Russell Harmening, left, Brandon Gildea, center, and head coach Robert Ruiz, right, represented Westmont’s baseball team at Monday’s press luncheon. (Presidio Sports Photos)
While most students have left Westmont College’s campus following Commencement Weekend, the Warriors’ baseball team isn’t going anywhere.
A school-record 38 wins and an automatic berth to the national NAIA Tournament means Westmont still has games to play at a time when the team historically is done.
“Our guys have actually graduated but our season is not over so we’re still all on campus, which is something that was one of our big goals earlier in the year,” said Warriors head coach Robert Ruiz at Monday’s Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon.
Westmont, led by Male Athlete of the Week Brandon Gildea, won the GSAC Tournament on Saturday by surviving four-straight elimination games. Gildea, an all-conference catcher, was 13-for-19 in the four victories. Russell Harmening, at the luncheon with Gildea and Ruiz, improved to 12-3 on the season to match Westmont’s single-season wins record. Santa Barbara High grad Joey Gonzales was 5-for-6 in the deciding game and hit .458 in the tournament.
“It was a great weekend for the guys and for the program,” Ruiz said.
This from a program that had been in the doldrums, winning a combined 14 games from 2006-08. Ruiz took over in 2010.
Westmont will learn its playoff opponent on Friday.
Santa Barbara City College’s baseball team is also making program history. The Vaqueros defeated San Bernardino College in their SoCal Regional opening-series and will host a second-round matchup for the first time starting Friday against L.A. Mission.
Catcher Paddy O’Brien, an Athlete of the Week honorable mention, was 4-for-6 with 5 RBIs and a stolen base. O’Brien also threw out two base runners, which Vaqueros head coach Jeff Walker highlighted as a key to victory.
UCSB head coach Andrew Checketts completed the college baseball roundup. Checketts and the Gauchos are coming off the wrong end of a three-game sweep at UC Irvine, making UCSB’s path to the postseason an uphill battle with 11 games to play. Checketts figured the Gauchos would have to win 9 of the 11 in order to advance.
“We’re not dead yet, but our playoff hopes are on life support,” Checketts said.
Carpinteria is also seeking the postseason. The Warriors are tied for second place in the Frontier League with four games to play. Warriors head coach Pat Cooney brought his “glue guys” Miguel Pena and Jorge Arroyo.
Dos Pueblos head coach Nick Katzenstein came with sophomore players Dustin Demeter and Gio Macias. The Chargers are tied with Buena for first place in the Channel League with three games to play. Another league title would be DP’s third straight.
“It’s going to be an interesting week for us,” Katzenstein said.
Roger Kuntz made sure it wasn’t all about baseball on Monday by bringing Cole Wenals, Sean Estabrooks and Jake Castanha from his San Marcos volleyball team. The Royals, ranked No. 1 in CIF Division 2, wrapped up the Channel League championship weeks ago and eagerly await finding out their playoff fate this Friday when CIF brackets are released. The Royals will host their CIF opener next Tuesday in the Thunderhut.
UCSB softball will have a playoff-like atmosphere for its final regular-season series this weekend. The Gauchos are tied with Long Beach State atop the Big West Conference standings and host the 49ers for a winner-take-all three-game set.
“We are excited,” said Gauchos assistant coach Christine Ramos. “It’s the first year where we actually have control of our destiny. We are going to win that Big West Championship.”
Next week’s press luncheon is the last one of the 2013-14 school year. The end-of-the-year Hall-of-Fame Banquet is the following week on Monday, May 19.
