 |
Media Advisory |
For Immediate Release
05/23/11
Delta College Mustangs win CCCAA Baseball Championship!
The Mustangs celebrate their victory over Ohlone in Bakersfield!
(Stockton)
Playing with determination, a never-say-die attitude and some timely pitching, the Delta Mustangs baseball team took home the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Baseball State Championship on Sunday, May 22. Delta’s two victories over defending champ Ohlone College of Fremont, 5-3 and 4-1, sealed the deal, earning the Mustangs their first baseball championship since 1959. The championship series was held at the Gay Sports Complex in Bakersfield.
The Mustangs took the hard road to the championship. After dropping from the winner’s bracket with a 3-2 loss to Ohlone on Saturday, the Mustangs bounced back later that day with a 7-3 “must-win” over Glendale. Pitcher Kyle Hassana came through with 8-2/3 innings of work, allowing the Mustangs to save their remaining pitchers for Sunday’s games. The victory over Glendale propelled the Mustangs into Sunday’s championship, needing two wins against the team that was victorious over them on Saturday…Ohlone.
The Ohlone Renegades (28-19) needed only one victory on Sunday to claim their second straight CCCAA championship...but the Mustangs would have none of it.
In the first game, pitcher Aaron Gillis went 7-1/3 solid innings, allowing only 2 runs in a 5-3 Delta victory. Sophomore Jeff McKenzie, a center fielder and seldom used pitcher, was called into action for the second game…and delivered! McKenzie admitted he was surprised by the coaching decision to let him start a championship game. “Once the decision sunk in, I was determined not to let the team down.” He didn’t.
McKenzie’s complete game, which included seven strikeouts, only seven hits, and four picked-off runners, allowed him to be named tournament MVP. Left fielder Langston Calhoun led the mustangs in hitting for the series: a .600 average, eight RBI, and a 4 for 5 performance in the final game. After limited play during the regular season, Calhoun delivered in the clutch when needed most…the championship series.
Coach Reed Peters and his staff credit Delta’s pitching as a huge factor in Delta’s first state title since 1959, when they were know as Stockton Jr. College. “Not having any pitchers left in 2009 when we played Orange Coast for the title cost us. This time, we knew what to expect. I’m so proud of all our pitchers, I can’t even explain it!” The Mustangs finished the season with a 35-12 record.
Congratulations Delta Mustangs! 2011 CCCAA Baseball Champions!
Lady Mustangs Softball Finish Second in State!
2011 Delta Mustangs Softball Team
After a rousing season in which the Mustangs finished the regular season with a 42-0 record, it turned out that only one team had their number in 2011…the Cypress College Chargers.
The CCCAA Softball Championship, also played at Bakersfield’s Gay Sports Complex, began for the Mustangs on Friday, May 20, with Cypress College handing the Mustangs and pitcher Katie Cotta their first loss of the season, 5-1.
This was uncharted territory for the Mustangs. The loss to Cypress meant they needed two wins in Saturday’s consolation bracket to have a shot at the title. How would they respond?
The Mustangs swept aside Friday’s loss and responded like champions. They defeated Siskiyous 12-0 in five innings on the “mercy rule.” Katie Cotta responded in dominant fashion after the loss to Cypress. She pitched a no-hitter, her fifth of the season. Later that evening, Cotta and the Mustangs beat a tough Mt. San Antonio team, 6-4.Those two victories gave Delta the opportunity for revenge. They would need two victories over Cypress to win the State Championship on Sunday (5/22).
It was not to be. Cypress (42-8) scored eight runs in an extremely brutal second inning. Cotta, who finished the season with a 32-2 record, uncharacteristically had ball control problems, hitting or walking seven Cypress batters in the inning. Genevieve Reyna pitched the remainder of the game for Mustangs. Delta Coach Jim Fisher explained, “Things got away from us early. The deficit was just too much to overcome.”
Cypress pitchers Monique Hernandez and Mia Magalona held Delta to three hits. Delta got its lone run in the fifth inning when Reyna doubled to drive in Desiree Walsh. The game ended 9-1 after the 6th inning on the eight-run “mercy rule.” Cypress pitcher Monique Hernandez was named the tournament MVP, besting Delta in two games. This was Cypress College’s second straight CCCAA State Championship, and seventh in school history.
Pitcher Katie Cotta, right fielder Desiree Walsh and third baseman Katie Etcheverry, were named to the all-tournament team. Center fielder Rachel Borges was named the top hitter, with a .385 average, five runs scored and an RBI.
It’s never easy to lose, but it was a gutsy performance by the Lady Mustangs, Coach Fisher and his staff. They fought their way into the championship final after their first loss of the season, becoming the most successful softball team in Delta College history. Delta’s previous best finish in the State Championship series was third in 1988. The Mustangs finished the season with an amazing 44-2 record, and were ranked #1 in the state most of the season.
Congratulations Lady Mustangs! 42-0 Regular Season; 44-2 Overall & Second in State!
###