WHITTIER, CA. (APR. 18, 2026)- Whittier College baseball bounced back from a road loss to take two of three from Cal Lutheran over the weekend, highlighted by a strong Senior Day performance and a tight series-clinching win in the finale at Mendez Stadium.

The Poets dropped Friday's opener in Thousand Oaks but responded with a complete performance in game two before edging out a 3–2 victory in the finale to secure the series.

Across the weekend, Whittier got power from the middle of the lineup, a complete-game shutout from Owen Moore (Austin, Texas, St. Michael's Catholic Academy), and a gritty relief effort in the finale to close out the series win. Before the first game, Whittier took a moment to recognize the seniors of the Cal Lutheran team as well as the 15 Poets graduating!

Game One: Cal Lutheran 6, Whittier 4

Whittier fell behind early Friday in Thousand Oaks, then battled back before Cal Lutheran used a three-run seventh inning to pull away for a 6–4 win.

The Kingsmen struck first in the opening inning on an RBI single, but the Poets answered in a big way in the third. Jackson Brummett (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) singled to start the rally, and after Rayden Miguel (Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Moanalua) reached on an error, Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) launched a three-run homer to right-center to give Whittier a 3–1 lead.

Whittier added another run in the fifth. Brummett singled again, Miguel moved him up with a sacrifice bunt, and Mecate followed with an RBI single to push the lead to 4–1.

Cal Lutheran chipped away in the sixth with a pair of doubles that cut the margin to 4–3, then broke through in the seventh. A leadoff error opened the door, and the Kingsmen turned it into three runs on an RBI double, an RBI single, and a sacrifice fly to move in front 6–4.

Mecate drove in all four Whittier runs, finishing 2-for-3 with the home run and four RBI. Brummett added two hits and scored twice, while the Poets were limited to six hits overall despite taking a lead into the late innings.

Diego Castillo (Fontana, Calif., San Bernardino Valley College) pitched great in relief for the Poets, going three innings, allowing only one hit and no runs. 

Game Two: Whittier 9, Cal Lutheran 4
Senior Day

On Senior Day, the Poets answered with one of their best all-around performances of the season, erasing an early deficit and exploding for five runs in the seventh to even the series.

Cal Lutheran grabbed the early momentum, scoring three runs in the first on one hit and two Whittier errors, then added a solo home run in the second to go up 4–0.

Whittier began to chip away in the second. Thomas Iten (Stockton, Calif., Lincoln) homered to right-center to get the Poets on the board, and later in the inning Brummett, Miguel, and Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) singled before Mecate ripped a two-run double to left to make it 4–3.

The Poets tied the game in the fifth when Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., MACES) doubled to left-center and came home on an RBI single from Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington).

The turning point came in the seventh. Jasso worked a walk, Plaskett followed with another, and Parker Eastwood-Lilles (Vancouver BC, Canada, St. George's Academy) lined an RBI single to center to give Whittier the lead. Aidan Cardoza (Riverside, Calif., San Bernardino Valley College) then walked to load the bases, Brummett drew an RBI walk, Collin O'Driscoll (Belmont, Calif., College of San Mateo) came off the bench and worked another RBI walk, and Miguel capped the inning with a two-run single through the left side as the Poets surged in front 9–4.

Moore did the rest. The left-hander went the distance for a complete-game win, allowing four runs, only two earned, while striking out three. Whittier turned three double plays behind him and kept the Kingsmen off the board over the final seven innings to move the senior's record to 7-1 on the year.

Miguel finished 3-for-5 with two RBI, Iten went 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, and Plaskett reached base four times, scored once, drove in one, and stole two bases as the Poets celebrated Senior Day with a 9–4 win.

Game Three: Whittier 3, Cal Lutheran 2

Whittier closed the series with a tight, low-scoring victory, using timely hitting in the fourth inning and strong pitching from Carter Calkin (Kirkland, Wash., Bellevue Christian) & Troy Simmonds (Costa Mesa, Calif., Costa Mesa) to lock down the series win.

Cal Lutheran struck first in the second on a sacrifice fly, but the Poets answered immediately in the bottom half. Plaskett singled, Iten reached on a bunt fielder's choice, and after Cardoza reached on an error, Joseph Azevedo (Turlock, Calif., Merced College) singled up the middle to score Iten and tie the game at 1–1.

The Kingsmen regained the lead in the fourth on a solo homer, but Whittier answered with the decisive inning in the bottom half. Plaskett singled again, Iten moved him up with a sacrifice bunt, and Azevedo reached on an error that allowed Plaskett to score the tying run. Warren Canciller (Corona, Calif., Santiago) then doubled to center to bring Azevedo all the way home and put the Poets in front 3–2.

From there, the pitching took over. Calkin gave Whittier five solid innings, allowing two runs, and Simmonds was excellent in relief, covering the final four innings without allowing a run. He worked around traffic in the sixth, got three straight outs in the seventh, and closed the door with scoreless eighth and ninth innings to earn the save and win for the Purple and Gold. Calkin earned his first victory of the season.

Plaskett led the offense with three hits, while Azevedo and Canciller each drove in a run in the decisive fourth. Whittier managed just six hits, but made them count in a 3–2 win that sealed the series.

With the two Saturday victories, the Poets turned a Friday setback into a series win, pairing timely offense with strong pitching on Senior Day weekend.

Special thank you to all the graduating seniors of the 2025-2026 Poet baseball team: 

#2 Jay Schulze
#3 Diego Castillo
#8 Collin O'Driscoll
#12 Matthew Mecate
#13 Caleb Dooley
#14 Joe Plaskett 
#16 Owen Moore 
#17 Johnny Young
#21 Joseph Azevedo
#22 Aaron Cazares
#25 Alex Jasso
#33 Marcus Owens 
#36 Jackson Brummett
#44 Ethan Tokishi
#50 Joseph Leyva
 

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