Redshirt junior third baseman Mikey Bell and his teammates in Spokane, Washington, have high aspirations for not only winning the seventh and final West Coast Conference regular season title for the Gonzaga Bulldogs baseball program, but an even more important return to the NCAA Tournament regionals for the first time since 2022.
Gonzaga received four first-place votes in the West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll, behind the favorite San Diego Toreros’ five first-place votes.
Bad news for the San Diego program, preseason All-West Coast Conference junior shortstop Isaiah Lane is no longer with the Toreros because of a violation of team rules. Something to ponder with the start of the college baseball season now having arrived.
Bell, who was left off the 2026 Golden Spikes preseason watchlist, is coming off a historic first season with the Zags. The Fresno, California native hit 11 home runs, 17 double-doubles, and 45 runs batted in on a .360 batting average and .616 slugging percentage. The now 22-year-old was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year for his efforts at the plate.
Gonzaga’s senior infielder Hudson Shupe, junior right-handed pitching duo of Erik Hoffberg and Finbar O’Brien, along with Bell, were all listed on the All-West Coast Conference preseason team. After leading the West Coast Conference in saves in 2025, Hoffberg is ready for a national breakout campaign. He was listed on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watchlist.
The Slipper Still Fits spoke with Bell before the start of the 2026 season, breaking down what to expect from the entire clubhouse. All the way from his own personal expectations to the excitement around the deep bullpen.
What was the reasoning for your personal success last season, being named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year?
“Dating back to since I’ve been playing baseball, I’ve always worked super hard. Going into the year, I kind of believed that I deserved the success that I had. And then once you get going, once you’re hot, you just keep going. I got on a roll to start conference and just kept it going. It was just a super fun year.”
D-I Baseball named you the No. 4 third baseman amongst the mid-major rankings heading into the 2026 campaign. How much do you pay attention to the preseason chatter or hype around both you and your team?
“Not too much. It’s nice to see your name on there. But it’s preseason stuff. It really doesn’t mean too much. The postseason accolades and conference championships are really what I look for and what we look for. It’s nice to see your name up there for sure, I hear you.”
How much did your previous time at the junior college level with Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California, prepare you for the Division I level?
“I definitely changed a lot physically when I was there. My freshman year, I redshirted and went there, and my coach believed in me a lot. I mean, I hit one home run in high school, didn’t really have a lot of power, and then he kind of dove into my swing and changed some things up that helped a lot. That’s obviously gotten me to where I am now, hitting a lot of home runs and doubles. So it’s definitely a pivotal part of my career.”
Tell me more about the pitching depth that can be found in the bullpen. Who from that group has really surprised you during the offseason?
“We had a couple guys come back. Finbar and and Hoffberg are obviously the bigger names, but A lot of new guys, younger guys have stepped up. I mean, freshman Landon Hood came in the fall kind of trying to figure out a couple pitches, and he’s looked great coming back in the winter. Karsten Sweum made some big jumps over the winter. Frank Willius, he also made a ton of big jumps over the winter, and he looks great. So I think our depth this year is going to be really good.”
What made you decide to play under the legendary coach Mark Machtolf? What did he do to convince you to come over?
“I was between a couple schools kind of late in the spring, and I came up on a visit with my dad, not really knowing what to expect having never been up here in the state of Washington. Definitely not used to the cold, but I came up in the spring for a game, and the coaches seemed like they really bought in on me and cared about me. Then you’ve got great facilities here. I met some of the guys. They’re great people, great families around. It seemed like home for me, so it was an easy decision.”
What makes you believe that this season’s group is capable of winning the West Coast Conference in the school’s last go-around in the conference and making it back to the regionals for the first time since 2022?
“I think obviously we have a strong, strong core coming back. A lot of returners coming back and we’re pretty old this year. A lot of junior college guys, a lot of grad transfers. Definitely a lot of experience in college baseball, knowing the day-to-day grind throughout the fall and spring. We’re pretty seasoned in that department and I think it’s going to carry over well throughout the season.”
Season tickets are still available at this point. What is your pitch to students and the locals to come out to the Patterson Baseball Complex and Coach Steve Hertz Field?
“A lot of chips have fallen into place and I think we’re gonna have a really good team. I love our group this year. We’re a lot of fun. I think it’ll be super entertaining to watch. A lot of energy. I’d love for us to pack it out every game.”
Gonzaga has a loaded schedule that includes a scenic season-opening series at the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, a trip to the Oklahoma Sooners, and an always entertaining stretch with the powerhouse Toreros in West Coast Conference play.
The season officially starts on Friday, Feb. 13, at 8:35 p.m. PT in Manoa, Hawaii. It can be viewed on ESPN+.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
