Baseball Opens South Coast Play With Blanking Of Rio Hondo

Since head coach Pat McGee took over the program a decade ago, the Pasadena City College baseball team has found success, especially in South Coast Conference play. This is after many years of being a conference doormat between the 1980s and the first part of this century. The Lancers moved to 106-84, a .558 winning percentage in SCC contests under McGee's watch with Tuesday's 2025 South Coast-opening shut out at Rio Hondo, 6-0.

The Lancers (6-3 overall) are hoping to compete for the program's third SCC championship after they won titles in 2017 and 2019. 

In the RHC victory, sophomore transfer Hugo Tafoya (1-0) was brilliant with seven innings of 7-hit ball and four strikeouts for the mound win as reliever Matt Garcia fired two more scoreless frames to finish the combined pitching effort.

In the third inning, shortstop Bryan Richman stroked a RBI single to center for what proved to be the only run PCC would need. Richman finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored while second baseman Rocco Regan batted 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Catcher Joaquin Salcedo added a 2-run double (the team's fifth out of nine hits) in the ninth. 

PCC's streak of seven straight games with 11 or more hits ended.

The 3-game series v. the Roadrunners continues on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. when Pasadena will serve as the "home team" at The Jungle, Rio Hondo's on-campus home diamond.

The Lancers are hoping their regular off-campus home is ready to go on Saturday, Feb. 22 (12 noon) in the series finale.