FOREST GROVE, Ore. (May. 1-2, 2026) – Whittier College baseball closed out its 2026 season with one of its most complete stretches of the year, turning in three competitive performances in a weekend series at Pacific University. The Poets opened the set with a comeback victory before dropping a pair of tightly contested games to finish the season.
Across the final series, Whittier showcased balanced offense, strong pitching, and late-inning execution, highlighted by a resilient win in the opener and an extra-inning battle in the finale.
Game One: Whittier 9, Pacific 6
Whittier fell behind early after Pacific plated four runs in the bottom of the first, but the Poets responded immediately in the second inning.
Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) singled to start the rally,
Aidan Cardoza (Riverside, Calif., San Bernardino Valley College) doubled, and
Thomas Iten (Stockton, Calif., Lincoln) brought both runners home with a two-run double. Later in the inning,
Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) singled, and
Rayden Miguel (Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Moanalua) added an RBI knock to cut the deficit to one.
After Pacific added a run in the fourth, Whittier took control in the fifth. Schulze walked, Miguel singled, and
Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) loaded the bases with a bunt single before
Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., MACES) delivered a two-run single to tie the game. Cardoza followed with another RBI hit to give the Poets the advantage.
The Poets added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from
Parker Eastwood-Lilles (Vancouver BC, Canada, St. George's Academy), and after Pacific pulled within one,
Aaron Cazares (Eastvale, Calif., Norco) held it down on the mound. Whittier created separation in the ninth, Mecate walked, Plaskett singled, and Cardoza came through again with a two-run single to seal the 9–6 win.
Miguel led the way with three hits, while Cardoza had three of his own and drove in three runs. Iten and Jasso each added multiple RBI. Whittier totaled 14 hits in the opener.
The bullpen played a key role in the comeback win, highlighted by
Johnny Young (Redding, Calif., College of the Desert), who delivered 2 strong innings in relief to help stabilize the beginning of the game, and
Andrew Berdelis (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach), who followed with 3.2 innings while striking out five to earn the win. Cazares then added an effective closing effort, tossing 2.1 innings to secure the save and limit Pacific's chances late. Overall, the Poets' staff stabilized after the early deficit and held Pacific to just two runs over the final 8 innings, allowing the offense to complete the comeback.
Game Two: Pacific 7, Whittier 3
The Poets carried momentum into game two and traded runs early before Pacific used a late surge to take the contest.
After Pacific scored a run in the first, Whittier answered in the third.
Coehn Nakasone (Aiea, Hawaii, Mid-Pacific Institute) reached and moved into scoring position before Miguel doubled, and Mecate brought home the tying run with a sacrifice fly.
Whittier moved ahead in the fifth when
Warren Canciller (Corona, Calif., Santiago) launched a solo home run. The Poets scored again in the sixth. Plaskett singled, stole second, and came around to score on an RBI hit from Iten to give Whittier a 3–1 lead.
Pacific answered with one run in the sixth, three runs in the seventh, and added insurance in the eighth to pull away. The Boxers secured the victory by a final of 7-3.
Canciller led the offense with a home run and a double; while Miguel added an extra-base hit, Plaskett had a hit, run, and stolen base, and Iten drove in a run.
Carter Calkin (Kirkland, Wash., Bellevue Christian) had another solid start on the mound, tossing 6 innings, giving up 2 runs, and striking out 4.
Game Three: Pacific 2, Whittier 1 (10 innings)
The series finale turned into a pitcher's duel, with Whittier narrowly falling in extra innings.
The Poets struck first in the opening frame. Miguel singled, Jasso walked, and Plaskett doubled to bring home the game's first run.
Whittier held that lead deep into the game behind a strong outing from
Owen Moore (Austin, Texas, St. Michael's Catholic Academy), who kept Pacific off the board through the middle innings and worked out of multiple jams.
Pacific tied the game in the eighth, and Whittier had a prime opportunity in the 10th. Jasso singled, Plaskett followed with another hit, and Iten was intentionally walked to load the bases, but the Poets were unable to push across the go-ahead run.
Pacific then walked it off in the bottom half to take the 2–1 decision.
Plaskett, Cardoza, and Miguel each recorded multiple hits. Whittier's pitching effort in the finale was anchored by a dominant outing from Moore, who turned in one of the best starts of the season. The left-hander worked 8.1 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits, while striking out 5. Moore faced constant traffic but consistently worked out of jams, stranding runners and keeping Pacific off the board into the late innings. He threw well over 100 pitches and held the Boxers scoreless through seven before surrendering the tying run in the eighth, showcasing the durability and command that defined his season. Cazares came on in relief and helped push the game into extra innings. Despite the final result, Moore's performance capped an outstanding year on the mound, cementing his role as one of the Poets' most reliable and effective arms throughout the 2026 campaign.
Whittier went 1–2 in its final series at Pacific, totaling 25+ hits across the three games, including a 14-hit performance in the opener. Whittier's offense was led by Miguel, who paced the team with 6 hits and 3 runs over the series, while Plaskett and Cardoza each added 5 hits, with Cardoza driving in a team-best 3 RBIs, highlighted by his clutch two-run single in the 9th inning of Game 1 to seal the 9–6 win. Plaskett also contributed consistently with extra-base hits and run production, including a 2-hit, RBI effort in Game 3, while Canciller delivered the biggest swing in Game 2 with a solo home run.
Whittier closed the season playing some of its most complete baseball of the year, competing in all three games and showing growth on both sides of the field. The Poets finish the 2026 campaign with momentum and a strong foundation to build on moving forward.
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