Eight Pirates Earn All-WSC North Honors in Baseball

The 2016 Ventura College baseball team played to an 18-18 record narrowly missing a berth in the State Regional Playoffs, but in addition eight Pirate baseball players earned various Western State Conference North Honors. VC was lead by two players on the first team, three on the second team and three honorable mention selections. As well, two Pirate infielders were honored as Gold Glove defenders at their position.

Ventura's offense was paced for the season by returning team MVP Tony Fonzo who carried an over .400 average in to the final five games of the season before finally dipping below .400 to finish with a .382 average and was amongst the best offensive performers not only in the conference, but in the state. For his season Fonzo was named First team All-WSC North, marking the third time in four years a VC third basemen has earned first team honors. 

Ray Lambert transferred to VC from California State University Northridge as a RS So. and stabilized the Pirate rotation. Lambert took the ball ten times and went 6-4 in 69 innings pitcher. Lambert struck out 61 hitters and pitched to a Pirate low of 2.54 ERA for the season. He twice produced starts in which he struck out 10+ hitters including a complete game shutout with 15 strikeouts against Cuesta. Lambert was named a First team All-WSC North performer.

On the second team the Pirates placed two more position players and a utility player. Brison Cronenbold made 35 starts for the Pirates as their SS and finished with a .340 average second on the team and amongst the best in the state. His 13 doubles and 3 triples were best on the team for 2016. Cronenbold will play at the University of Nebraska in 2017. Bryson Wallet was the Pirates starting rightfielder for the 36 games and the only freshmen to make more than 10 starts on the season for VC. He hit .277 in his freshmen campaign with seven doubles, three triples (tied for top on the team) and one home run while driving in 27 runs and scoring 21 more. Adisson Pelupessy provided the Pirates production offensively with a .256 average, three doubles and two triples while driving in 17 runs and and scoring 19. But, it wasn't just Pelupessy's bat and defense which earned him second team All-WSC North honors, but his work on the mound as the Pirates closer and eventually in their rotation made Pelupessy the seventh Pirate to be named as an first or second team utilty player in the last nine years. Pelupessy topped the WSC North with six saves and picked up two wins as a starter.

Three more VC players earned honorable mention honors. Nate Green was a RS So. transfer to Ventura and made 12 starts going 5-5 with an ERA of 4.36 in 86.2 innings (top for the team) to pace the Pirates rotation. Erick Allegro hit .323 for Ventura and made 36 starts at first base for Ventura while hitting in the three or six hole all season long. Allegro had four doubles, one triple, drove in 11 runs while scoring 23 more and was one of four Pirates to hit over .300 for the season Finally, Robert Stephan made 33 starts in centerfield for VC and provided consistent defensive production and helped to set the table for the Pirates middle of the order by scoring 21 runs and driving in 10 more runs with three doubles and one triple. 

Ventura had one player earn a gold glove in the 2015 season, but in 2016 VC placed multiple players on the gold glove team for the third time in five seasons. Fonzo added to his hardware with an outstanding defensive season committing just five errors all season while playing all, but four innings at third base. While Allegro was a steady force offensively it was with his glove where he really stood out for the Pirates. Allegro played all 36 games at first base and missed just six innings all season defensively and committed just one error on the season. Allegro had 301 chances on the season.