The Ventura College baseball team is pleased to announce 10 players from the 2018 team have committed to transfer to four-year schools for 2018-19. Of those, eight plan on continuing their baseball careers at the next level, including two at NCAA Division I, three at NCAA Division II, two at NAIA and one at NCAA Division III schools.
The American Baseball Coaches Association is proud to honor nearly 300 member college and high school programs with the 2018 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award. Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were recognized with this year's award, which highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2017-18 academic year. Included among the honored teams are the Ventura College Pirates who posted a team grade point average of 3.21 for the fall and spring semesters.
VC freshman outfielder Steele Ledford, sophomore shortstop Rudy Aguilar and freshman outfielder TJ Foreman led 10 Pirates on the All-Western State Conference North Division team as voted upon by conference coaches last month. Ledford was named first team All-WSC and won the Gold Glove Award for his defense while Aguilar was also named first team All-WSC. Foreman, meanwhile, was second team All-WSC and also earned a Gold Glove Award.
They never gave up, fighting to the end. The Pirates' baseball team , trailing by two runs, were able to load the bases in the top of the ninth inning Thursday at Santa Barbara, just could not get one more hit to overcome the Vaqueros in the season finale. VC dropped the 7-5 decision at Pershing Park, finishing the season at an even .500 overall and in Western State Conference North Division play.
Dayton Provost had the kind of day that every young baseball player dreams about. With the Pirates' backs against the proverbial wall, he came through in a big way, batting 5-5, including a two-out, bases-clearing triple and an eighth inning home run, and batted in six runs as VC defeated Santa Barbara 9-7 Tuesday. The victory kept the Pirates' post-season hopes alive, pulling them into a three-way tie for second place with SBCC and Hancock with one game left on the schedule.
The Pirate baseball team struggled to keep the Hancock off the bases Saturday, dropping their second straight game to the Bulldogs 14-10 in Santa Maria. Ventura (19-19, 9-9) pounded out 17 hits in the game, including three each from TJ Foreman, Fabian De La Barcena and Tommy Gibbons-Matsuyama, but they gave up 16 hits defensively. The loss drops the Pirates two games out of first place with two games remaining in the regular season.
The Pirate baseball team dropped to third place, a game out of first, with an 8-3 loss to visiting Allan Hancock College Thursday at Pirate Park. Dayton Provost had a pair of hits with two RBI while Chris McKee also recorded two singles and scored twice. Fabian De La Barcena had the only extra base it for VC (19-18, 9-8), a fourth-inning triple.
The Pirate baseball team closed to within a half game of first place with a 4-3 triumph over Cuesta Tuesday at Pirate Park. Fabian De La Barcena had an RBI double scoring Dayton Provost in the bottom of the seventh for the game-winning run for Ventura (19-17, 9-7), who swept the season series from the Cougars for the first time since 1989. Noah Proffitt pitched six solid innings, giving up one run while striking out four while Jeff Tben recorded the final six outs for his first save of the season.
The wild ride continued Saturday for the VC baseball team as they brought home an 11-6 road victory over Cuesta College. Dayton Provost had a pair of hits, including a double, and four runs batted in to lead a Pirate offense that took advantage of nine walks on the day. Chris McKee also had two hits and scored two runs in the victory. With the win, the Pirates remain a game out of first place in the Western State Conference race entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Pirate baseball team dropped a wild 15-13 decision to visiting Santa Barbara Friday afternoon, but remained within a game of the first place Vaqueros in a Western State Conference race that has five teams bunched within one game of each other. Eric Thrower was 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and four runs batted in while Chris McKee was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and four RBI for Ventura (17-17, 7-7).
Who knew? After the Pirate baseball team gave up four runs to visiting Moorpark in the first two innings, VC had the Raiders right where they wanted them. Seven innings later, Shane Gipson singled to left field with the bases loaded to score pinch runner Chris McKee as Ventura (17-16, 7-6) walked off with a 6-5 victory over their cross-county rivals. Gipson had two hits andtwo RBI in the game while Dayton Provost, who led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk, was 2-4 with a run scored and one run batted in.
In a tight conference race, every game looms large. The Pirate baseball team found that out Tuesday, falling from a first-place tie to fourth place with a 5-2 loss at Moorpark Tuesday afternoon. Dayton provost had a pair of hits with one runs scored and one RBI while Steele Ledford and AJ Medrano also recorded two base hits each but it was not enough to overcome the Raiders. Noah Proffitt had a solid day on the mound, pitching a complete game while scattering nine hits and giving up five runs, three earned, and striking out two.
The Pirate baseball team trailed by four runs at one point and five runs at another, but in the end they claimed a four-run victory, 16-12 against Oxnard Saturday at Pirate Park. The teams combined for 28 runs and 31 hits in the 3-hour, 40-minute game on a picture perfect day in Ventura. Rudy Aguilar belted out four hits, including a double, scored two runs and knocked in three runs while AJ Medrano had a pair of hits, including a home run, with two runs scored and three RBI for the VC (16-15, 6-5).
The Ventura baseball team found runs hard to come by on Thursday afternoon, falling at Oxnard College 4-1 in Western State Conference North Division action. Aj Medrano was 3-4 on the day at the plate while Dayton Provost and JT Heade both slapped out two hits in the game. Blake Campbell allowed one run over 6.2 innings of work on the mound in relief for the Pirates (15-15, 5-5).
Pirate pitcher Noah Proffitt scattered five hits in a complete game shutout at Santa Barbara Tuesday, leading Ventura to a 3-0 Western State Conference North Division victory over the Vaqueros. The freshman starter recorded four strike outs and did not give up a walk in his nine innings of work. Offensively, Steele Ledford had three hits, including a double, and scored a run to lead the way for Ventura (15-14, 5-4).
It was the Pirates against the Pirates Saturday afternoon as Ventura traveled south to Orange Coast for a baseball match-up. The VC Pirates were unable to make an early 5-1 lead hold up as the OCC Pirates came away with the 16-6 victory. Dayton Provost and AJ Medrano each had a pair of hits for Ventura (14-14, 4-4) while TJ Foreman had three runs batted in and scored twice. Ryker Kennepohl started on the mound for VC, pitching into the fifth inning and giving up four runs.
Catcher Shane Gipson had a three hits, including a home run and a double, and four runs batted in to lead the Pirate baseball team to a 10-2 victory at Los Angeles Valley College Thursday. Fabian De La Barcena also knocked out three hits, including a pair of doubles, with two runs scored and two RBI as Ventura (14-13, 4-4) posted its third straight win and seventh triumph in its last 10 outings.
The Pirate baseball team used an 11-run second inning to propel them past visiting Los Angeles Pierce College 12-10 Wednesday afternoon at Pirate Park. AJ Medrano had three hits in the game, including a single and a double, two RBI and a run scored in the big second inning. Ventura used six pitchers on the day with Tommy Jamieson picking up the victory and Sal Delgado recording his second save in two days.
The Ventura College baseball team got back on track Tuesday with a 5-2 victory over Pasadena at Pirate Park. Steele Ledford and Shane Gipson both continued their strong play with two RBI each while Chris McKee had three hits and scored twice for VC (12-13, 4-4). Noah Proffitt picked up the win on the mound, throwing 5.2 shutout innings and Sal Delgado picked up his third save.
The Pirates baseball team had a difficult afternoon on the diamond, recording two hits and three base on balls in a 12-0 loss at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria Saturday. Shane Gipson and TJ Foreman each had a single in the game, ending a rain-interrupted week of conference play for VC(11-13, 4-4), who remained at .500 in the Western State Conference despite the loss.
The Pirate baseball team gave up seven runs over a two inning span, then scored nine runs over two frames, but it was the four runs they yielded in the final two innings that made the difference in their 11-10 loss to Allan Hancock College Tuesday at Pirate Park. Shane Gipson was 2-4 on the afternoon, including a three-run home run, with four RBI and Steele Ledford knocked out three hits with two runs scored but it was not enough to push Ventura (11-12, 4-3) over the top in the wild game.
The Pirate baseball team completed their second straight 2-1 week in Western State Conference play with a come-from-behind 7-4 victory over Cuesta Saturday at Pirate Park. Fabian De La Barcena had a three-RBI triple and Shane Gipson also knocked in a run in VC's four-run seventh inning to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 advantage. Blake Campbell threw three scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win for the Pirates (11-11, 4-2).
The Pirate baseball team returned to home Friday and beat the rain, but not visiting Moorpark, falling to the raiders 7-3. The loss splits the two-game series against the cross-county rivals as VC won at Moorpark last Saturday. Rudy Aguilar led VC at the plate with a pair of hits, one run scored and one RBI. Taylor Goffena pitched into the sixth inning in the start, giving up five runs in taking the loss.
The Pirate baseball team pulled back to .500 with an 11-9 victory at Cuesta Thursday afternoon, their third straight Western State Conference win. Steele Ledford opened up the game with a home run, and also had a single and triple and two more runs batted in and Fabian De La Barcena was 2-3 with a double and three RBI. Noah Proffitt pitched seven innings, giving up five runs and four hits while striking out three to pick up the win and Sal Delgado recorded the save.
Pirate catcher Shane Gipson had three hits, including a triple, three runs batted in and also scored a run in Ventura's 10-3 victory at Moorpark College Friday. Rudy Aguilar also belted out three safeties with two runs scored and an RBI and four other Pirates had two hits each. Ryker Kennepohl pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs in picking up the victory for VC (9-10, 2-1).
The Pirates baseball team rallied for eight runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, seven of which were scored with two outs, and the Pirates defeated Oxnard 10-6 Thursday afternoon at Pirate Park. Shane Gipson had three hits with two runs batted in and a run scored to lead the 13-hit Pirate offensive attack. Dayton Provost had a pair of hits with two RBI and a run scored for VC (8-10, 1-1). Taylor Goffena made the start, giving up three runs in four innings, and Jackson Hokuf pitched .2 of an inning and picked up the win.
After trailing by scores of 5-1 and 6-2, the Pirate baseball team made a strong comeback, falling just short in their 6-5 loss at Oxnard on Tuesday afternoon to open Western State Conference North Division play. Steele Ledford was 3-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored, and Eric Thrower batted 3-4 with a run batted in for Ventura (7-10, 0-1). Jeff Thoben pitched five solid innings fo relief, giving up just one run, to give the Pirates a chance at the comeback.
The Pirate baseball team had a solid day on the diamond Monday, except for one big inning. VC gave up seven runs on just three hits in the top of the sixth inning in their 13-8 loss to visiting Citrus College at Pirate Park to split the two-game set with the Owls. Fabian De La Barcena had a pair of hits, including a triple, with two runs batted in and a run scored while Chris McKeen had a hit, scored once and knocked in three for the Pirates (7-9).
Taylor Goffena pitched a gem Thursday, giving up one run over seven innings, helping lead the Pirate baseball team to a 5-1 victory at Citrus College in Glendora. Tommy Gibbons-Matsuyama had an RBI single and batted another run in on a ground out while Steele Ledford had an RBI single and scored a run for Ventura (7-8). Dayton Provost had a pair of hits and scored a run.
The Pirate baseball team was unable to have an early 2-0 lead hold up as the fell at Cerritos 3-2 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon. Making up a rain out from the day before, VC (6-8) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and had a solid pitching performances from Noah Proffitt and Jeff Thoben, but were unable to pick up the victory. Rudy Aguilar and Dayton Provost provided RBI hits for the Pirates.