaching. Now a local resident, Fairbanks is continuing his true passion at his alma mater.
In addition to assisting Yoshino with the daily practice regimen, Fairbanks will also work with the infielders and will serve as one of the two base coaches this upcoming spring. Fairbanks' mulitude of coaching duties also include maintenance of Courter Field, equipment, and summer camp director. He is also the key figure who scouts prospects for the Bulldogs. With an eye for evaluating talent, Fairbanks has visions of either a major college coaching or professional scouting career. His experience at all levels is of tremendous value to the team. This past summer, Fairbanks raised eyebrows throughout the northwest by bringing in a fresh, young group of talent to the Bankers Baseball Club, an 18-under summer team with a storied tradition. Fairbanks not only recruited in, but coached the over-achieving group to a 30-18 record, which included a tournament title at the Palouse Summer Series, hosted by Washington State University. This upcoming summer, Fairbanks will coach pitchers for his former youth club, Taylor Baseball, a perennial powerhouse in the the youth amateur circuit.
Fairbanks prepped at Olympic HS in Silverdale, WA. He was a two-time All-Olympic League pitcher and led the Trojans to post-season play. WIth a sidearm 88 mph fast ball, Fairbanks was a one-of-a-kind in the state, and was named a member of the Seattle Mariners area code team in the summer of '98. He was recruited by the University of Miami but enrolled at a junior college instead, with ambitions of becoming a professional pitcher. He was a standout out of the bullpen for Yoshino at BCC in '01 and '02. He earned a scholarship to Lewis-Clark State College, the national powerhouse. He was finally drafted after his senior campaign by the Oakland Athletics. He played two years of professional baseball before settling down this past season to begin coaching. Fairbanks and his wife Jody reside in Issaquah.
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Jesse Ferguson
Assistant Coach
Bellevue Bulldog alumni, Jesse Ferguson begins his first year coaching with his former team. A dangerous left-handed hitter during his days at Bellevue with speed and a plus arm good enough to pitch as well at the college level, Ferguson will direct the Bulldogs hitting and outfielders this year.
During the summer, Ferguson is also active in the local community as Head Coach for the Eastlake Tigers 15-year old select team.
Ferguson brings first-hand experience from one of the premier universities in one of the top athletic conferences in the nation. He spent two seasons at Clemson University for Coach Jack Leggett. Ferguson redshirted during the 2004 season due to a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The following year, he appeared in 44 for the Tigers, who lost to Baylor in the third game of the three-game NCAA Super Regionals, one win short of the College World Series. He started five games and hit .316 in 22 ACC games.
Ferguson’s stint at Bellevue Community College was brief, as he played only one year with stellar statistics on the field and in the classroom which allowed him to accept an early scholarship to Clemson after his freshman campaign for the Bulldogs. He played one season (2003) for Yoshino and was a First Team All-NWAACC North Region outfielder. He hit .317 with 15 stolen bases.
A prep standout at Redmond High School, Ferguson earned three baseball letters for the Mustangs under coach Pat Frable. He batted .418 as a junior and was named First Team All-KingCo Designated Hitter as a junior. His two-way talents were evident the following year, as he was then named First Team All-KingCo Pitcher as a senior.
Ferguson graduated in 2007 from the University of Washington with a B.S. degree in Human Health Ecology. He currently is also a personal trainer at the Redmond Athletic Club. Ferguson is single and resides in Redmond.
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Mark Potoshnik
Assistant Coach
Mark Potoshnik, although a first year coach with the Bulldogs, is by no means a rookie to the coaching ranks. In fact, he began his coaching career at the same time as Bellevue Head Coach Mark Yoshino at rival schools. While Yoshino was coaching pitchers as an assistant at Bellevue in 1993-94, Potoshnik was serving in the same capacity at rival Edmonds CC.
Potoshnik has since gone on to develop an impressive resume of stints at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels. He has engineered success on the diamond wherever he's been. He currently manages the coaching staff and programs associated with Northwest Baseball Academy, his training facility located in Lynnwood. He is the Winter Program Pitching & Hitting Instructor, U18 Seattle Bombers Head Coach, and Camp Instructor. He established Northwest Baseball Academy in 1996 and began coaching with Express Baseball Club. Express Baseball Club was renamed Seattle Baseball Club in 2000 and then Seattle Bombers in 2001 when it was brought into the Academy as the current summer baseball program. Prior to that, Potoshnik was a summer coach for the Edmonds Baseball Association in ’94 and ’95.
Most recently, Potoshnik enjoyed tremendous success as a high school coach. He has been the head coach for two high schools (Archibishop Murphy ’08, Roosevelt ’05-’07) and has taken both of them to the playoffs. His leadership at Roosevelt is particularly significant, as he rose the bar at a school with a struggling baseball program to the level of other top teams in the competitive KingCo 4A League.
Potoshnik’s eye for talent in the baseball industry has also been utilized in the professional ranks. From 2000 to 2005, he was an Associate Scout with the Anaheim Angels and from ‘96 to ’99 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
A Kennewick HS grad, Potoshnik received his AA Degree from Taft College and BA degree in History from Chico State University. He is currently working on his master's degree in education at the University of Washington. He was a two-time draft, selected in the 26th round in ’85 by the Texas Rangers, then again in ’86 in the 4th round by the Houston Astros. Potoshnik, and his wife, Stephanie, reside in Kenmore with their two children, Kendra (10), and Ian Tate (7).
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