Merced College baseball hopes late-season surge carries into NorCal playoff series
The Merced College baseball team closed the season by winning 14 of its final 16 games, including nine of the last 10.
The No. 8-seeded Blue Devils (27-13) hope that momentum carries over to the postseason as they open the California Community College Athletic Association Northern California Regional Playoffs on Friday against No. 16 Canada College (22-17-1) in the first of a best-of-three series.
First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Blue Devil Diamond. Game 2 will start at 11 a.m. Saturday, with a third game to follow if necessary.
The winning team advances to a four-team super regional the following week.
“I think it will be a very even series,” Merced College coach Nate Devine said. “They are very similar to us. They played a tough preseason schedule like we did. I think their pitchers have to pitch well for them to be successful and their offense is scrappy.”
Devine says the Blue Devils hit their stride after taking two of three games against Fresno City. That led to their strong close to the season and earned the No. 8 seed and an opportunity to host.
“That kind of woke our guys up,” Devine said. “That catapulted us and our guys played with a different level of confidence.”
The Blue Devils finished tied for second place in the Central Valley Conference with Reedley at 17-7, one game behind Fresno City.
Merced College averaged close to 8.5 runs per game this season and was led offensively by Nate Silva (.327 batting average, 51 RBIs, 16 doubles and two home runs), Fernando Ruvalcaba (.357, 4 home runs, 36 RBIs) and Jacob Solorio (.312, 5 home runs, 39 RBIs).
“Sometimes it’s been like a death by a 1,000 singles, but our guys have had some really good at-bats,” Devine said. “They grind it out and find a way to drive in runs.”
The Blue Devils enter the playoffs having scored 34 runs in their final three games.
The MC pitching staff is led by sophomores Dylan Webber (10-0, 3.10 ERA) and Brett Maddock (8-3, 4.05 ERA).
“Both of those guys are third-year guys and we’ve leaned on our veterans to make things happen,” Devine said. “You know what you’re going to get with those two guys.”
