Glendale college baseball opens playoffs against Pasadena
It’s a familiar spring for the Glendale Community College baseball team.
The Vaqueros claimed their sixth conference crown over the last eight seasons, winning the Western State Conference East on the strength of three straight wins to end the regular season.
So, for the sixth time over the last eight seasons, GCC (28-12), the No. 5 seed, will host a first-round series in the California Community College Athletic Assn. Southern California Regional when it welcomes nearby Pasadena City College (22-18), the No. 12 seed, in a best-of-three series beginning Friday at Stengel Field.
Glendale finished second in conference a season ago, was the No. 12 seed and lost on the road in its first-round series at El Camino, 2-1. It also limped into the postseason with three losses in its final four regular season games.
This time around, Glendale recovered from losing two straight to College of the Canyons to sweep Citrus, winning three close games entering the playoffs and having won seven of nine.
Glendale is aiming to move into the second round for the first time since 2015 as it’s lost three consecutive playoff series.
History is on GCC’s side as the Vaqueros defeated PCC, 5-1, on Feb. 20 with starting pitcher Chris Davidson throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball.
The Lancers tied for second in the South Coast North and have also won three in a row.
Freshmen starters Gordon Ingebritson and Nathan Garkow have keyed Pasadena.
Ingebritson has thrown 81 1/3 innings with a sterling 2.32 earned-run average, a 6-4 record and 65 strikeouts. Garkow has a 6-5 record with three saves across 70 2/3 innings with a 3.57 ERA and 68 punchouts.
Garkow took the loss against Glendale in the teams’ nonconference meeting, allowing three runs (two earned) in 6 2/3 innings on five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
Another freshman, Edward Manzo, is leading the Lancers lineup with a .363 batting average, 26 runs batted in and 25 runs.
As has been a hallmark for Glendale over the last decade, it has been a terror on the bases with a state-leading 124 stolen bases, led by Jacob Gribbon’s 23. Gribbon is one of seven Vaqueros with double-digit steals and is turning in a terrific season with 19 extra-base hits, 31 RBI, 36 runs, a .379 average and a phenomenal .527 on-base percentage. Tom Tabak (.346 average, 39 runs, 24 RBI) and Glendale High product Thad Wilson (.345 average, 27 runs, 11 RBI) are two more of many Vaqueros having big seasons as the team boasts eight players hitting better than .290.
Davidson has been sensational on the mound with a 6-1 record, two saves, a 2.50 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings. Dexter Wilkerson has also been a big contributor with a 2.70 ERA, 3-2 record and 52 strikeouts over 50 innings.
Elsewhere in the bracket, No. 10 Canyons (27-12), the WSC East runner-up which split the four-game season series with GCC, travels to No. 7 Palomar.
No. 8 Bakersfield (21-19) will host No. 9 Riverside (25-15), No. 4 Mount San Antonio (29-11) welcomes No. 13 Santa Barbara (20-20), No. 3 Saddleback (28-12) entertains No. 14 East Los Angeles (23-17) and No. 6 Moorpark (25-15) hosts No. 11 El Camino (24-16).
Cerritos (29-11) garnered the No. 1 seed and Orange Coast (27-13) notched the No. 2 seed. The top seeds will await winners from a pair of play-in games on Tuesday that feature No. 16 San Diego Mesa (22-18) hosting L.A. Pierce (20-17) and No. 15 Cuesta (21-17) welcoming No. 18 Southwestern (26-14).
Glendale owns wins against Mt. SAC, Bakersfield, Moorpark and Palomar and has losses to Cerritos (twice), East L.A. and Saddleback.
Twitter: @TCNGrantGordon
