Pirates announce six players set to play at four-year level for 2017-18
COSTA MESA -- Orange Coast College is proud to announce that six baseball players have signed letters of intent to play at the Division I level for 2017-18, according to head coach John Altobelli.
Pirate standouts Austin Moore and Kyle Robeniol will move to play for the University of Utah after this season, while teammate Travis Moniot has signed with the University of Arizona.
Sophmore pitcher Ryan Randel will attend the University of Houston, while Jake Scott and J.T. Navarro will continue the athletic and academic careers at Houston Baptist University.
Navarro led the Pirates with a .370 batting average last year and collected a team-best 47 hits and 28 runs scored, playing in 34-of-36 games as a freshman.
Randel pitched in a team-best 17 contests (three starts) and went 3-2 with a save and a 3.46 ERA, striking out 32 batters in 39 innings last season.
Moore threw in 12 games (four starts) last year and went 2-4 with a 4.50 ERA, but averaged one strikeout per inning (32 in 32 IP).
Scott was a standout outfielder for Coast, batting .326 with 29 hits, four doubles, 11 runs scored and 16 RBI. His .413 on-base percentage was second-best on the team, behind only Navarro's .420 OBP.
Moniot comes to OCC after playing last year at the University of Oregon, where he was the Ducks' starting shortstop all of last year. He batted .168 in 53 games with five home runs and 18 RBI, but was stellar with the glove, posting a .947 fielding percentage with just 10 errors in 190 chances.
Robeniol also comes to the Pirates from Oregon, where he pitched in 13 games (four starts) for the Ducks and posted a 3-2 record with a 7.09 ERA with 21 strikeouts over 26 2/3 innings.
"I'm extremely proud of seeing these guys earn the opportunity to play at the next level," Altobelli said. "That's what it's all about for us at OCC. We're excited to have these guys here this year, but I'll also look forward to seeing them play at an even higher level because of the work they've put in."
