The University of Redlands baseball team is set to compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Postseason Tournament for the second-consecutive year and third time in the last four years, beginning on Friday, May 6. The Bulldogs locked up the fourth seed and will face off against the top-seeded Occidental College Tigers in Eagle Rock at 3 p.m. Games continue on Saturday, May 7, and Sunday, May 8, in double-elimination format.
During the regular-season series in late March, Redlands routed Occidental in the Friday contest by the score of 11-1, before the Tigers won the Saturday doubleheader by the final scores of 9-2 and 7-6.
Junior second baseman Christopher Scalisi (Woodland Hills, CA) leads the fourth-seeded Bulldogs (24-14, 16-11 SCIAC) by pacing the team in hits (55), doubles (12), and RBI (43). Senior right-fielder Christian Gurrola (Torrance, CA) is enjoying an impressive final season by recording 19 multi-hit games en route to a .395 batting average, a .477 on-base percentage, and a .500 slugging percentage. Additionally, he has tallied 54 hits and 35 RBI so far. On the mound, senior hurler Kevin Stevens (Highland, CA) has strung together some impressive numbers by earning an overall record of 5-1 in 60 innings pitched. He has fanned 47 batters and owns a 7.05 strikeouts-per-game mark. Junior closer John White (Burbank, CA) remains highly effective in his role by recording 37 strikeouts and three saves in 27.2 innings of action.
The top-seeded Tigers (30-8, 22-6 SCIAC), who are currently ranked ninth in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll and 13th on D3baseball.com, rely on the most potent offensive weapon in the conference in junior designated hitter Devon DeRaad (Scottsdale, AZ). DeRaad boasts impressive numbers, highlighted by his 15 round-trippers, which is second-best in the nation for NCAA Division III. Additionally, he has earned a .434 clip with 55 RBI, 14 doubles, 59 hits, and 39 runs scored. Senior first baseman Brady Fuller (Walnut Creek, CA) backs his counterpart's efforts with a .367 batting average that includes 51 hits, 36 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. Senior pitcher Scott Erickson (Lafayette, CA) helms the pitching rotation with a perfect 7-0 record to go along with 55 punch-outs in 74.2 innings. Freshman pitcher Will Martel (San Anselmo, CA) leads the team in wins with nine while earning a 2.21 ERA.
Occidental captured a share of the conference title with California Lutheran University, marking the Tigers' first since 1982.
In the other first-round match-up, the second-seeded Cal Lutheran Kingsmen (27-11, 22-6 SCIAC) will face off against the third-seeded Chapman University Panthers (26-14, 20-8 SCIAC) in Thousand Oaks at Sparky Anderson Field at 3 p.m. on Friday.
The Kingsmen boast a 2-1 record over the Panthers after winning the recent Friday match-up, 5-2, and the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, 11-1. Chapman secured the first game in eight innings with a mercy-rule victory, 12-2, over the Kingsmen.
The second-seeded Kingsmen, who are ranked No.22 in the latest ABCA poll and No. 24 by D3baseball.com, are four-time, defending regular-season champions while sharing this season's title with the Tigers. Senior third baseman Davey Casciola (San Luis Obispo, CA) and junior second baseman Chad Clark (Thousand Oaks, CA) act as the one-two punch in the batting order. Casciola leads the offensive charge in the lead-off position with a .384 batting average, .459 slugging percentage, and a .642 on-base percentage. Additionally, he leads his squad in jacks (6), doubles (19), and hits (61). Clark, who is slotted in the two-hole, has barreled 55 hits, including 11 doubles and five home runs, en route to a .377 batting average. Junior pitcher Trey Saito (Honolulu, HI) leads the pitching staff with an 8-3 record that compliments a lowly 2.69 ERA in 73.2 innings.
The third-seeded Panthers look to freshman third baseman Konner Zickerfoose (Chino Hills, CA) for most of the offensive production, as he tops his team in batting average (.443), runs scored (46), and homeruns (7). Sophomore utility player Gavin Blodgett (Fullerton, CA) leads the squad in hits with 61 and has posted a .394 batting average in 40 games played. Senior pitcher Matt Molnar (Aliso Viejo, CA) sets the tone for the pitching staff with an 8-3 record en route to 42 strikeouts and three complete games. Furthermore, junior closer Ben Vietze (Highland Park, NJ) has slammed the door for three saves on the year.
Ironically, three of this year's qualifying teams have a Redlands coaching connection. Chapman Head Coach Scott Laverty previously helmed the Bulldogs' squad, Occidental skipper Luke Wetmore graduated from Laverty's Redlands baseball program, and Bulldog Head Coach Aaron Holley played for and coached with Laverty prior to taking over the team.
For more information about the SCIAC Postseason Tournament, please visit Oxy's tournament central page.