Mike Klan
MONTECITO, Calif. -Westmont Baseball (38-12, 33-10) celebrated the end of the conference schedule by claiming the PacWest Regular Season Championship. This is the first PacWest regular season championship team won by a Westmont team.
The Warriors won the first game 10-0 behind a six-inning performance by Ryan Humphreys, who improved to 10-1 on the season. Azusa Pacific won the second game 9-8.
In six scoreless innings, Humphreys allowed just three hits, struck out six and walked one.
“I thought Ryan did an incredible job,” said Westmont’s head coach Paul Svagdis. “We had him on a pitch count going into the game. He was able to hit that number and feel good.
PCPA Theatre – Waitress – ROS 300 x 250“Coming out of a doubleheader and knowing you have the conference tournament and playoffs after that, you want to walk out healthy. To keep our pitchers at a certain pitch count was great. Ryan set the tone and was able to get six innings in his pitch count.”
“I try to go out there and try to fill it up and let the defense play behind me,” said Humphreys. “The defense has been great all year. We play good baseball. I don’t try to do too much.”
Caden Beloian pitched a scoreless seventh, striking out three batters. As a result, the game ended after seven innings due to the PacWest’s mercy rule.
With one away in the top of the first, Michael Soper doubled with a line drive down the left field line. Then with two away, Bryce McFeely singled to right-center field, driving in Soper for the first run of the game.
An error by the Cougars’ third baseman allowed Trey Dunn to reach while McFeely took second. Jesse DiMaggio then put a ground ball through the hole between first and second, plating McFeely and giving the Warriors runners at first and second.
That brought up Jack Bollingier, whose shot to right field cleared the fence by a foot and one-half for a three-run home run. Shane Hofstadler made it a 6-0 game with a no-doubter home run to left.
“It makes my job a lot easier,” said Humphreys about being spotted a six-run lead before taking the mound. “Our guys have been raking all year. We broke the single season home run record as a team.
“They are all studs and do a great job. It makes it a whole lot easier for me to go out there and throw strikes and just play the game.”
The Warriors have now hit 73 home runs, outpacing the 2021 squad that held the previous record with 66.
Soper reached again in the second inning with a one-out single to right. When Daniel Patterson singled to right center, Soper took third. That brought up McFeely who produced an RBI-single to center, giving Westmont a 7-0 advantage.
In the top of the fifth, Bollengier reached on a single with two away ahead of Hofstadler. The senior catcher drove his second home run of the day over the fence in left-center field for a two run home run. Hofstadler’s second and third RBIs of the game made it a 9-0 game.
The Warriors added another run in the top of the seventh. Di Maggio hit a single up the middle, then took second on an error that allowed Bollengier to reach first.
Mora grounded up the middle on a fielder’s choice. An error on the play allowed Di Maggio to score from third.
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“I am excited for the seniors,” said Svagdis. “With all the coaching transitions they have had, to be able to see them win the regular season is great. I told them at the end of the game, ‘I have coached in the league for a while and they are one of the best teams I’ve been around.’”
“I personally think this program is the greatest thing in the world,” said Humphreys. “My freshman year, I came in under coach Ruiz. During my freshman year, he was very adamant in telling the story of what it took to build this program into what it is today.
“I think being invested in that and being here over the last five years, it is really cool to see where it was at when I came in and where it is at now. That is a testament to the brotherhood we have here.
“These guys are my best friends. We go out and play baseball and have a good time. This program is extremely special to me. I don’t think there is anything like it.”
Regarding heading into postseason play, Humphreys said, “I think it is starting to be just an expectation for us with the work we have put in and where the program has come from over the last 10-15 years.
“Our athletic department did a great job getting us into postseason eligibility a year early. We feel like we have a job to do. We have to pay it forward to them for giving us that opportunity. So, we are excited to get going with that. We still have a lot of work to do.”
Westmont will be the number one seed in next week’s PacWest Tournament that will be held at Fresno Pacific beginning Wednesday, May 7.
Point Loma (35-14, 31-12) and Hawai’i Pacific (29-19, 27-15) have also qualified for the tournament as the second and third seeds respectively. The fourth and final seed has not yet been decided.
Biola and Concordia split a doubleheader today. As a result, Biola holds a two-game lead over Concordia for the tournament berth. If Biola wins one game of tomorrow’s doubleheader, they will earn the number four seed and will be Westmont’s opponent in the first round of the PacWest Tournament.
If Concordia wins both, Concordia will be awarded the tournament berth and take on the Warriors next Wednesday.
“Baseball is not like other sports,” asserted Svagdis. “It is like a whole new season is starting again. I don’t think the seeding matters, because the top four or five teams in the league are good and baseball is hard to do.
“We are going to take a day off or two and let the seniors graduate. Then we will get back to work and try to tune some things up.”
(Article courtesy Westmont Athletics).
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