Jakob Guardado Named South Coast MVP, Baseball Earns 5th Straight Trip To Playoffs

Pasadena City College sophomore pitcher-rightfielder Jakob Guardado garnered the South Coast Conference Most Valuable Player Award to highight seven Lancers selected to the 2023 All-SCC Baseball Team.

Guardado was chosen the player of the year at the SCC coaches postseason meeting held Monday night at Long Beach City College. The right-handed throwing, left-handed hitting Guardado had a banner season that saw him hit .324 with two home runs and 25 RBI in 24 conference games. As a pitcher, he was even more impactful as he was 5-2 with a 3.38 ERA and three complete games in 48 innings pitched. He walked a conference-low seven batters and struck out 34.

From Beckman High in Tustin, Guardado had a number of late-inning hits to win games for PCC and had an amazing two complete games in a span of six days in beating Long Beach on Mar. 20, then hurling a 5-hit shutout over Mt. San Antonio on Mar. 25. He did not allow a walk and recorded 13 strikeouts in those two pitching victories. 

Guardado is the third MVP in the program's SCC history, joining Jeremy Conant (2017) and Gabe Arellano (2019). However, he is the first to win as part of a 9-team conference after the other two were selected North Division MVP in a 5-team division in their seasons. The Lancers joined the conference in 1987. Guardado is a 2-time, All-SCC player after being named Second Team utility last season. 

In 2019, Lancer Gordon Ingebritson was the SCC Pitcher of the Year, and represented the conference as the highest-rated player in state recognition. 

Also making All-SCC First Team from PCC was sophomore first baseman Jake Trabbie, who led the conference in hits, doubles, RBI (29), total extra-base hits, and sacrifice flies while batting .406. Making First Team was sophomore third baseman Toshiki Kuriya, who hit .367 with four home runs, 20 RBI and led SCC batters in on-base percentage (.536) and walks (30). Another First Teamer is sophomore leftfielder Aryonis Harrison, who led the SCC in runs scored (33) while batting .301 with 13 stolen bases and 10 RBI. The John Muir High grad was second to Kuriya in SCC walks with 28. 

Rounding out the five Lancers on First Team was letterman relief pitcher Rider Gardner, the conference leader in saves with seven, winning one game and posting a 1.31 ERA in 11 appearances. 

Making All-SCC Second Team was sophomore pitcher Coleman Mitchell, a 2-time all-conference selection, who was 5-2 with a 3.64 ERA, and transfer sophomore centerfielder Tommy Castillo, who hit .315 with three triples, three HR and 18 RBI, and was third in the conference in stolen bases with 10. Sophomore catcher Matthew Delgado received SCC honorable mention. 

"I'm proud of the player and person that Jakob developed into as he is an ultimate competitor and leader for two years running here," said PCC head coach Pat McGee. "Our sophomore group of Jakob, Jake, Toshi, Coleman and Aryonis have been the foundation and backbone for our success this season."

SOCAL REGIONALS--#18 SEED LANCERS AT #7 GLENDALE, ROUND 1, May 5-6

The Lancers (25-15 overall), the second place team from the SCC, snagged the #18 seed and will play 210-134 freeway rival Glendale, the #7 seed and Western State Conference South Division champions, in a SoCal Regional First Round series this Friday-Saturday, May 5-6. Game 1 of the series at Glendale is Friday at 2:30 p.m. Saturday's Game 2 is at 11 a.m. and if a third game is needed that will be played 20 minutes following the conclusion of Game 2. 

PCC is making a remakable fifth consecutive trip to the postseason under McGee's direction.

This is the second time the Lancers will have faced Glendale in the playoffs. In 2018, the #12 seed Lancers upset #5 Glendale in the opener, 2-1, then lost the final two games of the series. In the winner-take-all, third game, PCC led 11-5, but Glendale scored an incredible 13 runs in the bottom of the eighth to win a wild one, 18-11. 

The teams haven't faced each other since the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season when Glendale won 6-4 in a non-conference contest. Harrison played in that game as a freshman. 

PLAYOFF MATCHUP HEAD-TO-HEAD/OVERALL STATISTICS, 40 GAMES

Team Batting Average: Glendale .330 (6th in state), LANCERS .297
Team ERA: LANCERS 4.65, Glendale 5.51
Average Runs Scored Per Game: Glendale 9.35 (7th in state), LANCERS 7.7
Average Runs Allowed Per Game: LANCERS 5.45, Glendale 6
Top Hitters: LANCERS 1B Jake Trabbie .360, 20 doubles (3rd in state), 2 HR, 46 RBI; Glendale CF Joey Craig, .309, 17 HR (2nd in state), 46 RBI
Top Pitchers: LANCERS Coleman Mitchell 8-3, 3.23 ERA, Glendale Boon Fay 6-0, 3.15 ERA, 69 strikeouts in 45.2 IP