Meaux deals, but still loses against No. 7 Fullerton
GLENDALE — The following are updates on local athletes at the collegiate level.
Jesse Meaux (Glendale High, 2007) senior, UC Santa Barbara baseball: Against a formidable foe in seventh-ranked Cal State Fullerton, the former Nitros standout pitched into the eighth, giving up just two earned runs, but taking a hard-luck 3-2 loss Friday.
Meaux tossed 7 1/3 innings, allowing just five hits and three runs (two earned). He walked two and struck out two, also.
Despite Meaux’s performance, the loss set an ominous tone for the Gauchos, who were swept in the Big West Conference series and have lost four overall, dropping to 14-16 overall and 2-4 in conference.
The Gauchos are set to resume play today in a non-conference tilt with Pepperdine.
Meaux is 2-4 with a 3.91 earned-run average through 50 2/3 innings pitched. He’s struck out 24 batters and walked 12.
Nash Hutter (Glendale Community College, 2010) junior, Shepherd University baseball: Hutter turned in a game for the ages, hitting his third home run of the game in the 13th inning to lead the Rams to an 8-7 victory over West Liberty in a West Virginia Conference game April 9.
Hutter’s walk-off homer culminated a day in which he went four for five with six runs batted in, three runs scored and two walks.
Shepherd has gone 2-3 since the 8-7 win and is 12-17 overall and 8-14 in conference.
Hutter has turned in a stellar debut season, though.
Having started in all 29 of his team’s games, he’s hitting .346 (37 for 107) with eight doubles and six home runs. He’s also scored 20 runs and driven in 27 with 17 walks and just eight strikeouts.
Next up for Hutter and Co. is a game against Bluefield State today.
Danny Casey (Glendale Community College, 2009) senior, Concordia University baseball: The La Crescenta product pounded out three hits in four at-bats, driving in four runs and scoring another during Concordia’s 8-5 Golden State Athletic Conference win against San Diego Christian on Sunday.
It was the second game of a doubleheader sweep. In Concordia’s earlier 4-0 win, Casey also had two hits and a walk.
It was Casey’s third straight multi-hit game, a span in which he’s tallied seven hits in 11 at-bats.
The streak has raised his average to .283 on the season, with 28 hits in 99 at-bats.
Casey’s played in 30 games thus far, starting 29 for the 27-16 Eagles, who are 17-14 in GSAC play.
Casey, an infielder, has scored 15 runs, and driven in 23 RBI. He’s also drawn 12 walks and been hit by 10 pitches, adding up to a .410 on-base percentage.
Concordia returns to action on Wednesday at Cal Poly Pomona.
Yuki Ishida (Glendale Community College, 2009) senior, Washington Adventist University baseball: Though his Washington Adventist squad is off to a slow 4-9 start, Ishida has produced in a big way.
Having started all 13 of his team’s games thus far, he’s batting .349, which is tied for the team lead.
He’s notched 15 hits in 43 at-bats, while tallying team-highs with 12 runs, six doubles, three home runs, nine runs batted in, 30 total bases and a .698 slugging percentage.
Washington Adventist has not played since a 3-2 win over Newport News Apprentice on April 11. Ishida, a starting second baseman, went hitless in three at-bats and also walked.
Fellow GCC transfer John DeGomez, starting at first base, hit a solo home run in the victory.
DeGomez has started 12 games and is hitting .212 on the season.
WAU has had myriad games postponed or canceled during the season, including, according to his schedule, the last nine straight. Its next scheduled game is a doubleheader Wednesday against Penn State Brandywine.