Kyle Krustangel
Head Coach
Kyle Krustangel was named the fourth all-time coach of the Wenatchee AppleSox, Sept. 14, 2016.
Coach Krustangel is entering his second year as the skipper of the Yakima Valley CC Yaks. In his first year, the Yaks won the NWAC title for the 21st time in school history. The Yaks posted a 34-17 record and also won the NWAC East division with a 20-8 conference record. Coach Krustangel was named NWAC East coach of the year, NWAC coach of the year, and ABCA Regional coach of the year. Krustangel had eight players sign letter of intents and many more added to four-year rosters from the NWAC title team. Conner Anderson was an ABCA national Gold Glove winner for his defense at first base under Krustangel.
Krustangel took the reigns as Head Coach of the Yaks in 2015. The previous year, he was an assistant coach under Dan Ramsay at Whitworth University. Krustangel was the hitting coach and helped with baseball operations. Whitworth finished with its second-best record in school history, earning an NCAA regional birth in Texas. Whitworth was the NWC tournament champion and had one player sign with the Texas Rangers. Krustangel served as the team’s camp and tournament director as well.
From 2011-2014, Krustangel was the head varsity baseball coach at Bridgeport High School. Bridgeport had two playoff appearances under Krustangel and in 2014 Krustangel was voted Coach of the Year.
For the past four summers, Krustangel has been the head coach of Spokane Bandits AAA American Legion team. The Bandits have won league championships every year under Krustangel and earned a state tournament berth in each of the last two years. Last summer, the Bandits finished 27 games over .500 and finished third at State.
Krustangel also was the head coach of the Cranbrook Bandits in Cranbrook, BC for two seasons, and was also the associate head coach of the NE 49ers for two seasons. He has worked the last seven years as a camp director of the Whitworth NIKE camps and was the lead director last year.
As a player, Krustangel attended Joel E. Ferris High School and was a four-time baseball letter winner and two-time ALL-GSL selection for baseball and football. He played one year at Big Bend CC and transferred to Whitworth University where he was two-time All-NWC. He also played one summer in the WCL for the Spokane Riverhawks.
Krustangel graduated from Whitworth with a Secondary Ed degree with a major in History and minor in ESL. He taught for three years at Bridgeport High School.
Cash Ulrich
Assistant Coach
Cash Ulrich was named assistant coach of the AppleSox, March 30, 2017.
Ulrich is no stranger to working with Krustangel. Currently, the two coach together at Yakima Valley CC, and the duo helped bring an NWAC Championship to the school during their first seasons at YVCC, last spring.
Ulrich coached the Spokane Bandits AAA American Legion team last summer, and is a native of Spokane, Wash. He graduated from Eastern Washington University, and was previously the head coach of the Eagles.
He coached at Gonzaga Prep High School for three years and also coached for Prep’s summer legion program, before he was named the head coach of the Eastern Washington baseball team.
In the past twenty-six years, Eastern has made the playoffs three times, all three while Cash was the head coach. He coached seven players who earned All-American honors during his four seasons at Cheney, Wash.
Riley Drongesen
Pitching Coach
Riley Drongesen was named pitching coach for the AppleSox, March 30, 2017.
Drongesen, is a former Division I catcher from the University of the Pacific (Calif.) who just wrapped up a two-year playing career in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization.
The Granite Bay, Calif. native was a career .258 hitter for Pacific, and owned plus-.300 slugging and on-base percentages. As a professional, he picked up 21 hits and drove in 11 runs during his two-year minor league career. He spent time with the Johnson City Cardinals, GCL Cardinals, State College Spikes, and Peoria Chiefs.