California Baptist baseball finds right recipe

Last season, California Baptist University baseball coach Gary Adcock admits he was not able to get the right mix with his pitching staff.

“In searching for the combination, I never landed on anything and it’s really hard to pitch when you don’t know your role,” Adcock said. “I was continuously searching because we never won three games in a row, were constantly .500 and I kept trying to find the combination, and in doing so I don’t think I ever grasped their roles.”

This season, the recipe seems to be working as the Lancers (2412 overall, 11-4 in Western Athletic Conference) are riding a fivegame winning streak heading into a weekend trip to play a three-game series at Abilene Christian University in Texas.

“It’s the best, most complete staff I’ve had in my 21 years at CBU,” Adcock said. “I don’t say this flippantly. We have bullpen. We have long relievers. I’ve found better spots for them and of course it’s easier when they’re pitching well.”

The adjustment for Nate Hemmerling from starter to the back of the bullpen has been paramount, as the 6-foot-4 right-hander has lowered his earned run average more than three points to 2.73 in 15 appearances.

“Last year we tried to start Nate Hemmerling and he was an average starter, but he’s a phenomenal reliever,” Adcock said.

Hemmerling and Ryan Hetzler have combined to form what Adcock calls his “co-closers”, providing the late-inning finishers that make everyone else more confident in their roles.

“We haven’t had this good of a bullpen in my time here,” Adcock said. “We have four guys, from the sixth inning on, that can really shorten the game. I’ve never had that.”

Offensively, CBU has lacked consistency and Adcock has made continuous adjustments to the lineup.

“It kind of feels like that’s what we’re doing this year with the batting order because we’re not hitting as well,” he said.

Adcock may have landed on something on March 9 in a 12-4 nonconference win at CSU Northridge because the Lancers bats have come alive, with Josh Paino leading the way as the team has six or more runs in each of its last five games — all wins.

“Josh has been really good (and) our first four hitters in our lineup are really where our offense starts and ends,” Adcock said. “I’ve tried every combination on the planet, and the one we’re currently in has (Mitchel) Simon leading off and Josh hitting fourth, so I don’t know if that’s contributed to it or not but since we’ve made that adjustment, we have five home runs from the leadoff spot and Josh is taking off as well so I’m not going to change it at least for now.”

Simon recently set the new school record for home runs, hitting the 52nd round-tripper of his career in a 11-1 win at Sacramento State on April 7.

CBU currently leads the WAC and plays three of the other top four teams — Abilene Christian, Grand Canyon and Utah Valley — over the next three weeks.

“We’ll really find out where we’re at in the WAC because we play everybody at the top,” Adcock said. “The next three weeks will determine whether or not we’re competing for a championship and maybe getting into the tournament with a higher seed.”

• Andrew Mazzone hit three home runs to set a new Claremontmudd-scripps single-season record as the Stags swept a doubleheader from Redlands last Saturday.

Mazzone hit all three homers in Game 1 to set the new school mark at 16 as CMS beat Redlands 9-6, one ahead of current senior Julian

Sanders who set the previous record last year.

Mazzone and Sanders went backto-back in the second inning to help CMS (20-10 overall, 8-7 SCIAC) get out to an early lead on Redlands, which battled back to get within a run at 7-6 before coming up short.

Adam Dapkiewicz went 4 for 4 with five RBIS — including a threerun double — as CMS posted a 13-3 result in Game 2. Mazzone had a sacrifice fly in the win.

• University of La Verne freshman Jay Alvardo Wing bested the rest of the field by one stroke to claim the win at Mountain Meadows Golf Club on Sunday, April 7.

A Rancho Cucamonga grad, Wing was 1-under on the second day of the two-day event to finish ahead of Chapman’s Sam Carrilo and two shots ahead of four others.

Wing claimed the SCIAC Golfer of the Week award for the second time this season. The Riverside native previously won the Leopard Spring Invitational.

Wing and La Verne next compete at the SCIAC Championship Tournament at Los Serranos Golf Club on April 28-30.

• Alyssa Jauregui had two hits and three RBIS, and Stephanie Russo had three hits and scored three runs as the San Bernardino Valley College softball team earned a doubleheader split with Chaffey with a 9-6 victory in Game 2 last Friday at Loma Linda University’s Drayson Center.

Kaitlynn Lafleur added two hits and two RBIS for SBVC (9-19 overall, 4-5 Inland Empire Athletic Conference), which trails both Chaffey (17-17, 7-2) and Mt. San Jacinto (1712, 8-3) heading into the final two weeks of the regular season.

Victoria Esparza had two hits and three RBIS, and Hailey Marquez had three hits and scored twice for Chaffey in a 12-7 win in Game 1. The Panthers are averaging a conference-best 5.2 runs per game.