PASADENA, CA. (APR. 11, 2026)- Whittier College baseball closed out its three-game SCIAC series against Caltech with a Saturday doubleheader split, rolling to a 20–1 win in game one before falling 2–0 in the finale. With the split, the Poets secured the weekend series victory after Friday's opener in Whittier.
Game One: Whittier 20, Caltech 1
The Poets wasted no time taking control in the opener, erupting for nine runs in the first inning and never looking back.
Rayden Miguel (Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Moanalua) opened the game with a walk, Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) was hit by a pitch, and Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., MACES) lined an RBI single through the right side to get Whittier on the board. Parker Eastwood-Lilles (Vancouver BC, Canada, St. George's Academy) followed with a two-run single, Warren Canciller (Corona, Calif., Santiago) added a two-run knock later in the inning, and Miguel lifted a sacrifice fly before Jasso capped the rally with another two-run single as the Poets surged in front 9–0.
Whittier kept the pressure on in the second. Canciller and Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) singled to start the inning, Miguel drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, and Mecate followed with a sacrifice fly that turned into two runs after a Caltech error in right, stretching the lead to 12–0.
The Poets added two more in the third when Eastwood-Lilles blasted a solo home run to left-center and Schulze followed with an RBI single. In the fifth, Schulze doubled down the line, Christian Kobayashi (Chicago, Ill., Von Steuben) drove in a run with a single, Mecate added another RBI knock, and Thomas Iten (Stockton, Calif., Lincoln) broke the game open further with a three-run home run to left to make it 19–1. Whittier added one more in the seventh on an RBI fielder's choice from Joseph Conti (Tracy, Calif., Victor Valley).
Jasso led the offense, going 3-for-3 with three RBI, while Eastwood-Lilles drove in three and Iten added three more on his home run. Canciller finished 3-for-3 with two RBI, Schulze had three hits and scored three times, and the Poets piled up 20 hits in the victory.
On the mound, Owen Moore (Austin, Texas, St. Michael's Catholic Academy) earned the win with five strong innings, allowing one run while striking out seven. Johnathon Lewis (Long Beach, Calif., Millikan) and Carter Liu (Irvine, Calif., Northwood) combined to finish off the final two innings as the Poets held Caltech to six hits.
Game Two: Caltech 2, Whittier 0
The Poets threatened throughout the finale but could not break through offensively, falling 2–0 in a tightly played game 3.
Whittier put runners aboard early, getting a single from Mecate in the first and a walk from Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) in the second, but Caltech escaped both innings. The hosts broke through in the second on a double and sacrifice fly, then added their second run in the fourth on a solo home run.
The Poets created their best chance in the fifth. Eastwood-Lilles singled, Jackson Brummett (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) followed with a base hit, and Miguel added another single to load the bases with one out, but Caltech got out of the jam to preserve the 2–0 lead.
Whittier continued to pressure late. Eastwood-Lilles singled again in the sixth, Plaskett added a single in the eighth, and Collin O'Driscoll (Belmont, Calif., College of San Mateo) doubled to open the ninth, but the Poets were unable to come up with the timely hit.
Eastwood-Lilles led the offense with two hits, while O'Driscoll, Brummett, Miguel, Mecate, and Plaskett each added one. Whittier finished with seven hits but was held scoreless.
On the mound, Carter Calkin (Kirkland, Wash., Bellevue Christian) gave the Poets a strong start, allowing two runs over six innings. Troy Simmonds (Costa Mesa, Calif., Costa Mesa) followed with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, and Aaron Cazares (Eastvale, Calif., Norco) recorded the final out in the eighth to keep Whittier within striking distance.
Whittier showed both explosive offense and steady pitching across the doubleheader, and the split was enough to send the Poets home with the series win. Their next chance to get back in the win column will come next Friday, as the Poets will travel to Cal Lutheran to play the Kingsmen at 3:00 PM.
