COSTA MESA, CA. (Feb. 12, 2024)- The Whittier College men's baseball team began their season Monday afternoon, traveling to Vanguard University to take on the Lions. The Poets pitching looked good in their season debut, but the bats were not able to catch fire. Despite taking an early lead in the first inning, the Poets fell to the Lions by a final score of 8-2. 

In the top of the first, senior Delvan Gomez (Artesia, Calif., Gahr HS, Cerritos College) got on base after battling at the plate and taking a pitch off his ribs. Following a passed ball in which he was able to reach second base, the All-SCIAC hitter Teige Barrett (San Diego, Calif., Mira Mesa HS) got the Poets on the board. Barrett laced a ball right through the left side of the infield and Gomez was able to come home. 

On the defensive side, Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif., Ramona) took the ball for the Poets pitching staff. The junior pitched very well for Whittier going 2.2 innings, with 2 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts. Unfortunately in the third inning an error in the field forced the pitcher out of the game after giving up 3 unearned runs. After scoring these 3 runs in the third the Lions were able to open their offense up. Vanguard would go on to score 8 unanswered runs and held a 8-1 lead over Whittier. 

In the top of the 8th Berber showed that he is ready to be a dominating 2-way player in the SCIAC this season, smoking a double down the left field line and later advancing to third on a passed ball. Nathan Sherman (Ventura, Calif., Buena HS) then came to the plate and was able to bring the Poets second run of the game across the plate; scoring Berber on an in-field single to shortstop. However, this is where the Poets offense would end. 

The Poets would drop game one of their season by a final score of 8-2, but there were some positives to take away. Barrett and Sherman both managed to get their first hits and RBIs of the year, while Lew Rice (Walkerton, Va., IMG Academy) got in on the action with a hit of his own. Berber was the real star of the game for Whittier though pitching a solid 2.2 innings, as he also hit the Poets only extra-base hit and scored 1 of their 2 runs. 

Head Coach Mike Rizzo and the Poets will be back in action this weekend, playing host to Lewis and Clark College. The first game of the 3 game set will be on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 2:30, while the teams will play a double-header Saturday with game 1 starting at 11:00.