Eric Thrower

• Article
• August 18, 2018

The Ventura College baseball team is pleased to announce 10 players from the 2018 team have committed to transfer to four-year schools for 2018-19. Of those, eight plan on continuing their baseball careers at the next level, including two at NCAA Division I, three at NCAA Division II, two at NAIA and one at NCAA Division III schools.

• Article
• August 02, 2018

The American Baseball Coaches Association is proud to honor nearly 300 member college and high school programs with the 2018 ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award. Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were recognized with this year's award, which highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA over 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2017-18 academic year. Included among the honored teams are the Ventura College Pirates who posted a team grade point average of 3.21 for the fall and spring semesters. 

• Article
• June 07, 2018

VC freshman outfielder Steele Ledford, sophomore shortstop Rudy Aguilar and freshman outfielder TJ Foreman led 10 Pirates on the All-Western State Conference North Division team as voted upon by conference coaches last month. Ledford was named first team All-WSC and won the Gold Glove Award for his defense while Aguilar was also named first team All-WSC. Foreman, meanwhile, was second team All-WSC and also earned a Gold Glove Award.

• Article
• April 24, 2018

Dayton Provost had the kind of day that every young baseball player dreams about. With the Pirates' backs against the proverbial wall, he came through in a big way, batting 5-5, including a two-out, bases-clearing triple and an eighth inning home run, and batted in six runs as VC defeated Santa Barbara 9-7 Tuesday. The victory kept the Pirates' post-season hopes alive, pulling them into a three-way tie for second place with SBCC and Hancock with one game left on the schedule.

• Article
• April 14, 2018

The wild ride continued Saturday for the VC baseball team as they brought home an 11-6 road victory over Cuesta College. Dayton Provost had a pair of hits, including a double, and four runs batted in to lead a Pirate offense that took advantage of nine walks on the day. Chris McKee also had two hits and scored two runs in the victory. With the win, the Pirates remain a game out of first place in the Western State Conference race entering the final two weeks of the regular season.

• Article
• April 13, 2018

The Pirate baseball team dropped a wild 15-13 decision to visiting Santa Barbara Friday afternoon, but remained within a game of the first place Vaqueros in a Western State Conference race that has five teams bunched within one game of each other. Eric Thrower was 3-3 at the plate with two runs scored and four runs batted in while Chris McKee was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and four RBI for Ventura (17-17, 7-7).

• Article
• April 07, 2018

The Pirate baseball team trailed by four runs at one point and five runs at another, but in the end they claimed a four-run victory, 16-12 against Oxnard Saturday at Pirate Park. The teams combined for 28 runs and 31 hits in the 3-hour, 40-minute game on a picture perfect day in Ventura. Rudy Aguilar belted out four hits, including a double, scored two runs and knocked in three runs while AJ Medrano had a pair of hits, including a home run, with two runs scored and three RBI for the VC (16-15, 6-5).

• Article
• March 31, 2018

It was the Pirates against the Pirates Saturday afternoon as Ventura traveled south to Orange Coast for a baseball match-up. The VC Pirates were unable to make an early 5-1 lead hold up as the OCC Pirates came away with the 16-6 victory. Dayton Provost and AJ Medrano each had a pair of hits for Ventura (14-14, 4-4) while TJ Foreman had three runs batted in and scored twice. Ryker Kennepohl started on the mound for VC, pitching into the fifth inning and giving up four runs.

• Article
• March 15, 2018

The Pirate baseball team pulled back to .500 with an 11-9 victory at Cuesta Thursday afternoon, their third straight Western State Conference win. Steele Ledford opened up the game with a home run, and also had a single and triple and two more runs batted in and Fabian De La Barcena was 2-3 with a double and three RBI. Noah Proffitt pitched seven innings, giving up five runs and four hits while striking out three to pick up the win and Sal Delgado recorded the save.

• Article
• March 09, 2018

Pirate catcher Shane Gipson had three hits, including a triple, three runs batted in and also scored a run in Ventura's 10-3 victory at Moorpark College Friday. Rudy Aguilar also belted out three safeties with two runs scored and an RBI and four other Pirates had two hits each. Ryker Kennepohl pitched six solid innings, allowing two earned runs in picking up the victory for VC (9-10, 2-1).

• Article
• March 06, 2018

After trailing by scores of 5-1 and 6-2, the Pirate baseball team made a strong comeback, falling just short in their 6-5 loss at Oxnard on Tuesday afternoon to open Western State Conference North Division play. Steele Ledford was 3-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored, and Eric Thrower batted 3-4 with a run batted in for Ventura (7-10, 0-1). Jeff Thoben pitched five solid innings fo relief, giving up just one run, to give the Pirates a chance at the comeback.

• Article
• February 28, 2018

The Pirate baseball team was unable to have an early 2-0 lead hold up as the fell at Cerritos 3-2 in 11 innings on Wednesday afternoon. Making up a rain out from the day before, VC (6-8) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and had a solid pitching performances from Noah Proffitt and Jeff Thoben, but were unable to pick up the victory. Rudy Aguilar and Dayton Provost provided RBI hits for the Pirates.

• Article
• February 20, 2018

The Ventrua College baseball team twice had three-run leads Tuesday, but was unable to hold them , falling 6-5 in extra innings Tuesday night under the lights at Mt. San Antonio College. Steele Ledford had two hits, including a triple, and scored twice while JT Heade recorded a pair of hits, including a double, to lead the Pirates (6-6) at the plate.

• Article
• February 16, 2018

"It's a beautiful day for a ballgame..." as Ernie Banks said. "Let's play two!" It was a beautiful day in Monterey Friday as Ventura and Monterey Peninsula did play two, splitting the twin bill in what the teams coined as "The Battle for the Beach." The Lobos took game one 8-2 before the Pirates came back to win the nightcap 8-5 in 12 innings. Steele Ledford led the Pirates with six hits on the day and Shane Gipson had a home run in the 12th inning of game two to send VC to victory.

• Article
• February 13, 2018

It was one of those days at the ballpark for the Pirates. VC fell behind early against visiting Cerritos and could not make a comeback in their 20-7 defeat at the hands of the Falcons. Sam Langler had three hits with a run scored while Steele Ledford had two runs batted in for the Pirates (4-4). Rudy Aguilar, Eric Thrower and TJ Foreman each recorded two base hits in the game.

• Article
• February 09, 2018

The Ventura College baseball team just keeps the line moving. And moving. And moving... The Pirates strung together 22 hits and scored 18 runs in defeating visiting Los Angeles Mission College Friday at Pirate Park. TJ Foreman was 4-4 at the plate with four runs scored and five runs batted in to lead the way while Steele Ledford and Shane Gipson also recorded four hits each. Chris McKee had five RBI. Blake Campbell picked up his second win of the year with six solid innings on the mound.

• Article
• February 06, 2018

There's nothing like JC baseball. The Ventura College baseball team put up 11 runs in the first four innings Tuesday afternoon at LA Mission, only to give up a seven-run sixth inning, falling to the Eagles 12-11. Steele ledford was 2-5 with a triple and five runs batted in and JT Heade had a pair of hits, two RBI, and scored twice to lead VC (2-2). Jackson Hokuf limited LA Mission to five runs, four earned in five complete innings in the start.

• Article
• February 03, 2018

The Ventura College baseball team pounded 18 hits in defeating Pasadena City College on the road Saturday afternoon. Chris McKee was 4-5 with a double, two runs scored, two runs batted in and a stolen base in leading the offensive onslaught for the orange and black. TJ Foreman had three hits, two runs scored and one RBI while Eric Thrower recorded a pair of doubles for VC (2-1). Starting pitcher Blake Campbell gave up two runs over five innings to pick up the win and the bullpen threw four scoreless frames.

• Article
• January 27, 2018

On a nearly perfect afternoon for baseball at Pirate Park, the Ventura College baseball team gave new head coach Jimmy Walker his first career victory and claimed the team's first win of the season with an 11-5 triumph over visiting Los Angeles Valley College. Steele Ledford, Rudy Aguilar and Sam Langler all had three hits to lead the 15-hit Pirate attack. Ekolu Watanabe picked up the win in relief on the mound as the Ventura bullpen was strong for the second straight day.

• Article
• January 25, 2018

The 2018 edition of Ventura College Pirate Baseball opens with a single game at Chaffey College on Friday January 26 followed by the home opener at Pirate Park on Saturday January 27 against Los Angeles Valley College.  First pitch at Chaffey is at 2:00 pm and Saturday's home opener begins at 12:00 pm.  First year head coach Jimmy Walker and his staff are bringing in a new era of Pirate Baseball.