Baseball Enters Southern Regional Playoffs as South’s Third Seed, Set to Host No. 14 Grossmont

After a season in which the Riverside City College baseball team was kept off the diamond, the Tigers came back with a purpose: to push for a California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championship. They responded by placing second overall in the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) and earned the second highest seed in the conference leading into Southern Regional playoff action this weekend.

At season's end, there were 18 teams that earned a bid to participate in the CCCAA Southern Regional playoffs and the Tigers received the third overall seed. They will host the No. 14 Grossmont College Griffins in the first round on their home field. The best-of-three series will begins Friday, May 6 at 2 p.m. followed by a double header, if necessary, on Saturday, May 7. First pitch is set for 12 p.m.

This is a CCCAA sponsored game and will be a ticketed event. General admission is $12 and students with a valid ID, faculty, staff, veterans, seniors and children under 17 will be $8. All fans are required to provide full proof of vaccination upon entrance. Failure to abide by District vaccination rules and regulations for fans constitutes grounds for removal from Evans Sports Complex.

Riverside and Grossmont clashed early in the season as they played a two-game series in early February. Riverside bested the Griffins, 12-3 and 10-7, to push their then winning streak to six straight. The Tigers banged out 28 hits highlighted by a 5-for-8 showing from freshman right fielder Matthew Bardowell. He recorded five RBI and two runs scored as well.

Bardowell, who was recently named the Orange Empire Conference (OEC) Player of the Year, has been arguably the hottest hitter in the state. He finished the season with a .448 batting average which ranks third in the state. He leads his team with his conference pacing .448 batting average, .741 slugging percentage (5^th in state), .524 on base percentage (9^th in state), 64 hits (15^th in state), five homeruns, 19 doubles (1^st in state), four triples and 51 RBI (6^th in state). Prior to the final game of the season, he held a seven game hitting streak where he went 18-for-29 (.612) with six doubles, one triple, two homeruns, 11 runs scored and 12 RBI. His efforts were highlighted by a game-tying three run blast in the bottom of the ninth inning against Cypress. The homerun tied the game and forced extra innings where the Tigers eventually won 19-11.

The top of the order has acted as a battering ram to opposing pitching staffs as freshman third baseman Ignacio Alvarez has been Bardowell's counterpart in the juggernaut of an offensive attack. He earned First-Team All-Conference accolades after acting as the top third baseman in the conference by a landslide. The swift fielding, power hitting corner infielder has put together an impressive line of .344/.484/.469 in 38 games played. He has put together 14 multi-hit games leading to 49 hits, 12 doubles, three triples, three round trippers, 30 RBI and 42 runs scored. He is currently riding a six game hitting streak where he finished the regular season going 11-for-24 with five RBI and 11 runs scored. Furthermore, he boasts a .987 fielding percentage after committing a mere four errors in 121 total chances.

Freshman designated hitter Brett Bowers follows with a .344 batting average leading to 33 hits, 23 RBI, 21 runs scored, and seven doubles. Freshman center fielder Julian Alvarez, who was named to the Second-Team All-Conference list, has patrolled center field and consistently occupied the top spot in the order. He has tallied a .318 batting average en route to 47 hits, 32 RBI, 40 runs scored and seven doubles. Additionally, he leads the team with 19 stolen bases.

While the Tiger have done damage offensively, the pitching staff has held it down for the majority of the season. They are led by freshman right hander David Butler who was named the OEC Pitcher of the Year after going 6-0 in seven conference starts. Overall, he has posted a team-low 2.34 ERA leading to 41 strikeouts in a team-high 61.2 innings pitched. He holds an overall record of 7-0 in seven starts and has made 12 appearances.

Freshman duo Giancarlo Flores and Jordan Townley sandwich Butler in the Tiger's three-man rotation with Flores typically earning the game-one nod. Flores is 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA and a team-high 57 punch outs, while Townley is 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA and 21 fans.

Freshman reliever Hayden Coon currently totes the bullpen's lowest ERA with a 2.76 clip in just under 33 innings pitched. Sophomore southpaw Ryan Hernandez follows with a 3.13 ERA and 25 strikeouts and a team-low five free passes, while right handed flame thrower Chaz McWilliams sits at a 3.24 Era in 25 innings of work. He has recorded 23 strikeouts.