In a tremendous show of respect from the state baseball coaches, Pasadena City College placed the most SoCal selections--three--on the 2019 All-State Baseball Team. Lancers sophomore pitcher Gordon Ingebritson, freshman centerfielder Gabriel Arellano and first-year third baseman Marco Martinez made the elite 21-man squad.
The three Lancers helped PCC earn a share of the South Coast Conference North Division title and a #15 seed in the SoCal Playoffs. PCC beat Citrus in a Play-in Round game before eventual state runner-up El Camino swept the Lancers in a Round 1 series.
Ingebritson added to his trophy case to go along with his SCC North Pitcher of the Year honors (twice selected All-SCC First Team) and a recent Elizabeth Jensen transfer scholarship achieved. As the first Lancer to earn the conference's top pitcher award since joining the SCC in 1987, he set a PCC modern day record for most victories over a career (13) and his 2.29 ERA as a freshman was lowest by a starting pitcher in 54 years. His 76 strikeouts this year is the second most in a season by a PCC hurler since at least 1990. A model of consistency, Ingebritson pitched 180 innings (leading the team in most innings pitched both seasons) in his Lancers career with 144 Ks and a 2.85 ERA. He pitched a complete game win v. Glendale in the 2018 SoCal Playoffs. This year, he came within four outs of a no-hitter and settled for a 1-hitter in a conference win over Chaffey. Ingebritson signed a 4-year university scholarship to UC Irvine.
Arellano added to his SCC North Division Co-MVP award and being selected PCC's Men's Athlete of the Year last week after setting three school baseball records, including hits (75) and runs scored (46) in a season. He led the Lancers with a .395 batting average, 13 doubles and 10 stolen bases while adding 31 RBI. Arellano led the state in total hits and started the year with a 19-game hitting streak. He hit safely in 36 of 40 games and had an impressive 28 multiple hit performances, including twice in the postseason. Eight times, the right-handed batter had 3-hit games and two times he banged out four hits. He scored at least three runs in seven games. Currently holding a 4.0 GPA, Arellano becomes the third baseball player in the last four years to earn the college's top men's award (Jeremy Conant 2016-17, Joe Quire 2015-16).
Maybe the most under the radar selection for a state award was Martinez, who was an All-SCC First Team selection and finished 10th in the state in on-base percentage (.492) while batting .338. He led the team in home runs with five and RBI with 37. He shattered the PCC record for walks drawn in a season at 36 (previous best was 29) and his .524 slugging percentage led the squad. His 40 runs scored is the third highest total in PCC history while his RBI total was sixth highest. Few players have had a season in which they virtually averaged a hit, a run, a walk and a RBI a game, something Martinez performed in 39 games played.
PCC baseball is directed by head coach Pat McGee, who turned around the program to become a perennial playoff performer. The Lancers have averaged 25 wins a season from 2017 through 2019.