Hertz’ hitting never cooled
GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes at the collegiate level.
Chris Hertz (St. Francis High, 2005) senior outfielder, California Lutheran University baseball: The Kingsmen never received the at-large bid they were hoping for to compete at the NCAA Division III West Regionals hosted by Linfield College in Oregon, thus ending a season brimming with accomplishment for the former Golden Knight.
Hertz concluded his stint with the Kingsmen by going two for four with two walks and a pair of runs scored in a season-ending 15-7 win against the University of La Verne in a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on May 1.
Hitting right up until the last day of the campaign, Hertz batted .410 (55 for 134) with three home runs and 34 runs batted in. In 37 games, Hertz collected 15 doubles and a pair of triples. He scored 44 runs and stole a team-best 23 bases.
Cal Lutheran finished at 27-13 and 20-8 in conference.
Bryan Longpre (Crescenta Valley High, 2006) senior pitcher, Cal State Northridge baseball: The right-hander and the Matadors played their last home game of the season on Tuesday with a 10-8 victory against UC Riverside in a Big West Conference contest. Longpre didn’t pitch, but he did toss five innings in relief during a 14-8 nonconference loss against visiting San Diego on Monday. He allowed 12 hits, seven runs (two earned) and struck out five in a 108-pitch effort.
Longpre finished the season at 2-1 with a 4.29 earned-run average. In 35 2/3 innings, Longpre yielded 53 hits, 17 runs and struck out 26.
The Matadors, coached by La Crescenta resident Steve Rousey, are 29-24 and 9-12 in conference.
Joe De Pinto (St. Francis High, 2007) junior infielder, University of Southern California baseball: The former All-Area member has fared well this season for the struggling Trojans.
Through Tuesday, De Pinto is batting .289 (69 for 239) with two home runs and 20 runs batted in. In 57 games, De Pinto has registered 14 doubles, two triples and four stolen bases.
De Pinto had a run-scoring single in the seventh inning to help host USC pick up an 8-1 nonconference victory against UC Irvine on Tuesday.
The Trojans (26-31 and 5-1 in the Pacific 10 Conference) will close out their season with a three-game home conference series against Washington, which will begin Friday and conclude Sunday.
Kathryn Poet (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 2007) junior outfielder, University of Missouri softball: Poet, a former All-Area member, and the Tigers (49-11) excelled to win their third straight NCAA Regional Tournament in Columbia, Mo. Poet went hitless in two plate appearances and served as a pinch runner during the three-game series.
Poet recorded three putouts in eighth-seeded Missouri’s 4-2 victory against 18th-seeded Illinois in the regional title game Sunday. Poet didn’t participate in Missouri’s 3-1 win against Illinois on Saturday, but did pinch run in the Tigers’ 3-2 victory against Creighton on Friday.
Missouri will next face visiting Oregon in the Super Regional, which begins Saturday and ends Sunday in Columbia. The Tigers advanced to the College World Series last season.
