Eight Pirate baseballers moving on
COSTA MESA -- Eight Orange Coast College baseball players will be taking their talents to four-year schools, according to head baseball coach John Altobelli.
Among those moving forward to the "next level" include sophomores Manny Argomaniz, Danny Jimenez, Kyle Dowdy, David Longville, Zach Nehrir and Ricky Navarro as well as freshmen Austin Saenz and Evan Porcella.
Argomaniz (Claremont HS) will be attending Fresno State University, joining 2012 teammate Trent Woodward on the Bulldogs' roster. Argomaniz played in all 39 games for OCC and batted .306 with 45 hits, nine extra-base hits, 30 run scored and 21 RBI.
Jimenez (Fountain Valley HS), a transfer from Irvine Valley College, will be attending St. Catherine University in Kentucky in the fall. He earned first-team, All-Orange Empire Conference honors after batting .307 with 46 hits, 23 runs, 21 RBI and a team-best 14 extra-base hits. A steady player with the glove as well, Jimenez posted a .998 fielding percentage with just one error the entire season.
Dowdy (Francis Parker HS), who came to OCC after a year at the University of Hawaii, will attend the University of Houston in the Fall. He was a second-team, All-OEC honoree after posting a 6-3 record with one save, three complete games and a 2.38 ERA. Dowdy led the Pirates in innings pitched (75 2/3), games started (11) and strikeouts (62).
Another Hawaii transfer, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Longville (Capistrano Valley HS) will join Dowdy at the University of Houston. A strong arm and plenty of tools to work with, Longville went 1-1 with one save and a 5.55 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work for Coast in 2013.
A first-team, All-OEC outfielder, Nehrir will continue his solid career at Houston Baptist University after a stellar sophomore season. Last year, Nehrir batted .318 with a team-best 50 hits in 39 games played. The El Modena HS grad also posted 21 runs, 10 extra-base hits and 21 RBI while committing only one error in the outfield the entire season.
A solid, all-around player for two seasons at OCC, Navarro will stay in CA and attend Cal State San Bernardino in the Fall. Last year, Navarro (Beckman HS) played in 37 games and batted .304 with 42 hits, 20 runs and 14 RBI.
After spending a year at Cal State Fullerton, Saenz will move on after a year at OCC and join Nehrir at Houston Baptist. In his one season at Coast, Saenz batted .281 with 38 hits, 10 extra-base hits, 33 runs and 21 RBI. The Mission Viejo HS grad also led the Pirates with eight sacrifice at-bats and 10 stolen bases.
After a strong career at El Modena HS, Porcella will continue his playing career at George Mason University after one solid year at Coast. The 6-2 lefty went 3-2 with one complete game and a 3.15 ERA for OCC, allowing just 12 earned runs in 34 1/3 innings of work. In his last start, Porcella went the distance against Palomar in the Southern California Regional playoffs, but took the hardluck 1-0 loss against the Comets in his best outing of the season.
