College Update: Mark Saatzer concludes stellar final season

Mark Saatzer (St. Francis High, 2010) Chapman baseball senior: In a season rife with big offensive numbers, Saatzer has gotten his due with recent accolades.

On May 2, Saatzer was named to the Academic All-District VIII baseball team. Six days later, the All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team was unveiled and the St. Francis alumnus notched first-team honors.

It was the culmination to a stellar season for Saatzer, who was fourth in conference with a .400 batting average (64 for 160). Saatzer, who was All-SCIAC for the second season in a row, had an 18-game hitting streak at one point in the season and hit safely in 35 of 43 games, with 44 runs, 36 runs batted in, six home runs, three triples, 27 walks and .495 on-base percentage.

The all-district honor, as voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America, is eligible to students who have a notable standing on the field of play and maintain no less than a 3.30 grade-point average. District VIII includes all Division III schools throughout the Western United States.

Chapman’s season and Saatzer’s career wrapped up on May 4 with a 7-2 loss to Cal Lutheran in the SCIAC tournament. It was the second loss in three tournament games for Chapman against Cal Lu.

In the tournament, Saatzer went two for 10 with four runs and five walks.

Chapman finished its season 30-13, but did not receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Chris Stroh (Glendale Community College, 2012) Westmont baseball senior: The former Vaquero and Crescenta Valley High product concluded his college baseball days as part of the greatest season in Westmont history.

Westmont finished with a program-best 39-19 record on Tuesday after a 9-8 loss to Georgia Gwinnett in the NAIA National Baseball Championship opening round. It was Westmont’s first-ever appearance in the tournament, following winning the Golden State Athletic Conference Tournament. That title preceded a win over William Woods (Mo.) in 12 innings earlier Tuesday in the NAIA Tournament. All three of Westmont’s games were decided by one run.

It lost to St. Francis (Ill.), 2-1, to open the tournament on Monday, then beat William Woods, 6-5, before losing to Gwinnett. Stroh had hits in all three games, going a combined four for 11 with three runs and two RBI. He was two for four with a pair of runs and RBI in his final game.

Stroh hit .288 on the season, playing in 50 games and starting 46. He scored 22 runs, had 10 extra-base hits, including a team-high four triples, drove in 26 runs, garnered a .354 on-base percentage and made just one error on the season.

Sam Frakes (Glendale Community College, 2013) Vanguard baseball junior: The 6-foot-4 right-hander turned in a terrific season for the Lions coming out of the bullpen.

Over 15 appearances, Frakes tallied a 2.79 earned run average over 19 1/3 innings pitched. He allowed just 18 hits and six earned runs. Frakes posted a 1-0 record.

Not the only former GCC player on the Vanguard roster, John Schwer also had a productive season, as the senior outfielder started and played in 54 games, hit .285 (55 for 193) with 30 runs, 35 RBI, 13 doubles and 16 stolen bases.

Vanguard was eliminated on Tuesday in the 2014 NAIA National Baseball Championship opening round. The Lions defeated The Master’s College, 2-0, to begin the day, but then lost an elimination game to British Columbia, 10-4. Vanguard finished with a 33-23 record.

Against British Columbia, Schwer went two for three with a pair of runs batted in, while Frakes was the most effective pitcher on the day for the Lions, throwing 3 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and one run, while walking none and striking out four.

PJ DeZotell (St. Francis High, 2013) Pasadena City College baseball freshman: DeZotell was a bright spot for a struggling Lancers squad this past season.

The outfielder led the Lancers in a multitude of offensive categories and was rewarded with an All-South Coast Conference honorable mention, as was teammate and Glendale High product Jason Marquez.

Marquez, a freshman pitcher, went 1-5 over seven starts and 42 1/3 innings with a 3.83 ERA for PCC, which went 4-31 and 1-20 in conference. PCC’s lone conference victory came with a March 22 win over Long Beach, 9-5. Marquez pitched three scoreless innings for the save, while DeZotell had three hits, a run, a RBI and three stolen bases.

DeZotell led the Lancers with 18 RBI, six doubles, 38 hits, six stolen bases, a .290 average and .366 slugging percentage.

Allison Lacey (Crescenta Valley High, 2012) Pasadena City College softball sophomore: In her final season with the Lancers, the catcher led PCC with 31 runs batted in — 11 more than any other teammate — and played solid defense en route to earning All-South Coast Conference second-team honors.

Lacey, who had three hits, four runs, three RBI and a walk in the second-to-last game of the year on April 17 — a 20-9 win over L.A. Harbor — hit .375 on the season and had a .451 on-base percentage. She also scored 27 runs, had four doubles and four triples and stole eight bases.

PCC struggled to a 13-25 record and a 5-16 mark in conference.

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Follow Grant Gordon on Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon.