State #7-Ranked Baseball Blanks Taft

For the third time this season, the Pasadena City College baseball team's pitching staff shut out an opponent, defeating visiting Taft, 4-0, in a non-conference game on Wednesday. The state #7-ranked Lancers matched their highest win total (26) since head coach Pat McGee took over the program in 2015.

PCC (26-8 overall) took 34 games to achieve what it last accomplished in 2017 when the Lancers clinched a Southern California Regional First Round series sweep over Riverside City for their 26th victory in game #39. 

Against Taft at Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Memorial Field, starter Ryan Graves scattered six hits over four-plus innings and struck out three. Benny Olguin, arguably the state's best reliever, then retired the first 12 batters he faced before allowing a single in the ninth. The sophomore closed out a 5-inning, 1-hitter, striking out five as he upped his pitching record to 7-1 and lowered his SoCal Region-leading ERA to 1.45 in a team-high 56 innings. The mark is also fourth lowest in the state. 

Raider Tello, playing at designated hitter, continued his spectacular first collegiate season by hitting his state-leading 18th double and passing Zack Kalter (2004) to take the single-season school record for himself. In the ninth, Tello got the green light on a 3-0 pitch and deposited a bomb over the left field fence for a 2-run round-tripper, his sixth home run of the year. Tello's other at-bats were also impressive, a line shot to right for an out in the first and then a drive to center to lead off the third that Taft's Jordan Phillips leaped at the fence to rob him of an extra-base hit. He was intentionally walked with a runner on second in his fourth appearance.  

Tello leads the state batting race with a .451 average, is #1 in hits with 69 (11 more than the next highest total). His current 48 RBI, already a school record, is second in the state and and his .699 slugging percentage is 11th. Tello's 153 total at-bats also leads all California Community College players. Tello is just seven hits away from breaking the school's single-season hits record set by Gabe Arellano in 2019 (75). Arellano also led the state in hits that season. 

With Graves and Taft lefty Chris Shaffer in a scoreless pitching duel, PCC shortstop Isaac Luevano lined a RBI single to right for a 1-0 Lancers lead. Second baseman Andrew Scannell (2-for-4) reached on a run-scoring fielder's choice grounder to Shaffer, who got the out at second, but allowed catcher Matthew Delgado (1-for-2, two walks) to reach home. First baseman Jake Trabbie batted 2-for-4 with a double, leftfielder Aryonis Harrison was 1-for-2 and laid down two sacrifice bunts, and rightfielder Josh Hernandez drew two walks, a hit by pitch, and also put down a sac bunt. 

Centerfielder Max Blessinger added to his state-leading and school-record runs total, now at 49, hitting a double and being knocked in on Tello's home run. Defensively, Blessinger made a diving catch to rob a hit in the first inning and third baseman Toshiki Kuriya also made a diving play on a bunt in the third inning. The infield turned a 4-6-3 double play in the ninth. 

"We bounced back well from Monday's loss and everyone contributed for us in different ways," McGee said. "We're riding a really good stretch of baseball. Against Taft, we manufactured a few runs, we had some really well-hit balls, and our defense did its job. On the hill, Ryan and Benny have become a tandem that has excelled. This was another win for us where we didn't walk anyone. It's a testament to how important throwing strikes and getting ahead of batters in the count translates to success."

After surrendering a season-worst 10 walks in the loss to Los Angeles Valley on April 11, the pitching staff did not give up a single BB for the fifth time in the last 12 games. The team is 10-0 in games where the staff has allowed one or no walks. The squad is 6-3 when pitchers combine to allow 2-to-3 walks and 10-5 when allowing four or more walks. The Lancers average just 3.03 walks allowed per game and the 103 walks by the staff ranks #4 in the state for lowest total allowed. 

PCC has also avoided the other free pass well in hitting only 30 batters all season. To put that in perspective, 44 teams in the state have drawn as many as 50 hit-by-pitches and PCC is tied for sixth in collecting hit batsmen with 74. 

Graves showed his poise on not allowing a free pass when he struck out Tyren Dorrence to close the first inning after the Taft hitter fouled off six pitches and Graves finally got him to swing and miss on the 11th pitch of the at-bat. In the second inning, Graves went eight pitches to also strike out a Cougars batter on a 3-2 count.

The Lancers are 14-3 at their home diamond this season. 

With all teams in the SCC on a bye week from conference play, the Lancers are tied for first place with #8-ranked Mt. San Antonio, both with 14-4 SCC records. Pasadena resumes conference play next week in facing #13 El Camino (25-9, 13-5, third place in SCC) in an important, 3-game series. The teams open the set on Tuesday, April 19 with a 2:30 p.m. game at ECC. 

Ryan Graves (left) is congratulated by fellow pitcher Benny Olguin