One of the benefits of a good recruiting class is to entice student-athletes to stay for the 2-season tour called community college sports. Pasadena City College baseball head coach Pat McGee will rely on his lettermen more than ever in 2023 after the advancement to NCAA Division I scholarships for All-American shortstop Raider Tello and All-Southern California centerfielder Max Blessinger.
The duo broke six school single-season batting records between them and were part of a top heavy offense that helped the Lancers to 28 victories, the most under McGee and most in 71 years, as PCC advanced to the regional playoffs for the fourth consecutive full season (2020 was shortened and had no postseason due to COVID-19 pandemic). Tello moved on to the University of Iowa while Blessinger is attending Belmont (Tennessee).
"We were fortunate to have two tremendous transfers play for us in the same season, so our focus now is to get the most of out of our returning players," McGee said. "Whatever success we acheive will be through our team philosophy, using our baseball IQ and working harder than our opponents. That's where our returning players have the advantage of understanding what it means to play Lancers baseball."
In 2017-2019, and 2022, PCC put together a winning record of 102-65 for a .611 percentage. The program won South Coast Conference titles in 2017 and 2019.
Of the team's 12 returning players from the '22 squad, righty pitcher/left-handed hitting rightfielder Jakob Guardado and starting pitcher Coleman Mitchell are standouts after both making the All-SCC Second Team. Guardado, the son of former Minnesota Twins reliever great Eddie Guardado, pitched four victories and a save with 49 strikeouts in 58 innings on the mound while batting .305 with 19 RBI as a batter. Mitchell made nine starts, compiled a 3-2 mark with a 3.46 ERA in 54.2 innings.
Other returning hurlers looking to excel are Rider Gardner, who was 3-1 with a save as a reliever, and 6-foot-8 Kyle Noell, who pitched scoreless outings in nine of his 14 appearances, including a 4-out gem in a playoff loss v. Palomar.
Among the starting nine from last year returns first baseman Jake Trabbie (.247 batting average, an outstanding .423 on-base percentage and 21 RBI), All-SCC honorable mention outfielder Aryonis Harrison (.299, 15 RBI, 10 stolen bases), third baseman Toshiki Kuriya, who had a 10-game stretch last year where he hit .347 with 10 RBI (finished with 15 RBI), and outfielder Josh Hernandez, who hit .313 in 32 at bats and started in right field in two playoff games. Outfielder Damien Ureta, who batted .289 in 38 at bats, started in 10 games.
PCC also returns its starting catcher duo of Matt Rice (.347, one HR, 11 RBI) and Matthew Delgado (.242, .451 OBP, 10 RBI), who as a combo put up strong numbers as freshmen. Reserve outfielder Yuto Mimura, like Kuriya from Japan, rounds out the 12 lettermen.
This year's lone sophomore transfer is outfielder Tommy Castillo, who played in 11 games last season at Long Beach State University.
Of the newcomers, infielders Ivan Barragan, a top recruit from Northview High, and Jaden Guzman, a redshirt from La Salle High, are high on the depth chart.
PCC brings in the double-play combo of shortstop Jack Esguerra and second baseman Alex Dolan, who helped Arcadia High to the Pacific League title last season. Both players were named All-PC First Team while PL honorable mention Evan Coad is a freshman third baseman from Pasadena High.
Infielder Amaris Harrison (John Muir HS) and pitcher Tyler Mitchell (Monrovia) are legacy players as both join the PCC 2023 to play with their older brothers this season.
McGee brings back assistant coaches Steve Allyn and Mike Guzman, both in their third season with the program, to his staff, adds a newcomer in Brendan Campbell.
LANCERS LOSE OPENER AT CYPRESS
The program's 6-year streak of winning on opening day ended with an 11-4 loss on Friday at Cypress College. Delgado, at designated hitter, reached base four times, batted 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a hit-by-pitch, and catcher Rice was 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.
Both Castillo, leading off, and Aryonis Harrison 2-for-5 while Trabbie was 1-for-4 with a double and a sacrifice fly. Noell started and pitched three strong innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts.
The starting 9 were: Castillo in CF, Harrison in LF, Guardado in RF, Trabbie at 1b, Kuriya at SS, Rice at C, Delgado at DH, Barragan at 2b, and Guzman at 3B.
In the fourth inning, Cypress took a 2-1 lead on a home run by Albert De La Rosa. In the sixth, the Chargers scored five runs, three on a triple by Edgar Rosales, and then Aaron Perez launched a grand slam HR in the eighth to put the game away.
PCC plays at Citrus College today (Saturday, Jan. 28) in a 1 p.m. start. On Thursday, Feb. 2, the Lancers open the 3-game, South Coast Conference Tournament with all three games at their home diamond of Brookside Park's Jackie Robinson Field, a short walk from the Rose Bowl. PCC begins with a 2 p.m. game v. Los Angeles Valley College.
Toshiki Kuriya makes the defensive play during the '23 season opener at Cypress
