2023 Ventura College Baseball Team News
Ventura College student athletes excelled once again in the classroom in 2022-23, achieving an overall 3.29 grade point average in the fall and following that up with a 3.19 overall GPA in the spring semester. A total of 108 Pirates achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, earning mention on the Dean's List in the fall 2022 term while taking in 12 or more units of study, with 53 student athletes recording a perfect 4.0 GPA. In spring 2023, 110 VC student athletes were named on the Dean's List with 45 posting perfect GPA's.
The post-season awards keep rolling in for Pirate sophomore Reiss Calvin. After turning in one of the all-time best seasons and careers in VC baseball history, the VC shortstop has now been named to the 2023 ABCA/Rawlings Pacific Association Division All-Region and All-American teams. Calvin, from Woodbury, Minn., was named first team All-Region and first team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Volleyball and beach volleyball standout Kayla Murdoch and baseball star Reiss Calvin have been named the 2022-23 Ventura College Athletics Athletes of the Year. Recognized at the VC Athletic Hall of Fame and Student Athlete recognition Banquet last month, the pair each had record-setting seasons in their respective sports to earn the Pirates' top athletic honor.
The Ventura College Athletic Department honored its outstanding scholar athletes for the 2022-23 year earlier this month at the annual VC Athletic Hall of Fame and Student Athlete Recognition Banquet. Gage Allen (baseball) received the Male Scholar Athlete Award while Lauren Albrent (Softball), Kylie Gallick (Basketball) and Maggie Mordecai (Soccer) were all named Female Schola Athletes for the year. All four achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average for two years at Ventura College.
Longtime Rio Mesa High School baseball coach David Soliz has been tabbed to lead the Ventura College baseball program. Soilz, a 23-year skipper for the Spartans from 1999-2022, takes over for interim head coach and Pirate Athletic Director Jimmy Walker, who stepped in to lead the program after the late departure of former coach Cole Mahoney-Bruer.
Pirate sophomore Reiss Calvin leads the VC contingent on the All-Western State Conference North Division team for the 2023 season as the league's Player of the Year. Sophomore catcher Andrew Savage and freshman outfielder Mason Reid each earned second team All-WSCN honors as voted upon by the conference coaches following the season.
The Pirate baseball team ended the 2023 season with an 8-1 victory over LA Pierce Saturday at Pirate Park. Yuki Kawashima had three hits and scored two runs while Matthew Beach recorded three hits with a run scored and one run batted in. Reiss Calvin scored twice in hist home finale. Jared Hughes pitched five scoreless innings to pick up the win as Ventura maintains a glimmer of hope for a post-season berth finishing in fourth place in the Western State Conference North Division at 12-12 in league play.
VC sophomore Reiss Calvin continued his stellar season hitting 3-5 with a double, two runs scored and two runs batted in and Gage Allen was 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored as Ventura held off Hancock 10-7 Friday at Pirate Park. Cooper Smith had a quality start for the victory, throwing seven innings and giving up three runs, two earned on eight hits. The triumph gave Ventura (16-23, 11-12) a season split with the Bulldogs.
It was a struggle form the beginning Tuesday at Pirate Park as the VC baseball team was on the short end of a 15-3 decision against Santa Barbara. Reiss Calvin was a triple shy of the cycle, batting 3-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in and Haiden Letzing recorded a pair of hits with an RBI.
The Pirate baseball team made it a perfect 4-0 over Oxnard this season with a 3-1 12-inning win on the road Saturday afternoon. Reiss Calvin had a pair of hits with a stolen base and a run scored for Ventura (15-22, 2\10-11) and Yuki Kawashima scored th game-winning run in the top of the 12th. Jared Hughes pitched five scoreless frames in the start and Logan Knight followed, allowing one run while pitching into the 11th inning. Sebastian Garcia got credit for the win on the mound and Livio Bundy got the save.
The Pirate baseball team fell behind 5-0 and 8-1 to visiting Cuesta Thursday afternoon before a five-run eighth inning got VC back into he game, they fell short in the comeback, however, dropping the 9-6 decision to the Cougars. Omar Santamaria continued to swing a hot bat, going 2-3, including a double, with a stolen base, two runs scored and two runs batted in. Reiss Calvin was 2-4 with a stolen base, one run scored and two RBI. Harrison Cordeiro and Sebastian Garcia each pitched scoreless innings in relief.
The VC baseball team scored twice in the top of the 10th inning to post a 7-5 victory at Moorpark, evening the season series with the Raiders at 2-2. Andrew Savage hit a sacrifice fly to score Haiden Letzing and Gage Allen singled home Caden Stillwell in the extra frame for the winning margin and Sebastian Garcia recorded the final out for the save. Stillwell totaled three hits in the contest while Connor Hickey and Mason Reid each had two runs batted in. Hunter Jones made the start giving up four runs, two earned through eight innings.
The Pirates' baseball team and LA Pierce combined to score in 11 of the 18 half-innings Saturday in Woodland Hills with VC coming up on the short side of an 8-7 decision in the final meeting of their three-game set. There were three ties and a pair of lead changes in the contest in which seven Pirates had two hits each. Haiden Letzing was one with a pair of hits and he also knocked in a run while Mason Reid had two hits with two runs scored and an RBI. Yuki Kawashima and Omar Santamaria each doubled in the game.
The Pirate baseball team posted back-to-back double-digit wins over Los Angeles Pierce this week, defeating the Brahmas 14-4 on Tuesday in Woodland Hills before belting their way to a 19-3 victory Thursday at Pirate Park. Mason Reid had five hits and four runs batted in over the two games while Reiss Calvin was 4-9 with six runs scored and four RBI. Hunter Jones pitched into the ninth inning for the victory on Tuesday and Cooper Smith threw into the eighth on Thursday for the "W" for the Pirates (13-20, 8-9).
The VC baseball team made a late charge for he second straight day, but cam up a run short Thursday, falling at Mt. San Jacinto 6-5. The Pirates came back from a 4-1 deficit after five innings, and had the game-tying run on third base when the side was retired in the top of the ninth. Yuki Kawashima had an RBI triple in the ninth inning and scored a run earlier in the game while Haiden Letzing had a hit with two runs scored. Reiss Calvin and Connor Hickey also recorded a hit and a run scored in the game.
The Pirate baseball team fell behind 7-0 after four innings of play at Rio Hondo on Wednesday before staging a strong comeback in their 11-9 setback against the Roadrunners. Caden Stillwell had two doubles, scored twice and knocked in one run while Reiss Calvin had two hits, including a double, with three runs scored and an RBI. Omar Santamaria also knocked in a pair of runs for Ventura (11-19, 6-9) in the non-conference make-up game in Whittier.
