Glendale Community College baseball has marquee matchup to open playoffs

If one was to visit the California Community College Athletic Assn. website, a few clicks would show Fullerton College’s baseball team as the fifth-place finisher out of the Orange Empire Conference, the 17th seed in the CCCAA Southern California Regional and a sub-.500 squad.

That’s all technically true, of course.

But that all came to be after Fullerton was forced to forfeit 12 games due to the use of an ineligible player.

So, the Hornets, who had been ranked for much of the season within the top four of the California Community College Baseball Coaches Assn. Southern California poll, found themselves in a play-in game rather than as one of the tournament’s top two seeds, which was predicted.

And now Glendale Community College, after garnering the No. 2 seed, finds itself with its highest seeding ever and yet facing what is likely its most daunting first-round opponent ever.

“We were 98% sure we would get Fullerton,” Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto said. “On Sunday, it was confusing. On Monday, it was what it was and you have to start preparing.

“You can’t cry over spilled milk. You have to beat the best teams to win this thing, so, we might as well do it from the start.”

Glendale (28-8), champion of the Western State Conference South Division for the second year in a row and the fifth time in six seasons, will host Fullerton (16-21), which took fourth in the always arduous Orange Empire, in a best-of-three series starting Friday at 2 p.m. at Stengel Field. The second game will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday at Stengel with a decisive third game occurring roughly at 3 p.m. Saturday if necessary.

“What I know about Glendale is Chris Cicuto is a great coach and they’ve had a great program for a while,” Hornets Coach Nick Fuscardo said. “I know he’s gonna have them ready to play.”

For the Vaqueros, the first step toward victory might already have been taken, as the party line is about stepping up to the challenge, whether the way the brackets played out was just or not.

“We’re gonna have to beat the best teams eventually, so we might as well beat them early. That’s the way we look at it,” said Vaqueros infielder Frank Garriola, who’s hitting .348 with 40 runs batted in and 37 runs. “We’re up for a challenge; we always play up to our competition.”

In Fullerton, the Vaqueros face an offensive power that’s scored 306 runs (third highest in the state), which averages out to better than eight per game as they’re batting a robust .331 as a team, which is also third in the state.

Tasked with taking on the Hornets’ potent order will be Ryan Losman, who will start the series opener for Glendale, bringing in a 7-1 record with a 3.53 earned-run average and 28 strikeouts in 51 innings.

“They’re very offensive and they play very good defense. They also have a couple really good starters. They’re a very well-rounded team all in all,” Cicuto said. “I think their strongest suit is their offense.”

That offense is keyed by the likes of Shane Carrier (.396 average, 53 runs batted in, 41 runs, 11 home runs), Austin O’Banion (.342 average, 54 RBI, 42 runs), Laine Huffman (.360 average, 31 RBI, 45 runs, 16 stolen bases) and Justin Row (.390 average, 23 RBI, 40 runs and 15 stolen bases), among others.

But Glendale also has some big bats.

“I think we can score with anybody,” said GCC’s Jared Akins, who’s hitting .382 with 36 RBI, 31 runs, 14 stolen bases and is riding an 11-game hitting streak. “I think our whole lineup is capable of putting up runs at any time.”

In addition to Akins and Garriola, other big bats for the Vaqs have been Chris Colarossi (.399 average, 21 RBI, 42 runs and 19 stolen bases) and Liam Shibata (.341 average, 15 RBI, 16 runs).

One big bat unlikely to play is Crescenta Valley High product Troy Mulcahey, who previously played for Fullerton in 2013 and was an All-Southern California selection as the Hornets advanced to the state championship. Mulcahey is injured and has missed the last seven games, but is still among the state’s leaders with 12 home runs.

Another huge aspect of the Vaqueros’ success has been its bullpen, led by the likes of Marco Quintanar (2.55 ERA, 17 appearances, two saves, two wins), AJ Jimenez (1.76 ERA, seven saves) and Joe Torres (0.67 ERA, 13 appearances).

Glendale enters the postseason, in which it’s advanced past the first round in each of its past four appearances since beginning its run of division titles, riding a four-game winning streak that’s part of an overall run of having won 15 of its last 17 games.

“I like our chances against everyone and, as I see it, little old Glendale is gonna do what we do,” Cicuto said. “I like our chances. Obviously they’re a great team and we have a lot of respect for them, but I like our chances.”

Fullerton was in the midst of a phenomenal final week after it won at Saddleback, 5-3, on April 26.

Then it all came crashing down as news of the ineligible player and the subsequent forfeits came and the Hornets lost, 14-1, on April 28. Saddleback, the Orange Empire champion, is the SoCal top seed.

“This whole thing kind of blindsided us,” Fuscardo said. “Being my program, I take responsibility for that.

“They were devastated by that whole turn of events.”

But Fullerton rallied to take the season series from Saddleback with an 8-6 win on April 29.

“We had to win that one, I think, in order to make the playoffs,” Fuscardo said.

Playoffs began Tuesday for Fullerton, as it was tagged with the No. 17 seed and traveled to play No. 16 Mount San Jacinto. No. 18 Riverside, also an Orange Empire team, traveled to No. 15 Santa Barbara. Despite the seedings, most predicted an Orange Empire sweep and it happened, with Fullerton rolling to a 14-2 win.

“We pretty much knew we were gonna play them from the start,” Garriola said. “It’s gonna be a fun couple of games.”

While neither team expected to be in such a marquee matchup this early in the postseason, Fuscardo empathizes with the Vaqueros’ misfortune of garnering a high seed only to face one of the best teams in the bracket from the jump.

“I put myself on the other end of it and you’re thinking, ‘Holy smokes, that’s not the first-round game we were hoping for,’” Fuscardo said.

Both teams moved on to the second round last season, with GCC, as the No. 8 seed, defeating Southwestern in two straight, while No. 12 Fullerton defeated No. 5 Cypress. Both teams also lost in the second round, Fullerton losing to Santa Barbara and Glendale falling against eventual state champion Orange Coast. Consequently, Orange Coast, also from the Orange Empire, will not be defending its title as the Fullerton forfeits negatively impacted its RPI and it did not get an at-large bid.

Should Glendale advance, it would host No. 7 Chaffey (27-9) or No. 10 College of the Canyons (28-8), which took third in the WSC South and engaged in a thrilling series with the Vaqueros that GCC won, 2-1.

Against the SoCal field, Glendale is 6-4, having taken two of three in division series against Bakersfield and Canyons, with victories over Cerritos and Rio Hondo and defeats to Cypress and top-seeded Saddleback, which will host Riverside.

Also on GCC’s half of the bracket, Golden West is the No. 3 seed and will host No. 14 Rio Hondo. Sixth-seeded Cuesta will play host to No. 11 Palomar.

Up top on Saddleback’s half, No. 8 Long Beach will host No. 9 Bakersfield, which finished runner-up to GCC in the WSC South. Fifth-seeded Grossmont will host No. 12 Cerritos and No. 4 Cypress will welcome No. 13 El Camino.

But before the Vaqueros can think about any other team, they must deal with a team that’s far better than its record and seeding.

“We’re accepting the challenge,” Akins said. “I think our record speaks for itself. We believe we can play with anybody.”

And for the fifth time over the last six springs, playoff baseball has arrived at Stengel Field for the Vaqueros.

“We’ve all been working for this moment all year,” Garriola said. “We’re all gonna leave our hearts on the field. “