Pirates earn No. 6 seed; will host Canyons on Friday

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College baseball team earned a No. 6 seed in this year's Southern California Regional playoffs and will host No. 19 College of the Canyons in a best-of-three series, which kicks off on Friday, beginning at 2 p.m.

Game 2 of the series will take place on Saturday at 11 a.m. with a third game (if necessary) to follow Game 2 on Saturday. 

It's been a streaky year for the Pirates (25-14). After starting the season 14-4, OCC proceeded to lose six straight conference games, putting any hopes of a postseason in doubt. 

But then, Coast turned it around and won nine in a row, including eight straight in the Orange Empire Conference, putting the Pirates right in the thick of things.

Unfortunately for the Pirates, they enter the postseason a bit erratic, dropping 4-of-6 to end the campaign. However, OCC showed some grit in the season finale, topping host Cypress, 10-9 in 12 innings to enter the postseason on an upswing.

The key to OCC's success this year has come at the plate, where the Pirates don't have an "easy out" in the bunch. Sophomore Evan Scalley leads the Pirates with a .380 batting average to go along with 46 hits, 24 runs, six home runs and 23 RBI. Sophomore outfielder Zach Dickason leads OCC with 50 hits and is batting .338 with 24 runs, 12 doubles and a team-best 35 RBI. Freshman Zach Leite has been making the most of his opportunities down the stretch and is batting .356 with 26 hits, 20 runs and 18 RBI. Slugger Jayden Lyburtus is batting .325 with 38 hits, 29 runs and a team-best nine home runs to go along with 31 RBI. 

OCC's "X-factor" will come from the mound, where the Pirates have been hot and cold throughout most of the season. Lefty M.J. Gabaldon is 5-3 this year and has 67 strikeouts over his 65 innings of work, while fellow starter, Jack Ross, is 3-2 with 37 Ks in 63 1/3 innings. Relievers Chase Rousselo (4-0, one save, 4.60 ERA) and Lyndon Glidewell (2-0, 2 saves, 0.84 ERA) have helped keep the Pirates in many games in the later innings, while closers Jacob Odle (2-3, 2 saves, 22 strikeouts, 14 1/3 innings) and Dimond Loosli (2-1, 5 saves, 19 Ks in 20 innings) will help shut the door on any COC comeback.

As for the Cougars (22-16, 13-8 in the Western State Conference's South Division), they come in after a third-place conference finish and are also limping into the postseason after dropping five of their last seven games. The Cougars are 0-1 against OCC this year after falling to the Pirates, 10-8, at OCC on Feb. 28. 

Sophomore infielder Andy Ambriz has been on fire since the first pitch of the season for the Cougars, batting .409 with 65 hits, 42 runs, 14 doubles, 11 HR and 55 RBI. Canyons has a pair of 50-hit hitters, including freshman Charlie Rocca (.321, 50 hits, 45 runs, 4 HR, 33 RBI) and Jovan Camacho (.323, 50 hits, 12 doubles, 19 RBI, 12 SBs) and the entire Cougars' team comes into the postseason with a healthy .315 team batting average.

Sophomore righty Gavino Rosales leads the Cougars' pitching staff with a 4-0 record and a 4.10 ERA, allowing just 29 earned runs over 63 2/3 innings with 59 strikeouts. 

Fellow sophomore righty, Xavier Stoker, is the "everyday guy" for the Cougars, appearing in 27 games this year, going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 35 innings. Closer Jake Schwartz has been steady with a 2-1 record with four saves and a 3.04 ERA. 

The winner of this weekend's series will advance to the Super Regionals, which take place May 11-13.