Kurt Yinger (Stephanie Matusiefsky | THE BEACON)
By Connor Snashall Staff Writer snashall15@up.edu
Winner of the US Bank Student-Athlete of the Month and two-time WCC Player of the Week, sophomore right-handed pitcher Kurt Yinger is proving to be one of the best pitchers in the WCC. Yinger, a business major from Camas, Wash. owns an impressive 2.55 ERA, has 40 strikeouts to go with only six walks and has given up no homeruns to earn a 2-1 record.
What brought you to Portland?
I was initially supposed to go to UC Santa Barbara, but that didn't work out, so I talked to the coaches at UP and decided to come here instead. It's a great school, so it worked out well in the end.
When did you get serious about playing baseball?
I was pretty serious from a young age. I played basically every sport up until high school, but in high school I started to get more serious about baseball with the traveling and everything.
What other sports did you play growing up?
I played basketball and soccer. I played basketball up until high school, then I got more serious about baseball.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Pitching and getting the win at AT&T Park against San Francisco. That was pretty exciting, and it was fun to pitch in a major league stadium.
What music are you listening to right now?
I listen to mostly rap. I like The Game. And other than that I like a little bit of country. My walkout song is Country Boy by Aaron Lewis.
Seattle or Portland?
Portland, because I think Seattle is a little too big and I think Portland has that smaller feel and everything is a little more accessible.
What's your favorite part of Easter?
I liked getting to go home and spending some time with the family, that was a lot of fun. And good food always comes with that, plus the weather this year made it even better than years past.
Do you have any rituals or superstitions you do before games?
I like to eat Chipotle the night before home games.
What are you most excited for in the rest of your career at UP?
Hopefully we can win a lot more games and play in the regional. We were pretty close last year, but we kind of blew it towards the end of the season. I think this year it's still in reach and I'm excited for the years after as well.
