San Diego Mesa Begins Baseball Regional Play

San Diego Mesa College opens the Southern California community college regionals today with a 1 p.m. game against Orange Coast College in San Diego. It is the first of a best-of-three game series that continues Sunday at 11 a.m.

The winner advances to the state tournament next weekend in Long Beach.

The Olympians (31-6), winners of the Pacific Coast Conference, ended the regular season with a nine-game winning streak and finished with a three-game lead over Southwestern.

Either Dean Wilkins (12-4 with two saves) or Jeff Oswalt (13-1) will start the first game of the series, and the other will come back to pitch Game 2 on Sunday. Freshman right-hander Sam August (10-2) will pitch today for the Pirates (31-8).

Orange Coast (31-8) had the most potent offensive player in Southern California in freshman right fielder Joey James. His 18 home runs and 78 RBIs set school records.

San Diego Mesa counters with outfielder Robert Fletcher (.359 and seven home runs) and Bill McCafferty, who had eight home runs.