Pitching Becomes Bigger Factor For Baseball In 2018

If ever the statement "what are you going to do for an encore?" applied to a program, it would be the 2018 Pasadena City College baseball team. The '17 Lancers set historic contemporary marks for the program, including winning a conference title, making the postseason and winning a regional playoff series, winning 26 games, and setting several individual hitting highs. Even the head coach--Pat McGee--will try to follow up being named the South Coast Conference Coach of the Year for all men's sports.

But while the defending SCC North Division champion Lancers can look back fondly at the year that was, the task of winning and competing for a playoff spot could be a tough challenge in the 2018 season. PCC lost to graduation several key players including conference MVP/All-American first baseman Jeremy Conant (University of New Mexico), All-American second baseman Andres Kim (South Carolina Upstate), and defensive wizard and shortstop Alex Briggs (Long Island-Brooklyn, NY). All-SoCal Region outfielder Shane Ogata also won't be returning as a medical redshirt. 

Only three field starters come back from last year in All-SCC Second Team centerfielder John Bicos, third baseman now shortstop Jose Jimenez, and leftfielder now possibly second baseman Nico Martinez. Jared Esquivel, who emerged as a leftfielder during the playoffs, also returns to the roster. While All-SCC First Team pitcher Race Gardner, an early signee to Hawaii Hilo, is back as a sophomore, the Lancers pitching staff will have mostly new faces.

"Pitching is already our strength going into the season, but we're going to have to work hard to generate runs. We will find out if we can field well enough behind this staff," said McGee, beginning his fourth season in charge of the program. "Our tradition has been a steady defensive middle infield going back to my first year here. I'm hoping that can continue."

Gardner, the pitching hero in the Lancers' playoff upset over Riverside, hurled a 6-5 freshman record with a 4.64 ERA and led PCC in innings pitched at 77.1. Talented frosh newcomers Gordon Ingebritson, from Village Christian High after taking a redshirt at Coastal Carolina University, and hard-throwing Patrick Pena (Salesian High) are expected to take key roles. Ingebritson was on the same prep staff as former PCC All-SCC pitcher Jesse Hanckel (now at Azusa Pacific University). As a senior, the All-Olympic League Ingebritson had a 6-3 record and 2.44 ERA with 77 strikeouts in 71.2 innings. Pena recorded a 6-2 mark and 2.89 ERA in leading Salesian to the Camino Real League championship his senior season. 

Other pitching newcomers of note are Lorenzo Llorens, a member of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune All-Area First Team who was 9-2 with a 1.33 ERA as the ace of San Dimas High's staff, Nathan Garkow, an All-Hacienda League hurler at Charter Oak High who transferred to PCC after red-shirting at Hawaii Pacific University, and Frank Gonzalez, an All-LA City Division II First Team selection after a brilliant senior season at South Gate High where he was 8-1 with a 0.71 ERA and 87 strikeouts. Local product Jesus Zarazua (Muir High) is another freshman arm in the bullpen. Throw in letterman pitchers Matt McElligott (3-1 as a PCC reliever last year) and Chase Miller (returning from the '16 Lancers) and Pasadena could have its deepest staff in the McGee era.

"We have some really good, live arms and guys who we can turn to as starters and others as reliable relievers. I'm pleased with the staff we have going into the season," McGee said.

In the field, Jimenez, who hit .317 with 29 RBI as a freshman, replaces Briggs at shortstop. Jimenez batted .412 in four playoff games and will be relied on to be a key hitter as a sophomore. Martinez (.262, 10 RBI last year) may end up being Jimenez' double-play partner at second base, but also is a reliable outfielder and can play third base. Grayshirt Daniel Netz, who batted .443 as a senior at Maranatha High, will have big shoes to fill at first base while third base is up for grabs between several players including sophomore Sean Fassler ('16 Lancers, .266, 6 RBI) and redshirt transfer freshmen in APU-bounceback Alex Jelloian (who hit .500 as a junior, .409 as a senior as an All-Olympic League First Team selection at Heritage Christian High) and Ryan Whithorn, who joins PCC after first attending Concordia University. Whithorn was a multiple All-San Joaquin League First Team selection at Webb Schools in Claremont. Both Jelloian and Whithorn can play second base as well.

Bicos is once again the captain of the outfield after a strong rookie season (.280, 21 RBI, .399 on-base percentage, .992 fielding percentage) and he will be flanked by leftfielder Edward Manzo, who was the Golden League MVP from Palmdale's Knight High and a member of the LA Daily News All-Area Second Team, and seldom-used letterman Ardon Fryer in right field. Esquivel and freshman Kevin Miles (St. Francis Drake High in Northern California) are expected to be part of the outfield mix and used at designated hitter. 

At catcher, Matt Orozco (Wilson High in Hacienda Heights) has the inside track for the starting job as he exhibits a strong arm. Tony Shue (Monrovia High) and Evan Chang (Maranatha HS) will back him up. 

"We're going to be led on offense by Bicos, Martinez, and Jimenez as they are experienced hitters at this level," McGee said. "Guys like Netz and Fryer have made great strides in the winter to improve at the plate. But we're not going to have the type of high-power, extra-base hit offense we saw last year. We're definitely going to try to manufacture runs and be creative. Some of the freshmen may have an impact as hitters, but that remains to be seen."

McGee talked about the team's schedule this season. "We got teams like Cypress, Fullerton, Oxnard and Santa Barbara as part of a difficult non-conference schedule, but one that can help us with our RPI. In conference, you can expect Mt. San Antonio to be a lot better, and we have some tremendous competition with Rio Hondo, Chaffey and East Los Angeles. It's a very tough division. Then we have really strong teams that we face in the other division including El Camino and Long Beach. We look forward to the challenge of defending a conference title. Making the playoffs again is our ultimate goal."

The Lancers finished No. 12 on last year's final CCCSIA (sports information association) State Top 20 Rankings. They are a pre-season No. 14 on the CCCBCA (coach's association) SoCal Poll. The coach's association only ranks teams regionally.

PCC opens the 2018 season this Friday, Jan. 26 in a 2 p.m. home game v. West Los Angeles College. All Lancers home games are played off campus at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Memorial Field, next to the Rose Bowl.