By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor In four short years at the helm of the PCC baseball program, Pat McGee has shattered expectations. When he took over in 2015, McGee inherited a program that had just gone 1-21 in conference play. Three years later, in 2017, PCC won their first South Coast Conference championship ever. They […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
In four short years at the helm of the PCC baseball program, Pat McGee has shattered expectations.
When he took over in 2015, McGee inherited a program that had just gone 1-21 in conference play.
Three years later, in 2017, PCC won their first South Coast Conference championship ever.
They also made their first playoff appearance and earned their first postseason series victory in 50 years after sweeping Riverside City College last year.
And for anyone that thought PCC might be a one-hit wonder, the Lancers proved them wrong by earning consecutive 20-win seasons and two straight playoff appearances for the first time since the 1966-67 seasons.
PCC opens a best-of-three series at Glendale (28-12) today (Friday), and the winner of today’s game will need just one of a potential two games on Saturday.
As impressive as McGee’s run has been, the job he did this year is in many ways better than even last year’s historic run.
Consider for a moment, the Lancers began the season without what would have been their ace, as Paul McAllister decided not to come back for a sophomore season.
PCC also saw their projected starting catcher walk away, because his body was beat up, and then their best hitter, Shane Ogata has been out all year because of a dislocated shoulder.
To add more of a mountain to climb, PCC needed to sweep Rio Hondo College in their three-game series to end the 2018 regular season and then needed help from Mt. Sac and Cerritos just to make the playoffs.
PCC got the three-game sweep, and they got the needed help from the Mounties and the Falcons to find themselves in today’s playoff series.
The Lancers’ pitching staff has several guys they count on.
Gordon Ingebritson, who many expect to be on the mound in game one is 6-4 with a 2.32 ERA.
Ingebriton has walked 18 batters and struck out 65 over his 81 1/3 innings on the mound.
Nathan Garkow has also been invaluable, going 6-5, with a 3.57 ERA in 70 2/3 innings
Garkow has a team-high 68 strikeouts and averages 8.66 strikeouts over a nine-inning game.
Race Gardner started the season with a loss and a fat ERA.
But the Glendora High grad is now 5-1 with two saves and a 3.89 ERA.
Offensively, Jose Jimenez has a team-best 56 hits, as well as eight doubles and 11 RBIs.
Jimenez is batting .327 and he has a team-high 28 runs scored.
Edward Manzo leads PCC with his .363 average, which includes 45 hits, 25 runs scored and team-bests with 26 RBIs and five triples.
Tony Shue (.307 average, 46 hits, team-high three home runs) has also been huge for the PCC offense.
For Glendale, Chris Davidson (6-1, 2.50 ERA) and Dexter Wilkerson (3-2, 2.70 ERA) anchor the Vaqueros pitching staff.
PCC can’t necessarily match Glendale’s power.
The Vaqueros have a 32-4 advantage in home runs and they’ve scored 104 more (296-192) runs.
McGee said one obvious key to PCC having a chance to leave Saturday with a series victory is to keep the Vaqueros off the base paths.
The reason being is the havoc McGee said their runners present for an opponent.
Glendale has stolen 124 bases to just 29 for PCC.
But if PCC counted on games being decided on paper or by stats, they wouldn’t have near the success they’ve had under McGee’s reign.
This team wins by doing all the small things well, including those you may not see on a stat sheet.
Quotable:
PCC coach Pat McGee: “I am so proud of the perseverance and heart of these guys. We have been down several times this season, but they always gotten back up and continued to fight. We might not have the combined talent we did a year ago, but that’s something that makes this so meaningful and impressive.”
2018 CCCAA Baseball First Round Schedule:
Friday: PCC at Glendale at 2
Saturday: PCC at Glendale at 11
Saturday: PCC at Glendale at 3 (if necessary)
