Moorpark College’s slim chances of WSC Northern Division postseason play were dashed when Pierce College defeated Cuesta College at home on the last day of the regular season, friday, April 24.
The Raiders fate was beyond its control and could only hope, with fingers crossed, that Cuesta won both of its remaining games against Pierce. Cuesta won Thursday’s game at home, but the baseball gods rendered their final verdict 24 hours later.
“We lost games we should have won, and shot ourselves in the foot a few times,” head coach, Mario Porto said about the season. “I thought we had no doubts about making the playoffs. Offensively, we swung the bats well all year and did a good job, but defensively, we didn’t play like I thought we would.”
“We had a lot of errors this year, and there’s room for improvement,” said Wyatt Birg, whose, 6-3, record for the season led the pitching staff. “I think we did well with what we had. Next year we’ll be a stronger team, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Athletic Director, Howard Davis, was sanguine about the past season, given the concerns about the reemergence of baseball at Moorpark after a two-year layoff.
“I thought we’d have to go two or three years before we got to the level we’re at this year,” Davis said. “It’s a tribute to Mario and Curtis [Scott] for the recruiting that they’ve done, and to the young men who took a leap of faith to come to a brand new program. The prospects for next year are excellent. We’re going to lose some key players, but not 35, like Mario had to fill this year.”
“You win on pitching, defense, and timely hitting,” said Rick Luevano, the proud parent of the Raiders third baseman/pitcher, Thomas Luevano. “If we had two or three more pitchers, we would have had six or eight more wins. I’ve talked to people in the community, and the word is out that Moorpark is a rising power. I’m very optimistic.”
As one measure of the success of the baseball program over the past season, Davis pointed to the passion for the game locally, and among parents and players.
“The fact that this community yearns for baseball, and that 65 kids would show up on day one, is a good signal that the community needed it, and that 35 players have stuck with us for the full year,” Davis said. “Their competitive success has been a bonus. They’re just great kids and they’ve been a joy to watch.”
“This is my 21st season, and I’m really excited about next year,” said Tom Hergenreder, the on-air voice of baseball at Raider Stadium. “Based on what I’ve seen, I predict that next season, Moorpark College will have the best baseball team they’ve had in my tenure here.”
Porto compares recruiting to a pyramid, where the better players finish near the top, and the ones at the very tip of the pyramid are those we watch on TV. His philosophy on recruiting is: If you want to play, you must be the best player.
“Primarily we recruit at the area high school baseball games in the fall,” Porto said. “I trust the [high school] coaches, and word of mouth helps. [Players] we like are invited on campus to meet the coaches and tour the school.
“We need infielders, outfielders and another catcher. Of course we always need pitching. The present players have to get better, and have to compete for a spot.”
The funding for baseball comes from the $5,400 per head the state allocates to the college for attending full-time students, Davis said. However, the college doesn’t realize that money for 18 months afterwards.
“We know now that the college will fund the program,” Davis said. “The college is going to be flush with extra cash generated by baseball, because $5,400 times 35 is a lot of money.”
“They play the game hard, and they don’t make excuses,” said Hergenreder, commenting on the team’s character. “They have great camaraderie between themselves and with their coaches, which is invaluable. I’m looking forward to my 22nd season next spring.”
